PASTURING LAYING HENS | eggmobile design, training hens, moving the setup, and egg quality

This video is all about pasturing laying hens! I review the different aspects of eggmobile (portable chicken house) design and construction, how we train the hens to lay their eggs in the eggmobile and roost there at night, how we move the whole setup to a new spot every week, and how raising laying chickens on pasture affects egg quality.
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[@elliottspence7929]

I have watched videos from them all. Joel Salatin, Justin Rhodes, Stoney Ridge just to name a few. But your way of presenting is phenomenal. Great job. I am definitively going to be checking out more of your videos.

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

Thanks Elliott!!

[@louiserawle8999]

I agree he is the best,very intelligent and always interesting,my equal faves are living traditiins homestead Sarah and Kevin..just live both these channels

[@louiserawle8999]

Traditions sic

[@HellavaLive]

He makes it very simple ! I love this channel.

[@rdstudio5524]

It’s like watching pbs

[@garryspencer2019]

Hi Pete, we watch several homestead shows, however, I would like to thank you for the quality of the information you provide and how well it is sequentially structured & professionally presented in a very interesting & easy to digest way for all people of differing IQ’s. Your channel is without a doubt the very best we have ever watched. Thank you.

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

That is a great compliment Garry! Thank you!

[@nickmarz8172]

Well said the was you express what kind of man Pete is amaze me how you broke it down .

[@craighatch3221]

To me this is what the internet is all about , “Leaning “an I’m thankful for people like Pete to take the time to share their knowledge and experience’s. Thank you!

[@lawsonlawnandfarm8073]

I just stumbled on your channel.. I’m blown away at how well you explain things. We kinda have about the same operation going on as you but it’s always nice to see how someone else does it.. good work!

[@CSX4545]

I watch quite a few small farm/ homestead videos. I think you do a fantastic job explaining why you’re on the farm and your philosophical views on small family farms ! Keep it up

[@Bear_Arms]

I like how this man treats the animals that feed us all.

[@AaricHale]

You got a great setup ! You do amazing job at explaining things to people !

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

Thanks Aaric!

[@matains88]

Totally agree. This video answered basically all questions i had about making an eggmobile and especcially training the hens.

[@AngeliqueKaga]

You do a great job of explaining your method of farming. Nice job Pete.

[@mikereid2865]

A real pleasure to watch and listen to. No time wasting, full of useful ideas and totally down to earth. Experience shows I reckon and you seem happy to share your knowledge. Thanks a million.

[@ryanmilne336]

Another great video. I really like the combination of content that you focus on. I really appreciate the technical aspect of your work, "this is what we did, this is how it works" combined with bit of you and the family showing us what it looks like to get the work done. I think I have watched farm or homestead channels for years and it took a long time for yours to pop up as recommended for me. Over the past 3 days I think I have watched all your content. Great work! Be blessed.

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

Hi Ryan, I'm glad you found our channel! These are the easiest videos to make, just talking about our experience, hoping to help other farmers.

[@SheratonParkFarms]

Love Eggmobile V2.0! Lots of great improvements. We are on V1.0 and have noticed we made some of the same mistakes first time out as well. Looking for a hay wagon to build the next iteration. Love what y'all are doing!

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

Thank you Sheraton Park Farms!

[@andrewpaige6571]

I cannot tell you how many time I have reviewed this episode is this on the drama of you to explain all the techniques of how you do your hands in the hen house and have the operation set up thank you once again.

[@flyguy26]

Just re-reviewed this video to get the slat spacing right. Thanks again !

[@nshue23]

That's an awesome setup, and I appreciate you showing your 1st version mistakes. I make enough mistakes of my own so if I'm glad to be warned ahead of time of others mistakes and their better ideas.

[@dandaigle4546]

this guy loves his work and his animals, loving it

[@kf5435]

My favorite farming channel! For me (or anyone else tall) though I could never deal with the short height inside. Also, I use outside nest boxes with a strip of rubber under the piano hinge and a slight roof overhang. No water leaks and no climbing and stooping to gather eggs. Great content as always, thanks!

[@overthemoune]

14:59 Heck yeah! You're absolutely right. I live in California and buy pastured eggs. In spring time after the rains, the yolks get very pigmented, eggs grow large, and they frequently have double yolks. They're delicious. My farmer uses Rhode Island Red hens

[@donaldmiller8629]

I have a young rooster that is just learning how to crow. He is funny. He sounds like he is trying to crow with a sore throat. He'll get the hang of it before long as he has a RIR rooster to teach him how it's done . I like your egg mobile. I've built a smaller one that has a second story on one end for roosting which I can move by hand. My chickens spent the winter in it last winter and seemed to do just fine. You can use the rooftop to collect rain water for the chickens. An automatic water source. I also have switched from 2 X 4's to 2 X 3's. They are lighter , cost less and are quite strong enough for what I use them for . Chicken coops , etc.

[@JLilliquist]

Chickens are just funny in general.

[@benhampton4681]

I just subscribe to your channel recently. Every one of your videos that I’ve seen has been outstanding you’ve got a really good message. Thank you.

[@marine3250l]

thank you so much for all of your videos! My wife and I are planning on starting a small farm ourselves and I am so thankful for all of your videos for ideas on how we want to run our business!

[@GetMeThere1]

Wow! Nice example of using ingenuity to come up with cheap and simple solutions. Well done! Thanks for posting this.

[@louiserawle8999]

My absolute favourite farm videos,just love them.Thanks Pete

[@zollyzelem463]

Love your enthusiasm knowledge and willingness to explain the whole process, great job, GOD Bless.

[@caseymisssarah1757]

Best farming video I have found and I have researched a lot of them

[@craigculver1933]

Thank you so much for the kind informative video, Your positivity and love for farming comes thru in a big way. Stay safe and healthy.

[@jimwadsworth582]

Hey Pete, l really like your videos. It helps the younger guys older farmers like me that have forgotten some things. I'm going to make a move able chicken house from old chicken house. I'm not going to put wheels under it I'm going to put skids under it using old power poles for skids. We used them year ago when my Dad had Turkeys worked fine. I was looking at the floppy white fence you used ,I thought it was electric. Everything you said makes sense. Thank keep up the good work. Jim w. From Missouri.

[@criskurtz7851]

i watched several vids , you are gifted teacher i have subscribed thank you!

[@robertkreiling1746]

As always , another great video

[@yusronthowaf]

great tutorial, thanks alot!

[@sergioresendez3474]

Pete for FAO advisor!!!!Saludos desde Tamaulipas

[@donchristie420]

When probing ground for underground tile or sticking in posts, try pouring a little water before sticking in posts, makes going in a snap😃

[@tammytinhorn-fz6jj]

Great video Pete!

[@laurabazan372]

thank you. it was very educational for me. I dream of getting a homestead, and a farm.

[@jeremystilson7982]

You are a gifted teacher Pete. I really enjoy your channel, I too farm very similar with Farmall tractors. We have a egg mobile as well but hawks and eagles are a serious problem for us here in Michigan.

[@jllerenab]

I like your wagon design. Less is more.

[@glorgau]

I love your frugality - gotta watch the bottom line.

[@thesilvermerlin1713]

What I heard here was that August eggs make for the best carbonara 😂. Loving your channel. I started watching to learn about hay and just love how much I’ve been able to learn from how you present your content, while we’re working on transitioning to a small farm life ourselves. Thanks so much 🙂🙌

[@josephtan6297]

Your effort does pays off and appreciated.

[@krisneville7701]

Best design I ever seen for a egg mobile is in the documentary, "Gracie's backyard"

[@tonyrayjones1550]

Awesome egg mobile, I saw Joel Salintins egg mobile has an open hardware cloth floor so the poop drops directly on the ground creating great fertilizer. That's great you spaced the floor boards.

[@greatnorthern706]

The egg-mobile! I love it! 😄

[@rogeriopaiva4892]

Great video Pete! Thanks for sharing your knowledge

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

You're welcome Rogerio, and thanks for watching!

[@careyclayton7743]

Enjoyed another great video.

[@sergioresendez3474]

Muy valiosa informacion y muy bien explicada! Gracias! Saludos desde Mexico.

[@mmanut]

Great Info, Thank You‼️ Vinny 🇺🇸

[@jamesspry3294]

Great job Pete. We do something very similar, but it's in the Southern hemisphere... Have to ask though, why don't you move your chickens into the egg-mobile late in the evening? That's when we move or handle all our chooks, and it makes life so much easier and less stressful for all. Just have to remember to use the red headlamps so that you can see. Otherwise you get covered in chook poop... And, you should park your egg-mobile the other way round, so the door of your hi-house lines up with the door of the egg-mobile. Much easier that way! Cheers Jim

[@TrueIndie88]

Great video, thank you for sharing.

[@larrymoore6640]

You just got to love that name "Egg Mobile". Like most small farmers you used what you had in the construction. How often do you move it ?? Thanks for sharing Pete.

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

Hi Larry, I think Joel Salatin came up with that name. Very "cost efficient" to build! We move them once per week; any longer than that & they destroy the grass.

[@paulturrey2443]

Pete I just saw your tube show. So informative and just fun to watch. I own a farm in Thailand and want to learn so much??

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

great info here, thanks for sharing,

[@rodneywager2142]

Nice build. I'm glad you talked about the hawks. I'm in the mid Hudson valley area of New York, and the hawks here wil take one a day.

[@donaldmiller8629]

Rodney Wager , That is when you need a good protective farm dog. Or can you place bird netting over your chickens ?

[@safdarpoultryfarming5438]

amazing free range farming

[@bardigan1]

Love your channel and am glad you're making a success of it. Question for you though... have you heard of people trailing their beef herd with their chickens? Keep them a couple days behind the herd and apparently they'll scratch through the muffins looking for fly larvae. It keeps the fly population in check and helps spread the manure around quite a bit too. Lifelong suburbanite here and it's a "hey I heard about this" kind of question, but the concept sounded cool am wondering what you think. Thanks!

[@donaldmiller8629]

mike shivers , That is a concept used by Swedish Homestead and by Joel Salatin also I think.

[@bretdavisdmd]

What an awesome video. Thanks Pete!

[@laurab9247]

Very well done video. I’m impressed at your thorough explanations without a lot of wasted time. It moved fast and was packed with good info. Thanks! Where are you located?

[@amandagrove5132]

I agree ☝️

[@edmartin875]

They are in upstate New York. I have not seen it more localized than that.

[@somsongcharoenpon168]

Very simple and easy, thanks for the video.

[@jimmybrooks179]

He would make a great man of the cloth (Pastor): such a 'heart" of a teacher. May the Lord continue to bless this family and their operation as they stand in need.

[@andrewpaige6571]

Love this video

[@louiserawle8999]

Brilliant!

[@kgsparrow8017]

Thank you

[@gypsypath1]

Just a suggestion to reduce the stress on your hens: Catch them at night with y’all wearing head lamps, and them carry them upright instead of like their dead already. They’ll feel safer. I can’t imagine how the stress would not affect the health or the laying of your hens. I love the wind braces on the corners! What kind of trailer was it built on?

[@amandagrove5132]

I love your videos 😀

[@davidoutdoors74]

Great Video. I myself im starting out with a egg business. Thanks for the helpful hints. APlus

[@TheStormisComing24]

I can't wait to get more chickens lol. I most likely won't get to your volume but I have been definitely growing mine. I want to get into meat chickens but my husband will have to do that part for a little while. I will have to ease into that part, like I can process just not dispatch. It is a whole lot different then talking to my girls. :( I know it's something I have to do, I will get there.

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

Hi Bernie, butchering is no fun, that's for sure.

[@alanpinnt]

I don't know if I missed it but what are your numbers on chickens? How many are you running per acre? How often do you rotate? And do you ever overlap your rotation?

[@TheMysticBohemian]

Just two questions... what are your laying breeds? And what is your profit or how many dozen do you get from 280 hens? OK one more, would you talk about what's in your feed and the cost please.

[@ryangrider9607]

Do you run the chickens behind the cattle to break down the cow patties? It really helps with flies, as the chickens eat the maggots in the cow patties, plus, they really will spread those patties out!

[@jasonmalone6983]

Great video!

[@markandrzejak997]

Great eggmobile. Easy to build and practical. How often do you move the eggmobile?

[@RockyMtnGobblers]

A flat roof in the south would be okay but I think the further north you go the heavier the snow load then an arched or slanted roof would be better.

[@brucethompson7900]

Would love to see a video or all the chickens sleeping to see how many they get on each roost

[@JohnMartinez-sm1sk]

Great video

[@adamhanson7512]

How long does your fencing around the mobile need to be?

[@dalethomas8866]

Hey there! Greetings from Virginia! I absolutely love your videos and knowledge, thanks for sharing. So my wife and I got 60 layers and are starting out, but everyone is telling me that it's a waste of time and not profitable at all, can you share some of your experience on profitability with eggs?

[@lindaferguson593]

Do you put all of your stock together on the same pasture at the same time? Ie....chickens, pigs, cows,...etc?

[@heatherbee2386]

What do you do with roosters? Do you grow them out for meat or get rid of them as soon as you know they’re male.

[@cheryldahl9192]

I wish I could afford to have a small chicken farm

[@amandagrove5132]

How long did it take to build? Or did you buy it? I have a 1941 farmall A.

[@my67falcon]

My chickens are all over the place but my Dexter's would stay in their field with a single line of yarn marking the perimeter.

[@davidbarnes936]

I’m looking at building an egg mobile this winter. Can you explain how you secure the wood floor joists to the metal trailer frame?

[@dreadroberts7283]

this is interesting , but i prefer a no feed set up 100% graze, also permanent pasture directly off the main house , quart-ed. but this is a method.

[@jacobbouley7498]

I intend to farm back in my home state of Minnesota. Like upstate NY, we have the hot summer and cold winters. Do you have any videos of your operations transitioning to winter, as well as winter operations?

[@kahlerfamilyfarms]

Hey Pete! I’ve been looking I know I’ve seen it in one of your videos but can’t place which one, what three breeds of layers do you rotate too?

[@toddspindler568]

What kind of electric netting do you use and does it hold up? Looking to get some for around garden to keep out deer and smaller animals. Thanks

[@tombstone3990]

When i caught chickens they taught us to keep the chickens close to your legs while moving them. They flop much less.

[@aidanallen783]

I’ll take version 1 honestly though

[@xyooj96]

what's the length, width, and height of this mobile egg unit and how many birds can be stocked in there?

[@maxboonkittypoison]

Hey i learn something today :D

[@johndeere3596]

Where do you sell all those eggs ?

[@romanpenanevarez793]

Buen día Mr ! Le puede poner subtítulos en español a todos sus videos por favor?

[@Kristian_Saile]

Hey Pete, how often do you move the egg mobile? Are you clipping flight feathers at all? Thanks

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

Hi Kristian, we move it once per week. We’ve never needed to clip wings to keep them in the fence. Sometimes a few fly over but they come back in at night.

[@Kristian_Saile]

Just a Few Acres Farm thanks! I am definitely going to try to replicate your egg mobile. Thanks for the explanation on the pluses and minuses of the two designs. Found the link to your book, going to order it. Really appreciate your videos.

[@mllgo]

What kind of fence is that

[@dalescott4570]

Love your videos. Straight up informative but honest. This worked. This didnt work. This is why. Thanks pete.

[@amandagrove5132]

How did you build that?

[@somethingabouttractors241]

Do you ever have problems with chickens eating their eggs.

[@T_157-40]

I have been wanting to raise meat and egg layers but in NE Washington State not far from Canadian border, bears etc are serious chicken predictors. I am planning a perimeter electric fence all around property and as long as that does not fail bears should not be a problem. But chickens attract bears. An egg mobile would need a strong door just in case. I think largest bear in State in 70s was 800 pounds. Most are much smaller. You cannot shoot a bear here unless it is direct life threatening (human). Then State must remove as they own it.

[@robertdeboer2053]

How long before you move them to a new bit of pasture?

[@waterhead001]

How do you stop hawks and other birds of prey from getting your chickens?

[@joebarwick7779]

What keeps the hen from going under the wagon

[@jko0526]

My daughter had a problem with a predator getting in the hen house and killed some hens