- Mar 23, 2011
- 6
- 0
- 7
Hello all,
We've recently decided to move from our home in downtown Austin, to a rural place in Georgetown, Texas. An upside to the move as I've discovered, is that we'll be able to (at least legally and logistically) have and raise chickens for their eggs. I grew up in West Texas, and I'm familiar with chickens, though I know absolutely nothing about where to start as far as the details go. I'll be doing more research in reading in the next few weeks on this of course. I love animals, so I'm excited about the prospect of raising some happy chickens in our back yard!
As for the details, I've never raised my own chickens. And, oh, where to start? We need a coop yes, a good one to keep the pesky racoons from murdering the little lovelies in the night. I've looked some up on Craigslist, and they're quite pricey. The intent we have for raising the chickens is to save money on eggs primarily (those organic free range eggs aren't cheap), to avoid contributing to the poor conditions some chickens are subjected to in the factories, and for the pure enjoyment of it. So, the coop, I'm not terribly crafty, though I'd be much more inclined to give building my own a go, before dropping hundreds of dollars on one, thus negating money saved on eggs. More details: What breed of chicken? To buy older hens already laying, or to buy chicks (I'd love to hand raise some chicks, but as a first timer I'm afraid I might not be up to snuff on the care of baby chicks). I already have an idea that we'd like 2-4 hens. There are only 2 of us who will be eating the eggs (my husband and son - I'm a vegan), though we do have friends who've stated an interest in eggs, so anywhere in the 2-4 range should work for us. A question for any readers regarding chicken care, slightly off topic, and a concern of mine: What upkeep to chickens require on a daily basis, and would it be difficult for a novice to come in and provide said care while we are out of town? We travel to and fro California a few times a year, and before I get a head of myself, I need to make sure this will fit with our lifestyle. We will have a dog sitter coming out to tend to our pooch while we are away anyway, though I'm not sure how unusual of a request chicken care might be for a dog sitter. While on the subject of the dog: Are dogs naturally predatory of chickens? My dog is fairly laid-back, and well-fed, though I'd hate to get the chicks and later discover poochy has/develops a chicken fixation. Also, what about cats? I've considered adopting a kitten now that we'll have some space, and the cat won't be forced to use a litter box (and I won't be forced to clean it!), though I'm not sure what the odds are if the kitten was raised up around the chicks/chickens, that the cat might later attempt to make a bird dinner.
All for now! Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
-Lesley
We've recently decided to move from our home in downtown Austin, to a rural place in Georgetown, Texas. An upside to the move as I've discovered, is that we'll be able to (at least legally and logistically) have and raise chickens for their eggs. I grew up in West Texas, and I'm familiar with chickens, though I know absolutely nothing about where to start as far as the details go. I'll be doing more research in reading in the next few weeks on this of course. I love animals, so I'm excited about the prospect of raising some happy chickens in our back yard!
As for the details, I've never raised my own chickens. And, oh, where to start? We need a coop yes, a good one to keep the pesky racoons from murdering the little lovelies in the night. I've looked some up on Craigslist, and they're quite pricey. The intent we have for raising the chickens is to save money on eggs primarily (those organic free range eggs aren't cheap), to avoid contributing to the poor conditions some chickens are subjected to in the factories, and for the pure enjoyment of it. So, the coop, I'm not terribly crafty, though I'd be much more inclined to give building my own a go, before dropping hundreds of dollars on one, thus negating money saved on eggs. More details: What breed of chicken? To buy older hens already laying, or to buy chicks (I'd love to hand raise some chicks, but as a first timer I'm afraid I might not be up to snuff on the care of baby chicks). I already have an idea that we'd like 2-4 hens. There are only 2 of us who will be eating the eggs (my husband and son - I'm a vegan), though we do have friends who've stated an interest in eggs, so anywhere in the 2-4 range should work for us. A question for any readers regarding chicken care, slightly off topic, and a concern of mine: What upkeep to chickens require on a daily basis, and would it be difficult for a novice to come in and provide said care while we are out of town? We travel to and fro California a few times a year, and before I get a head of myself, I need to make sure this will fit with our lifestyle. We will have a dog sitter coming out to tend to our pooch while we are away anyway, though I'm not sure how unusual of a request chicken care might be for a dog sitter. While on the subject of the dog: Are dogs naturally predatory of chickens? My dog is fairly laid-back, and well-fed, though I'd hate to get the chicks and later discover poochy has/develops a chicken fixation. Also, what about cats? I've considered adopting a kitten now that we'll have some space, and the cat won't be forced to use a litter box (and I won't be forced to clean it!), though I'm not sure what the odds are if the kitten was raised up around the chicks/chickens, that the cat might later attempt to make a bird dinner.
All for now! Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
-Lesley
