New to Raising Chickens

[Bredwine]

Hello, I'm new to the whole backyard chicken/chicken raising community and was wondering where I should start. I have an acre in Texas around the Fort Worth area. I've done some reading on the flightiness of some and I have a 4 1/2 ft. fence.
What breed of Chickens are good for beginners?(egg laying)
Where can I get them locally w/out having to ship?
Good supplies suggestions?
-Thanks so much.

 

[chloezoebob101]

i like australorp, black sex links, and buff orpingtons. bantams lay well, but can easily fly over fences. mine do, but they know how to get back over.
do u have a family center, or tractor supply nearby? they have some, not sure if they have those, but i know they have chicks. or you could just google hatcheries nearby to you, I'm sure there are. we have to drive an hour to get ours, but its worth it. we are making that drive this thursday!!
i like i think they are "little giants'' waterers but not sure, and just use a metal feeder, i prefer the straight ones, but round works too. and i just put a few little flower pots down for them to get on. and if you are able, put some sticks up as roosts.and don't forget the light bulb. i read somewhere that red bulbs last longer and keep the chicks calmer, don't know if its true or not, but I'm gonna give it a try. we use 100 w lightbulbs in our garage thats 60 degrees.
Good Luck!
ps. i am just assuming you are getting chicks and that u are using a box or something

 

[Bredwine]

Alright. Thank you for the info. I think I would like to start with pullets instead of chicks. Just to get the hang of it. Are the chickens you listed above real aggresive or no? Do they have a fair tolerance for heat? because it can get pretty hot here in Texas. I also figured out that I'm going to have to try and find a way around my hoa because they dont allow chickens...

 

[chloezoebob101]

if you would like to start with pullets then i would check craigslist. and mine are very sweet except for the black sex links, but those only peck at me whenever i try to grab eggs under them and they only do a little tap. but the red sex links are nice, and funny ! and if they are in the shade and let out every day then they should be fine. i live in MO and we get up to 115 degrees. I'm not sure how hot it gets there, but as long as they can get out during the day then they'll be good. and i hope you can get some! they are a real please t have!!

 

[VkyVky]

You have an HOA? Well, you shouldn't go to the trouble of setting up for chickens just to have to get rid of them. It is an investment of work and money to own chickens. I would be real sorry if I had to get rid of my chickens after all the work we put into it. HOAs don't put up with much after you sign the contract I heard.

 

[HiddenHens987]

Considering your hoa and having to keep them "private", you may consider building a large dog house with a private run area. This way you won't draw attention to yourself. I would go for either buff orpingtons or barred rocks as those breeds are good egg layers and quiet.

Welcome to backyard chickens BTW!

 

[chloezoebob101]

and don't get a rooster that would let the secret out right away. and build a wooden fence so that nobody can see in

 

[Bredwine]

Yeah, I don't know what I'll do about the hoa, hopefully I can get them to accept chickens. I'd love to have 'em. What about a coop? Anybody know a good design? I want to build my own to avoid costs. Also, will they always return to the coop at night that I give them? If so, even if they get outside the fence?

 

[Bredwine]

And what are the benefits/disadvantages of raising your chickens as chicks. Same with pullets...advantages/disadvantages?

 

[VkyVky]

I think a general feeling with raising chicks is that they might be friendlier to you. You raise them with love and care. Are pullets raised in a big pen w/o much human interaction? I don't know. If it is important to you to have friendly type chickens you might want to consider raising them yourself, but it is a lot of work and no guarantee. Perhaps someone in your area will sell you some pullets that they raised. It would worth the extra bucks. If you aren't home much, then that seems like a good idea. I was always checking on my chicks at first. They knock over waterers from time to time or get into something. And you have to keep the brooder clean. I only had 5 chicks and it was work. I also had to give them more room after a few weeks and still keep them warm.
Lots of info on this site.
There is a tab at the top of the page marked COOPS for ideas. Chickens will return to their coop at dusk.
Chickens tend to sing an egg song when they lay eggs. Or when another hen lays an egg. However, they seem very quiet at night. No loud music blaring like a certain neighbor down the street...