Chicken Coop in the City - Meet my Chickens and get started with your own! 

CUTE STORY: MY MOM HAD TWIN BANTAMS , AND SHE WOULD COOK CORNBREAD FOR THEM EVERY DAY. THEY EACH WOULD GET ON HER ARM AND EAT THE CORNBREAD FROM HER HAND. IT WAS THE SWEETEST THING.

Just to reiterate: PINE shavings not Cedar. Cedar can give respiratory issues

You really made me laugh at your descriptions of your hens. I'm 66 years old and have raised chickens since I was old enough to carry buckets of feed and water. I've settled on Buff Orpingtons as my favorite breed. They are a calm, friendly breed that are good layers, good meat and will hatch their own replacements and mine run free range. No problems yet with predators, but I am outside most of the day and my German Shepherd keeps an eye out for them. I did hatch out 40 chicks in the incubator this year, which will be used for meat and replacements. I live on a ranch and pretty much live on chicken eggs and chickens I butchered, beef and my garden. Keep up the good videos and sense of humor. I use peat moss for bedding as my garden soil benefits from the low PH and use pine chips for nesting material.

Beautiful coop set-up. You're right chickens aren't hard, but the easy, simple chores come up pretty often. Also, if the goal is to eat them, don't name them or cuddle them. They become your babies. Wishing you joy!!

Christa, chickens and honey bees (coming and going from their hive) can be so calming. On stressful days, it is just nice to pull up a lawn chair, and enjoy the simple sounds they make. And, to save you some cleaning, suspend your chicken waterer about six inches above the ground with light rope.

When our kids were little ones, they were in 4H competition with chickens. The eggs we harvested daily were rich and so much better tasting than store bought. They were great egg layers. Thank you, for sharing.

You can feed hen's potato peels you must boil them first, I did it for half my childhood and had fine laying hens too, my grandmother did so also along with small spuds. The "hens Pot" wasn't the nicest smelling on the stove but it kept them fed with kitchen scraps.

I have 4 buffs haven’t started laying yet . I really really love them I just hope my neighbors won’t get upset with me if they get very loud I have no idea what to expect. So far so good . I live pretty close to people ,we are allowed to have them . I just hope it all works out

Here’s a tip on buying chicks: Sometimes they will sell the chicks for 50 cent a piece (I just added to my flock for this cost a piece. All the praise is to Jesus. That was such a blessing). They were getting a new shipment in and had some that were getting to that week old stage or so. So ask when they might be discounted or when the next shipment is in and stop by beforehand. This is great because you save money and your chicks are already close to a week old instead of a day old! 😊

Another tip when you first bring home your chicks: if one of the dies within the first 24 hours. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Sometimes a chick is just not right inside or dies for some other reason. You can also contact the store and they will replace the chick (free of charge in most cases). One thing to help your chicks is to check for “Pasty butt”. This is when their poop accumulates on their cloaca and dries. This prevents them from pooping and peeing and can cause death. If this happens, take a warm cloth and gently hold it on the dried poop to loosen it and gently wipe it off. Do not pull on it roughly because you can tear the tender skin. Don’t be afraid just be gentle.

My hens are the opposite, they will eat the layer crumbs but don't care for the pellets! I have a ground feed that is almost a powder that is commercially ground with the layer feed, corn, oats, and it also has ground oyster shell all ground together in it. My hens will eat it, but I use that as a base and mix some whole or cracked grains, like corn and millet, oats and I also add a small scoop of black oil sunflower seeds to it which they really like. They REALLY like the crumbs or pellets when you put a little water in with it! They like the fermented feed and its good for them. Just do small batches at a time. If I need to gather them in quicker at night, when I allow them to free range, I keep a sack of meal worms or shelled sunflower kernals, which I buy in the BIRD seed section of the store. Nearly every store I go to, the chicken feed, which is exactly the same thing, is about twice the price as the same thing in bird seed.-- When my flock sees me with a sack of mealworms or kernals, they come running. -- Actually, if they see me walk anywhere in my yard they come on the run from all directions. My husband calls me the Pied Piper because I will have a string of cats, chickens, and used to have a dog or two all following me in a line when walking around my yard. I guess they like me!? Chickens will eat pretty much every scrap, but what I do, especially in winter when they have no greens, is take my cores of cabbage, potato peelings and the cores of lettuce or those harder vegetables that are pretty firm, and I cut them in chunks and then put them in my food processor or a blender with some water in it. I drain off the water from the blender and pour the finely chopped up veggies in the scrap bucket... they will eat every single piece! Otherwise, you will have a core or some of the larger items laying around in the yard.

It's SO good to see you. I made vinegar for the first time in March-April of 2020, when I discovered your Prepsteader videos. Your chickens video is educationally very well organized, and it's funny you said you gave away your rooster. My friend's neighbor had a rooster, IN THE CITY, whose untimely crowing caused quite a stir. He's gone! I enjoy the comments from your viewers. Feels a little like family. God bless you.

You are such a wealth of knowledge

My mom has chickens. She loves them. I have quail. They are so cute. They like to stay put in their hutch. But they have similar dietary needs as chickens. I love your channel. God is using you in my life so much. God bless you sister 🙏💖🤗

BTW: If you like to fish, your chickens will love the fish backbones after you fillet your fish. I don't give them the heads but they will pick all of the meat off the bones pretty quick. I usually toss the backbones out one day and collect the clean bones the next.

We're in middle Tennessee, halfway between Nashville and Clarksville! We're in an urban subdivision with 7 hens. Got them April 19th at TS. GOD BLESS!🙏✝️💖

Love your video’s! This Grandmama has a big backyard homestead on out skirts of city in drought stricken West Texas. I have had Bantam Cochins, but switching to Bielefedder, a dual purpose breed, and 3 easter eggers Also have quail and meat rabbits. A garden that failed this summer, but I’m trying again with fall garden!

Christa, Hello! Wow, u speaking of ur hens brought back fond and fun memories of my 4 hens, I had two Rhode Island Reds, one black one (forgot the breed, and a silver laced Wyandotte, the latter was extremely noisy and loud. One day I n front yard, heard a scream, ran to back yard, low and behold, the silver lace (penguin) was not happy to share the nest, sure, there were two other nest boxes, but hey, just like people, some share, others r selfish Lol. Though penguin was loud, she was the most precious, she’d lay down next to my dog and me, but if I paid her any attention, my big dog, (Chico, a collie mix) would stand between us, jealous, he was here when I brought the chicks home, and yep, he wanted to eat them, but one day, after being fully feathered, I went outside and one was out, Chico was just laying there, he passed, 4/5 months later, needing another dog, went to pound and got a lab/healer mix, it took about a month/an half to train her to where they could all run the yard together. Once, eating a burger, one hen jumps on arm of chair and snatches the tomato from my burger, ha, I could go on, not only do they provide food, but also provide much entertainment, plus loads of enjoyment! Thank u

Love this! Take some of those eggs to your neighbors, before you sit out to watch the lightening bugs! I’m so glad I found your channel, and I found it on Rory’s page, when you interviewed him! That was an awesome interview! Thanks so much for sharing! Canning tomatoes today! God Bless you all!

Minimal space, your yard is huge. Beautiful chickens, Thank you.

I would love to see a suggestion for coop plans similar to what you have.

Hello sister Christa and thank-you for this episode. I listened to it while driving home from looking at a possible homestead property. ❤ I giggled three or four times as you described your girls and their personalities. 😅 We have chickens on our (very) little piece of land inside the village. When we discovered which ones are roosters, we already have country friends who will barter with us to give those guys a home. 🐔 Interesting side note regarding the little yard berries…come to think of it, I have never seen those where we now reside in Ohio but they were everywhere as I grew up and lived in Marshall and then Rutherford Counties, TN. It’s no wonder animals much prefer foraging as God intended it, eh? 🐛 I am grateful for your content and faith-sharing. Per your requests at the video’s end, I of course am subbed, will be sharing this video and I pray I can be a blessing to someone each day. We (I) need to remember that being a blessing to folks right under our (my) own roof/s is such a beautiful and vital thing. I often forget that and was reminded of it when you shared today. Thank-you for your perseverance. ❤katie

Great set up! What I do with mine is feed cracked corn sparingly in the warm months, and much more in the cold months. Grains, like corn, raise their body temps, so they will only eat a little or none (here), especially when they get other pellets or crumbles. Be blessed!

This is so helpful! We live in the suburbs as well and have been thinking about getting chickens. Our county just increased our allowance from 4 to 10 chickens, and we can now have a rooster! But with the wise of our lot - and I still need some room for my gardens! - I don’t think we would get that many! This video is a great help in my research. Love your channel! Thank you!

We just got 13 new chick's week ago. They are so fun and have so much personality. God Bless!

This is our first year raising egg laying chickens (Buff Orhpingtons). We set up a coop and built a run for them for the times that they can’t free range due to predators and a lack of a chicken sitter in their free range area. Based on my research we should start getting eggs in September. They are considered our pets and my family won’t eat them. Regarding your comment at the end of the video about it getting dark out there, last night while in the vehicle I sensed a darkness that was beyond the typical night time darkness. The darkness was literally many shades deeper. God bless you and those around you. ❤️

Great video! - Thanks! I have had four Rhode Island Reds for a year - They are great pets and friends. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

You've inspired me Miss Christa.. I had to give up my last group of chickens. It's time to get some more...! Thank you and keep up the good work..!

I'm so glad to see you again! I have learned so much from your videos, and I love the scripture you add in. Thank you!

We have bantams. We are up to 21. We have a couple roosters and let the hens go broody in late winter, so we will have new chicks each spring. We built a coop out of a cheap metal shed. We reworked the door and put in windows. We used hardware cloth on the coop and the run. Our run is 30 ft x 30 ft. We also dug a trench under the run and coop that was a foot deep and a foot wide. We filled trench with cement. Finally, we put aviary net over the top of the run. We live in the woods and have kept chickens for 7 years and never lost a single chicken to a predator. It was a lot of work and a decent investment in the beginning, but it is well worth it.

Our chickens just started laying eggs. Thanks and God bless you and your family 💖

Eggs are the greatest super food! Our four hens lay just enough for the two of us.

I'm a young widowed Baptist Pastors wife from Georgia.. we had 5 Bantam s. And 3 were just like your Little girl. We had one that was fethered all the way to her feet.. she was big britches... I miss them so much. We also had comets.. love yours..

fresh eggs are amazing. many people don't realize that you don't need a rooster in order for your hands to lay.

I had a cross between buff orpingtons and Rhode Island Red chickens and I just love them even the little kitty cat next door left them and they played a lot together and now he said that they're gone Predators finally got all of them but I hope someday to have more enjoy your chickens I'm so glad to see that you have them and God bless you so much for this very special video

We have 5 beautifil LAVENDERS, 4 CHOCOLATES, and 1 BUFF Orpingtons. They are so sweet and patient with each other. They take turns eating a special snack and never peck on each other. They're also very intelligent and social creatures. We've owned other breeds in the past, but these are my favorite. They're COLD 🥶hardy as well.

My chickens absolutely love Nutrena country feeds scratch grains I buy at tractor supply. Not the main feed but they love them.

Chickens have the coolest personalities. We live in the country but only have an acre and a half. We also have bears, fox, cougar, bob cat, eagles, etc. But we have done pretty well keeping them protected from the predators. Living in a harsh winter area we raise Black Australorp, Barred Rock, and Copper Marans, and we tried Cinnamon Queens and they have really done well.

I could listen to you all day. 🤗

I live in M'boro, TN and dream of a small homestead. My chicken story will start this spring.

Good to see you again Christa. We have chickens here in Texas. First time chicken owners for the past year and we have 11. We love them and it's been so much fun having them!

I love the Astro turf! Great idea. Thanks for sharing❤️

Chicken wire? Chicken wire is not usually as secure as hardware cloth which is what this looks like. Thank you for the video though.

Thank you for the video and the scripture .I love having chickens.they are so calming and at times comical.they love a good handful of grass out of the yard and a box of dirt to dust bath in .When fall comes and people are finished with their jack-o'-lantern..put them in the freezer for winter food ..very nutritional for the chickens.Have fun and God bless.

Thank You

Hi there Prepsteader! Great video! I like how your friend built your coop and run. I noticed the large heavy PVC pipe that you are using for one of their feeding stations. I might give that a try. In my past experience, I've raised chickens and then had a five-year break, however before the great pandemic of 2020, I began raising chickens again, but this time in an urban setting. I built a chicken coop and enclosed it and the bottom ground area with regular "chicken wire," for (the ground area I used Hard cloth wire). I had to stretch dollars, however, due to my health and leg weakness, I built it (the coop) near the end of the house so that I could safely enjoy the journey. I hope to purchase a new prefab coop this Spring and move the girls away from the house to "the back" of the back yard. I heard you mention Tractor Supply Co., I like those folks in my area Tractor Supply Co. They have been very kind and helpful over the years. Well, I guess that's enough from me! I thank you for the great video, it has been very informative with loads of ideas! Thanks, and God bless!

I've been on the fence for getting chickens. Your chicken's are so cute. Thank you so much.

You are letting your LIGHT Shine! Love the chickens & their eggs! May God bless you always…🫶✝️🙏🏻🕊👏🏻

we live in a small town we have 3 Isa Browns, a Turkin, Crested Polish, and 2 silkies, we got our coop with a small run from TS. then we built a 8x8x6high run and connected to the small run, in the small run we have a feeder and water, then in the big run we have a feeder and water, we have a big log for them to get on plus a swing my girls love grapes and strawberries, got my first egg, they are so great to watch, I go out and sit and watch them and talk to them, we also give them treats that we get from TS, plus I give them oat meal

Nice place. Good information , thank you.

That was very helpful information. Getting chickens is a good goal.💕🙏

your talk about it is just wonderful and inspiring

That's pretty cool- I hope you're cleaning the coop regularly. I have a couple of neighbors who don't and you can smell chicken poop from half a block away, especially in the summer. That said, I think being able to have chickens in the suburbs is awesome! Thanks for posting this!

Had a lovely black chicken once. We called her Chicken. Or Miss Chicken because she was the best one. Laid the most eggs. Was the most friendly. Just a good hen

I hatched 13 who will be going outside tomorrow! One thing I learned is have your older hens teach your younger ones how to be chickens.

My first time to watch you !! How lovely thank you.From Pa.

I have been thinking about getting chickens now for last 6 months. I am in the suburbs but our city does allow chickens. Thk you

Good Bible verse, thank you for sharing it.

Great video. The story about the large hen is funny!

Great video....,You could hang your watering unit high enouph that they can't reach it to stand in it plus that unit they have a heater that works with it for winters

Awesome video! Keep up the good work!

Oh my! I am so glad to get your post. I used to listen to you all the time. Making apple cider vinegar, making butter and much more. For some reason I havent been getting your post. Today yours popped up and I am estatic as well as yiur post on the subject of chickens. We are so planning to ha e our own chickens just as soon as we are moved. Husband has retired we plan to explore more of the real world of having our own homestead. Only have about an acre and a half but with our big ideas chickens is definately in our plans. So good to see you again. Excited for more. THANK YOU!!!!

Thank you for all your information.

Had a chicken female as a pet for 10 years ... she was beautiful and smart!!

What a nice chicken coop! ❤

PUT SOME GRAVEL IN THE WATERING TROUGH WHICH KEEPS THEM FROM GETTING INTO WITH DEBRIS. LOVED WATCHING THIS, I'VE BEEN LEARNING, BUT HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY CHICKENS OUT. THIS WAS EDUCATIONAL, THANKS. TC

Thank you I live in Tennessee also and am thinking of getting 4-5 chickens. Just starting to get information to make the right decisions.

Very informative. I think the zoning would let me have them if I lived across the street. Great video, you're a natural. Naturally. It's getting dark quickly, out there. But we're hoping for a break in the clouds. But, not counting on it. Good luck to you.

Love you shared scripture at the end. 💙🙏

Glad to see you're back! Thank you for sharing your chickens. I'm also in the suburbs. Our coop is predator proof, however I woke up 1 night, 2 yrs ago to watch a bear trying to get into coop. I started yelling to point woke everyone up, bear ran off. Two days later the bear destroyed neighbors coop and killed all her chickens. We ended up getting an electric fence wrapped in barbed wire at the suggestion of our DEP. We also have coyotes, weasels, fox, skunks, opossum, raccoons, hawks, and Fisher cat. Please don't get into false sense of security of thinking any coop is 100% secure. My chickens are my girls, they love to tell stories when I go out to coop, they're too funny. Chicken math is also a real thing!! 🙂

As always, the very best on the web

So glad to see you back! Xoxooxx!

We are growing food security and raising about 15 chickens we do share eggs with neighbors if they want them!

Love listening to you. Its like listening to a best seller novel

The chicken coup is amazing 🕊️

I like the red and white heated waterer, stays clean and works for cold weather in Minnesota. and use the D.E. for mites I seen some on your eggs..

im always happy when i see your videos on my feed Bak Bak

Also as Governments around the world restrict petroleum based fertilizers ; composted chicken manure can be a good replacement. They truly are a great sustainable agricultural animal.

Thanks for the details....I need to take the plunge to get chickens.

I was planning on getting a couple of chickens around September this year but a stray cat brought her kittens into my backyard in May and now they've become mostly permanent residents on my veranda, along with a few visiting adult male cats who come looking for food! Not a safe place for any chickens because I would like them to free range for a part of the day at least but with cats around I will have to be out there and watching over them :(

Very helpful. I live in a small village and there are ordinance about it but if I read right we can have 5 as long as there are no roosters. . I have been wavering if it was worth the cost of building the enclosure and the ongoing feed costs. I eat keto and between me and my family we eat a tremendous amount of eggs. Thanks so much for the video.

The spotted chickens are beautiful. 😊

go out and glow! Thank you so much for this thought.

I love watching your videos.

I would like to see what you are freeze drying!

Thank you for sharing your new chicken adventure. I love your videos and content. Food for thought. You are what you eat. Switch to only organic pellets and scratch. We have had 30 plus chickens for over 10 yrs now and raised meat birds according to Joel. Please switch for your families health and give them greens daily if they can not forage. Dandelions, comfrey, sunflowers, broom corn, lambs ear and plantain. Chickens can be free range, 2 hours before dark and they do not run away and they put themselves to bed.

You seem sweet and kind 😊

When my daughter was a little girl we had Buffs. The one just love her, and she called her fluffy. Love Buffy’s

I learned a lot from you on how to raise chickens.

Wow, impressive coop!

This is one of my new favorite channels, fun and helpful. thank you for your inviting endings to be godly, spread the word of God and Jesus and bless someone. :)

Great video !!! Thank you !!!

I have all buff Orpingtons, and love them I do, but send them to freezer camp I WILL TOO, 😂

They are the gate way to other homesteading animals. In 2019 we started with chickens now we have chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks and just a month ago added meat rabbits. Hoping to add pigs, goats, and dairy and beef cows in the near future.

Good information !

I also give my chickens daily grain or rather the pellet size that you're giving them. I give them the exact same thing from Tractor Supply. Tractor Supply also has a six grain cracked corn feed that I give my chickens and they love both of them. I started with 24 Bitties and I've got 22 full grown chickens now they've been laying for about 4 weeks. And I'm up to 19 eggs a day. Oh by the way you should give them some Pebble type pea gravel for their gizzard to be able to process properly and it also comes from Tractor Supply. Oh by the way I love your coop. You can also use some wire to hang that water about 6 in off the ground or more if necessary.

Thank you

TY for this Video, you do such a Good Job explaining things ! :) Your friends made you a really nice Coop and Run ! I finally got me 6 chickens, "Silver-Laced Wyandottes", just beautiful Big birds that lay every day 1 large brown egg each, WOW ! I am training them to jump on my lap to get a Treat, LOL GB

Loved the video good information

I AGREE WITH THE OTHER POSTER HERE, YOU ARE A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS. I AM THINKING ABOUT GETTING CHICKENS NEXT YEAR, BUT AM NOT REALLY SURE WITH THE COST OF FEED, THE SPACE AND OTHER CRITTERS TRYING TO GET MY CHICKEN. I HAVE THE ROOM , JUST NOT SURE HOW TO GO ABOUT IT. I COULD NEVER KILL MY CHICKENS CUZ THEY WILL BECOME MY PETS.