Texas

[KnobbyOaks]

Edited to add
And yes they will eat some of your garden if its not protected I cover all me soft greens with netting before I let the chickens out, but they sure do love the bugs they find in your garden.

I'm looking forward to watching the chickens eat the many bugs we get in the summertime. So far they've been picky: don't eat ants, bees, spiders (even brought a granddaddy long legs to them and they just watched it), mosquitoes. Just hoping they'll eliminate the grasshoppers, scorpions, locusts, katydids and the like.

 

[cool2Bweird]

I'm looking forward to watching the chickens eat the many bugs we get in the summertime. So far they've been picky: don't eat ants, bees, spiders (even brought a granddaddy long legs to them and they just watched it), mosquitoes. Just hoping they'll eliminate the grasshoppers, scorpions, locusts, katydids and the like.

One of the nicest things I've noticed since getting chickens is our lack of scorpions. We've always had a problem and this year? Nada. Could be coincidence, might not be. And boy was is hilarious to watch them when our yard was covered in caterpillars last spring! This past month we finally finished our 3rd rotational pen so they won't be free ranging in my front yard unless they are needed!!!

 

[Fentressfarmer]

Coops don't have to be so hard I gave my main flock in a dog kennel with wire on top and a couple doghousea I got for free online to use as nest box and then I wired a couple tree limbs up for them to use as perches last but not least I covered half of it with a tarp to keep the rain and wind out I know my us not fancy by all means but many of the chickens out here that my neighbors have live in the trees, and to be honest they really don't need a lot just a reliable food and water source safe place to roost and house from predators.
Edited to add
And yes they will eat some of your garden if its not protected I cover all me soft greens with netting before I let the chickens out, but they sure do love the bugs they find in your garden.

Watch Craigslist in farm and garden section there are lots of people selling small coops on there there is also a place in burnet that has a lot of stuff just search chickens on Craigslist and you will find a multitude of stuff

 

[Fentressfarmer]

Can't wait only 8 more days till my chicks arrive from ideal!!! Does anybody know how many chicks they put in a box, I'm just wondering how many warmer's to expect? I ordered 50 chicks and 5 guineas.

 

[yinepu]

Hi, my name is Joscelyn. I am just starting research on raising some chickens for fresh eggs. I am located in Central Austin. I would love any help from people around the area. I am so not handy, and all the coops look super complicated to build so I am going to have to figure something out! I'm worried about all the weather changes as well and how you protect you chickens from that.

Also does anyone know if it would be safe to have your chickens in with a rabbit? I'm thinking they could share the same run, and build it where the chickens have a coop on one side and the rabbits have a coop on the other side. Not sure if this would work or not though. Anyone know?

Also, where do people get their chickens and supplies? I went to the local tractor supply and they didn't have a lot of chicken stuff. The local feed store has a few chicks and a few supplies, but no coops or anything.

O, one more question. I would also like to start a large vegetable garden. Would the chickens bother it if they were free ranging in the backyard? Or should I always keep them seperated?

I love my hoop coops... I'm not sure how many chickens you want to have.. but the hoop coops can be made into pretty much any length.. or even smaller (height wise)if you go with plastic pipe instead of cow panels

chickens and rabbits can be raised together.. the only problems that I have heard about from people who have done it is that the chickens will sometimes mess with the rabbit's kits in the nest
as far as food or parasites .. rabbits can't get coccidiosis from chickens and vice versa since it's species specific.. however the rabbits can get mites from the chickens if they are infected
as for feed: my neighbor's kid decided to see if the bunnies would eat layer pellets... they didn't care for them. The chickens WILL eat rabbit pellets if they can't avoid it.. but each prefers their own food.. naturally yours may have different tastes.. so it can vary. I feed rabbit pellets in the feed mix for my emus and a few of my other birds in winter when green pastures are scarce

for my poor garden (when it was alive.. lol.. ) the ducks were the bigger evil between my birds.. they decided they loved tomato and pepper plants.. The chickens were also a pain.. but more towards the sprouting plants and cherry tomatoes when they were starting to turn red.. their scratching through the yard was a blessing some days.. and a disaster others.. just depended on how close they got to the growing plants
so if you are free ranging wing clipping and a fence may be in order if you want to save your garden

You can find lots of supplies online (I posted several links a couple of pages back)

 

[yinepu]

Went through this a couple months ago. Seven kept pecking on one until she bled. She was a good eater and the largest of the group. Was suggested to me to use Blu-Kote or a knock-off of it, comes in a spray can. The blue stuff is really purple but if you keep the blood covered with it, they won't continue to do it. They love blood but dislike the Blue-Kote more. Had to keep her separated for about 2 weeks. The second week I slowly reintegrated her back in during the day and then back to dog crate for the night. She healed up nicely.

I tried Neosporin but the bird's heat made a really runny mess all over her and she tried to get it off, maybe even making a worse area. I can see that neosporin is better than nothing.

I haven't really figured out that whole relationship. She wasn't a weakling, maybe even the biggest of the lot. She is an outcast but she picks on others and is really a pain in the butt, doesn't like me like a couple of the others do. Ingrate!

yeah... neosporin is messy..but it does an amazing job and won't hurt them if they end up swallowing a bit

I'm looking forward to watching the chickens eat the many bugs we get in the summertime. So far they've been picky: don't eat ants, bees, spiders (even brought a granddaddy long legs to them and they just watched it), mosquitoes. Just hoping they'll eliminate the grasshoppers, scorpions, locusts, katydids and the like.

when mine were free ranging they tore up the grasshoppers.. the scorpion population also shrunk (I tend to go scorp hunting with a blacklight at night).. mine WOULD NOT touch the buck moth caterpillars though.. and I can't say as I blame them .. those buggers can sting
Since it's been a mild winter the buck moth population will be back with a vengeance.. grrr I hate those things

 

[Fentressfarmer]

I know what you meen on when garden was alive!! Lol my girls even started eating the green tomatoes on the plants, everything they could reach wasn't safe so needless to say no garden this year especially if it doesn't start to rain soon! So everybody pray for rain!!!!!!!!!

 

[yinepu]

Can't wait only 8 more days till my chicks arrive from ideal!!! Does anybody know how many chicks they put in a box, I'm just wondering how many warmer's to expect? I ordered 50 chicks and 5 guineas.

when I ordered from Ideal they sent the exact amount I ordered.. NO extras at all.. not even any to cover the dead one
But if you don't order the minimum for warmth they supposedly will add in packing peanuts (from what I have read it's usually extras of whatever they sell..mostly cockerels)

 

[Fentressfarmer]

when I ordered from Ideal they sent the exact amount I ordered.. NO extras at all..  not even any to cover the dead one
But if you don't order the minimum for warmth they supposedly will add in packing peanuts (from what I have read it's usually extras of whatever they sell..mostly cockerels)

What is their minimum order?

 

[yinepu]

I know what you meen on when garden was alive!! Lol my girls even started eating the green tomatoes on the plants, everything they could reach wasn't safe so needless to say no garden this year especially if it doesn't start to rain soon! So everybody pray for rain!!!!!!!!!

60% chance of thunderstorms today

we live in "the bubble" though.. so everyone around us will get rain.. we will just get clouds... grrr