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egglover143

In the Brooder
Jul 14, 2023
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I'm brand new. No chickens yet. I'm open to any chicken breeds, since I want eggs and live in North Texas, whatever works well for that. I eat eggs every morning except on Fridays. My hobbies are gardening carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, and cantaloupe so far and a variety of failed attempts at other food. I also enjoy gaming and of course my family. We are a family of four and I'm a programmer, part time.

I'm hoping for help in picking out a coop that is some sort of a kit. I can build furniture, but I don't have woodworking skills yet. I use two eggs a day so I assume at least 2 chickens would be a good place to start. Thanks for any help!
 
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.
Any coop that comes as a kit is not worth it at all. They are horribly designed, built with the cheapest material possible and viciously undersized for the number of birds they state they will house. If you have any building skills at all, converting a shed into a coop is your best bet. For your climate I would consider leaving off the sheathing on one or two walls and having them just covered in 1/2" hardware cloth for lots of ventilation. It can always be covered with tarps during colder winter weather. Good breeds for your climate would be any breed with a large single comb.
 
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow

I'd start with 3 or 4 chickens, some don't always make it and you don't want a lone bird. Not all chickens lay every day either.

These kit coops are really flimsy and cheap, if you do go this route, buy the largest one possible, and get an expensive one. Sheds make good chicken coops if you have one you can convert.

Good luck establishing your flock! If you have any questions about anything along the way, be sure to ask. Welcome to our community!
 
Don’t waste money on coop kits.. you can start with 6 sex link hens, they are excellent layers of big brown eggs and very easy to find in your area. You can build a “coop” very easily and not spend a bunch of money, it doesn’t have to be a showplace just as long as it gets the job done. You can start basic and add upgrades as time and money allow from season to season, right now and for the next several months they need maximum airflow and protection from weather and predators, then seal it up in the late fall to protect them from the cold north winds. Just giving you some ideas to think about so it is not a monumental undertaking at the beginning.. start buying chicken wire, hardware cloth, a few pieces of barn tin, some screws and some 1x4s 2x4s 2x6s a sheet of plywood and other scrap lumber and pallet wood that you can find.. I don’t know if you are planning this actually in a backyard or you have plenty of room but you will most likely need more room in the future, a coop and a run minimal and easy to expand later..
 

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