Introduction!!

Hello everyone!

I made this page because I wanted to share all that
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I am doing with my family chickens, why I got them, photo's of them, videos, and to show you guys ideas I have! I got chickens for three main reasons, eggs, manure, and pest control.

My family has and I have chosen to raise our own chickens for the benefit of having healthier eggs. Home grown eggs taste significantly better than store-bought eggs, and I like knowing exactly what is going into our chickens.



I got 2 Barred Rock's and 1 Rhode Island Red.
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The Barred Rock's are named Dot and CryBaby. My named is named Red! I know, fitting right? LOL!! Here in this photo is CryBaby (down there on the ground) and Dot (in my hand). She is a lover not a fighter:)

Red is very smart! As I talk to her she looks at me like she is trying to understand what I am talking about. She is the leader of the pack, so to speak. I let them out daily to eat as much fresh grass, bugs, and grit as they can get!



Here are some facts about eggs that are home grown.
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• 4 to 6 times as much vitamin D
• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene

These facts in themselves are enough reasons to raise your own chickens!



I am also wanting to use the chicken manure in my garden (after I compost it of course.). I am mainly a spring gardener so I will be letting my chickens into the garden
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over the winter to decimate pest and stir up the soil for me.

There poop has so many benefits! Some of the things I really like that the chicken manure does for my garden is:


• It is very high in nitrogen. And it has potassium and phosphorus.
• It happens to be the best manure for growing vegetables.
• Best soil amendment for clay, etc etc.
• It is also a source of beneficial and essential bacteria that were a part of the chicken's digestive system. (These bacteria create an environment in the soil where the plants are able to absorb nutrients more readily.)



I read a lot of books on how beneficial bugs, and lizards help in the garden by killing pest, all the way down to building a better soil structure!

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Here is a lizard eating a beneficial bug (Mud Wasp).

Normally this would not benefit you when a lizard eats beneficial bugs but they eat way way more bad bugs in your garden!



I went on a mission, trying to get as many beneficial bugs into my garden as I could but it still wasn't enough.



This year inchworms were demolishing my green bean and tomato plants and so I went out and handpicked them each night
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because I have an organic garden and we don't use any pesticides (organic) and we also use plants that are not genetically modified (no GMO's.).






Chickens eat every bug they see it seems so they are really helping me!!


Well, there is some info about me and and why I got chickens:)

To your right you can see all my chicken related videos I've made so feel free to check them out and if you like what you see please "like" the video, tell your friends on facebook about them, and subscribe to get all new garden/farm idea videos I do!


God Bless!
Matt - facebook page Home Farm Ideas


New Coop!!
This video was the very 1st day I got my chicken coop! Have a look and tell me what you guys think!!


Putting a new roof on!
When I got this coop it needed a new roof so I did this video on it. I hope it helps someone:)


DIY chicken water nipple!
These work great! Give your girls very clean water! The chicks poop, bedding, and foods can't get in this sealed water bottle.
DIY chicken feeder!
This feeder keeps poop out of there food and stops your girls from wasting to much feed. Saves you money!
DIY feeder - Adjusting feed level
This is how you can adjust the level of feed coming out into the trough. I don't really think you need to but this is one way you can do it.

Coop improvements - Hinged doors 1
Adding hinged lower door to make a third level and a easy to clean area in the coop:)


Coop improvements - Hinged doors 2
Got all the hinges done all the way around the coop! Check it out!!



New baby chickens!
This is my little chicks 1st day with me! Put them right into the brooder.



Funny chicks!
My little chicks making me laugh:) I did not know they would be fun!



Baby chickens 1st day out!!
I had my baby chickens out in my yard today with my wife and kids:) We had fun!


Baby chickens 2nd day out!!
They are now eating bugs and running to me!! LoL!! They sure are fun:)


Baby chickens 3rd day out!!
They seem to be growing so fast to me! I hope I do not have a male! Let me know what you guys think?


Baby chickens 4th day out!!
The girls are getting lots bigger and it looks to me (in viewing my other "Baby chickens" video's) that there adult feathers are coming in as well!

Baby chickens 5th day out!! - Final
They are growing like crazy! I will do updates from time to time as they grow:)


Dust bath!
There is a very big benefits for your chickens to take dust baths. One is it cuts down on mites, chicken lice, etc etc.
Chicks foraging!
Digging here and there and finding lots of food! That makes me think they could survive on bugs and grass in my back yard.
DIY feeder - Pipe installed on coop!
Coop is just about ready for my girls!! Today I installed the feeder pipe that I made. I do not yet know how much feed it will hold but I'm sure it's a lot:)


Feed pipe is full & my girls outside!
I put these feed in the feed pipe that I made and the girls stayed out for the 1st time ever!!