Help! Just ordered new chicken coop! Now need advice on what are best laying hens!

[Savannah Soliz]

Hello everyone! I'm getting ready to be a first time chicken raiser! I need all the help I can get.. Any input is welcome! From what kind of laying hens to keeping out wild animals.. We live where there's plenty of predators!

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings from Savannah, and

! Great to have you aboard and welcome to the wonderful world of chickens. BYC is a wealth of great info for the beginning chicken rancher. I think the first best thing is to really give serious attention to everything in the link below - Learning Center - it will get you off to a great start - good luck to you!!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/

 

[Savannah Soliz]

Thanks to all of you! And I'm just not sure what's the best laying hens for me. I live in south Mississippi, very close to gulf..

 

[Savannah Soliz]

So varmints will try to dig underneath to get into chickens? What about a electric fence?

 

[redsoxs]

I've never been to your part of the U.S. but it sounds hot and humid in the summer? I know here in Kansas (like everywhere) we had a brutal summer last year - my lighter weight breeds - Ancona, Black and Red Stars, Easter Eggers, and the like, did better in the heat than did my heavier and more densely feathered types - Buff Orps and Black Autralorps. That's not to say those breeds wouldn't excel there with shade and breeze and constant access to freeze drinking water. Most breeds are very adaptable to almost anything!

 

[redsoxs]

So varmints will try to dig underneath to get into chickens? What about a electric fence?

They are good but kind of a hassle - to you, your pets, and your chickens. Coops can be made quite predator proof with the use of hardware cloth - a tough, strong wire mesh - available at farm and ranch stores. This can be buried along the perimeter of the coop to prevent digging varmints from getting in. Also, beware of "chicken wire" as a barrier - it will keep your chicken in - bit won't keep determined predators out - raccoons will reach through chicken wire and eat a chicken a piece at time while it is still inside the coop! Run hardware cloth up the outside of the chicken wire about 18" or so high to keep that from happening.

 

[Savannah Soliz]

...

I've never been to your part of the U.S. but it sounds hot and humid in the summer?  I know here in Kansas (like everywhere) we had a brutal summer last year - my lighter weight breeds - Ancona, Black and Red Stars, Easter Eggers, and the like, did better in the heat than did my heavier and more densely feathered types - Buff Orps and Black Autralorps.  That's not to say those breeds wouldn't excel there with shade and breeze and constant access  to freeze drinking water.  Most breeds are very adaptable to almost anything!
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[Savannah Soliz]

Thanks! And yes it's very hot and humid here. Just want to make sure I choose the right chickens...

 

[Savannah Soliz]

They are good but kind of a hassle - to you, your pets, and your chickens.  Coops can be made quite predator proof with the use of hardware cloth - a tough, strong wire mesh - available at farm and ranch stores.  This can be buried along the perimeter of the coop to prevent digging varmints from getting in.  Also, beware of "chicken wire" as a barrier - it will keep your chicken in - bit won't keep determined predators out - raccoons will reach through chicken wire and eat a chicken a piece at time while it is still inside the coop!  Run hardware cloth up the outside of the chicken wire about 18" or so high to keep that from happening. 

 

[Savannah Soliz]

Ok I'll try that.. We have feral cats on the property also. Due to previous owners leaving without their cats