Texas

[slick4591]

This one cost about $200 in materials with the waterer, feeder and tarp.

Now that's nice!

 

[chickkrzi]

Now that look cool, too bad I don't have a MIG welder.

 

[RachaelS]

LOL, thanks Lisa! That's my grandson Elvis. I've been begging mom to cut his hair and the pink BB gun is his sisters. I hope people don't think I'm being irresponsible. Shooting lessons come with even longer lessons on safety (what a bam bam does and how it can hurt others)
I know he is young but he also has a grip on where chickens come from, that there are mommy and daddy chickens, that some of them die and some get eaten. I let them get dirty and germy too.
As Paula Deen just said on the Today Show..."I is what I is and I aint changin."

Nope it is actually very responsible to teach them young, so they know what a gun can do and they don't "play" with it as they get older. That is the problem with people that have guns but never teach their kids how to use them and how serious they really are. Kudos to you!

 

[bnjrob]

LOL, thanks Lisa! That's my grandson Elvis. I've been begging mom to cut his hair and the pink BB gun is his sisters. I hope people don't think I'm being irresponsible. Shooting lessons come with even longer lessons on safety (what a bam bam does and how it can hurt others)
I know he is young but he also has a grip on where chickens come from, that there are mommy and daddy chickens, that some of them die and some get eaten. I let them get dirty and germy too.
As Paula Deen just said on the Today Show..."I is what I is and I aint changin."

Now, back to CHICKENS. I have a new batch of Ameraucanas hatching right now.

Irresponsible? What is irresponsible IMO is NOT teaching children about guns from an early age and making them fear guns instead of the people that use them in a malicious manner. Keep on going!

 

[kschickens]

Whenever we go out of town I have someone come check on the chickens and collect the eggs. What if something happened to one of them while you're gone? I find the piece of mind is worth paying a pet sitter, and sometimes they'll even lower the fee since they don't have to walk a dog Or trade the eggs.

I have a friend who can swing by once or twice to check on them but they may not get out there everyday and I also don't know how well they would collect the eggs. Right now the chickens are at my school so it's kind of hard to get a good chicken babysitter that would come out everyday. I check on them almost everyday but there are some days I can't make it over there. I never go over 24 hours without checking on them.

I'm thinking I may need to build a small run so I can move them to my house when we're out of town this summer. Our HOA doesn't allow chickens but I think we could swing it for a few days at a time undetected. Especially since we don't have a rooster.

 

[jesirose]

That's why I'm suggesting paying an actual pet sitter. Not just a kid or a friend

 

[kschickens]

T

These are the ones we used: http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/feedlot-panel-cattle-16-ft-l-x-50-in-h price listed (when I put in the zip code) is showing right now as 19.99 each their description: Protect and contain your livestock with this 16 ft. feedlot panel. It's perfect for keeping cattle, pigs, goats, and other live stock or animals fenced in. It is light weight and flexible, so it is easy to maneuver. With one piece welded steel construction, this panel is extremely sturdy and sag resistant, making it the perfect low-maintenance, high-quality feedlot panel.

• Won't break down or collapse when cattle, pigs, sheep or other large livestock run into or rub against it
• Constructed of 4 ga. wire
• Graduated 8 in. vertical x 4 in. horizontal to 8 in. vertical x 6 in. horizontal mesh
• Welded one piece steel construction
• Virtually maintenance free
• Sag resistant
• Easy to erect, no stretching
• Not all panels available in all stores

• For Use With - Cattle

• Height - 50 in.

• Length - 16 ft.

• Material - Steel

That's a good price!

 

[chickkrzi]

Irresponsible?  What is irresponsible IMO is NOT teaching children about guns from an early age and making them fear guns instead of the people that use them in a malicious manner.  Keep on going!

X2

 

[kschickens]

That's why I'm suggesting paying an actual pet sitter. Not just a kid or a friend

I don't think I can pay a pet sitter to look after 4 chickens housed on school property. I wouldn't feel comfortable allowing someone I don't know have access to them since they are not on private property. Thanks anyway for the suggestion. I think the best option would be to bring them home or allow a trusted friend or student to look after them.

 

[slick4591]

Hi fellow Texans! I'm in the DFW area, am new to chickens and I have questions!
I could use some of your guidance on what breed can handle our climate, how to help them through the summer, and where I should buy from.
So I'll go into my plans and what I'm looking for so you can offer your best advice.

I've never kept chickens before. I'm in the process of building a coop which I should finish in few weeks. I'm planning on 3 hens that I'll free range in my back yard (1/2 acre).

The actual coop is 4 1/2' x 4'. I have big windows I'll be able to open up on either side. I may mount a fan in one of the windows to get some air movement when it gets hot with little breeze like it does in July/August.

They'll have a run that's 4'x8' but I plan to let them wander my back yard daily. The run is really for protection in case the dogs need some training before I let them out or if we need to confine them.

I want to keep them for eggs/pets. I want to get a dual purpose breed in case I decide to process them later (though I doubt I'll be able to do it, lol!). It's just me and my husband so three hens that lay every other day would give me more eggs than I need. I'd prefer a long term layer.

Breeds I like so far are Rhode Island Reds, Dominique, Brahmas, Ameraucanas, and Australorp and I'm open to additional suggestions.

My plan was to get pullets. Raising chicks seems a bit daunting to me and I'm not home enough to check in on them properly. I've seen some info on making sure there's no corners for your pullets to get stuck in. Some info says they'll be fine. How do you introduce pullets into a coop?

I saw an ad on craigslist for someone who sells chickens that lives in Terrell. In their ad, they listed the following breeds:
[COLOR=222222]Dominique[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]Golden Sex links[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]Cinnamon Queens[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]Golden Comet[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]Cuckoo Marans[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]Ameraucanas[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]Black Australorps[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]Red and Black Sex links[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]New Hampshire Reds[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]Plymouth Barred Rocks[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]Blue Laced Red Wyandottes[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]Golden Laced Wyandottes[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]Buff Orpingtons[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]Light Brahmas[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]Blue Laced Wyandottes[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]Black Jersey Giants[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]Buff Brahmas[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]Speckled Sussex[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]Rhode Island Reds[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]Welsumers and Silver laced Wyandottes[/COLOR]

Has anyone used this place in Terrell before? Is there a good breeder on the Ft Worth side of the metroplex? What should I look for to determine quality breeders?

Any advice is appreciated!

I've talked to the people in Terrell before and learned that they order chicks out of a hatchery in New Mexico. I raise Ameraucana, Barred Rocks, Wyandotte and Marans and they all get along well in our area.