In this farm vlog, Victor Justin Rhodes and his family walk through the morning routine of merging over 100 replacement chicks with a flock of 30 mature hens. They begin by checking for predator damage, especially owl activity, and adjust fencing to narrow the enclosure, using a Premier 1 shocker knot fence to keep the birds safe and close to the meat‑chicken area. The team then constructs a feeding‑access system that lets the tiny chicks reach starter feed while preventing them from accessing calcium‑rich layer feed, using a custom‑sized latch and hook. They address broody hens that are hogging nest boxes, planning to break their broodiness by removing nesting material. Water delivery is troubleshooted, with an Everflow waterer being set up and a faulty water line fixed. Physical infrastructure is modified: netting is re‑tensioned, plastic stakes are replaced, and a ramp is built to allow chicks to reach elevated water sources. Throughout, family members coordinate tasks—Jonah assists with drilling, Josiah helps with stakes, and Mr. Brown is mentioned as a sleepy participant. The segment ends with a recommendation of the documentary “The Biggest Little Farm” as inspiration for sustainable, regenerative agriculture.
Chapters
Oh shoot, I forgot I can't feed them yet. I gotta move them and let them out. Today I'm gonna blend these two flocks, the young replacement chicks with the old lady hens, and this little device is gonna help me keep their food, the little chicks' food, separate from the big my hands. But first, let's check on our sea monsters, our meat chickens. The night before last, I'm suspecting that an owl got a chicken. Oh, so yesterday I moved them further away from the forest. I eliminated one poultry net just to make sure I can get as hot as possible. We moved that net one to make sure it's not grounding out, there's no breaches underneath in case it wasn't an owl and a land animal. Uh, and we checked on them in the evening and there were a couple of perch.
We got them down.
And by eliminating down to one fence, it's more narrow, keeping them closer to the meat shaw. Did it work? Did it work? Did it work? I think it worked. I think it worked. I don't see anything. I don't see anything dead. Do you guys see anything? You guys are up and at them, alive and well. See how tight this was close to them? Yeah, I think because we had that so broad, I think maybe they would roam and spread out too far from the meat shawl. And now this is so close, it's hard for an owl to shimmy down in there. Very exciting because Wednesday, like 2 days, yeah, 2 days we're butchering these guys. Guys, we haven't— we've ran out of our own chicken weeks ago. We want as many of these guys as possible to make it to the harvest. Now that everything's good with our lunch and supper chickens. Let's go work with our breakfast chickens. I was waiting on another Premier 1 shocker knot fence. It's probably coming today, but we can do this project today because we have this extra Premier 1 shocker knot fence. We need two. My water's not running that great. All right, let's see if we can't find that on our way back. Is it kinked? It's not kinked there. Ah, probably because it's sitting on this tub of water. It's pretty pressed down. Why isn't this working though? The water is probably off at the source. Let's get this out from under there anyway. Quiet, I'm trying to film. Hey, uh, they— okay, so let's now go see if actually turning the water on helps. Penny's on patrol handling tick population. 2 is not enough. 7. We had 7 last year. That was enough. We have 8 under him. It's working. Let's go see if it's working out at our sea monsters. I think it's working. Is it working, Donald? It's working. All right, first thing we got to do is mark the garden spot. I noticed our markers have been removed. There's a couple. I'm trying to do this before Mr. Brown wakes up and begs to come out with me. It's not that I mind him coming out with me. I love it. I love it. Let's just say it slows things down a little bit though. Children are wonderful. They're like the best thing in the world, and I love them to death, but they don't make life any easier. That's probably actually a good thing. Oh wow, it's there! Yes! Oh my, all these broody hens! Good night, guys. We got any of them broken? Just feeding water, no nesting material. That'll break them in a couple of days. I'm gonna give them one more day. When a hen goes broody, it's great if you want to hatch out eggs like we did with those guinea keets. We don't have any eggs we need to hatch out. They're hogging up nest boxes. They're not laying eggs when they're broody, so we break them of that. Have that be our corner, 12 foot in between these two for a middle path down an uneven ground. We got to move this net over slightly to make a straight line. Now our beds are 50 feet long. Look who's here! Good morning, Jonah! Now I take it back, when they're that age, 11 years old, they're a lot of help. This farm wouldn't be what it is without you, Jonah. You know that? Oh, it don't go on the very corner. All right, let's measure off of this stake 24 feet. Okay, hold me at 2 feet. Let me go get a stake real quick. We're just putting them in lightly at first, and then we go adjust the corners. These plastic stake downs, they were keeping the net on the ground. Now they're hard to pull up. It's been so dry. Oh my gosh, how are we gonna get that out? Are you serious? Wow, you're stuck too. Oh, it just broke in half right there. Ain't no getting that out now. All right, put that with your others.
Yeah.
Good morning, Josiah. Don't let them out yet. We have to put up a hook. My idea is if we put this hook up, we can put their food and water in there. Oh, we could hook it to this because we don't have to keep their water— and we can maybe keep it cracked like that enough for them to get out but not the big hens to get in. That way they'll just have access to their starter feed. Well, wait, wait, we had— we're feeding the hens before we let these guys out because we don't want these chicks getting the layer feed. It's got calcium in it. They need to pack up on this high protein starter feed. My idea is to have this latch here, Jonah, so we can open it to about 3.5 inches is what it is. 3.5 inches they can get out, but the big chicks can't get in. Problem is, look, there's not a screw on that one. That's a manufacturer default.
Well, we could hang your hooker to this.
Oh, that's a good idea. The, the U-nail right there, that's perfect.
What about the other water one?
Yeah, we need to get over here. That's one reason to blame this flock. If we can get the chicks drinking out of it, we don't have to do any watering chores over here. Now, okay, go ahead. Are we gonna be able to screw this in without a pilot hole?
I think so, if you do it real good.
You don't want to go get this drill. Okay, here, let's, let's block them from coming out maybe with this and stop them because we don't want them getting the chicken feed.
I'm gonna go in there and just stand there and make sure nobody—
Okay, you're gonna be the bouncer. I like your overalls this morning. Suspenders, I mean. I meant, I meant brilliant idea, Jonah. It's a matter of where we put it on the board here. What do you think about right there, Jonah? Where you think any of our layers could get through that?
Maybe this—
we put it on center. Oh look, you know, blending the flock. I'm not worried about the— we even got a mean rooster in here, but, um, I don't worry about the older hens messing with those younger hens. It just doesn't happen. They know their peck— they know their order in the pecking order. It's when you introduce two roosters— hey, the bouncer's sleeping on the job— it's when you introduce two roosters of the same size that you have trouble. Jonah, I'm gonna need a pilot hole, honey.
Okay, let me out. Let me get a drill.
It's like 8:20. I'm surprised Mr. Brown hasn't woke up yet.
Nick, it's already up!
Has he woke up yet? He's sleeping in. The kid needed it. Quick way to get it tilled right there, leave the A-frame over a certain area. Thank you for the drill. That one's probably too thick. Let's do that smaller one you got there. That goose is huge.
Uh-oh, Jonah.
All right, we got it, Jonah.
That worked. Wait, we're letting them out?
Yeah, let's let them out. I don't think— look, they can get out. Oh, the goose!
The goose can't get out.
Oh, he's the hole in the plot.
Maybe he can. Let's see if he can get out.
We might also put it on its wheels and the big hens won't be able to get under, but the chicks could.
Well, they will if they really try.
And what we might have to do with the goose is put him out every morning and then put him up every evening. Here he comes! Look, she—
lots of little eggs. That's lots of eggs. Those big hens don't know what to think of these small hens.
What do you think they think?
I don't know, that they're their babies. Yeah, look, they probably think that they're all their babies.
I had to let the chicks out this morning. Tomorrow, because it got— it got so late, but tomorrow we'll, um, leave them in there long enough for these mama hens to eat dirt. Josiah, will you tidy this up a little bit? Take our buckets back, our wheelbarrow. I'm gonna go check on Mr. Brown, and if we have time before milking, we'll set up the Everflow waterer. If not, that should do. That little waterer You still asleep? It's 8:30. This is sort of glorious.
I can't go out because like he has to have somebody in here when he wakes up.
Oh.
And I'm also waiting on the doctor to call me back, the vet.
Okay.
And she— the front desk lady said they don't start surgery until 9, so she's hoping to get the vet to call me back before that. So she hates that donut. Don't you? You hate the donut. You hate the donut.
She's eating, drinking.
She is.
And there's no way she can lick her scab now.
No, there's no way. There's no way. You're not amused, are you? You don't like this. I don't blame you.
Well, okay, so I'll stay in here then so that you can go.
Where am I going?
I thought you said you couldn't leave.
Oh no, no, no, no, I can't go outside and walk in the garden.
Well, good morning! What are you doing? You sleep? You waking up? I bet you're gonna be in a good mood, huh? Come here. I missed you. I enjoyed working without you, but I also missed you. Mmm, I didn't think you'd sleep till 8:30. You want to go see the chicks interacting with the big, big hens? That's Mama's trick to getting her to eat chicken broth. Come on, she can never resist that.
Come on, I'm drinking it.
Let's go. Let me show you the chicks and the hens. Look, Mr. Brown, isn't that a nice sight? You gonna get the Energizer up there for me? Can you carry that big old thing? What if you carried the, uh, the ground— the grounding rod?
I need a hammer.
Sure.
I keep making it.
Don't hit your fingers. We'll put a tent stake on either side, okay?
Yeah.
Here, let me get this started for you, okay? Now you do it.
That's enough, Papa.
Now we gotta get it all the way down.
I think that's enough.
Where's the other one? Now, how to get you chicks up there to drink that water? I got an idea.
We can make a ramp.
Oh, I like it. I think we might have something that can serve as a ramp. What about this, Mr. Brown? Tomorrow. Yeah, let's sit. What about this? This is a little overkill, but we'll see if we can't get the chicks up there. How's that for a ramp? Yeah, go grab a chick, see if we can't— Is it off? Yeah, it's off.
Papa, think this is a rooster?
Maybe. It's hard to tell at this stage. Yeah, I think so. I think they'll be able to get it, but we're going to leave that out just in case. Okay.
Yeah.
In summary, it all looks good. The big mama hens definitely aren't going to get in there. This is a pretty easy way to keep your chicks out of your layer feed, your layer, your layer chicks out of your chick feed.
Let me tack something here on the end for you guys. There's a movie out related to what we're trying to do— grow more of our own food, grow it in a more sustainable way, an inspiring way that does better for our bodies, does better for the earth. Like, this is like a major motion Hollywood movie, y'all. It's called The Biggest Little Farm. We got to see it. It's amazing. I really enjoyed it. It focuses on the positive. It focuses on what we can do to make change. It's not like Here are all the bad guys, doom and gloom. It's like, no, here is an answer.
Let's do it.
So I would say to you guys, if you can go see that movie, it's only in theaters, I think around here it's only in theaters until like June 10th. So I wanted to tack this on at the end of the video just to share that with you guys. I've seen the movie, we watched it together as a family. It's a great family-friendly movie. It's something everybody can go and enjoy at the theaters. So I guess I'll just leave the link to the trailer to that down in the descriptions.
