Ep. 2 | Backyard Chickens 101 — Getting Started on the Homestead

Thinking about raising backyard chickens on your homestead? Scott and Tina from Mississippi Family Homestead share the 10 things they wish someone had told them before they started — straight from 6 years of real experience with a flock of nearly 30 chickens.

In this episode:

• Know your local laws before you get chickens (rooster bans are common!)

• How to choose the right breed for eggs, meat, or just for fun

• The truth about egg production — molting, age, and realistic expectations

• Coop size requirements and why prefab coops are often misleading

• How to predator-proof your coop (they learned this the hard way)

• Proper nutrition — layer pellets, grit, calcium, and treats

• The real daily and weekly commitment of chicken keeping

• Basic first aid supplies every flock owner needs

• The honest financial cost of raising backyard chickens

• The emotional side of homestead chickens nobody talks about

Watch us on YouTube: Mississippi Family Homestead
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

Is 100% self-sufficiency actually possible for a modern family?

Probably not — but that does not mean you should stop trying.

In Episode 1, Scott and Tina sit down in their backyard in rural

Mississippi to talk honestly about what self-sufficiency really

looks like today. From the story of Dick Proenneke living alone

in remote Alaska for 30 years, to growing a garden, raising

chickens, collecting rainwater, canning food, and dreaming of

going off-grid — this is a real, no-fluff conversation about

homestead life from a couple who left the suburbs six years ago

and never looked back.

New episodes every Friday.