Texas

[TexasLisa]

Lisa,
I had my dream chickens list and I got all of them except the Sussex, we bought from Ideal Poultry about 30 minutes northeast of us and their Sussex were sold out until May and I didn't want to do chicks then turn around and raise a new batch. Since we are in town I had to limit to 6 hens (no roosters) and I got 2 Silver Laced Wyandottes, 2 Buff Orpingtons, and 2 Americaunas. We are just loving our chicken watching and play time. I would love to get more but until we finish our remodel projects and move out to the country we can only have 6 (I have never been a law breaker but I am so tempted to just get 2 more and see if anyone cares). LOL. But I won't, our chicken permit is in hand and I am afraid if I bend any rules I might not be able to have any, God forbid!
I am thinking of building up the ground a little in the run with gravel, small gravel, and then sand mixed with pine shavings and leaves. We have flooding in our back yard at times, not here lately because of the drought, but I want their run to stay dry. Mostly they will free range but I want to have a decent run so if we leave for the weekend they are still happy.
Kristi

Aw, I wish you could have gotten the Sussexs. I really like them and they are so personable. I think you will be happy with your hens. You have a cute daughter in your avatar!

Have a great day!

Lisa

 

[Brookshire11]

LOL, Are those the peasant chicks carrying King Roo?

Hi,

From Brookshire, Tx ....near Katy!!

Welcome! This thread is so friendly and informative. I'm sure you'll love it!

All my new chicks are alive and well. Guinea keets, Wyandottes, and the EEs were all tucked safely under Salazar's (New Year's Eve Chick's) wings when I went outside this morning. It was so cute! I wish it had been bright enough to take a picture!

How sweet!

That's the one I have. Works well enough for me. I haven't had too big of a problem with I yet!

 

[Frances Salazar]

I am so ready for more chickens. Trying to convince my husband I need more. Once I convince him, at that time I will get more of a variety other than the two breeds (Wht Leghorns & Production Reds). We only have the Bantams because they were given to me. They are beautiful.

I think our run is overkill because he used the same wire that we bought for the sides. Its very secure. I keep in mind that we have very safe chickens. The chickens probably laugh at the chicken hawks as they circle around above them.

I would have settled for the plastic type of netting. He always tells me...If you are going to do something, do it right the first time.

In the long run, I love it.

He made me a chicken coop w/run and its great. He tells me our hens lay often because they are happy and feel safe!

 

[KageChick]

Lisa,
I had my dream chickens list and I got all of them except the Sussex, we bought from Ideal Poultry about 30 minutes northeast of us and their Sussex were sold out until May and I didn't want to do chicks then turn around and raise a new batch. Since we are in town I had to limit to 6 hens (no roosters) and I got 2 Silver Laced Wyandottes, 2 Buff Orpingtons, and 2 Americaunas. We are just loving our chicken watching and play time. I would love to get more but until we finish our remodel projects and move out to the country we can only have 6 (I have never been a law breaker but I am so tempted to just get 2 more and see if anyone cares). LOL. But I won't, our chicken permit is in hand and I am afraid if I bend any rules I might not be able to have any, God forbid!
I am thinking of building up the ground a little in the run with gravel, small gravel, and then sand mixed with pine shavings and leaves. We have flooding in our back yard at times, not here lately because of the drought, but I want their run to stay dry. Mostly they will free range but I want to have a decent run so if we leave for the weekend they are still happy.
Kristi

Lisa,
I had my dream chickens list and I got all of them except the Sussex, we bought from Ideal Poultry about 30 minutes northeast of us and their Sussex were sold out until May and I didn't want to do chicks then turn around and raise a new batch. Since we are in town I had to limit to 6 hens (no roosters) and I got 2 Silver Laced Wyandottes, 2 Buff Orpingtons, and 2 Americaunas. We are just loving our chicken watching and play time. I would love to get more but until we finish our remodel projects and move out to the country we can only have 6 (I have never been a law breaker but I am so tempted to just get 2 more and see if anyone cares). LOL. But I won't, our chicken permit is in hand and I am afraid if I bend any rules I might not be able to have any, God forbid!
I am thinking of building up the ground a little in the run with gravel, small gravel, and then sand mixed with pine shavings and leaves. We have flooding in our back yard at times, not here lately because of the drought, but I want their run to stay dry. Mostly they will free range but I want to have a decent run so if we leave for the weekend they are still happy.
Kristi

Hey Kristi, Coop looks great!! I use sand in my coops, because that is what we have here. We throw some straw in for the girls to scratch around in. These are my coops, and if you look at the runs, I built 3ft x 4ft panels and attached them together. After I built the first one, I got the idea to start a side business to sell these panels. Anyway, I used to live in Thorndale, and if I remember right, it gets pretty windy in that area. Just make sure to put a windbrake somewhere your girls can access. I also know that you have a gumbo/sand mix for soil up there. you can check with companies that make concrete to see if they will sell you some sand. Most will, and it is inexpensive. I hope this helps. Ken

Ken, your coops are awesome! We have been through Cut-n-Shoot before on our way to Beaumont , my parents used to live in Orange. We are in Taylor, very close to Thorndale, and we have primarily the black gumbo in our yard and its not pleasant when mud happens. We are thinking the run will have a base of cynder blocks and then we'll fill it in with gravel and sand. Thanks so much for the recommend on getting sand from a concrete place, there is one in Hutto that I think might work!
Kristi

 

[Ms Jellybean]

I'm feeling the need for something more extravagant!

I frequently feel this way. Wish my income could afford it!

Now that I look at the pic, I can see it's a dump wheelbarrow! Is it a single or double wheel variety? I've looked online at the doubles at Lowe's, and seriously thinking about getting one. We just got a wheelbarrow few weeks ago, and got the mid size. It takes all I've got to dump the thing when it's only half full of dirt!

My yard is all hill and when I was looking into getting a wheelbarrow after we moved here, I came across Gorilla Carts. I bought one. It is wonderful! I don't have to worry about balancing it on the hill and it dumps really easily. They come in two sizes. I bought the smaller one and it has worked great for all my needs. I don't think I could move the big one if I filled it full of dirt.

Hey Texans,
I need advice on what kind of chicken runs you guys have for our climate. I have seen a lot of people recommend sand, what do y'all think? Also we have our girls situated between a large old fig tree and a huge cedar tree for protection from sun and wind, would a covered run be overkill? We have an area for our six chickens that will allow them a 9ft x 6ft run and I have my hardware cloth, the thing we are stuck on is the floor. We are in Taylor, just NE of Austin so we are right in central TX. As of right now our little chicks are only 3-4 weeks old and live in our house with us so we have a little time until they are heading out to their permanent home. Below is a picture of our coop progress, you can see the cedar tree on the right


Thanks in advance,
Kristi

Have a read through this thread on Deep Litter. It is a great way to go. Easy and very little, if any smell. That is what I am going to do.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Ken, your coops are awesome! We have been through Cut-n-Shoot before on our way to Beaumont , my parents used to live in Orange. We are in Taylor, very close to Thorndale, and we have primarily the black gumbo in our yard and its not pleasant when mud happens. We are thinking the run will have a base of cynder blocks and then we'll fill it in with gravel and sand. Thanks so much for the recommend on getting sand from a concrete place, there is one in Hutto that I think might work!
Kristi

Sand can harbor e-coli.

 

[kenmlang]

Ken, your coops are awesome! We have been through Cut-n-Shoot before on our way to Beaumont , my parents used to live in Orange. We are in Taylor, very close to Thorndale, and we have primarily the black gumbo in our yard and its not pleasant when mud happens. We are thinking the run will have a base of cynder blocks and then we'll fill it in with gravel and sand. Thanks so much for the recommend on getting sand from a concrete place, there is one in Hutto that I think might work!
Kristi

Kristi, glad I could help, the concrete block idea sounds great, it will also discourage coyotes and/or dogs from digging. By the way, Welcome To The Site!!! Don't hesitate to ask if you need help with anything, the folks on the Texas thread are great and very knowledgeable. Be sure to post more pics as you go and when you are finished with the coop.

 

[henless]

I'm all for simple. I like the handle at the top. Sturdy enough for hanging? I plan on hanging mine up in the run for them to drink out of.

I was at Atwoods a couple weeks ago, and I noticed they had some hanging buckets with nipples already attached on the bottom. In fact, that is what they were using to water their chicks. I don't think I want to run a pvc pipe and do the nipple set up like a lot have. I need something I can take care of.

So, ummm, here's the thing...My guess is the float is the red thing that was inside over the spout. So, I didn't know what it was. Our other waterer came with a plug for some reason, so I thought it was a plug of some sort. I took it off, filled it up, and it works fine. I'm wondering if what I removed was what people referrer to as the float? When I think of a float I think of an automatic waterer. So either I am using it incorrectly, which very well could be the case, they've changed the design or it can be used without the float, if the red piece I removed was indeed the float. Clear as mud, right?

We've refilled it a number of times, it doesn't over flow, the tray stays full. It also has a nice, large opening on top so its easy to fill from outside of the pen, I don't have to drag the hose into the pen. I would not suggest filling it and moving it, its bulky and heavy when full, though any waterer that size would be heavy full.

Maybe you need to write a review and tell them if they take out the float that the bucket works just fine!

Hey Texans,
I need advice on what kind of chicken runs you guys have for our climate. I have seen a lot of people recommend sand, what do y'all think? Also we have our girls situated between a large old fig tree and a huge cedar tree for protection from sun and wind, would a covered run be overkill? We have an area for our six chickens that will allow them a 9ft x 6ft run and I have my hardware cloth, the thing we are stuck on is the floor. We are in Taylor, just NE of Austin so we are right in central TX. As of right now our little chicks are only 3-4 weeks old and live in our house with us so we have a little time until they are heading out to their permanent home. Below is a picture of our coop progress, you can see the cedar tree on the right


Thanks in advance,
Kristi

I don't think it would be overkill. We plan on covering our outside run and will use the hardware cloth. Right now my dogs have a coon treed up a 30 ft pine tree. Climbing a 6 ft fence for some tasty chicken would be a walk in the park.

I plan on using Deep Litter for my floor. We dug down about 12 in all along the parameter of our coop/run, poured in concrete and then added more dirt to the interior. Putting up a concrete barrier should help with any flooding and raise the level of your run.

I am so ready for more chickens. Trying to convince my husband I need more. Once I convince him, at that time I will get more of a variety other than the two breeds (Wht Leghorns & Production Reds). We only have the Bantams because they were given to me. They are beautiful.

I think our run is overkill because he used the same wire that we bought for the sides. Its very secure. I keep in mind that we have very safe chickens. The chickens probably laugh at the chicken hawks as they circle around above them.

I would have settled for the plastic type of netting. He always tells me...If you are going to do something, do it right the first time.

In the long run, I love it.

He made me a chicken coop w/run and its great. He tells me our hens lay often because they are happy and feel safe!

You need to be sure and keep bantams. They go along with all the rest of your minis!

My yard is all hill and when I was looking into getting a wheelbarrow after we moved here, I came across Gorilla Carts. I bought one. It is wonderful! I don't have to worry about balancing it on the hill and it dumps really easily. They come in two sizes. I bought the smaller one and it has worked great for all my needs. I don't think I could move the big one if I filled it full of dirt.

The Gorilla Cart is one I had looked at! If I remember correctly, the one I was looking at was more expensive? I like the one you posted. Plenty big enough and not bad for price. How long have you had it? I just worry that the dumping mechanism won't hold up?

 

[Ms Jellybean]

The Gorilla Cart is one I had looked at! If I remember correctly, the one I was looking at was more expensive? I like the one you posted. Plenty big enough and not bad for price. How long have you had it? I just worry that the dumping mechanism won't hold up?

I've had it for about a year and half and it has seen a lot of use. It works great. The working parts are all metal, the wagon bed is heavy duty plastic. Really easy to clean and love the big tires. They go everywhere.

 

[ClovisMan]

I started looking at the big wheelbarrows with over-sized rubber wheels and such. I have a lot of rocks to move. Then I looked at shovels and rakes and blah...it looked like too much work so I bought this:



Best wheelbarrow/rake combo I've ever owned.