My 1st attempt at chickens. Help, please! :-)

[TXmama4boys]

Hello! I introduced myself yesterday. I am so excited to sap some knowledge from all of you! Thank you for taking time to lend a hand.

We have an old coop on our property that was built a long time ago. My husband, boys and I are getting ready to reinforce it and do some repairs. We are thinking of using 5 gallon buckets for our nest boxes. We can get them free from our local grocery bakery. Have any of you done this?

So, my thought was to buy chicks in February. We are in south central Texas. Does Feb seem like a reasonable time to start raising a flock? Also, anyone have any simple DIY brooder designs or suggestions?

Thanks to you all!!!

 

[Free Feather]

Do you mean to use the buckets as nests? February is fine, I think. For a brooder you can just use a storage tote or aquarium, even a cage or cardboard box.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Hello! I introduced myself yesterday. I am so excited to sap some knowledge from all of you! Thank you for taking time to lend a hand.

We have an old coop on our property that was built a long time ago. My husband, boys and I are getting ready to reinforce it and do some repairs. We are thinking of using 5 gallon buckets for our little roosts. We can get them free from our local grocery bakery. Have any of you done this?

So, my thought was to buy chicks in February. We are in south central Texas. Does Feb seem like a reasonable time to start raising a flock? Also, anyone have any simple DIY brooder designs or suggestions?

Thanks to you all!!!

Perhaps it's a matter of mixed up terminology, but I am not sure how you would be using buckets for roosts.....are you perhaps meaning nest boxes? I have seen them used for nest boxes, but am struggling to envision a way to use them for roosts.
You can start your flock at any time, provided you have a plan and setup available to brood the chicks for the given season. How many birds are you going to brood? This will play into possible suggestions for brooder options. Will you be brooding in the house, in the coop, in the garage or ? Are you wanting a "disposable" type brooder that you can use and then be rid of or one that you can store and use for future batches of birds?

 

[TXmama4boys]

Haha! Yes, nest boxes! Sorry. Brain slip. We are thinking around 20-24 in hopes to get around 10-12 pullets. We will be brooding in old storage room. Disposable would be good.

 

[Free Feather]

What is your plan for the cockerels?

 

[TXmama4boys]

Keep a couple and not too sure about rest. Re-home maybe.? What is usually done?

 

[donrae]

Just order sexed pullets, not straight run unless you like butchering and eating your own birds. If you want a rooster down the road, they're a dime a dozen.

 

[TXmama4boys]

My hhusband would be happy to get some meat from them, so that might be what we do.

 

[Free Feather]

An option to look at, but not often chosen, is to make a bachelor coop for only boys. They will not fight if they can not see the girls. That can be expensive, and many see it as a waste. Just something to think about. Or you could just get more girls for the boys...

 

[TXmama4boys]

True! Great. Thank you for the advice.