Raising Chickens: Q&A; Feed, Predators; Egg Storage, Clipping Wings

[@44ronie]

...and now my daughter & I know how to cut wings. Its helpful info and we do appreciate it and all your "how to do" videos... god bless you and your family

[@artica7842]

Very informative video! Thanks so much.

[@JoeyP322]

Awesome videos... love it!

[@julierobinson2429]

Hi just came across your videos. Good teaching. Looking for start raising some backyard chickens, so am thankful for your tutorials.

[@jaybo1863ify]

Dude great video.i have watched alot and i would have to say yours is the best.i like how you just let the chicken roam and you feed them the table scraps .that is a great way to reduce waste from the dinner table.

[@FabulousMe65]

awesome info

[@karenbrandenberger517]

Love your videos. Keep being for real dude.

[@MJYouAreNotAlone1]

God bless you!

[@Ungovernable74]

Chickenomics :) That made me laugh.

[@melissakalloway1916]

Carolina Prepper I was waiting for 'chickenologist'. (:

[@2409forus]

John, saw the funniest thing yesterday! I was certain that our chickens would hide from the rain! NOPE! All 7 were foraging, flapping, and not going to their usual dry hidey-holes or their coop! When the rain finally stopped, they all came up to the porch and flapped and preened again! So much for the theory that chickens can't stand to get wet!. (You can hold off on the rain dance now!)

[@alexrivas7690]

Nice video. Make more !!

[@russellgibson5013]

That was one fine video thank you

[@AaronWagner6]

I used to also crush up the egg shells and feed them with the food scraps for calcium for more eggs. Make sure the shells are crushed small and look nothing like whole egg shells or they will learn to eat their own eggs!

[@bigglockdaddy8124]

great vid

[@lisakukla459]

Really good storage ideas! I'm extremely curious about the lime water solution, also called waterglassing I think. Homesteading family had a video on this technique and did a side by side comparison, and I do plan to try this myself soon. Good video for chicken beginners like me. Thanks!

[@ajk3rd]

You sell yourself way to short. Your knowledge of raising chickens could fill books. Thank you for your knowledge, it really helps us beginners out a lot and prevents mistakes that we could make, which could be costly.

[@douggibson5972]

after easter, we found eggs months later, "man" they sure were good!

[@zazzzy]

Thank you for uploading your videos, you have spread some really great information. Power of the internet...

[@ethansteffes8193]

one funner because you get to watch them try to fly

[@kyRRrider]

I'm getting ready to start raising chickens. Your videos have answered a lot of questions I had. Thanks for the info. Keep up the good work.

[@kennethcolbert3845]

Thanks for your videos.I have a ? what kind of chickens give brown eggs.I like them better than the white eggs my self.I have watch a few of your videos and I am thinking on giving this a try.Love your little farm and you know more about this kind of stuff than most I know we all learn some how.Thanks for any info you can give me.Have a great day.

[@xpertgamr1526]

Rhode Island Reds and Sex-Links lay brown eggs that i know of. There are many more

[@kennethcolbert3845]

Thank you.

[@xpertgamr1526]

+Kenneth Colbert yep

[@leannvlewis]

A dude that's kicking with chickens on the hill, along the creek!

[@budlight143]

great video, you have a ton of knowledge and that is more important than book smarts. thanks for the videos very informative and enjoyable. Please keep them up.

[@bingo45373]

I didn't know skunks ate chickens boy that would be a smelly find and great video as all ways

[@FeatherWind635]

A friend turned me onto a neat trick. Take 2-3 eggs, scramble them in a bowl, with salt & pepper or however you like them seasoned. Put a pat of butter (for flavor) into a sandwich size Zip Lock bag and pour your egg mixture into the bag. Freeze. You can make up a bunch of these in advance and even add in some cooked sausage or bacon, even cheese, onion, chili peppers. So you make up a bunch of individual servings for breakfast. When hungry put the Zip Lock bag(s) with contents into a pot of boiling water until hot. Instant breakfast! This is so good and easy.

[@atratuschaosphere9683]

Love your videos. Thanks for sharing

[@ShellsLovingLife]

LOVE LOVE LOVE your videos! We are future hobby farmers and you inspire me! Thank you!!

[@Mason_H99]

We have a lot of issues with Owls taking the baby chickens when they first start to get feathered out, the best way we have found to get them is to put a live trap in front of the cage you are putting them in at night (we use truck toppers so we just open up the back window and set the trap so the owl thinks hes gonna walk in to get some chicken dinner) walk out in the morning and you got an owl in a cage, the really tricky part is getting rid of them because a lot of them are illegal to kill but they are so smart they will just fly back if you just go drop them off down the road so we drive them to the other side of town and let them go, we know a guy that has a big cow pasture so they can eat all the mice they want over there, I've also heard people put bear traps on light posts or any post that is the highest on the farm because the owls land there to scope out whats for lunch, like I said though if the game warden drives in and sees a dead owl on your light post you might be catching a pretty big fine

[@theoldfarmerswife5915]

That is exactly how we've been raising our chickens & storing eggs too! We have started mixing whole milo (bought at the local Co-op) we use 1/2 laying mash & 1/2 whole milo. Cuts back on feed cost. Something I've learned lately, some people think "free-range" means no grain. Chickens need the extra protein in the laying mash (granules). We also feed ours scraps & they will fight over a mouse. LOL. So funny to watch. Our chickens hang around on butchering day (monthly around here). I won't go into detail, some of you already know

[@bubba2974]

boro silicate is what you call water glass and you can store eggs for months using it

[@KelliepbAclecticChannel]

oh, our chickens learn by seeing 1 that they follow the leader so , when we had chickens their wings were clipped! lol no one got away then....😉 😉 😉

[@73reggnlisa]

Another great vid thanks bro

[@kristinamarie9009]

How long will your chickens lay for

[@MaruAdventurer]

So does anyone have any heat strategies for chickens? Some reports say by the end of the week here in Texas we will hit 106 degrees. I have mine in cover, their outer pen has plenty of trees for shade and I have water in various locations.

[@vidareich80]

***** I lived in AZ with temps up to 120 one summer. That's the only time we lost any chickens. They were in a pen & couldn't get into a cooler area. After that we let them roam around the back yard & never lost any to heat. We locked them up at night. Vida

[@TheNewport2009]

***** I feed mine cold watermelon out of the frige. Not every day and it's just a bit in the heat of the day. The water in different locations for me was big and I don't have any neighborhood cat's that are bad and the dog's that are around the area are all kept up and on chains or just in gates or inside. My chickens roam around our house so they get under the most thick shade they can find. We live out in the countryside about an hours drive south of dallas, in Texas like yourself. Joseph

[@JAK3THETUB3]

***** Adequate shade, and plenty of water. You can freeze jugs of water that you can put in their run/around the yard so they can stand next to them and cool off, even drink the condensation. If they are confined to a run, get a fan or two out there.... Frozen treats like blueberries, apple pieces, etc.... Get your garden hose and mist the run area

[@MaruAdventurer]

Jake Vida, Rich, Jake, Thanks for the replies. Seems the chickies are doing ok Our peak heat was Sunday at 106. Did not lose any. I do do the watermelon bit. Sometimes it is just the white rind but they love and strip down to skin. Other times its a whole wedge that they just freak out over. I do use different water stations in the yard seems to help, and Jake I will try a frozen jug see how they take to that. Thanks all.

[@buddyboy1953]

Great video !!!! I learned a lot,thank you!!!

[@tiborNS]

What you think about raising quails?

[@shanestansberry4182]

Is it best to plant my garden around may 1st

[@StBernardAcres]

Great info......You can't post enough of them lol!

[@carrieashley1954]

I have geese in my yard with chickens ..

[@beaverrick9789]

Good stuff, Have a great day Jon.

[@mothergoose1176]

Sounded pretty eggspert to me!! Chinese century eggs are preserved using lime and ash I believes. When cracked they give off an ammonia smell but that's lost in the cooking. Might be worth looking that up. X

[@nowone21]

Thanks John. Good tips. We have hawks, sometimes nesting way above the runs. Part of avoiding them is knowing when they feed - early morning and late afternoon. Between those hours we keep the girls in the covered run or in the coop - hawks don't seem to bother our roos. When we have young chicks, say, older than 6 weeks, if we let them out to grass, we sit with them. When the older flock is ranging, we keep the dogs tied near by. (The only chicken we've lost to a predator was caught by our large male dog, Monty.) We have had fox lately at night, but Monty keeps them away. Never a dull moment. God bless you and your family.

[@joshhead9368]

Chickens are decent

[@johnmcalhany41]

Thanks for all the great ideas! I cant wait to get me some RIRs and Golden Buff Orphaningtons!! I am trying to find some chicks of each breed to raise over the winter so they will be old enough to lay in the early spring....At least that is what im thinking! Thanks John for all the information that you are putting out there!!!

[@shanek6582]

Is there a way you can take old chicken feed and let mealworms reproduce in it so you can feed them to the chickens?

[@103Catherine]

does it hurt when they peck at you

[@smellyellow]

I have very little experience with chickens, but I did watch my neighbors birds once. They would peck my hands when I reached under them for eggs, but it did not hurt at all.

[@rjs700]

old friend i also set traps catch and relies when i catch i shoot them in the head then release them then they have the option to run away

[@PootaurStuff]

Thanks for the info, very educational. My wife and I are in the process of building our first coop!!!

[@MyREDTAIL]

Do you save the empty egg shells to feed the chickens on them also.? I heard that they love them for protean etc.

[@jnull0]

We do, we will dry them and crush them up so we can add them to the feed. They get lots of calcium and other goodies from the shells..........................J

[@jennifersmith8900]

ok maybe a stupid question but how do you know when a hen is done laying eggs ? and how would you space out the chicks so the young ones are ready to lay by the time the older ones are done so you don't run out of eggs guess google is in order but i was just curious for someone like me that may not want a multiple supply of birds just enough to keep me in a healthy supply of eggs.

[@JAK3THETUB3]

Jennifer Smith Not a stupid question at all. There is no set age for when a chicken stops producing. You should check her vent which you are looking for it to be moist and open, opposed to dry and tight. Look at the colors of her wattle, comb and feet. When chickens start laying they will lose some color in all of these places. They won't seem as glossy anymore. So, if they have gone back to glossy, production is slowing or done all together. Also, feel for her keel bone. This is the bottom of the breast bone. Then, place your fingers from the keel bone toward the vent. 1-2 fingers means that she is still laying. 3-4 means that she isn’t laying so well anymore. Finally, feel her abdomen. If it's soft, she's laying, hard, she's not.

[@jennifersmith8900]

Jake thanks i find them fascinating! i figure once i get serious about getting my land i'll do some serious research right now it's just interesting to watch the videos and makes curious minds lol thanks for answering me!

[@Detro13]

If you pluck you chickens feathers would they grow back?

[@flyrod5741]

Do you give them any sand? mine are locked up and I sprinkle play sand, they pick at it, but eggs are great, good video.

[@jameslbrown6292]

Have you figured out how to tell the hens from the roosters when they are chicks? Old timers told me the roosters have an extra row of feathers on the wings. You don't want to many roosters as they just fight and will kill the other ones. Im sure you have already figured most of this stuff out. God Bless you and yours brother.

[@rileystanley1703]

can you please do a critter update

[@thomasgleaton685]

Why do you do it wrong. Have to go back and watch em again. You ain't putting any new ones. So sad to see you go. so sad. THANKS JOHN. Thanks

[@rogerbrown6474]

How about snakes how do you keep them out.

[@TheNewport2009]

yeah I'v heard about that stuff on the egg that keeps it from spoiling before, but never the actual name of it. Bloom eh? appreciate the chickenology haha. Joe in Tx

[@jameslbrown6292]

you might know this already but I put golf balls in the coop or nest so the chicken snakes would get them and they die. as they cant swallow them or spit them out. Actually killed one that swallowed the ball. Wish I was living near you (not sure where you live) cause I love fresh yard eggs.

[@BladerunnerLA2019]

Hi John how big is your property?

[@MaruAdventurer]

Another egg storing idea is to make egg noodles. Make your favorite recipe, dry them out then put them in airtight containment. No its not straight egg storage but it is a way to use up excess eggs that will last at least a season.

[@ozarkmountaingirl8620]

Hey my dad puts a talk show on a radio and leaves it in his coup 24/7. He lives in the Pocono's wild life all around him and he hasn't had any problems with predators at all. He says wild life don't want to be in with human and they think someone's in there. LOL I haven't tried it yet, but I am going to do that especially over the winter.

[@vickieramos9764]

your rooster is beautiful

[@shanek6582]

If I build a chicken house and feed them in it everyday, can I let the chickens just run around my property without a fence and will they come back to their house to sleep and eat every night or will they run off? I also wonder if I let them go in my potato patch if they'd hunt and eat the bugs or if they'd also eat the potato tops? Sorry for all the questions! Thanks

[@simoncampbell5802]

Build a chicken coop. Lock them in for a week or two so they understand that it's home. Let them out after that time and they will return home at night. Chickens will destroy a garden by digging the soil from underneath plants so cover you're gardens.

[@shanek6582]

Thank you sir.

[@Coyote87]

You do know that all green parts of the potato plant are poisonous? It's better to not let the chickens run trough your potato field mate

[@124bucket]

chickens will eat any veg or atleast mine will, never let them in a veg garden

[@chrisspears834]

Where are u from jnull0

[@ArizonaHotHomestead]

have you tried to dehydrate the eggs. I understand you scrabble them than dry them. ground the dry into powder.

[@abitofthisabitofthatwithda5379]

slap a light coating of mineral oil on them. they will last about 7 - 9 months in the frig. about 4 - 5 out of frig. something to that effect.

[@BelindaTN]

I just have to wash my eggs. Something about having them on my counter (or in the fridge with other food) with dirt and chicken poop on them just messes with my head.:o/

[@juliacampbell5881]

Great video John, I wanted to add that moth balls also work well. Take a tin can, any vege can, wash and dry well. Pop some holes in it and add a handfull of the mothballs. Hang these around the fencing and it will repel a lot of the animals that are trying to get to the chickens. Crimp the top of the can so that no pets or others can get to the mothballs. Dont want to poison anything just repel. Depending on the time of year and moisture in your area you need to change as soon as you cant smell it any more. After a while you will not need them because the animals will learn to stay away. Julia

[@valentegonzalez65]

maaan.a como das la dozena.saludos juanillo.

[@timbourgeois4496]

chickenomics,,,thats a good one,,i think thats a multiple chicken over 5 years degree

[@AlvinaRayne]

Do you have trapping videos? We had 8 of our egg laying hens eaten in a month, set live traps but caught nothing... So frustrating!

[@oldtimerlee8820]

John, never tried it myself. Waterglass (sodium silicate) is a traditional method for long term storage of eggs. Lehmans: www.lehmans.com/p-297-water-glass-liquid-sodium-silicate.aspx?show=all Following link is a good article on testing several ways to store eggs for a longer period of time. Well worth reading, IMO. You may want to do some experiments of your own to see if your results match theirs. Mother Earth News www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/how-to-store-fresh-eggs-zmaz77ndzgoe.aspx On another note: When we worked & couldn't be at home to keep an eye on our chickens, we let them out to free range very late in the afternoon. They won't stray far because it's almost time to go to roost. Something to consider when your strawberries aren't ripe. Let them out to roam in the grassy areas around your house. Will help keep bugs down, less likely to do damage in the garden, won't stray far away, & you /family can keep an eye on them. Will be, IMO, a big boost in their nutrition. FWIW, it worked well for us. Hope these thoughts help. May God Bless.

[@embaradosmithingandwoodcraft]

don't know what ya heard on Lyme way i hear best way is pickling Lyme

[@OurBucketListHasHoles]

John you have a good relationship with your animals. Your a great animal daddy 😊

[@MobyDave1583]

You should take all your new words and put them on wiki.com. Maybe they can use them in schools and colleges in the future.

[@westmeathguy]

I think I remember reading that the Kon Tiki expedition waxed their eggs and they kept for a long time.

[@jakefromstatefarm9139]

i work at a feed mill, saving for land to start the dream

[@MissouriOldTimer]

we found if you clip both wings, they can still fly, not good but they can , with just one they tend to be off balance and sort of fly in a circle if they manage to get a little ways off the ground. , and some friends of ours have a Great Pyrenees dog and it tends to stay awake at night and they don't seem to have problems with the predators .

[@marjoriegriffin3997]

We had a roster that killed a snake, they ate it. Chickens are killers.

[@anAHDAMofYAH]

Do you have any grown Chickens that Are the offspring from your Rooster & a dark Cornish hen? I interested in seeing how the chicken boobies on the 1/2 breed Dark Cornish turned out.

[@MichaelSeanHarrell]

I found this vid to be a little fowl!!!!!

[@sararich8862]

junio i heard your not suppose to give chickens meat beacause they can become cannibals.