Hello all, just thought i would stop by and introduce myself. I have been gardening the last couple of years, and really enjoy the fresh of the vine food that it supplies. It's still a work in progress, each year i try to increase/better the garden than the year before. With the garden fever in full swing, it naturally led me to wanting to produce more of my own food. As an avid egg eater, what better step to take next than to start my own flock of hens? I almost jumped off and bought some chicks this year, but decided to hold off until i could spend more effort/money on building them the right setup. With the improvements i had in mind for the garden this year, i thought it would be a smart choice to hold off - and i'm glad i did. With all but some minor tweaks to the garden done, that leaves me being able to put my attention for next year into my chicken planning. I've been doing lots of reading and plan to do a ton more, yet i still have a million questions it feels like.
I am a Texan, born and raise - and wouldn't want it any other way. Some people complain about the heat, some complain about the cold (i know, ours is nothing compared to others), some people complain about the always changing weather - i love it all. The changing weather keeps you on your feet, makes me really enjoy each day for its own special reason. I am from the DFW metroplex and live in a big city - which has its ups and downs. Don't have a lot of land to use, have city ordinances about how many hens i can keep, etc. But on the other hand the predators most people have to watch out for are nowhere to be seen where i'm at. Either way, i'm going to try to make the best of where i am.
As far as the chickens go, i read that i should strive for 10 sq ft of run per chicken and 4 sq ft of coop per chicken - sound about right? I'm looking to start with probably 4-6 hens to get started, so i'm thinking a 6' x 10' run with an attached 6' x 4' coop - sound reasonable? The run will be completely covered on all sides, including the bottom just for safety precautions (don't wanna take any chances). My goals are good egg production, something both heat (>100°F) and cold tolerant (<32°F), and relatively quite (if at all possible) to keep my neighbors impact to a minimal. I have a few chickens i have been looking at and would love your input on these breeds and how they would do in my situation. A few of the ones i was looking at were the Barred Plymouth Rock, Black Australorp, Lavender Orpington, White Leghorn, and White Plymouth Rock. Any pros/cons on any of these? Is it best to do all one type of chicken per group or is it okay to do say 2x Barred Rock, 2x Black Australop, and 2x White Rock? I of course like the idea of having a few different types of chickens running around together, but if that gets into more trouble than it's worth i can narrow it down to just one breed.
Thank you all for taking the time to read this if you have gotten this far. I look forward to getting to know you all and become a part of this awesome community!
I am a Texan, born and raise - and wouldn't want it any other way. Some people complain about the heat, some complain about the cold (i know, ours is nothing compared to others), some people complain about the always changing weather - i love it all. The changing weather keeps you on your feet, makes me really enjoy each day for its own special reason. I am from the DFW metroplex and live in a big city - which has its ups and downs. Don't have a lot of land to use, have city ordinances about how many hens i can keep, etc. But on the other hand the predators most people have to watch out for are nowhere to be seen where i'm at. Either way, i'm going to try to make the best of where i am.
As far as the chickens go, i read that i should strive for 10 sq ft of run per chicken and 4 sq ft of coop per chicken - sound about right? I'm looking to start with probably 4-6 hens to get started, so i'm thinking a 6' x 10' run with an attached 6' x 4' coop - sound reasonable? The run will be completely covered on all sides, including the bottom just for safety precautions (don't wanna take any chances). My goals are good egg production, something both heat (>100°F) and cold tolerant (<32°F), and relatively quite (if at all possible) to keep my neighbors impact to a minimal. I have a few chickens i have been looking at and would love your input on these breeds and how they would do in my situation. A few of the ones i was looking at were the Barred Plymouth Rock, Black Australorp, Lavender Orpington, White Leghorn, and White Plymouth Rock. Any pros/cons on any of these? Is it best to do all one type of chicken per group or is it okay to do say 2x Barred Rock, 2x Black Australop, and 2x White Rock? I of course like the idea of having a few different types of chickens running around together, but if that gets into more trouble than it's worth i can narrow it down to just one breed.
Thank you all for taking the time to read this if you have gotten this far. I look forward to getting to know you all and become a part of this awesome community!
and Welcome To BYC! Chickens of similar types will usually get along fine with each other even if they aren't the same breed or color, ie the heavy brown egg layers that you mention like the Rocks and Aussies/Orps should be fine together, the White Leghorn would be the odd breed out in that list, they are usually smaller, flightier and noisier though exceptional layers... you might want to consider Easter Eggers for the fun green eggs. Not sure if you have seen the Breeds section, a lot of the reviews mention temperament/ noise etc 
