I built a coop! NOW WHAT? Help!

You may like this intro article that has a lot of info in short space, with helpful pictures. Just an intro to chicken keeping. It covers food, water, bedding, and lots more.

If I am right, National City is in California, not too far from San Diego? So you are in a dry, sunny area? You will want lots of ventilation in your coop regardless of where you live, because chicken poop has LOTS of nitrogen which becomes AMMONIA, which then needs to vent. Even if you keep it very clean, and use great bedding (there are lots of choices and ways to do it), you and your chickens will do better with lots of ventilation. Check out ventilation article and ideas.

And predator proofing is important no matter where you live because there are raccoons, skunks and opposums in city neighborhoods, and likely coyotes and foxes as well and dogs. Everybody likes chicken on the menu, and eggs as well. Plus, you need to look UP, to keep hawks from having a chicken lunch at your house! Here is an article on predator proofing new and existing coops and runs.

And finally, the exciting part: choosing your chickens. You will want to select chickens that will do well in your climate, as well as meet your other expectations. Most chickens will do well in a consistent warm climate like San Diego, I think, but look especially for the large combed breeds, and tend to skip over the heavier breeds unless you really, really want fast growing meat birds.

Do you want the chickens for eggs? For pets? For meat? For some combination? Do you want a flock with lots of colors? Different color eggs? Do you want them to be good at free ranging? Look over the various lists and aids to selection. Are you allowed to have roosters? If not, choose sexed chicks or older pullets or hens, or else choose a breed that auto sexes (where you can tell from hatching which gender the bird is).

Excellent short list with very nice brief, but complete descriptions and good pictures (includes climate tolerance) https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/top-10-favorite-backyard-chicken-breeds.76182/

Short list with pictures and short description https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/top-10-best-backyard-chicken-breeds.72907/



Long list with VERY short descriptions and only some pictures https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/48-chicken-breeds-egg-color-and-facts.64858/
 

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