So happy to find a chicken channel that loves their hens to the end of their days. We keep all our hens until they pass away naturally, our oldest girl died last year,she was 13. They are treasures because when we didn't have the funds to feed ourselves, they fed us with their eggs.
Some of my old ladies became excellent mousers. Most laid eggs well into their 7’s. Others ate the non stop supply of bugs. Pensioners may not be 100% but they are worth keeping.
@franrowe8696 that’s amazing that your chicken lived until 13 years old! My chickens are family to me and I don’t eat my chickens, nor do I meat in general. (No judgement to anyone what does.) But I’m curious as to what kind of chicken breed was your hen that lived so long? Obviously, your loving attention had a lot to do with it, but I was curious about the breed as well. 😊
I totally agree about giving the ladies the winter off. I like to give them a break, especially since its usually right after they molt or while they are molting.
I have TWO broody hens and very glad for it- so much easier for “replacement chicks” than breaking out the incubator. The chicks actually recognize both hens as their mother/protector…tag team.
Old girls can still be good layers. My oldest is 9 years old. She took a pause/dramatic slow down a month or two before the molt, and I thought she may have stopped for good. But a month or two after the new feathers, she started laying again. Not her champion level of laying for the 8 years, but still about 3 eggs per week. Amazing. None of my chickens end up on the table (I won't even eat chickens I don't know!). I won't ever add artificial lighting, the girls do need a rest. Find videos on 'egg glassing' to save a portion of the summer's eggs for winter. It is easy to do.
That’s awesome! We have a couple old girls as well that lay great during the summer! In general they slow down but every once in a while you get a good layer! We are the same, our chickens are family at this point 😂
Huge relief. My.little hen.moulted exta heavy this year. She gets to sleep in house as her buddy died recently. No eggs for 3-4 weeks now. Now Peep is leaving large acts of flakes whenever she sits down. Dry larger flakes then.you.might think possible. She gets three types of grains & meal worms, some extra calcium chips and she also likes scrambled eggs as a treat. Any suggestions?
My girls are scared of the dark. My mother says I’ve spoiled them. But I haven’t. They were in the house because they were fall babies. I’d cover them at nite and they hated that too. They’ve been in the coop about three weeks and still are scared of the dark.
Hello, just sharing an amazing heal-all for chickens that worked for me. I learnt it on You Tube from a lovely lady. If your chicken is looking sickly, make a bath with epsom salts (magnesium), warm water and at least a cup of salts per bucket. Submerge the chicken in the bath for 5-10 mins. The birds I've treated like this make a complete recovery by the time they're dry. Works great.
Thank you for the informations. I adopted a chicken less than a month ago. I found her missing half of two fingers. She is certainly still under immense stress. I don't know where it came from, how it lived before, or anything about its history. I'm vegan and I picked it up because it was lost in the middle of the street (we live in an urban center). The day I found her she had just suffered the loss of her fingers as they were still bleeding. The next day she laid an egg and stopped. I'm reading and watching as many videos as possible to give her a good quality of life. My fear was that she wasn't laying eggs because she was unhappy, but now, after watching your video, I'm almost sure that it's still a reflection of all the stress she went through (violence when losing her fingers, different place, different people, different food, noises, other strange animals, etc). Thanks for the explanation!! 💚
I'd get her healed up, then try a couple other chickens with her, for companionship. I haven't ever seen a hen do well by themselves. It sounds like she's been through quite an ordeal! Give her plenty of love, good food, and some treats, and try getting her some friends. Best of luck. So sweet of you to take her in! ❤
Americaunas and brahmas are decent egg layers in winter. they are more of a cold weather bird. We currently are down to 3 birds and are getting 6 to 9 eggs weekly.
Wasn’t going to get chickens again. I have mobility issues. But I went to add eggs to my grocery delivery order and they were out of stock without any other options. I said this morning, that’s it!!! I have to get chickens again. Just three or four this spring.
@@WhitepepperFarmshomestead I am too. It'll be awhile before I can get them and then before they start laying but food security is important. And just like the Pandemic made me go back to gardening, this is making me go back to chickens.
Yeah the pandemic really got a lot of people into the garden, and now between egg prices and shortages.. it’s pushing a lot of people into getting chickens for sure
There's a video about giving a chicken a warm Epsom Salt bath for 15 minutes if they are acting droopy and quiet. Perks them right up. Don't do this in cold weather unless you can keep that hen warm til her feathers dry. I use fake ( clay ) eggs in nesting boxes, they like to lay where they see other chickens are laying. This video hits alot of good points, Bravo!
We open our run at noon and not before, that’s the way to help them learn where home is. It works every time. Great rule of thumb. What is your process for caring, keeping, and raising new babies? Fermented scratch is great treat to get them in from free ranging.
We turned a big ICB tote into a brooder for the spring. We buy a couple new chicks every year and raise them in there before introducing them to the flock. This year we will be doing a video for every step of the way!
Good job on this video! Only one thing. I am a seasoned chicken keeper. I don’t butcher my laying hens either, but you cannot, I say you cannot leave a broody hen to sit on eggs if those eggs are not fertile. Some hens we will sit on those eggs and will not get off even after 21 days. She could die! so you were wrong in that but the rest of everything you said was great advice.
Please be aware of Pyridoxine in any feed. It is mostly found in DuMor by tractor supply. DO NOT CONTINUE THAT FEED. The side effects of Pyridoxine are not just found in chickens dying, egg reduction, and feet puffing up, but also found in what YOU eat. Causes headaches, dizziness, nausea, numbness in hands and feet among other things. This is a permanent health issue, and can be passed by egg consumption, or eating the chickens you grow. Be aware, this can create a LAWSUIT against Tractor supply over these concerns.
@@bethstaggs2369 Yes, but Pyridoxine stays permanently in the fowl, and eggs. that is why I have to terminate my flock cause otherwise, eating the eggs at this point will affect my own health with that crap in there.
@@deborahelliott8460 I am really sorry for that ! Mine go to the Amish when I retire them. They use them for pest control . Now I am questioning my fertilizer from chickens. Why must feed companies include such ingredients when there’s other options for B1 smh
You can also take egg shells and bake them in the oven to kill bacteria then crumble up the shells to smaller pieces to give to the chicken to eat for more calcium too! I give my chickens oyster shells and egg shells at the very least. In some cases they’ll get other calcium to choose from as well. My egg shells are pretty hard to break, so their getting plenty of calcium! If you have soft shells up your calcium for your chickens! Another thing I have learned or least seems to work! Is I have baby chicks born At different times of the months and that way my chickens start laying eggs at different times even though the winter months. My chickens have roosters in the coop so I get baby chicks thru different times thru spring and summer that I raise in a separate coop with their mother hen with them. Till mother hen is ready to leave her chicks on their own. I have a smaller coop on wheels that has hardware cloth on the sides and top of the coop that I put a tarp over a portion of the coop for shade or protect from rain and the whole coop can be covered with the tarp when necessary. Instead of cleaning the smaller coop, it has no floor, so you just move the coop to another area every few days whenever the ground looks dirty with chicken waste! Wish I had built my larger coop without a floor too, much easier and quicker to just move the coop then have to clean it out. Even though I did make my larger coop pretty easy to clean out with large doors in the back of the coop that open up the whole back of the coop and it’s also 6 feet high inside so I can stand in the coop as well. Best feature I made that’s been a great help is the roost that goes across the front of the coop’s width is designed on hinges and it folds up against the ceiling to get it completely out of the way making the floor clear of any obstructions! Floor made of waterproof plywood covered in plastic laminate like many kitchen countertops are. So nothing sticks to the floor very much and most everything slides off pretty easy. Still got things that do stick I bought a flooring scraper that has a 12” wide sheet of metal with a sharp edge on a metal handle like a broom that works great for anything stuck to the floor. Also use a snow shovel to pick up larger amounts of wood chips and waste that’s I put under the roosts to soak up the chicken waste. I have 44 chickens, so they make quite a bit of waste in a very short time! I try to clean the coop least every other week if not daily! Winter with the rain and cold I tend to let the coop go with cleaning it longer. Just add more wood chips on top of the waste from the chickens every few days. Till I find a good day for cleaning out the coop. Only take 15-20 minutes to clean it out, so it’s not too bad! Put a small trailer behind the coop and push most the waste right out the back of the coop into the trailer to put in the compost pile for the garden eventually. Big coop sits 3’ up in the air with a chicken run underneath where the chickens can get out of any nasty weather we’re having? This also helps with the trailer behind the coop to push the waste out into the trailer and not needing to pick up any of the waste! I f do have a solar system on my coop for lights on a timer as well along with an automated chicken door that works on WiFi that connects to my cell phone so I can open or close the door from inside my house if I choose to? I wish you could add pictures here, after all picture are worth a thousand words too! Would save some of the descriptions if I could
Great idea! I need a floor where I live, as we had a huge raccoon problem. I feel better that my girls have a safe cage to go to every night. I'm trying the deep litter method with peat moss this year. It isn't too bad to clean out. Just a shovel. I caged in a 4x8' dog run inside with 1/2" hardware cloth. I wish it was about 6" taller, but it's still a great run. Best one yet!. I put floor tile on the bottom, the peat moss layers on top,xso I can shovel it. I will use vinyl flooring next time, as my girls love to dig! Great ideas!
Why would feathers bother neighbors? It’s amazing to me the petty things neighbors complain about. Thanks for the video and sharing your chickens with the rest of us who love them ❤🐓
We have a water bucket like the one in your video with the spout things, we put a fish aquarium heater in it and the only time it froze enough that we had to bring them bowls of water it was below zero for about 3 days it worked til it was below zero fine.
I live in C. FL. and my hens have gone thru molting, obviously they didn't get the memo that FL doesn't have harsh winters. When my hens had full range of my large yard I had a rooster to protect them. Now they are in a fenced area and the rooster is still ruling the roost, but no one ever mentions having an agressive rooster is a problem and prevents hens from laying, could this be ?.
Originally at Walmart but we can’t find them there anymore. They aren’t technically made to be nesting boxes, they are organizational totes. BUT in this video I found every possible link I could find for them. Most times they are sold out everywhere but sometimes you can still find them! ruclips.net/video/zjCY5aiRbxU/видео.htmlsi=-VpWTUyyNtY6N0jN
Me I try not to leave eggs in the boxes.... because when chicken see a lot of eggs they think it's time to stay in to hatch the eggs, winter is tricky for chickens, I had that time when my one chicken wasn't laying so I try to keep water all the time lots of feed and I leave the light on in the barn.. within no time I start finding eggs, my first time raising chicken I have one hen one rooster I got an eggs everyday...... great video mate 👍🏾
Great video. We raise endangered species breeds of Chicken, Duck and Geese for propagation and this is some great info for people unaware. My biggest issue is weather change. We can have 50-60degree change in temp in a single day. 110 in the day, 50 at night. or those cold winter drops from 30deg to -10. Always kills the egg production for awhile. I do have 9yr old chickens still laying good eggs 1-3 times a week.
@Nilas spasov We only sell locally and I deliver to Montana, Oregon, Idaho and Washington since delivery companies like usps and ups/fed ex are incompetent. We have had too many birds die using those companies. Apologies for any inconvenience of course. You can dm me if you have any further interest.
Hey Brandon, Great information and a wonderful channel. I'm new to chickens and in the Okanagan Valley BC. My pullets have not started to lay yet ( 16 weeks as of Sept 2023) and days are getting shorter so I was wondering how many folks supplement light and if it harms the chickens in any way? I'm with you - I don't NEED the eggs (haven't seen one yet!) but I think I'll NOT add light and let them be! Thanks for your super informative videos - THANKS for putting in the chapters - (I only wanted the highlights this time and I got them - but watched all of the end...) I KNOW I can slow down the RUclips playback speed - but were you cold and wanting to wrap up or has your pace of speaking gotten faster?? Yes, you can be understood - but for an 'instructional video' I think you would be more appreciated - if a tad slower. Mad Respect from your Northern Neighbour in BC, Canada.
Hello! I appreciate the comment! It's definitely not unheard of for chickens to not quite start laying before the days get short enough for them to not lay for the winter. It's definitely possible to supplement light and get them to start laying, i've even done it. I stopped doing it because I wanted them to have the winter off to rest and just survive in the cold. I don't think there's a right and wrong answer to if you should or not. My opinion is to let them be, but I'm also not going to look down on someone for using lights. Oh I was SO cold haha! BUT with that being said I do tend to speak extremely quickly naturally and especially when it's something I'm excited about. It's something I've definitely been working on but often times I don't even realize I'm doing it! I will continue to work on that though, I want you to be able to hear me clearly!
I found this video by accident. I was wondering the same thing about the speed of it. I certainly don't know how to slow it down and so i have to say your hurriedness made me quite nervous and jumpy. Good information though. Just need a calmer voice for myself. My chickens are 1 and 1/2 years old, laid all through winter last year but the molt has really set them back. Feeding them extra calcium by putting eggshell s in the freezer until i get enough to put into the blender. Then fermenting their feed with the eggshells mixed in as well as high protein puppy chow + mealworms. I think my problem is the rooster wants to CONTINUOUSLY MATE with a few of the hens. Most look great, but there are a few still missing feathers on their backs. 1 barred rock has no feathers at all on her back and vent area. We checked for mites. There are none. She is the only 1 that looks bad! He is an Ameracauna and I don't like that breed. We had 1 before and had to get rid of him due to his aggression towards the hens and me! Sitting here now with spur holes in my right leg. He flogged me 2 times last week for no apparent reason. We are sick of his behavior, can't find anyone to give him to so thinking about the stewpot. I didn't want a rooster in the 1st place. I ordered all pullets from Murray McMurray and he had to ge the mystery exotic chick. No, thank you! The 1 before years ago was just like this one...mean! I had a partridge rock named Henry who was very gentle but a fox got him. These are the 1st chickens we've kept in over 15 years. Love the fresh eggs. Any advice on the naked hen? I think getting rid of the over-zealous rooster is our 1st thing to do. He's on them all the time and no, I'm not buying saddles for 14 hens! I can't afford it.
Hey BC guy! I would consider supplemental light because you are so far north. Light helps bone development and cal-mag-zinc metabolism, especially important in their 1st year. I'd give them 12 hours of light, be sure they get some sunlight every day possible. I'm posting about a month after they reach their 16 weeks, so you should have some fairy eggs at least, or will get them very soon, depending on the breeds you have. Best of luck with your flock! ❤
@@CarolReidCA Thanks for your detailed reply! I'm not far north really - Kelowna area. But it's all relative I guess. I've been blessed - two of my four started laying just days after that post and the others two weeks later; so all are 'working' and I'm told they're fat' n happy. So two began laying at 17 weeks and two at 19 weeks so I'm thrilled. I have a dimmed LED in there and it's programed to come on about 30 minutes before dawn and again on for about 30 minutes after dusk for now. I'll stop it completely shortly - first frost here last night - and I'll let them use their energy to fight the cold. Just finishing an insulated chicken coop about four times as large as current setup so I'll see how they make out - without supplemental heat - or light. Maybe a low watt heater panel (from brooder) and a low draw seed heating mat to keep water from freezing. Learning every day. But I specified hearty breeds to help. Thanks!
I was raised out on a farm. My grandparents never gave the chickens anything store bought. They just ate what was out there & laid eggs all the time. Why the store feed? Thank you
Not everyone has enough food growing on their property to keep their birds full, especially if you keep them in a run and they not free range during the day. A farm has lots of acreage for the birds to find what they need. I hope that explained it
@@juneramirez8580 I have 5 acres and allow my chickens to free range on our whole property from 10am - when the chickens themselves decide to go back in the coop to roost at night. Some actually stay out after dark since I have several security lights and the chickens have learned many bugs come out after dark including the worms . I still have feeders for all my chickens with layer feed and grains and the chickens can eat from the feeders whenever they want to? Seems they always run to the feeders first and later go out and forage for whatever they can find around the property. I do have chickens that always find a place to hide and hatch eggs. Chicken shows up with 4-13 chicks following behind their mom hen. I always gather them up and have a maternity ward in my garage for the babies. Unfortunately this last year I had more babies turn out to be roosters and that didn’t help my new population for egg laying this year. Looks like I will having to be buy new baby chicks this year. I sell eggs and customers aren’t happy when my chickens aren’t laying any eggs! First year in 8 years I have had a reduction in egg laying. Went from 21-23 eggs a day down to 4-9 eggs a day. Makes it hard to keep my customers happy not having the eggs I normally do for them! Hoping the chickens will start laying better when spring comes? We’ll see?
I plan to harvest mine at some point, but want them to gave a happy healthy life till then..I plan to increase my flock a little every year, I let them hatch out some eggs, I may add a few different breeds integrate in spring, might add some Marans next year for different egg colors, but the bulk is Buff Orpingtons which are truly steady layers...when you add a fake egg when adding nesting boxes it encourages them to use the boxes...if I dont want them to be broody I take eggs and take off the nest if one there all day...right now dealing with molting, so production is down a bit, but newer birds HAVE begun to lay so it'll help as well as feeding some meal worms and black oil sunflower seeds, with winter coming they are now getting some cracked corn and oatmeal to help warm their bodies and I'll be using light as daylights getting shorter so they get the amount of light they need! plus adding a waterer in coop where I'll have at least one heat light to keep water from freezing so they get water, ALSO doing a deep bedding method during winter which also adds warmth...if they lay they lay if they don't they can rest! have prepared fir less eggs during winter with preserving methods
I have one hen left (gave away all of my other birds due to a death in the family out of state which has caused us to be away for long periods and a sitter has to come. I kept her because she is so sweet). She is one year old and was laying eggs fine for a while, then started to lay very thin shelled eggs until they were being laid with the shell and insides totally separate. A couple of months ago I noticed worms in her poo so I dewormed her and also treated her with Corid to be on the safe side. There were no more traces of worms but the egg situation did not improve. Her coop is always clean, water is available, I have tried every brand of food, she gets crushed eggshells (she won’t eat commercial grit), her treats are Black Fly Larvae which I have started adding Calcium (between 250-500 mg. At 500 mg she stops laying all together and at 250 she MAY lay a shell less egg during the week). She also likes white millet. I do not give corn as treats or table scraps but since it’s so hot right now I do give small amounts of frozen watermelon or strawberries a few times a week. I took her to the vet (at a cost of almost $400) for a full exam and was given antibiotics and told that it COULD be a bacterial infection. If that didn’t work (which it hasn’t) to limit her daylight to only 8 hours per day (will be making blackout curtains for all of the coop windows as soon as I fly home Monday) and that will force her into a molt and POSSIBLY reset her system. If that doesn’t work then she has reproductive cancer. Does this all sound right to you? They said even though she could have cancer, there is no need to put her down. She could still have a good life just no eggs. I’m wondering if the fact she has no other hens or a rooster (more or less a family of her own species) if that could have been a trigger and if I bring in more hens could this help put her back on track….sort of like human women (sorry guys) who are together all of the time end up having their monthly at the same time. Any help or suggestions from anyone out there would be appreciated!
Can I just say how awesome it is that you’ve done all this research, done all these things, paid all this money to help her out? That’s so awesome! You’re doing everything right, you really are! Everything you’ve done is what I would have done. You could be on to something with the not having a friend thing. Chickens are flock animals and are used to being together, it might be throwing her off being alone?
Thank you so much for the kind words and encouragement. I’m one of those odd people that love to hatch my own babies so I can hold and snuggle with them as soon as the come out of the shell. I cherish that bonding with them and it may seem extreme to go through all of this for a chicken (yes, I also bury them when they die in our pet cemetery) but her little life depends upon me and I feel like I’m failing her. I think I will try to find someone willing to sell me a few young hens that are kind and gentle so they may not only help her body heal but give her the companionship I know she needs and deserves plus provide natural body heat when winter sets in here. @@WhitepepperFarmshomestead
It might be helpful for you to research GSE and artemisinin. These are two things that I have found invaluable in raising my chickens and for my dog also. GSE will kill anything. Put it in your chickens water. Artemisinin will parasites. GSE kills parasites fungus and bacteria of all kinds. I didn't take it when I feel like a virus is moving in. God bless you and your research
We are redoing the coop today. I’m sure this will stress them out. Three different ages. Teenagers are laying everyday. I’ve done all I can, oh well,3 eggs out of 15 chickens…
They will appreciate it in the long run! Winter can definitely be hard on egg production. We are currently getting 0 eggs! Definitely getting more chicks this spring.
E. Ky here...our temps have been all over the place, lol. 32 dual purpose chickens 3 of which are young roosters, 20 are over 4 years old, on average. 1 to 2 eggs a week for the last 2 months. They range sometimes. I've followed them and I've found nests, but no eggs (circle of life feeding). For the range of ages, and all being winter hardy, and keeping them in the (large) run, no health issues detected, I've come to the conclusion it's likely the space and lack of sufficient nesting boxes. Thank you for the tips. My babies are primarily for our eggs, but if needed they will feed the family. I'll add I treat their water with ACV which offers tons of health benefits. P.S. just informed husband "we" need to redo one of the coops... since its hunting season, guessing thats an "I" project, lol.
The winter/light issue is something I hear a lot from people. A good layer can lay 250-300 eggs per year. That’s 65+ days when they’re not laying, so no one should expect eggs every day. I also don’t like artificial lighting to keep chickens laying over winter because, as you said in a couple of your chicken videos, they need their energy to stay warm and survive the winter. I would recommend to people to put ground cover down in runs if it’s soil/grass too - no one likes walking on frost/icy ground 🐓
My chickens lay all winter! I keep the coop clean with a light. It gets real cold in my state & the light radiates heat. I also use a heated water dish. They free range except in winter. I have about 30 chickens at 3 different age levels. So, I should always have layers. I let one hen sit on her eggs & she had 1 chick. She doesn't let that baby out of her sight. She has 3 boxes she likes, so I never know which one she & baby will choose each night. I have 7 roosters, so I need to think them out. Gotta keep an eye out. They like to do sneak attscks. Get you a nice long stick that's flexible, like from a cherry tree. Tie a rag or bandana at the end of it. Chickens aren't afraid of sticks, but they're afraid of the rag on the stick. Idk why, but it works. All I do is carry it with me as I enter thwir main space & they scatter.
John 3:16 KJV For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
My brother put a transistor radio in the hen house played music ect.and really secured the fence and house.it worked extremely well. Plenty of water and they like maggots, worms, bugs,
Add # 10....I had to look this up, worms in your chickens...mix food with D-earth food grade..lost few hens before I knew about this...they just got sicker and died. I know now. Great video bud, I did not fall asleep.
Thank you for the addition! At some point someone is going to read that and it will definitely help them when they need it! And thank you for watching!
@@WhitepepperFarmshomestead My sin in law was getting enough eggs for his family, give some away and do some. Their refrigerator was always full of eggs. Then they started showing down to the point that they are lucky to get maybe 3 eggs a day and she said none. Have started with locally grown and milled chicken feed and leaving TSC alone. SMH. I feel like there's about to be a class action against Dumor feed and maybe TSC as well. JS
I’ve definitely been seeing people talking about those feeds. We haven’t had an issue here with it, but it’s definitely something we plan to dig deeper into with the amount of people seeing the issues!
They are awesome! Becoming hard to find though but this video I talk about where we got them and posted some new links I found for them! Check all the links of some are sold out because they sell out pretty quick! Or check your local Walmart they MIGHT have some in the tote area. ruclips.net/video/zjCY5aiRbxU/видео.htmlsi=RbCLdAW-JUz6bW7N
@@shayluv50 I use the rolled oats. You can feed it to them raw (uncooked) or put warm water on them. If you use whole oats, I would soak them for 3 days (change water daily) & then give it to the chickens in the last days water to give a little probiotic.
All the years I've had a nipple waterer with a livestock tank heater I've never had my water freeze. The rain barrels I use to catch water for them has frozen a few times but never the chicken water.
Seriously the best nesting boxes!! Yep they are from Walmart! We did a quick video on them, here it is if you want to check them out a bit closer! ruclips.net/video/zjCY5aiRbxU/видео.html
We are literally in the same boat. Loud neighbors, dogs, etc & F35s traveling over everyday 😅 One of my girls stopped laying and i think its bc the other one is being a little bully to her 🤔 She's acting fine....but won't lay 😥 i have to admit i haven't been as attentive as i want to be recently....but I'm going to try and make a larger space for her to roam soon.
You had some great advice that applies not just to chickens, but to us humans as well: Give them some space, let them chill out and calm down a little bit and relax. Let them work through it.
I bought dog water bowls that u can plug in, in the winter, that will keep the water frome freezing and use them for my chickens..I got them at the farm supply store....I mean I already have to plug in a heat light in winter anyway cause we get lots of snow, ice and frigid temps here...sometimes down to 8 degrees . and I'm in Southern Oregon, Not Minnesota...So I want my chickens comphy....if u already have to plug that heat light/ lamp in, get a 3 way heavy duty extension cord and plug the water bowl in too...Saves u, and keeps water in front of your chickens at all times...
Great video. I just recently got chicken from a friend. I built a coop 36x36x36 cube with the nesting box inside. Is this ok to have the nesting box inside? It's been 10 day and no eggs. Is it stress or because my nesting box is inside. Any info would be great. Thanks
I’ve heard that, and I’m definitely working on it. In our newest video I tried really hard and I will continue to try to slow it down, I speak really quickly in general and even more quickly when it’s something I’m excited about 😂. But I’m making a conscious effort to work on that!
Hi! Thnx for the video. I have a new coop of chickens. Now almost 2,5 months. I have 6 ladies and 1 male. He is singing sinds 3 weeks now and the ladies aren't laying eggs yet. They are more then 6 months i think. is it normal it takes time when they start laying eggs? They are happy as i see. it is winter now and i am living in spain. I think i just wait and it will happen...what do you think? thnx
Thank you for watching! If it’s winter from you I wouldn’t be too worried until spring! Wait for those longer days to start and they should start laying!
@@WhitepepperFarmshomestead so cool!! you know what happened!!!! So yesterday I watched your video and I thought let’s look around maybe the hide there eggs somewhere and guess what! I found two! And today I saw one of them laying an egg!! Wowww so cool so in alignment! The last 2 days I heard them tokking and I was like what is happening because they where away from the group but they where laying an egg! So I have blue eggs now! So happy! Thanks for your video and your response love this! First time having chicken and I love them!!❤️❤️🥚🥚
CONGRATULATIONS!!! Your first eggs are so exciting! If they continue to lay elsewhere, try taking their eggs and putting them into the nesting box. Sometimes that can help show them where they are supposed to lay.
Winter and molting.. If I give mine higher protein when they're molting like millworms. When it's pretty well dark all day long.I put a light in the coop.During the day and turn it off at night
Hi, great videos. Can you tell me how your coop door works in cold weather. I ave a different brand and it’s crap. Actually on my second one , first one wouldn’t work at all. Second one works above freezing but soon as it drop below won’t work at all
Chickens actually do really well in the winter! Their body temperature is about 105 degrees Fahrenheit so they are like little mini heaters. As long as they have a dry coop with some ventilation up above them, they do really well!
A warning for #5; my poor hen sat on a revolving clutch of eggs for over 2 months. She lost a ton of feathers and weight. We tried everything to get her to stop. I eventually had to go out to the coup 3 times a day and take every egg as it was laid to break her of it. That worked.
I have 1 particularly broody hen, and a couple that will sit in the nest all day. I take their eggs once a day, sometimes twice, then give them wood eggs. That way they learn not to peck eggs, and I let them hang out in the nest. They keep the wood eggs warm, which keeps their feet warm. They protest a bit when I swap them out, but then they settle back into the next. If they stay more than 24 hours, I'll take them out, to be sure they are eating and drinking These girls are very sweet, and a really mellow chickens. I look at it like they feel safe enough to try to raise chicks there (I don't have a rooster). I look at it as a good sign, yet I do make sure they get out and walk around every day, get fresh water, food, etc.
As a kid we had two chickens hatch out eggs way back under the barn where you would not think they could even get to. They would like lay eggs where they normally did about every other day the other day under the barn, but I had no idea, but two hens came up missing we thought something killed them, then one comes out with chicks, about 10 days later the other.
I have question about 1 of your chickens, at about 11:55 in the timeline, there is a black & white chicken at the home depot bucket, can you tell me the breed? We have that looks exactly like it, but could never match her up to any pictures..TIA Coop
They can definitely be slightly different bird to bird but if yours looks a lot like mine I’m gonna say 90% that’s what you have! Definitely the more skiddish birds in the flock but still awesome!
Freezing fresh eggs probably wouldn't be a good idea due to the liquid expansion. Hard boil them first if you're gonna freeze them However, unwashed, fresh eggs can sit on your counter for up to a month before you need to refrigerate them. You'll just have to gently scrub off the outer protective layer (called the bloom) that protects from bacteria before you cook it
My chickens are odd. I thought they would slow down during the winter but they started laying more. I'm getting 1 egg per chicken every day this winter.
2 of my 4 hens went Brody at the same time we were able to break them of it but their still not laying both are under anyear old. How long will this go on for?
The broody hens thing is not always true that they will break up by themselves I had one that found an old light bulb and she was determined that she was going to hatch it out sat on that thing for like 4 months before I decided it was time to take it from her all depends on the breed and the bird itself on how hard to break them is going to be
Automatic doors are sooooo worth it yall. Get one if you don't have one. I have a run chicken door. Super easy to calibrate. Don't set it to be automatic until you know the time they go in on their own for the night.
Thanks for the video - oh, you mentioned having F35's at the nearby AFB, although the video showed the F16 Thunderbirds - close, but a different bird, ha ha
Some hens will literally sit themselves to death, I know because I had one do exactly that. The best thing is to give her a few fertile eggs to hatch. I'm old and have had chickens for a long time, and I'm not an expert but your advice on broody hens isn't adequate. I've never added light for more eggs and I sell eggs, the hens bodies need the break. I always have young pullets that will start laying in the fall and they lay all winter.
I’ve recently begun keeping chickens. For my first batch I bought 6 chicks; 3 Wyandottes and 3 americaunas. It’s been almost 6 months. Only wyandottes are producing. One of the Americaunas produced one egg one time. I’ve introduced other breeds since. The leghorns the I bought 1 1/2 months after the americaunas are even producing. But not the americaunas. Any thoughts?
Hello so im new to this whole chicken thing i have 2 chickens Rae and Tae who have this like scab on the top of there beak should i be concerned? I looked it up and some say its due to being pecked at by other chickens and we do have 3 older ones that did in fact use to peck them when they were a bit smaller so could it be that or??? Looks like they havent gotten any bigger
Hi! If they were younger than the other chickens there’s a good chance they picked on them a bit until a pecking order was established. You said it’s scabbed over? Any sign of infection or anything? And are they still picking on her? If it’s not infected and they aren’t still doing it, you should be good to go!
@@WhitepepperFarmshomestead it looks like a scab to me yes and they dont seem to have more in other places just that one on the beak and no thankfully they dont peck at them anymore because theyre a bit bigger now but they would peck at them. My dad noticed the older ones would peck at them at night when we had first let them sleep in the coop with the others it took us a while to finally let them sleep with the other older chickens and the rooster, also should where can i find clothing for them? I know amazon has some choices but i heard that they cant wear certain colors
Yeah that can definitely happen when introducing new chickens to the flock! Clothing for fun or for a purpose? Clothing for fun Amazon is the place I normally see it, but I’m sure there are others! Are you worried about them being cold, or just want them to dress up 😂? My wife definitely wants to dress ours up!
So happy to find a chicken channel that loves their hens to the end of their days.
We keep all our hens until they pass away naturally, our oldest girl died last year,she was 13.
They are treasures because when we didn't have the funds to feed ourselves, they fed us with their eggs.
13?! Oh man she probably loved the best life! That’s so awesome!
Check my chickens
Some of my old ladies became excellent mousers. Most laid eggs well into their 7’s. Others ate the non stop supply of bugs. Pensioners may not be 100% but they are worth keeping.
@franrowe8696 that’s amazing that your chicken lived until 13 years old! My chickens are family to me and I don’t eat my chickens, nor do I meat in general. (No judgement to anyone what does.) But I’m curious as to what kind of chicken breed was your hen that lived so long? Obviously, your loving attention had a lot to do with it, but I was curious about the breed as well. 😊
@@bellarain11 she was a hybrid called a bluebell, they don't usually live as long as my pure breeds.
Thank you for being kind to your chickens....we keep ours too...they are family.
Of course! We love them!
I totally agree about giving the ladies the winter off. I like to give them a break, especially since its usually right after they molt or while they are molting.
Right?! I’m glad I’m not the only one 😂
😊❤ happy chickens, likely better egg quality too.🐔🐔🐔
But by
I have TWO broody hens and very glad for it- so much easier for “replacement chicks” than breaking out the incubator. The chicks actually recognize both hens as their mother/protector…tag team.
Lovely kind people - very informative video!
Thank you.
I thank my chickens every night for their eggs - they , like anyone, love to be appreciated.
Hey thanks!! They really do, they love attention!
🐣🐤🐥 Awesome. Don't forget to thank God.
He definitely appreciates that. 🙏🙏🙏
Check my chickens
Old girls can still be good layers. My oldest is 9 years old. She took a pause/dramatic slow down a month or two before the molt, and I thought she may have stopped for good. But a month or two after the new feathers, she started laying again. Not her champion level of laying for the 8 years, but still about 3 eggs per week. Amazing.
None of my chickens end up on the table (I won't even eat chickens I don't know!).
I won't ever add artificial lighting, the girls do need a rest. Find videos on 'egg glassing' to save a portion of the summer's eggs for winter. It is easy to do.
That’s awesome! We have a couple old girls as well that lay great during the summer! In general they slow down but every once in a while you get a good layer! We are the same, our chickens are family at this point 😂
Huge relief. My.little hen.moulted exta heavy this year. She gets to sleep in house as her buddy died recently. No eggs for 3-4 weeks now. Now Peep is leaving large acts of flakes whenever she sits down. Dry larger flakes then.you.might think possible. She gets three types of grains & meal worms, some extra calcium chips and she also likes scrambled eggs as a treat. Any suggestions?
My girls are scared of the dark. My mother says I’ve spoiled them. But I haven’t. They were in the house because they were fall babies. I’d cover them at nite and they hated that too. They’ve been in the coop about three weeks and still are scared of the dark.
@Laurie Henson I believe I read that they can't see in the dark. If left outside at night, prey can rip them through the fencing.
❤
Hello, just sharing an amazing heal-all for chickens that worked for me. I learnt it on You Tube from a lovely lady. If your chicken is looking sickly, make a bath with epsom salts (magnesium), warm water and at least a cup of salts per bucket. Submerge the chicken in the bath for 5-10 mins. The birds I've treated like this make a complete recovery by the time they're dry. Works great.
Sounds good
Thank you for the informations. I adopted a chicken less than a month ago. I found her missing half of two fingers. She is certainly still under immense stress. I don't know where it came from, how it lived before, or anything about its history. I'm vegan and I picked it up because it was lost in the middle of the street (we live in an urban center). The day I found her she had just suffered the loss of her fingers as they were still bleeding. The next day she laid an egg and stopped. I'm reading and watching as many videos as possible to give her a good quality of life. My fear was that she wasn't laying eggs because she was unhappy, but now, after watching your video, I'm almost sure that it's still a reflection of all the stress she went through (violence when losing her fingers, different place, different people, different food, noises, other strange animals, etc). Thanks for the explanation!! 💚
Check my chickens
I'd get her healed up, then try a couple other chickens with her, for companionship. I haven't ever seen a hen do well by themselves.
It sounds like she's been through quite an ordeal! Give her plenty of love, good food, and some treats, and try getting her some friends.
Best of luck. So sweet of you to take her in! ❤
Heated dog bowls are great in the winter
Americaunas and brahmas are decent egg layers in winter. they are more of a cold weather bird. We currently are down to 3 birds and are getting 6 to 9 eggs weekly.
Wasn’t going to get chickens again. I have mobility issues. But I went to add eggs to my grocery delivery order and they were out of stock without any other options. I said this morning, that’s it!!! I have to get chickens again. Just three or four this spring.
Eggs are getting more and more expensive and harder and harder to come by! But I’m happy you’re getting chickens!!
@@WhitepepperFarmshomestead I am too. It'll be awhile before I can get them and then before they start laying but food security is important. And just like the Pandemic made me go back to gardening, this is making me go back to chickens.
Yeah the pandemic really got a lot of people into the garden, and now between egg prices and shortages.. it’s pushing a lot of people into getting chickens for sure
I started water- glassing my eggs this year so I'll have some through the winter.
So far, so good.
There's a video about giving a chicken a warm Epsom Salt bath for 15 minutes if they are acting droopy and quiet. Perks them right up. Don't do this in cold weather unless you can keep that hen warm til her feathers dry. I use fake ( clay ) eggs in nesting boxes, they like to lay where they see other chickens are laying. This video hits alot of good points, Bravo!
We open our run at noon and not before, that’s the way to help them learn where home is. It works every time. Great rule of thumb. What is your process for caring, keeping, and raising new babies? Fermented scratch is great treat to get them in from free ranging.
We turned a big ICB tote into a brooder for the spring. We buy a couple new chicks every year and raise them in there before introducing them to the flock. This year we will be doing a video for every step of the way!
Absolutely 💯!
Good job on this video! Only one thing. I am a seasoned chicken keeper. I don’t butcher my laying hens either, but you cannot, I say you cannot leave a broody hen to sit on eggs if those eggs are not fertile. Some hens we will sit on those eggs and will not get off even after 21 days. She could die! so you were wrong in that but the rest of everything you said was great advice.
Please be aware of Pyridoxine in any feed. It is mostly found in DuMor by tractor supply. DO NOT CONTINUE THAT FEED. The side effects of Pyridoxine are not just found in chickens dying, egg reduction, and feet puffing up, but also found in what YOU eat. Causes headaches, dizziness, nausea, numbness in hands and feet among other things. This is a permanent health issue, and can be passed by egg consumption, or eating the chickens you grow. Be aware, this can create a LAWSUIT against Tractor supply over these concerns.
I stopped buying dumor and changed to tucker milling products. Much better feed .
@@bethstaggs2369 Yes, but Pyridoxine stays permanently in the fowl, and eggs. that is why I have to terminate my flock cause otherwise, eating the eggs at this point will affect my own health with that crap in there.
@@deborahelliott8460 I am really sorry for that ! Mine go to the Amish when I retire them. They use them for pest control . Now I am questioning my fertilizer from chickens. Why must feed companies include such ingredients when there’s other options for B1 smh
@@Michigan_Girl I never buy scratch, but can tell you the layer feed has added vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) to the feed which is "Non GMO"
Where can I find more info on this? Is it a synthetic form of B6? I just looked at an organic feed that has pyridoxine hydrochloride in it.
You can also take egg shells and bake them in the oven to kill bacteria then crumble up the shells to smaller pieces to give to the chicken to eat for more calcium too! I give my chickens oyster shells and egg shells at the very least. In some cases they’ll get other calcium to choose from as well. My egg shells are pretty hard to break, so their getting plenty of calcium! If you have soft shells up your calcium for your chickens!
Another thing I have learned or least seems to work! Is I have baby chicks born At different times of the months and that way my chickens start laying eggs at different times even though the winter months. My chickens have roosters in the coop so I get baby chicks thru different times thru spring and summer that I raise in a separate coop with their mother hen with them. Till mother hen is ready to leave her chicks on their own. I have a smaller coop on wheels that has hardware cloth on the sides and top of the coop that I put a tarp over a portion of the coop for shade or protect from rain and the whole coop can be covered with the tarp when necessary. Instead of cleaning the smaller coop, it has no floor, so you just move the coop to another area every few days whenever the ground looks dirty with chicken waste! Wish I had built my larger coop without a floor too, much easier and quicker to just move the coop then have to clean it out. Even though I did make my larger coop pretty easy to clean out with large doors in the back of the coop that open up the whole back of the coop and it’s also 6 feet high inside so I can stand in the coop as well. Best feature I made that’s been a great help is the roost that goes across the front of the coop’s width is designed on hinges and it folds up against the ceiling to get it completely out of the way making the floor clear of any obstructions! Floor made of waterproof plywood covered in plastic laminate like many kitchen countertops are. So nothing sticks to the floor very much and most everything slides off pretty easy. Still got things that do stick I bought a flooring scraper that has a 12” wide sheet of metal with a sharp edge on a metal handle like a broom that works great for anything stuck to the floor. Also use a snow shovel to pick up larger amounts of wood chips and waste that’s I put under the roosts to soak up the chicken waste. I have 44 chickens, so they make quite a bit of waste in a very short time! I try to clean the coop least every other week if not daily! Winter with the rain and cold I tend to let the coop go with cleaning it longer. Just add more wood chips on top of the waste from the chickens every few days. Till I find a good day for cleaning out the coop. Only take 15-20 minutes to clean it out, so it’s not too bad! Put a small trailer behind the coop and push most the waste right out the back of the coop into the trailer to put in the compost pile for the garden eventually. Big coop sits 3’ up in the air with a chicken run underneath where the chickens can get out of any nasty weather we’re having? This also helps with the trailer behind the coop to push the waste out into the trailer and not needing to pick up any of the waste! I f do have a solar system on my coop for lights on a timer as well along with an automated chicken door that works on WiFi that connects to my cell phone so I can open or close the door from inside my house if I choose to? I wish you could add pictures here, after all picture are worth a thousand words too! Would save some of the descriptions if I could
Love what you wrote... excellent,
but next time make more paragraphs so it will be easier to read.
Thank you.
(yes... I am a school teacher)
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Great idea! I need a floor where I live, as we had a huge raccoon problem. I feel better that my girls have a safe cage to go to every night. I'm trying the deep litter method with peat moss this year. It isn't too bad to clean out. Just a shovel.
I caged in a 4x8' dog run inside with 1/2" hardware cloth. I wish it was about 6" taller, but it's still a great run. Best one yet!. I put floor tile on the bottom, the peat moss layers on top,xso I can shovel it. I will use vinyl flooring next time, as my girls love to dig!
Great ideas!
Why would feathers bother neighbors? It’s amazing to me the petty things neighbors complain about. Thanks for the video and sharing your chickens with the rest of us who love them ❤🐓
I think they just don’t like us and want to complain 😂
Thank you!!
People are crazy---scared of the media that says they have and carry diseases that can be spread to people!
We have a water bucket like the one in your video with the spout things, we put a fish aquarium heater in it and the only time it froze enough that we had to bring them bowls of water it was below zero for about 3 days it worked til it was below zero fine.
I live in C. FL. and my hens have gone thru molting, obviously they didn't get the memo that FL doesn't have harsh winters. When my hens had full range of my large yard I had a rooster to protect them. Now they are in a fenced area and the rooster is still ruling the roost, but no one ever mentions having an agressive rooster is a problem and prevents hens from laying, could this be ?.
where do you get your nesting boxes? they look super simple and easy
Originally at Walmart but we can’t find them there anymore. They aren’t technically made to be nesting boxes, they are organizational totes. BUT in this video I found every possible link I could find for them. Most times they are sold out everywhere but sometimes you can still find them!
ruclips.net/video/zjCY5aiRbxU/видео.htmlsi=-VpWTUyyNtY6N0jN
Thank you for giving them a loving home. They’re fortunate to be part of your family.
Me I try not to leave eggs in the boxes.... because when chicken see a lot of eggs they think it's time to stay in to hatch the eggs, winter is tricky for chickens, I had that time when my one chicken wasn't laying so I try to keep water all the time lots of feed and I leave the light on in the barn.. within no time I start finding eggs, my first time raising chicken I have one hen one rooster I got an eggs everyday...... great video mate 👍🏾
Great video. We raise endangered species breeds of Chicken, Duck and Geese for propagation and this is some great info for people unaware. My biggest issue is weather change. We can have 50-60degree change in temp in a single day. 110 in the day, 50 at night. or those cold winter drops from 30deg to -10. Always kills the egg production for awhile. I do have 9yr old chickens still laying good eggs 1-3 times a week.
I appreciate you watching!!
Yikes, those are some serious swings!
I love your idea of raise endangers species breeds of Chickens, Ducks and Geese . Do you have any for sell? Any info about your operation ?
@Nilas spasov We only sell locally and I deliver to Montana, Oregon, Idaho and Washington since delivery companies like usps and ups/fed ex are incompetent. We have had too many birds die using those companies. Apologies for any inconvenience of course. You can dm me if you have any further interest.
Check my chickens
Buddy started slaughtering hens that weren't laying. Killed one and they all started laying.
😂😂😂
This can only be my Nigerian brother 😂😂😂😂😂😂
😂😂
Bwahahaha
Pretty sure I'd lay an egg if Buddy showed up! Yikes
Hey Brandon, Great information and a wonderful channel. I'm new to chickens and in the Okanagan Valley BC. My pullets have not started to lay yet ( 16 weeks as of Sept 2023) and days are getting shorter so I was wondering how many folks supplement light and if it harms the chickens in any way?
I'm with you - I don't NEED the eggs (haven't seen one yet!) but I think I'll NOT add light and let them be!
Thanks for your super informative videos - THANKS for putting in the chapters - (I only wanted the highlights this time and I got them - but watched all of the end...)
I KNOW I can slow down the RUclips playback speed - but were you cold and wanting to wrap up or has your pace of speaking gotten faster?? Yes, you can be understood - but for an 'instructional video' I think you would be more appreciated - if a tad slower.
Mad Respect from your Northern Neighbour in BC, Canada.
Hello! I appreciate the comment! It's definitely not unheard of for chickens to not quite start laying before the days get short enough for them to not lay for the winter. It's definitely possible to supplement light and get them to start laying, i've even done it. I stopped doing it because I wanted them to have the winter off to rest and just survive in the cold. I don't think there's a right and wrong answer to if you should or not. My opinion is to let them be, but I'm also not going to look down on someone for using lights.
Oh I was SO cold haha! BUT with that being said I do tend to speak extremely quickly naturally and especially when it's something I'm excited about. It's something I've definitely been working on but often times I don't even realize I'm doing it! I will continue to work on that though, I want you to be able to hear me clearly!
I found this video by accident. I was wondering the same thing about the speed of it. I certainly don't know how to slow it down and so i have to say your hurriedness made me quite nervous and jumpy. Good information though. Just need a calmer voice for myself. My chickens are 1 and 1/2 years old, laid all through winter last year but the molt has really set them back. Feeding them extra calcium by putting eggshell s in the freezer until i get enough to put into the blender. Then fermenting their feed with the eggshells mixed in as well as high protein puppy chow + mealworms. I think my problem is the rooster wants to CONTINUOUSLY MATE with a few of the hens. Most look great, but there are a few still missing feathers on their backs. 1 barred rock has no feathers at all on her back and vent area. We checked for mites. There are none. She is the only 1 that looks bad! He is an Ameracauna and I don't like that breed. We had 1 before and had to get rid of him due to his aggression towards the hens and me! Sitting here now with spur holes in my right leg. He flogged me 2 times last week for no apparent reason. We are sick of his behavior, can't find anyone to give him to so thinking about the stewpot. I didn't want a rooster in the 1st place. I ordered all pullets from Murray McMurray and he had to ge the mystery exotic chick. No, thank you! The 1 before years ago was just like this one...mean! I had a partridge rock named Henry who was very gentle but a fox got him. These are the 1st chickens we've kept in over 15 years. Love the fresh eggs. Any advice on the naked hen? I think getting rid of the over-zealous rooster is our 1st thing to do. He's on them all the time and no, I'm not buying saddles for 14 hens! I can't afford it.
Hey BC guy! I would consider supplemental light because you are so far north. Light helps bone development and cal-mag-zinc metabolism, especially important in their 1st year. I'd give them 12 hours of light, be sure they get some sunlight every day possible.
I'm posting about a month after they reach their 16 weeks, so you should have some fairy eggs at least, or will get them very soon, depending on the breeds you have.
Best of luck with your flock! ❤
@@CarolReidCA Thanks for your detailed reply! I'm not far north really - Kelowna area. But it's all relative I guess.
I've been blessed - two of my four started laying just days after that post and the others two weeks later; so all are 'working' and I'm told they're fat' n happy.
So two began laying at 17 weeks and two at 19 weeks so I'm thrilled.
I have a dimmed LED in there and it's programed to come on about 30 minutes before dawn and again on for about 30 minutes after dusk for now. I'll stop it completely shortly - first frost here last night - and I'll let them use their energy to fight the cold.
Just finishing an insulated chicken coop about four times as large as current setup so I'll see how they make out - without supplemental heat - or light. Maybe a low watt heater panel (from brooder) and a low draw seed heating mat to keep water from freezing. Learning every day. But I specified hearty breeds to help.
Thanks!
I was raised out on a farm. My grandparents never gave the chickens anything store bought. They just ate what was out there & laid eggs all the time. Why the store feed? Thank you
Not everyone has enough food growing on their property to keep their birds full, especially if you keep them in a run and they not free range during the day. A farm has lots of acreage for the birds to find what they need. I hope that explained it
Free range is best!!!
@@juneramirez8580 I have 5 acres and allow my chickens to free range on our whole property from 10am - when the chickens themselves decide to go back in the coop to roost at night. Some actually stay out after dark since I have several security lights and the chickens have learned many bugs come out after dark including the worms .
I still have feeders for all my chickens with layer feed and grains and the chickens can eat from the feeders whenever they want to? Seems they always run to the feeders first and later go out and forage for whatever they can find around the property.
I do have chickens that always find a place to hide and hatch eggs. Chicken shows up with 4-13 chicks following behind their mom hen. I always gather them up and have a maternity ward in my garage for the babies. Unfortunately this last year I had more babies turn out to be roosters and that didn’t help my new population for egg laying this year. Looks like I will having to be buy new baby chicks this year. I sell eggs and customers aren’t happy when my chickens aren’t laying any eggs! First year in 8 years I have had a reduction in egg laying. Went from 21-23 eggs a day down to 4-9 eggs a day. Makes it hard to keep my customers happy not having the eggs I normally do for them! Hoping the chickens will start laying better when spring comes? We’ll see?
See.don Roberto...love it. Soaking overnight
Avoid heat or shipping in hot trucks
We used energizer in winter with feather fixer pellets
I plan to harvest mine at some point, but want them to gave a happy healthy life till then..I plan to increase my flock a little every year, I let them hatch out some eggs, I may add a few different breeds integrate in spring, might add some Marans next year for different egg colors, but the bulk is Buff Orpingtons which are truly steady layers...when you add a fake egg when adding nesting boxes it encourages them to use the boxes...if I dont want them to be broody I take eggs and take off the nest if one there all day...right now dealing with molting, so production is down a bit, but newer birds HAVE begun to lay so it'll help as well as feeding some meal worms and black oil sunflower seeds, with winter coming they are now getting some cracked corn and oatmeal to help warm their bodies and I'll be using light as daylights getting shorter so they get the amount of light they need! plus adding a waterer in coop where I'll have at least one heat light to keep water from freezing so they get water, ALSO doing a deep bedding method during winter which also adds warmth...if they lay they lay if they don't they can rest! have prepared fir less eggs during winter with preserving methods
Thank you sharing such helpful information.
And thank you for watching it!
Fantastic Video! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
I had a couple hens laying in random places I put golf balls in the boxes it helped they don't know the difference in eggs and golf balls
😂😂😂 I love it! I’m glad it worked for you!
I have one hen left (gave away all of my other birds due to a death in the family out of state which has caused us to be away for long periods and a sitter has to come. I kept her because she is so sweet). She is one year old and was laying eggs fine for a while, then started to lay very thin shelled eggs until they were being laid with the shell and insides totally separate. A couple of months ago I noticed worms in her poo so I dewormed her and also treated her with Corid to be on the safe side.
There were no more traces of worms but the egg situation did not improve. Her coop is always clean, water is available, I have tried every brand of food, she gets crushed eggshells (she won’t eat commercial grit), her treats are Black Fly Larvae which I have started adding Calcium (between 250-500 mg. At 500 mg she stops laying all together and at 250 she MAY lay a shell less egg during the week). She also likes white millet. I do not give corn as treats or table scraps but since it’s so hot right now I do give small amounts of frozen watermelon or strawberries a few times a week.
I took her to the vet (at a cost of almost $400) for a full exam and was given antibiotics and told that it COULD be a bacterial infection. If that didn’t work (which it hasn’t) to limit her daylight to only 8 hours per day (will be making blackout curtains for all of the coop windows as soon as I fly home Monday) and that will force her into a molt and POSSIBLY reset her system. If that doesn’t work then she has reproductive cancer.
Does this all sound right to you? They said even though she could have cancer, there is no need to put her down. She could still have a good life just no eggs.
I’m wondering if the fact she has no other hens or a rooster (more or less a family of her own species) if that could have been a trigger and if I bring in more hens could this help put her back on track….sort of like human women (sorry guys) who are together all of the time end up having their monthly at the same time.
Any help or suggestions from anyone out there would be appreciated!
Can I just say how awesome it is that you’ve done all this research, done all these things, paid all this money to help her out? That’s so awesome!
You’re doing everything right, you really are! Everything you’ve done is what I would have done.
You could be on to something with the not having a friend thing. Chickens are flock animals and are used to being together, it might be throwing her off being alone?
Thank you so much for the kind words and encouragement. I’m one of those odd people that love to hatch my own babies so I can hold and snuggle with them as soon as the come out of the shell. I cherish that bonding with them and it may seem extreme to go through all of this for a chicken (yes, I also bury them when they die in our pet cemetery) but her little life depends upon me and I feel like I’m failing her.
I think I will try to find someone willing to sell me a few young hens that are kind and gentle so they may not only help her body heal but give her the companionship I know she needs and deserves plus provide natural body heat when winter sets in here.
@@WhitepepperFarmshomestead
It might be helpful for you to research GSE and artemisinin. These are two things that I have found invaluable in raising my chickens and for my dog also. GSE will kill anything. Put it in your chickens water. Artemisinin will parasites. GSE kills parasites fungus and bacteria of all kinds. I didn't take it when I feel like a virus is moving in. God bless you and your research
I would think a solo hen wouldn't do so well. Chickens are social birds. I'd try perhaps a couple more chicken friends.
@@Mitza-x9rIt sounds like you are trying everything. I'd get a couple more hens, and see if she doesn't get better.
We are redoing the coop today. I’m sure this will stress them out. Three different ages. Teenagers are laying everyday. I’ve done all I can, oh well,3 eggs out of 15 chickens…
They will appreciate it in the long run!
Winter can definitely be hard on egg production. We are currently getting 0 eggs! Definitely getting more chicks this spring.
We
Should let nature take its course…
That’s what we do here!
@@WhitepepperFarmshomestead pretty good
E. Ky here...our temps have been all over the place, lol. 32 dual purpose chickens 3 of which are young roosters, 20 are over 4 years old, on average. 1 to 2 eggs a week for the last 2 months. They range sometimes. I've followed them and I've found nests, but no eggs (circle of life feeding). For the range of ages, and all being winter hardy, and keeping them in the (large) run, no health issues detected, I've come to the conclusion it's likely the space and lack of sufficient nesting boxes. Thank you for the tips. My babies are primarily for our eggs, but if needed they will feed the family. I'll add I treat their water with ACV which offers tons of health benefits.
P.S. just informed husband "we" need to redo one of the coops... since its hunting season, guessing thats an "I" project, lol.
Great Info, Well Presented
Thank you, I appreciate that!
Fantastic information! 🤗🙌🏻Thank you for the video ❤
Thank you for watching it!!
Great information from a guy that has much exspirance.
Hey thanks!
Yes a lot of Experience
Thanks... very helpful for me as a newbie
You’re welcome, thanks for watching!
Thank you souch this helped so much. I guess we are on track on time.
🐓🐔🐔🐔🐔🐔 From 5 hens and a Roo
You are very welcome! Glad we could help!
The winter/light issue is something I hear a lot from people. A good layer can lay 250-300 eggs per year. That’s 65+ days when they’re not laying, so no one should expect eggs every day.
I also don’t like artificial lighting to keep chickens laying over winter because, as you said in a couple of your chicken videos, they need their energy to stay warm and survive the winter.
I would recommend to people to put ground cover down in runs if it’s soil/grass too - no one likes walking on frost/icy ground 🐓
Absolutely!
All pretty good reasons - THANKS! I have subscribed…
My chickens lay all winter! I keep the coop clean with a light. It gets real cold in my state & the light radiates heat. I also use a heated water dish. They free range except in winter. I have about 30 chickens at 3 different age levels. So, I should always have layers. I let one hen sit on her eggs & she had 1 chick. She doesn't let that baby out of her sight. She has 3 boxes she likes, so I never know which one she & baby will choose each night. I have 7 roosters, so I need to think them out. Gotta keep an eye out. They like to do sneak attscks. Get you a nice long stick that's flexible, like from a cherry tree. Tie a rag or bandana at the end of it. Chickens aren't afraid of sticks, but they're afraid of the rag on the stick. Idk why, but it works. All I do is carry it with me as I enter thwir main space & they scatter.
John 3:16 KJV
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
My brother put a transistor radio in the hen house played music ect.and really secured the fence and house.it worked extremely well. Plenty of water and they like maggots, worms, bugs,
Put a soda bottle full of salt in the water dish in winter. For some reason it keeps the water from freezing
I’ve heard of that! If we get cold enough again I want to try it!
😂 Unless one lives in North Dakota ❄️❄️❄️
Yeah up there your options are… limited for sure 😂
With the bottle sealed up?
I would say "yes!" no one wants to drink salt water. Good tip I'm going to try it if I can remember.
Best video yet on this issue thanks bro for the straight no nonsense talk great info :)
In the winter I step up on grain feed, my chickens are free-range and during the winter months, the bugs they normally eat are nonexistent.
Very informative video good job sir.👍
Thank you, I appreciate it!!
Check my roosters
Very good presentation on the topic with a smile ,informative.From Malaysia.
That’s very kind, thank you!
Add # 10....I had to look this up, worms in your chickens...mix food with D-earth food grade..lost few hens before I knew about this...they just got sicker and died. I know now. Great video bud, I did not fall asleep.
Thank you for the addition! At some point someone is going to read that and it will definitely help them when they need it!
And thank you for watching!
Many are having issues with the feed being sold from tractor supply!
I definitely started looking into this after the comments 😂
@@WhitepepperFarmshomestead My sin in law was getting enough eggs for his family, give some away and do some. Their refrigerator was always full of eggs. Then they started showing down to the point that they are lucky to get maybe 3 eggs a day and she said none. Have started with locally grown and milled chicken feed and leaving TSC alone. SMH. I feel like there's about to be a class action against Dumor feed and maybe TSC as well. JS
I’ve definitely been seeing people talking about those feeds. We haven’t had an issue here with it, but it’s definitely something we plan to dig deeper into with the amount of people seeing the issues!
Thanks for sharing your chicken wisdom!
Where did you get your nesting bins? I like them!
They are awesome! Becoming hard to find though but this video I talk about where we got them and posted some new links I found for them! Check all the links of some are sold out because they sell out pretty quick!
Or check your local Walmart they MIGHT have some in the tote area.
ruclips.net/video/zjCY5aiRbxU/видео.htmlsi=RbCLdAW-JUz6bW7N
Love the way you love your Chickens.
If your hens are leaving established nests you might want to check for mites. That can stop laying and using nests.
Absolutely! Thank you for bringing this up!
Watch the feed. Heads up. Could be the feed is not made right. There’s a channel where many are seeing this.
How to check for mites?
I give my ladies a mix of oyster shell AND oats for their calcium. Some of mine just won't touch the oyster shells, but they all love oats.
What type of oats
@@shayluv50 I use the rolled oats. You can feed it to them raw (uncooked) or put warm water on them. If you use whole oats, I would soak them for 3 days (change water daily) & then give it to the chickens in the last days water to give a little probiotic.
Thank you for posting this video. It is a great help. I just subscribed to your channel.
And thank YOU for taking the time to watch the video and for subscribing! I appreciate you!
Where did you get your nesting boxes
All the years I've had a nipple waterer with a livestock tank heater I've never had my water freeze. The rain barrels I use to catch water for them has frozen a few times but never the chicken water.
Perfect nesting boxes! Walmart?
Seriously the best nesting boxes!!
Yep they are from Walmart! We did a quick video on them, here it is if you want to check them out a bit closer!
ruclips.net/video/zjCY5aiRbxU/видео.html
@@WhitepepperFarmshomestead thanks so much!
Great video, informative. Thanks !.
Thank you, we appreciate that!
We are literally in the same boat. Loud neighbors, dogs, etc & F35s traveling over everyday 😅
One of my girls stopped laying and i think its bc the other one is being a little bully to her 🤔 She's acting fine....but won't lay 😥 i have to admit i haven't been as attentive as i want to be recently....but I'm going to try and make a larger space for her to roam soon.
Get a de-icer for your water in winter, makes life so much easier
Lovely kind people - very informative video!
Thank you.
Enjoy the content. Thanks
Thank you for watching it, I appreciate it!
You had some great advice that applies not just to chickens, but to us humans as well:
Give them some space, let them chill out and calm down a little bit and relax. Let them work through it.
Absolutely!
But I refuse to lay an egg. LOL
For the health and safety of all
Thanks. Great video!
I bought dog water bowls that u can plug in, in the winter, that will keep the water frome freezing and use them for my chickens..I got them at the farm supply store....I mean I already have to plug in a heat light in winter anyway cause we get lots of snow, ice and frigid temps here...sometimes down to 8 degrees . and I'm in Southern Oregon, Not Minnesota...So I want my chickens comphy....if u already have to plug that heat light/ lamp in, get a 3 way heavy duty extension cord and plug the water bowl in too...Saves u, and keeps water in front of your chickens at all times...
Thank you so much!
You’re welcome! Thank you for watching!!
Great video. I just recently got chicken from a friend. I built a coop 36x36x36 cube with the nesting box inside. Is this ok to have the nesting box inside? It's been 10 day and no eggs. Is it stress or because my nesting box is inside. Any info would be great. Thanks
When it was warmer, I usually found one or two eggs outside every week. Since it's gotten colder, they're laying inside, usually in the nesting boxes.
I like this video. Will be nice to slow a bit your talk.
I’ve heard that, and I’m definitely working on it. In our newest video I tried really hard and I will continue to try to slow it down, I speak really quickly in general and even more quickly when it’s something I’m excited about 😂. But I’m making a conscious effort to work on that!
Lovely video
Hey thanks! I appreciate that!
Hi! Thnx for the video. I have a new coop of chickens. Now almost 2,5 months. I have 6 ladies and 1 male. He is singing sinds 3 weeks now and the ladies aren't laying eggs yet. They are more then 6 months i think. is it normal it takes time when they start laying eggs? They are happy as i see. it is winter now and i am living in spain. I think i just wait and it will happen...what do you think? thnx
Thank you for watching!
If it’s winter from you I wouldn’t be too worried until spring! Wait for those longer days to start and they should start laying!
@@WhitepepperFarmshomestead so cool!! you know what happened!!!! So yesterday I watched your video and I thought let’s look around maybe the hide there eggs somewhere and guess what! I found two! And today I saw one of them laying an egg!! Wowww so cool so in alignment! The last 2 days I heard them tokking and I was like what is happening because they where away from the group but they where laying an egg! So I have blue eggs now! So happy! Thanks for your video and your response love this! First time having chicken and I love them!!❤️❤️🥚🥚
CONGRATULATIONS!!! Your first eggs are so exciting! If they continue to lay elsewhere, try taking their eggs and putting them into the nesting box. Sometimes that can help show them where they are supposed to lay.
Winter and molting.. If I give mine higher protein when they're molting like millworms. When it's pretty well dark all day long.I put a light in the coop.During the day and turn it off at night
Hi, great videos. Can you tell me how your coop door works in cold weather. I ave a different brand and it’s crap. Actually on my second one , first one wouldn’t work at all. Second one works above freezing but soon as it drop below won’t work at all
Thanks! Where did you buy those nesting box totes?
My hens 6-8 months old and not getting eggs yet. I've raised them b4 but I can't remember how old those were when they started.
It can depend on the breed, but I have seen it where hens won’t start laying until the following spring. Are they all the same age and breed?
@@WhitepepperFarmshomestead same age two different breeds. Buffs and New Hamp red
How do you keep chickens for the winter ?
Chickens actually do really well in the winter! Their body temperature is about 105 degrees Fahrenheit so they are like little mini heaters. As long as they have a dry coop with some ventilation up above them, they do really well!
A warning for #5; my poor hen sat on a revolving clutch of eggs for over 2 months. She lost a ton of feathers and weight. We tried everything to get her to stop. I eventually had to go out to the coup 3 times a day and take every egg as it was laid to break her of it. That worked.
I have 1 particularly broody hen, and a couple that will sit in the nest all day. I take their eggs once a day, sometimes twice, then give them wood eggs. That way they learn not to peck eggs, and I let them hang out in the nest. They keep the wood eggs warm, which keeps their feet warm. They protest a bit when I swap them out, but then they settle back into the next. If they stay more than 24 hours, I'll take them out, to be sure they are eating and drinking
These girls are very sweet, and a really mellow chickens. I look at it like they feel safe enough to try to raise chicks there (I don't have a rooster). I look at it as a good sign, yet I do make sure they get out and walk around every day, get fresh water, food, etc.
As a kid we had two chickens hatch out eggs way back under the barn where you would not think they could even get to. They would like lay eggs where they normally did about every other day the other day under the barn, but I had no idea, but two hens came up missing we thought something killed them, then one comes out with chicks, about 10 days later the other.
What brand of nesting boxes are you using?
4:06 NEED HELP what is chicken breed (all black with red comb)?
One breed all black is Australops ( sp?)
Americauna can be like that, I have a couple, rooster is really big
I have question about 1 of your chickens, at about 11:55 in the timeline, there is a black & white chicken at the home depot bucket, can you tell me the breed? We have that looks exactly like it, but could never match her up to any pictures..TIA Coop
Without going to look, I’m thinking barred Plymouth Rock! I could be wrong but I’m 90% sure I’m right on that 😂
thats what we have been guessing, but all pictures we see, have more white in the feathers, ours is darker like yours...Thanks for your help
Coop
They can definitely be slightly different bird to bird but if yours looks a lot like mine I’m gonna say 90% that’s what you have! Definitely the more skiddish birds in the flock but still awesome!
FEED YOU HEN WITH AZOLLA MIXED WITH LIME (CRUSHED BURNT SEASHELLS, SURE, THEY WILL PRODUCE MORE EGGS.
Thank you
First, I appreciate your help, a d the amazing explanation. I have one question, is there a possibility to freeze the eggs?
Freezing fresh eggs probably wouldn't be a good idea due to the liquid expansion. Hard boil them first if you're gonna freeze them
However, unwashed, fresh eggs can sit on your counter for up to a month before you need to refrigerate them. You'll just have to gently scrub off the outer protective layer (called the bloom) that protects from bacteria before you cook it
Light cycle, nutrition or age. Living conditions can be a moderator also.
My chickens are odd. I thought they would slow down during the winter but they started laying more. I'm getting 1 egg per chicken every day this winter.
This is the first year that we can say the same 😂. Few weeks ago they started laying, it’s weird!
WOW... What are you doing for your chickens to do so well?
@Judi Christopher treat them like pets and feed them too well I guess lol
As soon as mine dropped off on eggs I switch to goat pellets and scatch grain
Week later back to normal
@Phillip Hall I ferment their food. I think that's why they lay constantly and are so healthy.
2 of my 4 hens went Brody at the same time we were able to break them of it but their still not laying both are under anyear old. How long will this go on for?
Geat information. Thank you
The broody hens thing is not always true that they will break up by themselves I had one that found an old light bulb and she was determined that she was going to hatch it out sat on that thing for like 4 months before I decided it was time to take it from her all depends on the breed and the bird itself on how hard to break them is going to be
I am very new to all of this...
What is a "Broody" hen?
When I have hens setting I put 15 eggs in incubator and hatch them for them
They will raise them or I order 30 for 3/5 hens setting at one time
Bloody means they will try to hatch chicks
@@philliphall5198
Thank you so much...
You are absolutely right ...
Consider check my chickens
Automatic doors are sooooo worth it yall. Get one if you don't have one. I have a run chicken door. Super easy to calibrate. Don't set it to be automatic until you know the time they go in on their own for the night.
That’s a brand I was looking at before I got mine! They looked awesome!
Thank you sir ❤
Thank you for watching!
Beens and pasta work good ??
Thanks for the video - oh, you mentioned having F35's at the nearby AFB, although the video showed the F16 Thunderbirds - close, but a different bird, ha ha
Some hens will literally sit themselves to death, I know because I had one do exactly that. The best thing is to give her a few fertile eggs to hatch. I'm old and have had chickens for a long time, and I'm not an expert but your advice on broody hens isn't adequate. I've never added light for more eggs and I sell eggs, the hens bodies need the break. I always have young pullets that will start laying in the fall and they lay all winter.
Thanks
I’ve recently begun keeping chickens. For my first batch I bought 6 chicks; 3 Wyandottes and 3 americaunas. It’s been almost 6 months. Only wyandottes are producing. One of the Americaunas produced one egg one time.
I’ve introduced other breeds since. The leghorns the I bought 1 1/2 months after the americaunas are even producing. But not the americaunas. Any thoughts?
Hello so im new to this whole chicken thing i have 2 chickens Rae and Tae who have this like scab on the top of there beak should i be concerned? I looked it up and some say its due to being pecked at by other chickens and we do have 3 older ones that did in fact use to peck them when they were a bit smaller so could it be that or??? Looks like they havent gotten any bigger
Hi! If they were younger than the other chickens there’s a good chance they picked on them a bit until a pecking order was established. You said it’s scabbed over? Any sign of infection or anything? And are they still picking on her? If it’s not infected and they aren’t still doing it, you should be good to go!
@@WhitepepperFarmshomestead it looks like a scab to me yes and they dont seem to have more in other places just that one on the beak and no thankfully they dont peck at them anymore because theyre a bit bigger now but they would peck at them. My dad noticed the older ones would peck at them at night when we had first let them sleep in the coop with the others it took us a while to finally let them sleep with the other older chickens and the rooster, also should where can i find clothing for them? I know amazon has some choices but i heard that they cant wear certain colors
Yeah that can definitely happen when introducing new chickens to the flock!
Clothing for fun or for a purpose? Clothing for fun Amazon is the place I normally see it, but I’m sure there are others! Are you worried about them being cold, or just want them to dress up 😂? My wife definitely wants to dress ours up!
@@WhitepepperFarmshomestead
I want to walk my chicken with a leash... dressing up is optional ... LOL
(depending if it is evening or daytime... LOL