So much has been said and written about starting chicks before spring. I’ve compiled a series of short videos that will show you how easy it is to start your chickens. If you are at all like me, you will simply enjoy observing chickens doing what they do.
Some of the videos are excerpts from a DVD titled Regarding Chickens, although most are from my YouTube channel. All were filmed right here at Fred’s Fine Fowl.
Starting chicks is a great way to break up winter and enjoy live chicks right in your home. I know it isn’t for everyone, but we start them this time of year on the kitchen table. In this short video, I demonstrate how easy it is to set up a chicken brooder using an old reptile tank. Remember that most breeds won’t start laying eggs until around their fifth month of life, so if you wait until spring for chicks, you won’t have eggs until autumn.
As your chicks grow and the weather warms, you’ll want to house them in their own quarters. The most popular method for housing backyard chickens today is the chicken tractor, or portable chicken coop. Here is short video demonstrating the necessary elements of a portable coop.
Portable Chicken Coop, aka The Chicken Tractor
If you are going to raise free-range chickens, please remember: You are what they eat. Consider the health of the forage on your property and don’t introduce chemicals into the environment. Chickens are omnivorous, so if you want nutritious eggs, keep your birds on healthy ground.
Gardening With Chickens, What Chicken Poo Can Do for You
Finally, here is a free-ranging flock of chickens. Some of the most common breeds are shown, and they are labeled so you will understand what they look like when ranging with other breeds. Different chicken breeds can be reared successfully together. The community harmony is greatly improved if the birds are started at the same time. I have four separate buildings for chickens here on my property in rural Pennsylvania. With the doors open, each flock wanders the property respecting the others’ foraging habits and range. Notice that the housing for chickens is kept well in the open and not near the tree line where the chickens are prone to predator ambush.
See Free-Ranging Chickens of Various Breeds
Many people are very interested in the various stages of growth and development of chickens. So, I have compiled this video to show them from day-old to adult. I hope you find it entertaining!
Watch Chickens Grow From Day One to Adults on Free-Range
Rear your chickens on free-range and enjoy the most nutritious eggs that you can imagine. Chickens will also fertilize your veggie gardens and “debug” your property for free. Few farmyard animals are so easily kept.
Photo by AlFoArt
