How to Raise Chickens Cheaply

Our farm is getting ready to blossom, as we work on our research for chickens.  

My first question is, how much is this going to cost...right!   

Well, after looking at websites, books and talking to folks about their experiences, I think we might be able to pull off raising our chickens, wait for it...wait for it...cheaply!



How to raise chickens cheaply?

We have been talking about chickens for a while now, before we even moved out here to be honest.  This last year was just a little busy, what, with moving and getting situated, our oldest starting school and just plain l i f e.  


We were able to start somewhat of a garden this summer, I even got to enjoy some of the home grown veggies, so win, right!  

Next on our list though, was eggs, fresh eggs from our own chickens.  

 
So, we set out to learn before putting up the cash.  



Here goes nothing..



To build or buy?

This one is fancy, but it is what I would like to see!

You have all seen the super fancy chicken coops out there, the ones with multi-level luxury.  I mean, we are going to love our chickens and appreciate them for giving our family food, but do they really need a Jacuzzi and wine?  What if you could spend your cash a little wise, would you? There is convenience, I give you that, of having one already built and ready to go but you pay for that labor, big time!

If you are a city dweller (we are!), then you might have to put a lot more into your chicken operation than the country folks do.  City folks have zoning regulations and neighbors to deal with.  That being said, my thoughts for this cheap chicken operation is for those of us with a little more space between us and the neighbors. 

Totally Creative!

Chickens need a place to get out of the wind and rain, a dry and safe place to roost at night and somewhere to lay eggs. Keep these very simple requirements nearby when building your coop.  When you live in the country, you are only limited by your imagination, as far as what your coop can be.  Get creative!





Choose your coop Placement, very carefully!
Location, Location, Location!   There need to be a few "rules" here, like 1) OUT OF SIGHT and 2) WE DON'T WANT TO SMELL IT! 




Should you let the Chickens free range -or- keep them in a run?


Having chickens free ranging is great.  It gives the place a "country" look and they will eat bugs out in the yard.  Keep in mind though, they will also eat your young plants in the garden, flower beds and can wander into the neighbors yards or the road.  We, for instance, live on a busy road, we have about four hawks that are on or around our property and recently, we have a pack of coyotes that hang out on our land.  We will be building a run for the flock to keep them safe. 

For a run, we have an old dog kennel fence that we are using behind the coop, with a top, to keep the hawks and raccoon's out. 


Now that these are figured out, it is time to start thinking about nesting boxes. There are a lot of plans and ideas all over the internet.  Here is what we are thinking of doing:

What breed of Chicken Should I get?

This has been the most trying of questions in our house. We did not even know there were SO many breeds!  It is a personal decision and we have found that these questions help!

Because I wasn't joking about there being a lot of chicken breeds!

1. Why are you keeping chickens?
1. Meat?
2. Eggs?
3. Both? 
2. What Climate?

One breed is a White Leghorn or Brown Leghorn.  This is a cold tolerant, major egg laying chicken. There are a lot and we still are trying to figure out which ones we are looking at.  You do have to watch how many you order also. You might think that you are going to go big or go home- and with all the extra eggs, you will just sell them, right!  Well, from my experience driving around the country-side, a lot of people are trying to sell eggs. If you thought of making money raising chickens, it is kind of a faux paux because on a good month you might break even, but most months, guess what...you wont! (things I have learned from those county-side folks, as we stopped to ask!)

We have a local Tractor Supply store who sells eggs and chicks at different times of the year- usually around Easter (go figure!) Things to know is that during the winter, egg production drops but feed consumption goes up and during the summer, feed consumption goes down, but egg production goes up. So, I guess that being said, you will either have so many eggs that you will not be able to get rid of them all, or so few that if you did have a steady customer, they will not be able to get eggs year round.  This is just raising chickens!  So, now you are ready to order your eggs and chicks! 

Be Flexible!

So, this one neighbor tells me that she ordered her her flock, she went with pullets (8 week old chicks) and due to some mix up, she ends up with 1 week old chicks.  She said that she had a panic attack in her head, but she took them because more or less, they were hers, whether they were 1 week or 8 weeks old.  She was not prepared for 1 week old chicks, so she made an impromptu brooder out of a cardboard box (I have seen this done with a large Rubbermaid tote also) and a heat lamp.  She just set hers up in her living room for the first two weeks.  She said that the noise and the smell were getting to her, so after that she moved them to the coop.  She still set up the heat lamp in one corner, so the chicks knew where to find heat, but they all survived just fine. I guess this is raising chicks, right!

How much time and effort does it take to raise chickens?

I know that this is a BIG concern for me, having a full plate with work, kids, Husband, house remodel and all of life little feats.  So how much time do we need to spend taking care of these birds? 

Well, I have been told that it does not take up a whole lot of time.  It is 10 minutes in the morning to feed and check water, adjust ventilation for the day. Then 10 minutes in the evening to make the same 'rounds'.  It become routine, and one that I am hoping my two beauties will help with as they grow also. 

I hear that in the Winter, it is a little bit more time, but not a lot of trouble. I am reassured that they are easy!

As for gathering eggs, this needs to be done every day.  A neighbor made this point to me, "If people are buying farm fresh eggs, they don't want to crack them open and find a developing chick inside."  Um, gross!  Also, you want to get them right into the refrigerator soon after collection.

Tips for Winter and Summer

During the winter months, water freezes, right! It is a fact here in Ohio. It is helpful to have a second waterer and keep it in the house.  Fill with warm water and bring it to the coop in the morning and swap the waterer you put in the night before.  This needs to be done every 12 hours (more depending on temperature).  A heated waterer is also nice, but not needed for the first year of raising chickens. 

Also, look into making a draft shield to stop the blast of cold air from hitting the birds when opening the coop door.  A good idea is to use some feed bags on a wire wall next to the door to protect the birds. 

You might also want to give the flock some scratch in the evening inside the coop, they will love it and it will keep them warm on cold nights.

Did you know a red light helps keep down incidents of picking?  You can keep one on all the time inside of the coop.  Chicken's get "cabin fever" like people do, in the winter, which leads to picking!  Scratch blocks in the coop work well also, and enclosing the run in plastic sheeting so they can still get outside even on cold, snowy days.  Throw in a head of cabbage once a week or a bale of hay in the run, so they can pick it apart during the winter months.

In the winter, create a "dust bath" by taking a cat litter box and filling it with a mixture of 1 part play sand, 1 part sifted (cold) ashes from the wood stove and 1 part food grade DE.  It helps them clean themselves.

Ventilation is important and especially during the winter.  Keep the windows closed on one side but open for air intake on another (usually between coop and building).  Put down extra bedding on the coop floor and stuff the next boxes thicker during the cold months.

In Summer, keep the windows opened. Keep a close eye on water, they will drink a lot more with the heat.  Keep the dust bath full also.  Take plastic sheeting off of the run and replace it with a tarp on the top to help with the sun and rain.  A good tip that i have heard is that after cutting the grass, dump the clippings in the run.  The chickens love it.  If you are not spraying for weeds, it is OK.

I haven't purchased my chickens yet, but I am one step closer.  We definitely are this spring and to be honest, I don't think that either of us can wait.  It is going to be great to have fresh eggs and be able to survive off of our land.  We sure are adjusting to country life, like we have done this before!

The future of Gray Gables Farm...

If you have tips, please use the comments box below, always looking for great advice!  

Thanks everyone!

~Kel

6 Tips for Keeping Chickens Warm in the Winter

Tips for Keeping Winter Chickens

By: Kel Amstutz

 

Over and over again,  the question keeps coming up: 

How do you go about keeping chickens warm in the winter?

Well…  chickens natural physiology combined with several strategies on our part are all it takes to keep our chickens happy and healthy through the bitter cold winter.
 

We don’t heat the chicken coop in winter, instead follow these six steps to #safely and #inexpensively keep your hens warm.

1. Get the right chickens for your climate:

The very best thing you can do to ensure your birds will be fine in winter is to start off with cold hardy chicken breeds. 

Cold hardy breeds have very small combs and wattles, making them less susceptible to frostbite. They also tend to be built a little on the hefty side, which keeps them warmer when the temperature drops.

The best cold-hardy chicken breeds:

• Ameraucana
• Australorp
• Brahma
• Buff Orpington
• Cochin
• Delaware
• Dominique
• New Hampshire
• Plymouth Rock
• Rhode Island Red
• Speckled Sussex
• Wyandottes

 

2. Insulate the coop:

It’s so important to insulate the coop as best you can before winter sets in. You can do this in many ways. If you have the money, you can use foam or fiberglass insulation in the walls of the coop then cover them with plywood. Just make absolutely sure the insulation is completely covered, because chickens will pick it at. 

Always remember that insulation doesn’t mean make the coop air-tight. 

Every coop needs proper ventilation, for polluted air and moisture to escape and fresh air to get in.

3. Close off a portion of the coop

The coop interior gets warm on cold winter nights from the chickens body heat releasing into the air. If the amount of space inside the coop is smaller, there’s less airspace for the chickens bodies to warm up. If your chicken coop is on the larger side, it will pay to make the usable space a little smaller in the winter.

This can be done by hanging plastic sheeting from floor to ceiling, or putting up a temporary wall.

4. Provide quality feed and water

Chickens eat more feed in the winter to regulate their body temperature and put on some insulating fat. 

Feed your chickens a little extra when it starts to get cold, and more importantly, provide them with fresh water at all times.

Drinking water helps with digestion, which helps with temperature regulation. If your chicken’s water source is frozen for even an hour during the day it will affect their ability to stay warm. 

You might want to consider using a heated water bowl or Water Heater Base during the winter to keep your water dish thawed at all times! 

5. Provide quality roosts

Roosting helps keep chickens warm by getting them up off the floor and allowing them to huddle together to keep warm. 

Roosts need to be big enough to accommodate all of your chickens. 
(If you see chickens on the floors or nesting boxes at night, more roosts are in order!)

The roost surface should be big enough so that a chicken can completely cover their feet while sitting on it.  

If the chickens can’t wrap their toes all the way around the roost, they are likely to get frostbite on toes that they can’t cover.

6. Use the deep litter method

The deep litter method works wonders for keeping the coop warm in winter.

Stacking six inches (or more) of litter on the floor of the coop helps to insulate it. Deep litter also produces its own heat.

Deep litter that’s started in spring is like a compost pile on the floor of your coop. The decomposing waste and litter create heat which help to warm the coop.

 

Other options:

If you live in a Northern climate in which temperatures frequently fall well below -10 degrees, and you feel your chickens are truly suffering from the cold, there are some options.

• Hire an electrician to wire the coop for heat would be safer than hanging a heat lamp inside

• Purchase a flat panel heater to install inside the coop.

 

 

Surviving Winter with CHICKENS...

This will be our first winter with chickens and although it is kind of scary to think about. 

There are really only two things that are pretty critical to keeping our ladies alive and well during the cold, Ohio winter that is up and coming and that is: 

1. making sure they have access to water (and not a frozen block of ice) 
2. and a dry coop. 

We have been planning ahead to ensure that our six chicks survive and maybe even keep laying! 

Water is a very important factor with chickens, as it is an essential nutrient and a requirement to regulate a chickens body temperature, help with digestion, growth and yes, even producing those eggs. Lack of water access, even for a few hours can result in a major egg production drop for weeks. 

It is also important to note that chickens EAT MORE in the winter to help regulate their temperature and due to this they require more water to digest- if the water is frozen- your chickens will stop eating and will not be able to keep themselves warm. 


3 frozen water Solutions:

1. Use a cookie tin heater.  For less than $10 and only 10 minutes of your time, a water heater can be made out of common, household stuff, which will keep water in plastic and even metal waterers liquid in those sub-zero, snowy temps. The thing is...electricity is REQUIRED.
2. Use poultry nipple waterers. There are all kinds of nipple water systems that can be installed to ensure a water supply. You can even use a homemade system with a 5 gallon bucket, an aquarium heater to an already assembled unit with its own heating system, such as the Chicken Fountain.  Electricity if Required for this method as well. 
3. You can HAUL it to your coop.  If you don't have access to electricity, traditional waters can be used but will need to be changed frequently to prevent freezing.  You should empty or remove at dusk and return fresh, unfrozen water first thing in the morning. I want to note that this is not the most efficient system, but with no other options, you will end up saving your brood. 

Now let's talk about MOISTURE.  

MOISTURE is the enemy, the boogie man, the *something in your closet. While, most chickens will tolerate  cold weather well, the freezing temperatures inside the coop in addition to the added moisture will cause FROSTBITE.  Chickens generate a great deal of moisture from breathing as well as from pooping, since droppings consist of 85 % water. 



Ventilation is key inside your coop. If you have windows in your coop, make sure you are checking for condensation build up. 

Frostbite usually occurs overnight in a cold, poorly ventilated coop. 

Frostbite affects combs, wattles, and toes and can interfere with egg production. 

Breeds with single combs are at the greatest risk for frostbite. Recommendations are to apply petroleum jelly to combs and wattles at night to prevent any moisture from clinging to them. It is unknown if this really prevents frostbite.

To control moisture in your coop, you can use a hygrometer with a relative target humidity of 50-70%. 

You can also use Dropping Boards, which are a shelf designated to collect chicken poop deposited overnight. The boards are scraped down every morning, and dropping removed from the coop.  The less droppings in the coop, the less moisture in the coop. 

Droppings can also generate ammonia, which can be a respiratory hazard to the flock, particularly in a closed coop. Dropping boards eliminated a major source of the humidity and ammonia. 

Not as if I need to say it, but DO NOT KEEP WATER INSIDE THE COOP. Controlling moisture from droppings is manageable with excellent ventilation, it is impossible to control moisture if the waterer spills in the bedding. There is no need for water in the coop. 




Use SAND for bedding
Sand used as a litter inside the chicken coop is a great choice in the winter because it evaporates moisture faster than any other litter and it stays dryer as a result. Sand also retains warmth longer and will keep coop temperatures more stable. Try some Sweet PDZ sprinkled in the sand to help control moisture and ammonia. 




Deep Litter is a method of chicken waste management that calls for droppings and bedding materials to compost inside the coop.  This method required careful management, which includes stirring, monitoring and moisture content.  The deep litter method, if implemented improperly, can cause serious health hazards to the flock. 





To properly manage: 

• Don't change the litter every few weeks. 
• Don't begin the process mid-winter.
• Don't keep less than 4 inches of litter on the coop floor.
• Don't use diatomaceous earth (DE) in the litter.
• Don't relay on the chickens to do all the turning.

Insulating is intended to retain radiant heat and reduce heat loss, making it more feasible to ventilate coop, but insulating a coop does NOT mean making it air-tight. If there are gaps that are not being used for ventilation, seal to prevent drafts.  

Insulation also must be hidden from your chickens, or..you guessed it...they will EAT it! 

A great tips is to use feed bags for covering the insulation.

If you have heavy winds, it is important to insulate the roof and use a heavyweight plastic to cover the wind side. 

And just a note- do not use straw or bales of hay inside the coop as insulation. Mold and fungus and even mites grow inside hay, which triggers that respiratory issue within the coop. Far better to have a cold coop than sick chickens. 

@KelleyAmstutz

/kel.amstutz

KAMSTUTZ09

Have Chickens? Avoid making these 15 MISTAKES!

At the beginning of the summer, our family became the proud owners of Chickens...(key the BANJO!) and so the farm life had begun.  We started with three (3) chickens that were about a year old (or so we were told), they were seasoned, which made it that much easier for us, the beginners. 

A few days before the girls arrived, Hubby found a coop on CL that just needed a little work, for a tiny investment of $30. It was a real nice coop once he cleaned it all up.  

We picked a spot in the yard and then, I come home from work one day and there are now three (3) chickens occupying our homestead. 

I must say, if you are on the fence about getting chickens, they are super easy to care for. We are a little scared to handle them, as our chickens are not the friendliest bunch, but they come to us when we feed them and cluck when we talk to them. Basic chicken care is fairly simple as well. 

Like all living things, they need fresh food and fresh water daily. They like my kitchen scraps, which are very good for them, but I still avoid giving the girls anything rotten, as that can be harmful to them. 

But, as easy as Chickens are...there are still some mistakes that you can make and if at all possible, I am here to help you avoid these! 

1. Avoid bringing home your chickens BEFORE you have finished their coop. (really, this just adds extra stress to the handy man who is busy working on their home, and new chickens that you want to free range, still need to be penned for a little bit of time before "free ranging").
2. Melt your brooder with your heading lamp. (this one is something I am taking note of, as the winter months start to approach)
3. Don't check the chicks for pasty butt. (no explanation needed here.) 
4. Leave your chickens food out for the rats. (there are special dishes people and they work great. We don't have RATS per-say...field mice is our creature of habit)
5. Make your coop impossible to clean. (Hubby made our coop and was very diligent in making sure latches and doors were accessible just for this reasoning)
6. Leave your coop opened at night for a raccoon buffet. (we have Hawks and Coyotes!)
7. Get more birds than you have space to keep. (Yes, we did this! This is why the girls got an upgrade) (sh!)
8. Get the wrong breeds for your climate. (this is more important than you might know. Do you research!)
9. Keep them in too small of an area. (give these girls room to run!)
10. Let them roam about the neighborhood. (you might end up with one less chicken and your neighbor might be eating good tonight- js)
11. Let them eat poisonous plants in your yard. (knowledge is power)
12. Buy meat bird without a plan to butcher. (again, education. The chickens have a purpose)
13. Keep an illegal rooster in a city neighborhood. (need I say more?)
14. Make your mobile chicken coop too heavy to move. (you will be in a pickle!) 
15. And last but not least...the NUMBER ONE mistake of all...repeat ANY of THESE MISTAKES above! (Um, have you not learned anything?)

It has been an experience on our home front, a positive one, having chickens.  We even added to our chickens, introducing three (3) more, which were surprisingly welcomed with open arms by the three (3) OGs. 

Now, they live in harmony among one another and it has been awesome to watch them mix and mingle and exciting for the girls to collect eggs daily. This does not mean that we do not continue to learn, everyday there is research, everyday there is something new we need to know or find out and everyday there is something that we improve upon. 

Hey...

Happy Roost... more eggs Produced!

Our 6 year olds picture of Chicken Dogge (2015) 

@KelleyAmstutz

/kel.amstutz

KAMSTUTZ09

Also posted on: https://kam0900.wordpress.com