Texas

[Hamiam]

They are adorable! What breed is the one sitting on your knee? I love the coloring! And I know what you mean about spending time with them, even with "just" 30 (I started with only 8, and then chicken math) there are a few that have no interest in me. That's fine, I just let them be and keep offering mealworms. Several shy girls have started to come around!

She/he is a Swedish Flower Hen. I only have two so far that appear to be crested. I’m moving into more rare breeds & more variety in egg color. I originally had planned to only have green eggs (my last name is Ham), but have decided that’s just too boring. My 5 day olds are Black Copper Marans. Now I just need some blue egg layers, Chicken Math is very real!

 

[MinniesMomma]

She/he is a Swedish Flower Hen. I only have two so far that appear to be crested. I’m moving into more rare breeds & more variety in egg color. I originally had planned to only have green eggs (my last name is Ham), but have decided that’s just too boring. My 5 day olds are Black Copper Marans. Now I just need some blue egg layers, Chicken Math is very real!

I too went for the variety and egg color. I've got four cuckoo Marans, 4 americaunas, and a big variety of brown and white egg layers. I cannot wait until they actually start laying!

 

[MinniesMomma]

I put straw in the girl's run for the first time today, and they are out there having a blast scratching through it!

 

[Hamiam]

View attachment 1423303
I put straw in the girl's run for the first time today, and they are out there having a blast scratching through it!

In the winter time, make sure to throw a nice green flake of alfalfa hay into the run. It’s like Christmas morning. Just protect it from getting wet & they will scratch thru it for days as they eat the small green leaves. Fun to watch!

 

[MinniesMomma]

In the winter time, make sure to throw a nice green flake of alfalfa hay into the run. It’s like Christmas morning. Just protect it from getting wet & they will scratch thru it for days as they eat the small green leaves. Fun to watch!

I will do that! May even try it now- busy chickens are happy chickens! Thanks for the great idea!

 

[MinniesMomma]

One more thing, the duck in the picture is all alone now. He seems to enjoy the company of the chickens but I bet he would really like to be with another duck. If anyone near Bryan College Station has a female duck or wants a male duck,

I would love to hear from them!

 

[Nksg75]

I am considering purchasing one of those metal sheds from Homedepot/lowes $290-$400. I need a large coop, and don't have the $$ to spend on a wooden shed $1700-3000 right now.
I realize with the heat here it would be a oven unless altered.
Question for any of you out there that have turned a metal shed into a coop.
1. How many sides were left open?
2. Would you sugesstions it to someone else who lives in Texas?
3. If you could do it over, would you change anything about the coop?(adding any barriers to block the heat coming from the metal)

 

[EquiSally]

GemmaView attachment 1422745
HasturView attachment 1422746
Lottie View attachment 1422747
Fiona
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Lilly View attachment 1422749

Minnie and Nana
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YzmaView attachment 1422758
DaphneView attachment 1422759
BatmanView attachment 1422760

I have a white crested black polish rooster named Jeraldo who likes to give me the evil eye when I trim his crest, nails and spurs; anytime I touch him. He is pretty much afraid of everything and is more likely to toss the girls under a bus to get out of the way of a presumed chicken murderer (aka, any new shadow or lawn maintenance item.) I keep him because he is the only roo I have, he is relatively quiet, he is funny to watch as he is running away, and he is kind to the ladies. He is lucky I haven’t found a white turken roo yet...

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I am considering purchasing one of those metal sheds from Homedepot/lowes $290-$400. I need a large coop, and don't have the $$ to spend on a wooden shed $1700-3000 right now.
I realize with the heat here it would be a oven unless altered.
Question for any of you out there that have turned a metal shed into a coop.
1. How many sides were left open?
2. Would you sugesstions it to someone else who lives in Texas?
3. If you could do it over, would you change anything about the coop?(adding any barriers to block the heat coming from the metal)

I absolutely wouldn't, for a few reasons - the primary one being the temperature inside down here. I just moved down to Corpus from D two weeks ago, and even up there I wouldn't. I bought a new used metal shed (8x10) when we were up there. The metal is very flimsy. Assembly is tedious and annoying - there are a million bolts with nuts and then the metal is flexing all over the place. Don't count on it holding up under high winds, either, and don't expect it to last.

You are better off looking on Craigslist for something used. One of my coops was a used children's playhouse that was 6x6 and I expanded it to be 6x8. I gave that one to a neighbor friend when I left and brought my 8x10, which is actually a 6x8 modular plastic shed. I am still working on getting it hope I want it, making improvements over my first design up in Maryland.

Here is how it looked in Maryland.

And now I'm Texas. I am going to paint it to match the well house and I will likely eventually raise it up like it was before but for now I am doing a dirt floor with hardwire under the bedding since I do deep litter. I am excited because now I have water and power from the well house (which would have been nice doing those Maryland winters). I have not cut out the pop door yet nor finished the run.

 

[Kiki]

I absolutely wouldn't, for a few reasons - the primary one being the temperature inside down here. I just moved down to Corpus from D two weeks ago, and even up there I wouldn't. I bought a new used metal shed (8x10) when we were up there. The metal is very flimsy. Assembly is tedious and annoying - there are a million bolts with nuts and then the metal is flexing all over the place. Don't count on it holding up under high winds, either, and don't expect it to last.

You are better off looking on Craigslist for something used. One of my coops was a used children's playhouse that was 6x6 and I expanded it to be 6x8. I gave that one to a neighbor friend when I left and brought my 8x10, which is actually a 6x8 modular plastic shed. I am still working on getting it hope I want it, making improvements over my first design up in Maryland.

Here is how it looked in Maryland.

View attachment 1425691




And now I'm Texas. I am going to paint it to match the well house and I will likely eventually raise it up like it was before but for now I am doing a dirt floor with hardwire under the bedding since I do deep litter. I am excited because now I have water and power from the well house (which would have been nice doing those Maryland winters). I have not cut out the pop door yet nor finished the run.

View attachment 1425684

Welcome to Texas and the heat!