New from Texas

[Sherol]

Hi all.. been wanting chickens since I got fresh eggs from the Amish years ago when I lived in Ohio.. store bought just not the same. Plus.. chickens are really cool. I am outside San Antonio TX now with my own place and working on a coop. I hope to have it done and can order chicks in August. I have been searching and reading.. thanks for all the activity on this site btw.. But have a few questions I hope some can answer.

I have neighbors with chickens.. and roosters. And they crow non stop. At 5 am, noon and 11 pm there is constant non stop crowing. Is this normal? I have seen the birds loose so is that how roosters chat with the girls or do they feel there is that much danger. I have seen some hawks but we are in a area of a lot of Mesquite so I imagine it is difficult for a hawk to get down to the ground through them. Also have some neighbors to the north that also have a rooster but he seems much quieter and only hear him in the morning. So.. why do roosters crow and are there some breeds more quiet than others? Will the neighbors noisy birds influence mine to be noisy.

I want a mixed flock. Interested in Australorps, Buff Orps, Wyanadotts, Easter Eggers, Red/Black Stars and a few Cuckoo Marans. Which of those breeds will give me a nice rooster for a first time chicken owner? And, if I let hens set on some eggs for more chicks.. I am assuming I will end up with mixed chicks that will still be decent egg layers? Would love comments from those with mixed flock chickens having chicks and what you have after a few years.

Will a rooster chick become obvious early enough so you can make sure you handle it so it stays nice or is there no guarantee. What is the best way to end up with a nice rooster?

Minimum chick order from McMurray will be 15 birds.. I am making a large coop that is about 3.5 ft x 12 ft. It is made of pallets so 1 wide and 3 long.. lol. How big should my outside run be for comfortable foraging. Also will chicken wire be acceptable as the top for 6 ft high run. Neighbors free range but I work so would prefer pen. The other chickens have drawn the interest in hawks as I see them regular. I have heard coyotes in the distance, we have feral cats and probably coons/possums. Plan on putting birds up at night and locking in.. but don't want to have to redo anything if I can help it. Will the chicken wire keep out the hawks and maybe I can use electric wire for dogs/coyotes and coons?

In a large run do do you need a chicken waterer or can you put out a small livestock type trough that you keep filled? A few goldfish will handle mosquitoes and our winters.. but how dirty will it get if they just drink over the edge?

Thanks in advance for the answers!!

 

[N F C]

Welcome to BYC!

I've never had a rooster so can't help you with that. I do know they can and will crow at any time of day (not just mornings like some people think).

As far as breeds wanting to set on eggs, some are more naturally broody than others. This chart showing breed traits may help you with determining that (and of course, each bird will be it's own individual):
http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html

The last batch of birds we got came from McMurray and they have overall been nice, healthy birds. Hope you have the same good luck with yours.

You will want to keep food and water in the run for them, especially since you are going to be gone all day. Their water will probably stay cleaner if you use a chicken waterer instead of a trough. We actually have both in our run and while the girls prefer to drink out of the trough, they also like to stand in it. I change that water out about 4 times a day.

Good luck with your birds. I hope this has helped answer some of your questions.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[Sherol]

I have no idea what I am doing but this is it so far. Been taking apart pallets and just using what I have.

Bottom photo is end where I will have have nest boxes and have to get longer extension cord to cut a opening for a door. Top photo is front with a sliding pop door I am going to beef up a bit after reading about raccoons getting claws under an edge. Base has a opening for the chickens to get under the coop for some cooler place to hang out, The end under the nesting boxes will have a door I can add food as want to feed under the shelter of the coop. Trying to decide if want on solid door or 2 smaller ones. If two will have smaller area to control escapees.

The other coop end will be closed up like the back with over lapping boards and the base also closed up. The roost will run from this end to where the door is. A run will come off that back corner but want the coming and going to be through that center. Back will have 2 larger doors for coop access and clean out. The base in the back with the gap will have hardware cloth over its entirety and boards across that space to make that area more secure.

Compost pile pretty much right near b to make clean out easy. The run will come off the front left corner, run parallel to coop and extend a bit past and tie in to the back corner of the coop making an "L" shape run. Have a mesquite to offer some shade and make hawk access difficult. There will still be part of the run in the open so searching the forum history for a good solution for the top that is not too expensive.

Want to finish the inside with some solid wood and not sure if will need some insulation. There are plenty of places I will probably leave open near the top and put hardware cloth screen for ventilation. Front of coop is south and we get a nice breeze almost every day .. hope east/west ventilation will keep coop comfortable even in winter. Its Texas so not a real winter.. though we can get some periods of cold and ice.

Three days working on the coop and still a long way to go. Now I need to find more pallets and a good deal on fence posts.. lol.

 

[sunflour]

glad you have decided to join us.

You do have a lot of questions, and I think you might post some of the coop & predator questions under coop/run construction and get a lot more input.

But regarding insulation, I think you in your climate you should not need to insulate the walls, but make sure any openings are predator proof and you make sure you have adequate ventilation. Heat will be the main problem, most are quite cold hardy.

The coop is coming along quite well, I think.

I also, recommend chicken founts instead of water troughs.

Hatchings are expected to be 50% males, so if you grow your own, make sure you can deal with that. It can be a couple of months before you will know who is who.

RE: roosters, have none of my own, but do know they crow all the time ….day break, for predators, or just because they want to.

Good luck with all.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! X2, you might want to post in the Coop Design forum for suggestions www.backyardchickens.com/f/9/coop-amp-run-design-construction-amp-maintenance also in your state thread for ideas on building to deal with your climate https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/44/texas/0_20
There is a really nice article in the Learning Center for figuring out how much space you need in the coop/run for the flock you want https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/housing-and-feeding-your-chickens
Electric wire works really well for deterring larger predators if you space it tight enough, you might also check into electric poultry netting if you want a movable run for a decent size flock.
X2, most/many roosters will crow pretty much any and all times of the day, and often at night if they are disturbed at all... if you have more than one rooster they will often encourage each other to crow more. There are several nice articles in the Learning Center on dealing with/raising roosters https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/maintaining-a-healthy-flock There is no guarantee as to how a rooster will turn out, temperament is inherited to some degree, so you really don't want an aggressive or bad roo in your breeding program.
If you are just looking to set a few eggs to replace your own stock, I'd go with a rooster of the best laying breed you want so you have the most productive birds (probably Australorps from your list).. if you are going to sell chicks, I would consider going with Easter Egger roosters, to make more EEs, those usually sell pretty well and all the chicks would be that... otherwise go with the breed that is most popular in your area so you have at least some purebreds.
X2, chickens won't just lean over the edge to drink out of livestock type waterers, they will perch on the edge (and if they turn around they invariable poop in the water , if they fall in they may drown so be sure there is a way for them to get out... I do use buckets for water also in places where I find them easier to deal with than the poultry founts if I have to carry water.

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

 

[drumstick diva]

If you have a rooster the others crowing will influence him to crow more. They often have crowing contests that can go on quite long. Most people don't want roosters anymore- either they aren't zoned for it, or don't want to put up with them overbreeding or damaging their hens. Very few are useful regarding predators. Most will turn and ran rather than protect their flocks. Hens will continue to happily lay eggs(non fertile eggs) without them. If you have any breeds that go broody (Buff orpingtons, cochins, silkies etc. you can buy fertile eggs of any breed and they will hatch them & raise as their own. No need for a rooster then either.