I couldn't help but giggle when that kiddo was chasing the chicken. Seriously reminds me of being a kid and Grandmas house!

Thanks! We find talking to other poultry folk to be just as much fun as making the videos. With all of the flame wars you hear about on youtube I've been surprised with how positive all the commenters have been

I had been thinking about getting chickens and have found your videos very useful. After watching a few of your videos I noticed that the name of your farm sounded very familiar. Turns out I drive past your farm twice a day taking my children to school. My kids always look for your chickens and say "Remember the chickens and the farm from their videos!" Small world! Thank you very much for sharing and I'll be using your advice to get chickens in the spring.

Great information! Short, simple, straight to the point. Just what I was looking for. Thanks!

Right on dude thanks for all the chicken info. When I was a child we always had chickens. When day my decided he didn't want Chickens anymore and sold them to his friend.

Thank you for the reply. I'm getting older but still dream of living in the country on a couple of acres. Lord willing, it will happen sooner rather then later. Thanks again.

Great video. Watching this from Australia and loving your sense of humor. About to get some ISA hybrids today for our backyard coop (if I can finish building it today!). Thanks for your information and all the best with your business! :)

That's a nice story. We only planned on "a few chickens" and now we have two coops and people drive hours for our eggs. Funny how things work out.

I just got a new order of a White Leghorn, a Silver Cuckko Maran an Easter Egger. Initially I order the best layers then I just wanted to have some variety in terms of egg colors. I purchased them from MyPetChicken and I cant complain. Its good to mention too that its very nice you guys take the time to answer questions or post more comments. Usually people hang their videos and they never answer. Good luck. Thank i

Great info...Love the presentation and your sense of humor...

We've never had silkies here but I've heard nothing but good things about them. People who have them tend to be very passionate about the breed.

many thanks - great to see this video from the US

I live in Thunder Bay (which gets very cold in the winter) and I own 6 Red stars! They are wonderful pets and I have had no problem with them in the cold. They are however as you said not very predator savvy. We have two resident bald eagles who regularly visit our yard and the chickens show no more of a reaction than mild curiosity :P Thank you for the awesome video!

No the coop is fine and i change out the bedding once a week so they always have fresh bedding. And i have americaunas and they haven,t been laying any eggs for 2 almost 3 months now. Thanks. Love your videos keep it up.

I have a small flock of four. My Silver Laced Wyandotte and Buff Orpington are prolific layers and fairly easy to handle even if not happy about it. I also have two Olive Eggers who are very friendly (one loves to be held). One is nearly as prolific as the other two, but the other just started laying, despite being born in April! So I have no idea how often she will lay. I picked birds that were easy to handle and would tolerate being in a coop most of the time. I do let mine wander for about an hour a day, but I have a very small backyard and always sit outside with them to keep them safe. I think one reason mine are easy to handle is that I pick them up every day and always have. As I said, they might not be happy about it, but they put up with it. You can do that with a very small flock! Next year I am adding a few more birds. I am thinking Barred Rock, Silkie Bantam, Polish Bantam, Cochin Bantam, Faverolle, and possibly an Australorp. Right now I am getting about three eggs a day, which is more than my family of three can eat. I am pretty happy with the breeds I picked.

I've enjoyed English Speckeled Sussex. Great all around bird.

I raised hybrid layers for years for eggs (golden comets & red stars) with my rhode island reds over 30 years and never lost a hybird during winter, & they never slowed down. I live in upstate NY . I have to say my favorite is the rhode island red & I found that hybirds are apt to feather pick more. I also had barred rocks that laid over 150 eggs in a year. But love your videos & your birds look healthy.

my sister had a rhode island red hen as a pet once that she got as a chick. she was really really friendly she loved being petted and held. she always stayed close to the house when she was let out of her pen for an hour or two a day and when winter came along every year she was just kept inside the house. she lived a long happy life and I still miss her.

I think it depends on what hatchery or farm they come from, like I said. Our current Barred Rocks are nice; tame. There is a lot of people with ill opinions of "hatchery chicks." But our (usually) calm, sweet Barred Rocks came from Meyer Hatchery,in Ohio. As a kid, I got my first Barred Rocks. One of the best, sweetest pets I ever had was a Barred Rock hen, "Henrietta." That was 52 years ago, in 1961. She didn't come from Meyer, which opened in 1985. I have had MANY tame Barred Rocks since then.

Loved this! Hilarious and wonderful.

Thank you for letting me know! I was going to get a small number of sheep or goats just to keep the fields clear. By the way,your videos are great; they're so informative.

He is trained. Holding them on their back or side is an excellent way to carry them. It calms them right down and I find it less traumatic than the traditional leg carry and less likely to lead to injury than an upright carry will.

Great video, thanks for posting!!

Love this video. Lots of info

That's a hard question. We rarely get colder than -23C or so. -50C is going to present challenges that I've never dealt with. Based on my experience I would recommend Rhode Island Reds. For us they have been the hardiest and best year-round egg layer. One of the biggest challenges your going to face is balancing keeping the coop draft free but ventilated enough to avoid moisture build up (which is your worst enemy in the winter).

Very helpful information, and it made me laugh, too, especially when you were trying to get the hybrid to fly free.

Thanks for the information. It is very helpful.

This happens a lot. Individual behavior depends on how they were raised. But there are also breed traits. Hybrids were designed to be easier to handle and not to be broody -- but are less predator resistant. A pure breed hen is more likely to guard and defend her eggs. On our farm the birds in the closer coop (200ft away) are much "friendlier" than the birds on the far coop (farther and down a hill) -- simply because house food scraps generally get tossed to the closer coop.

Great job on this video!

outstanding video bud, well done, very informative.

I've had nothing but good luck with Ameraucana so I would definitely recommend them. They lay pretty well year round, don't get very broody and have good personalities. I can't recall having any problems with them in the cold weather though we rarely venture into single digit territory (F). If your coop is well built and maintained they should do fine. With so few birds you might consider a heater of some sort since there won't be much body heat. Good Luck!

All of the birds we've had have free ranged just fine. I've never heard of the problem you've described. There can be big differences in behavior not only between breeds but between hatcheries, so nothing would really surprise me.

Thanks for sharing this video.

Wonderful video. Thank you.

I've watched a couple of your videos and they are VERY helpful. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge with us. If you could do a video on your experiences with the various feeds I could make this my one-stop-shop for chicken education :)

I recommend 2 sq ft of floor space and 1 foot of roost space per bird. More is always better but that will do. It also depends on how often they get to go outside. You should have at least a closed run. Chickens tolerate heat quite well so any breed should do, just make sure they have access to shade and the coop is well ventilated. Humidity can be killer -- not directly but your coop bedding can become toxic. Good ventilation will prevent this. Your nose will tell you if you have a problem.

A muddy yard with stagnant puddles can create bacteria which causes enteritis or botulism. Moldy, wet, shavings most people use on the floor of their coops can be a problem too. Keep feed cool and dry in tight containers. Coccidiosis is pretty common being spread from wild birds that could get in your yard or on range. Mike Strecker wrote an excellent book that covers remedies for many of these problems. It's called The Backyard Flock.

I have a barred rock and she is among the easiest to catch and handle, and she's very friendly. The barred rock roosters are another story.

Wonderful, informative video!! Thank you

Yes they do. Even as soon as 18 months production begins to drop off. They can live for up to 15 years (I've read). As far as I know there is nothing you can do. We are a no-kill farm so we never cull. It's an expensive practice but it's what we are committed to.

The brand is called "TopRite" netting. It's expensive but very much worth it. It has never broken in the 8+ years we've used it. Cheap stuff didn't last a season. I get it from "Cutler's Poultry Supply"

not only do they taste better, they also are far better nutritionally. you are correct, there is no comparison!

such a lovely family

It depends on your specific goals but my experience suggests that if you are going to let them out to fully free range you want a more flighty breed like Rhode Island Reds or Americana/Araucana. If they are going to be more contained then look at Red Stars and Delawares. This year we are trying a small brood of Leghorns -- I'm looking forward to see how they work out. Kudos on the self sustaining effort. We tried fruits and veggies but it seems we're just not good at it.

That's a great story. I get asked about chickens as pets frequently. If you would like to send me a few pictures I would love to show them in one of our next videos. YT won't let me put an email address here but if you go to the link in the video description and click the about page there an address there. As for winter, hybrids can handle cold quite well but perhaps not quite as well as pure breeds. Inside is always better but I wouldn't worry too much.

Thank you for the kind words! I can't comment very much on feed selection. Unless I order 6 tons at a time (or grind my own) I have to take what the local feed store has ("Southern State" Feed). What I can tell you is that in my experience the best eggs come from full access to a natural environment. Chickens are one of the few animals that will naturally select a healthy diet (most mammals will eat junk until it kills them). Grass is good but they prefer to dig in dirt and leaf litter.

We have always had our chicks immunized at the hatchery. The Animal Welfare Institute requires it as part of their certification process so we've always done it. We feed our chicks medicated feed for the first few weeks when we can get it but lately I've had trouble. It's been fine so far when we haven't used it but I would recommend it if you can get it. Just make sure adult hens don't get it because that will cause the medication to get into the eggs they produce.

Thank you for your prompt response, I will subscribe to your channel. Just got my dominiques and buff orpingtons. I will also order my toprite netting. Continue your great work while educating us. Best Regards

very informational.. thank you. this is a must know video for new chick owners and raisers thank you.....

We've never done any production breeding. We've had very bad luck with all hybrids. They have many short-term benefits but we've found they are not hearty enough for pastured production. Whether from predators or disease they are always the first to die. As such we stick with established hatcheries to provide us with good stock.

Thanks for the help:)

We're near New Egypt NJ. For 15 birds you'll need at least 15ft of roost space (22 would be better). I would think the smallest would be 4 x 8 with two runs of roost along the 8' side. Bigger is always better. I answer this question better at the end of our "moving chicks from the brooder to the coop" video. Take a look at that.

14C is pretty mild so most breeds would do well. Remember any breed can be raised to be friendly -- I would personally recommend Brahmas and Red Stars. I've heard some good things about Delawares, too.

Live in Minnesota, and had Production Reds mixed in with Barred Rock, and had no problems due to weather. Looking to purchase some more reds, but haven't decided what just yet. Thanks for the nice video!

@klbcn The two year rule only applies if you want to maximize your egg-per-pound-of-feed-ratio. After two years egg production does decrease, but does not stop. We're a no kill farm and we have some fairly old birds that are still laying just fine.

Thank you for the very informative video. What type of netting are you using for the top cover in your coops (deter hawks etc)

@Illiasc Very true... I have two lines of BRs and one (the utility stock, not show) is EXTREMELY docile... not overly friendly, but they never run from me.

@brandonashplant Yes, it is a hybrid. Most hatcheries call their hybrids "red stars." These were a good bit different than Red Stars. Even lighter in color and more docile.

I don't have any direct experience in warmer environs but from everything I've read you should for fine with RIRs. The original breeding stock for chickens were from warm climates. Just make sure that have plenty of shade and water. The signs of heat distress are panting and holding their wings away from their body. Only thing to add - never water them down. A friend tried that with a turkey flocked and it killed most of them. Made their wings too heavy to hold up and that's how they cool off.

thank you on both counts. :)

That's a hard one. All of the breeds we've had on the farm are smart enough to avoid the road and right now one of our coops is within 25 feet of it. Chickens like to explore but ours have stayed away from the road. Neighbor's yards are another story. If you let your chickens roam they will dig up gardens and flowerbeds regardless of breed.

@TheRavenswood10 Sorry -- didn't see your question until today. Best breed depends on your environment. If you're going to have them on a pasture I recommend Rhode Island Reds and Araucanas. They survive well, are relatively easy to handle and have a good lay ratio. If you're going to keep them confined and live in a moderate climate then you might consider a hybrid breed like Red Stars.

We're in NJ so I can't really answer. Best thing is to google "Henderson's Chicken Breed Chart" where they lists a bunch of breeds including comments on which are best for different climates.

You can compete if you're willing to scale, package and distribute. Our wholesale customers sell ours for $4.50 and I've seen similar in stores as high as $7 / dz. Demand is so high I could sell 10 times what we produce. The problem is the capital investment and labor involved. As a software developer my margins are much higher in front of the keyboard. I do fully agree the that having chickens (or any backyard ag) won't save you money. Quite the opposite. It's the experience that enriches.

thanks for this fast answer. i think for a little family with maybe 2 kids one or to eggs a week would be totally ok if you have like 4-6 chickens. of course it depends on your own needs. but personally i think that anything more than 12 eggs a week would be "overproduction" ;). so thanks again for the fast answer and thanks for this great video! greetings from germany

We live in NJ so I'm not sure about the heat. Best place I found for info on such is "hendersons breed chart". Google it and it will be the first link. Great resource. Living of the land is wildly expensive (surprisingly so). We've kinda pivoted to a more Buddhist perspective of right-living with the resources at hand. Raise and make-from scratch what we can, buy from other local farmers when we can, and do the best we can for the rest. It been a wonderful and amazing journey. Go for it!

I've not seen a breed that was more or less likely to be pecked. In my experience it's a very individual thing. You can't stop hens from pecking but I believe you can minimize it by have the best possible living conditions for your birds. Plenty of room, dry bedding, adequate roost space and as much time on a range as possible.

I suppose you were joking about the broody part, but just to clarify, "going broody" is when a hen decides to incubate eggs, and hatch chicks. It does not mean they're going to try and peck your hand off, lol. All my chickens are so tame that they don't peck at all, even if they're broody. Still, bared rocks are a very nice breed to have as well. ANY kind of chicken can become very tame and easy to catch. You're not going to catch em by just running after them.

They should be fine in your climate. I would recommend a hybrid call "Red Stars" which are generally readily available. We've also found that the quality of the breeder is just as important ans the breed so pay close attention to where you get your birds from.

Awesome birds

From what I've read Rhode Island Reds and Leghorns lay roughly the same amount per year -- about 260 - 300. I can vouch this is true for the Reds. We have our first batch ever of leghorns in the brooder so I can't say yet. Some claim the Leghorns can lay more than reds. Also, from what I've read, the breeds are very similar. Both are hearty, good layers and a little flighty (a good thing if you have a predator problem). For a great breed comparison chart google "Henderson chicken chart"

Never heard of such a thing but would love to have some!!

enjoyed the info o the video. thanks

Extremely useful - thanks I will go for pure breed since we plan free range and there are predators in the area

I'm probably not the best person to answer that since we look for the least friendly breeds (we want them to hide from predators) -- but the friendliest breeds that we've had here are Red Stars and Brahmas. Though any breed can be friendly. It mostly depends on how they are raised. If you handle them multiple times per day as chicks I understand that can make for very sociable birds.

I'm not sure any breed can be said to be less noisy overall. They make noise when they are alarmed, angry, curious or frustrated. RIRs might be a bit more vocal than sex links but like any chickens they can still carry on when they are in the mood to do so. I asked my son if he thought any of the breeds we've ever had are more quiet. He quickly responded "no chickens are quiet". I think sex link are less excitable but they still make noise.

I think for you the best bet is a hybrid breed-- say a Red Star. Only problem is finding a good breeder. We used Morton's once near Lancaster although the birds were very friendly they did not winter well. Many feed store will have chicks in spring. It's a crapshoot when it comes to breed quality but it's probably your best bet. I do suggest getting a few more than you want to have. Losses are common. Good Luck!

@TheUkeUkeable A little less than half - we try to start with 120 - 170 total each year. Yes, it's a high predator area. Seems to me it got worse when Ft. Dix, McGuire AFB and the Navy base merged to a "superbase." They razed a huge tract of land about 1/4 mile away for a new housing. Thinking it pushed preds this way. Other farms having similar problems. Rarely loose any at night to Nite Guard won't help. Mostly hawk and racoon during the day plus the occasional fox. Coyote has been sighted too

@Mrkaan110 Yes they do. In my experience all of the pure breed chickens do.

@Bugie78 As far as I know there is no way to detect a fertile egg until the embryo has developed. When we incubated eggs the procedure was to candle after two weeks or so and discard eggs without embryos. At that point it was pretty obvious.

We don't have any experience with Australorps but I've only heard good things. I've read they are not as production-efficient as Reds but pretty close. However I also read that in the 1920s a team of six Australorps hens held the world record for eggs laid in a year.

@ancestralblue Yes, that was very close. I 've never tried the Jersey Giants but I understand they lay about 160 eggs per year. We look for a min of 280 per year. Most of our roos have never been aggressive. Just a few.

@Illiasc There continues a strong debate as well as conflicting definitions. Many say that Ameraucanas aren't a breed and the only accurate label is "blue egg layer." Hatcheries have adopted a common, though arguably incorrect, nomenclature. I've used it for simplicity. If you order an "Araucana" what we show is generally what you'll get. No breed always exhibits one particular behavior but there are trends. A barred rock or RIR is far more likely to be broody than a red star.

@peaceniq That rooster was quite the pushover. Very sweet natured.

yes I do understand that. I might get a couple of those though, only cuz I think theyre beautiful and strange chickens, but I know they wont ever get close to my reds or my barred rocks in egg production.

We had no experience with livestock when we started the farm. The ram that came with our farm was just coming into maturity. Rams can be really mean and really dangerous even if you do know what you're doing. We didn't. He knew we didn't and drove that particular point home at every opportunity. Aside from that, one our goals is to have a productive farm. Sheep don't offer much in the way of return.

fun,informative video

thanks.

Friendly to the person with treats is often different than friendly to the flock. I have a barred rock and an orpington that come right on up to you, very "friendly", but they are both pigs that are just looking to be first at the buffet, and they bully the most of the other girls around food. (except around queen Betty, who always breaks it up when there is too much non-sense in her coop.)

Those are pretty mild temperature and hybrids should do just fine. The most popular hybrid breed I know of are called Red Stars. They're nice birds. Maybe I should consider moving to Nova Scotia! Those are some nice temperatures. We're at 38c today and go down to around to as low as -18c

Thanks very helpful

@musicccool Never heard of turkey but guinea fowl were standard equipment on farms. They won't defend against predators but make such a noise they get scared away (or so I've heard). I might consider that for 2012.

most of our chickens are spoiled. 3 of them were house-raised,but we keep them outside with the others now. all of them except 1 or 2 run right to me. the smaller ones(bantam cochins and silkies) stand at the door of their pen near nighttime and walk right in once i open it woo

I don't know of any hatcheries in NJ. Your best bet right now is look for a farm supply store like Agway. Most will have chicks right now but not for too much longer. According the their site many Tractor Supply stores will have chicks in the store until the end of April.

We are gonna be getting about 4 rhode island reds and 1 other different kind of chicken....But first we have to finish building our coop...thankyou for your feedback

@victoryfarm Well yes, I have raised 100s of birds as well, but have found that if they're tame, they will be very few individuals that peck even when broody. If they don't see you as a threat, they usually won't peck, although of course some breeds are more likely to (barred rock hens can be amazingly aggressive!). I didn't actually say that there aren't differences between breeds - there are plenty. Just saying ALL breeds can be made very tame, and very easy to catch. :)

Here's what I can tell you: Most farms kill birds once they are 12 - 18 months old. After that the amount they lay begins dropping. I don't know if they ever actually stop laying but it can go down to maybe one or two a week. We have a variety of ages in our coops so I have no actual way of telling who is laying what, but overall production from each coop drops dramatically as the average age of the birds in the coop increases.

We've had plenty of Reds and Rocks but I don't recall ever having orange or pinks eggs. I've read that Barred Rocks can do that so it might be from them.

My barred rocks are sweet and docile

@sc6chuck9 That's an excellent plan. Though if you do get impatient your southern climate should allow year round brooding without a problem. My Sumter-based kin are always bragging about their warm winters compared to here in NJ.