We did a trial of 3 different feed systems.
1) 100% store bought feed.
2) 50% store bought feed, 50% food forest harvest
3) 90%+ food forest harvest.
How did each do in terms of eggs produced, cost of eggs, etc? What is the average cost of backyard eggs?
Then we also take a look at some long term chicken strategies. Raising chicks vs buying laying hens. How long to keep the chickens. Overwinter them? Lights in the winter? We talk about the economics of each, and also the ethical implications of each.
Looking to start backyard chickens and wondering if it’s economical? This is the video for you.
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34 Comments
Well Henriette seems way less stressed out and it looks like they love their branches! Good job! And thank you for all those calculation. Going in chickens next year, it helps a lot. Having rabbits now and their feed is back order right now, so it is also a good thing to have a plan B and C to feed them!
Thank you for breaking it down. I've been toying with the idea of raising chickens for some time now. I'm trying to figure out where I could put the coop and have easy access in the winter: Vermont is similar to your area as far as cold and snow and length of winter. I'm thinking that I'd like to put some sort of access through the garage, which is connected to the house, so I wouldn't have to worry about creating paths in the winter, and the equipment/feed could then also be stored in the garage. Winter and the chicken (as well as my own) life span have been some of my big stumbling points.
I just got a freeze-dryer, which is how I'd handle the excess of eggs in the summer and to take me through the cold months. It would be great to freeze-dry some of the produce that I'm growing for the chickens–that was a very helpful tip. The netting you have to extend your chicken area is interesting. Is its size unlimited…can you sort of daisy-chain it together? How do you plug it in, or is it battery-operated? That was another stumbling point…how to keep chickens from destroying all of my existing gardens; that fencing seems to be a slick solution.
I am mostly vegan but I don't feel too sorry for these birds. They are not natural animals. They have been intensively bred for centuries to be food machines for humans. Nor are these natural creatures for your environs. They originated in subtropical forests, not a snowbank in Canada. And when you consider all the negative health effects eating the eggs and meat from these birds cause to humans I can only see their value as compost machines, i.e. I agree with you on their principle value to the homestead.
I would consider growing your own grain mix to feed them as this would also provide you and your family with organically grown whole grains while reducing the cost of chicken maintenance even further.
I have no qualms about selling or giving the meat and eggs to people who do not choose to go vegan. I am not interested in browbeating anyone else into eating healthy. We're each responsible for the food choices we make.
Yesterday in Britain a law was introduced whereby: ''All poultry and domestic birds must be kept indoors because of 'bird flu' (Avian Influenza)''.
Love the analytical take to add to the emotional enjoyment of having animals!
Thank you or the information. I am trying to decide whether or not to raise chickens again. I had 4 chickens for 4 years, fed them mostly bought food, raised them from chicks, got 1 egg each (after the 6 mos) for 8 months of the year. They lived in a very expensive coop (I had one built), which was very safe (hardwaare cloth) and a large run with ft. chicken wire fence. I lost them all within that 4 years to predators or accidents. If I get chickens again, I will get chicks, I will feed them at least half produce, and make sure they have a much better fence (with a chicken wire ceiling. I have always planned on keeping my chickens for their full lifetimes and adding chicks to compensate for their aging and demise. I have already made the initial outlay for the coop and equipment, the cost to start will be small and, given the price of organic eggs in California, I think I can break even, although that is not of paramount importance to me. There is nothing funnier watch to watch than a bunch of chickens and the compost is great.
Living in the suburbs, we cannot keep chickens, but quails might be a better / doable choice.
They are reliable egg layers.
They are small and don't require a lot of space.
Small initial investment.
They are not noisy.
They make great manure.
I have been keeping them for a few years and they produce more eggs than we can eat.
I keep my chickens and ducks into their full lifespan. Some die young from disease or predators. Never a lack of drama here. Some extra costs are supplements, medicines and vet bills. To me it’s worth it because they all have individual personalities. They form friendships and grieve if a close friend dies. They are funny at times, help control pests and help make great compost. Eggs are just a bonus!
It must be a great feeling to eat eggs from hens you know are living their best lives. The same for ultimately eating them. But, eating your hens may be psychologically difficult if you and your family thinks of them as pets. Then there is the messy business of sacrificing and cleaning them. This is not something I would take on. I would look for someone nearby who is experienced in this task and perhaps negotiate sharing the ‘harvest’, if your family is OK with it. If you wait too many years, would the quality of the chicken meat deteriorate?
I would look for a middle ground where the hens live their best lives with you while still laying eggs and being ultimately suitable for consumption. So not making ROI the ultimate goal, nor maximizing the life of the hens. However long your hens live, they will have lived well. And hopefully they will die well, under the knife of someone who knows how to sacrifice them with the least amount of pain and stress.
Very good analysis. I have been through most of the chicken math for both layers and meat birds; never bought already laying hens, though I’ve rescued a dozen or so over time. If you have the labor time available, collecting restaurant scraps for them as well as soaking/sprouting small buckets of grain throughout the winter at very least really cuts down on how much you spend on commercial feed. I ran the occasional ad for folks wanting to get rid of halloween pumpkins, Xmas trees, and weekly scraps in order to get “customers” who were happy to not put food scraps into the garbage but didn’t want to get into composting themselves in town. Some would drop off, some I’d collect as long as it was convenient & easy. My cost was low, my compost excellent, the meat was great, and the eggs out of this world. Plus, watching chickens do their thing and talking about it was terrific therapy.
But do you put all your eggs in one basket? Haha. Great informative video. Thanks!
informative video!! thanks!
This is your best video.
I think I enjoyed this video more than anything you've made so far, and that's saying a lot. You have really come a long way in making quality videos. The most underrated youtube channel right here. You should be a million subs. I tell everyone I know about your channel.
I'm not going to lie, I'm a pretty staunch vegan. Very set in my ways and opinions. This video has definitely made me see things a little different.
Would the world be better if we were all vegan? Yes, without a question. It's not for everyone, some people don't do well on it, but everyone should try it at least. But I have to say. If someone is going to eat meat and eggs and keep animals, what you are doing is the best and most humane way to do it. Those 10 chickens see so much more love than the ones packed 1000 into a barn. People have a hard time killing their meat, but have no problem buying chicken tendies in the store. Hypocrites all.
You are such a great example of how someone can choose to eat meat, choose to reduce how much they eat, and then when they do eat meat and eggs they do it in as ethical a way as possible (even though I still think killing for food is unethical). It's not black and white unlike what many vegans think. This is pretty good and I just love you and your channel more every day and every video I watch. If only the world was filled with people like you.
Holy I cannot believe how little you were able to feed them in that summer month. My numbers are more like your full feed numbers. Did you find your egg quality decreased? You said the number didn't. Were the shells thinner? The egg yolks lighter?
chickens
cool video thanks. i think you missed a few nuances though.
chickens are great company and entertainment.
and it doesnt have to all be about money. home made eggs just taste better. whats the point of money if it doesnt improve your life…
try ducks too. they rock.
i had chicken i got from a mate who got her as a rescue chicken from a commercial outfit. she would sit on my leg when i was weeding and i would hand feed her snails and worms. i could tuck her under my arm like a rugby ball and cart her about and she would coo quite happily as we went from bed to bed as i was doing the chores.
it got to the stage where i would put my finger next to a slug or whatever and she would race over and gobble it. a trained chicken? maybe.
i dont think i got many eggs from her but she was a huge part of the system 🙂
Awesome video
💚
Thanks a lot of this very interesting video! I would love to have chickens, but in the Netherlands its forbidden to have free range chickens because of a disease that's spreading.
I hope one day I will have my own chickens and really, they are soo adorable!!
It's most sustainable if you have a rooster to create your own chicks. This is not for everyone obviously…
My oldest chicken have been about 14 years old.
You're the best mate. Love your attitude! Keep it up
Personally, I think you'd get more compost if you'd avoid the chicken route. Except for eggs. Because they're atomic reactors, chicken turn whatever they have into calcium, which is amazing. They take a long time to decompose, but if you powder them and try to dissolve them in some vinegar, you'd get a great fertilizers for tomatoes, which need calcium and also love acidic soils. Yes, dilute.
In the not so distant past I had relatives who kept chicken. One breed only. Smaller flock than yours. A rooster would deter predators and also ensure the survival of the species. Old hens and young roosters would be sacrificed as needed, there was no advanced freezer storage facility. So, the soup or stew would always have fresh meat in them. Meat was always stretched with lots of veggies.
Taking a break to go down memory lane…
I just helped my son butcher some of his flock. They were 3 years old . They had a great life, and were treated well. Spoiled when I went to visit : ) Anyway, he butchered and plucked, I gutted them and my daughter in law and I canned them up in quart jars. Broth was made from the carcass and feet. Nothing was wasted !
Got 9 hens included when we bought our new house in febuary, at first I locked them up every evening, now they have been almost 100% freerange, the biggest issues I have had is that they start to lay eggs everywhere, They have currently been molting and stopped laying completely, but now they dont need to eat any fabricated food, they just find what they need it seems. I think this flock is quite old, legs look quite worn, but the previous owner said they were about one year, I guess she was afraid we were to cull the herd. I have been thinking about buying egg for hatching, but to let the hens do the work instead of a machine, appearently if you keep a hen with eggs in a small container she will take care of them, even if they are not broody in general. This way I could cut down on equipment, and the mother hen would also guard the small chicks from the other hens when they grow up as I understand it from other sources.
Everyone in my small town sells eggs but I found a farm where the hens get an entire acre to run! Also I filled my truck with leaf bags pre-shredded.
As you know better yourself, there are other costs and benefits involved when you keep livestock of any kind.
For example, mental health benefits can be great. On the flip side, you need to be there almost all the time to take care of their needs and sometimes deal with death, etc. which can be very unpleasant.
The biggest reason we will keep chickens instead of relying in a grocery store is the very real possibility of someday there not being a store available or not certain items available or a limit or lack of finances to buy bc of exorbitant prices. If it all falls apart,your chickens can eat grass or bugs or you can grow seeds and still have protein sources without relying on stores or transportation or most importantly, government.
Great video Keith. I really enjoyed the content 🙂🐥
Hey I live in a slightly warmer zone then you and have run chickens 3 years now. I run them in a fenced 2 acres with access to my young orchard(transitioning to food forest). I free feed store bought pellets but go through very little in the spring/summer. I would look into winter hardy breeds I have run Plymouth rocks and chantclers and both lay through the winter with no supplement lighting. I've been a long time fan of your channel and could spend hours staring at your pond. You are a big part of why I've planted fruit/nut trees with the dream of one day having a natural pond. Thanks for being an inspiration! Ps I'm hoping to make a viewer vid one of these days, and would love any feedback from you and other viewers.
Great content as always….you are the best…. 15:50 money doesn't matter, the quality of life of your chickens is more important….you da man. As a pond guy whenever you mention yours my ears perk up. Couple questions on yours, have you ever considered yellow perch over koi??? Actually legal in ontario for use in aquaponics if you get them from certain places, there are 2 here in Ontario that sell them for that purpose (very yummy and fast breeder which are very comfortable our water temps) The other question on ponds was, is there a reason you do not use Water Hyacinth?? I found it propagates very fast so would be excellent green manure for your chooks. Best to you & yours.
Beautiful video, and great comments. I wish I could keep birds but I don’t think I’d ever be able to cull them. They’d be like my dogs, living long lives with the matching vet bills in the latter years.