Texas

[AllenK RGV]

I'm currently living in College Station, so howdy neighbor! I keep debating on open air coops. Alpine, TX (where we'll be moving) gets 2-3 snows a year usually, and I've seen it get down to 0F before, although the 20's is probably more normal. Also it's very windy, all the time, and the thunderstorms, though few and far between, are usually hellish. It's also very dry, and it cools off quickly at night, even in the hottest parts of the summer. If I had chickens here in College Station, I'd do open air in a heart beat. All that to say, I can't decide.

Open air well ventilated walk in coops are a must in my book, also ones that can be divided as needed to accommodate more chicken if you do add a rooster to your flock. Broodies will brood and give you surprise offspring.

Currently, I have 12 roosters in the bachelor pad for DW to rehome by Wednesday or I will do it for her. She has missed 2 deadlines and lifted only one finger to make that happen. They were causing over mating problems, taking up space and moths to feed for 0 reward to me. I still will be keeping three as they are good roosters with a cause or just too darn nice quality to lose like Squidward(we have a Bob) my three spurred Sumatra and a gypsy face with no red facial bleed through.


Follow on update. Sorry if I haven't been on much lately this year I have developed some medical issue that is preventing my getting outside and being with my birds. So far nothing so major that I expect my days to be numbered, but I am walking around sporting bloodwork that suggests I am always in need of a daily transfusion and am a we bit mobility impaired. Additionally, I have a NASCAR pit crew sized crowd of MD specialists following me so a minimum of 2 DR appointments/weekly. It is a full time job not mucking that part up. Of course no one really knows what my issue is, that puts them in the same crowd as all of my exes.

 

[Matejka]

Open air well ventilated walk in coops are a must in my book, also ones that can be divided as needed to accommodate more chicken if you do add a rooster to your flock. Broodies will brood and give you surprise offspring.

Currently, I have 12 roosters in the bachelor pad for DW to rehome by Wednesday or I will do it for her. She has missed 2 deadlines and lifted only one finger to make that happen. They were causing over mating problems, taking up space and moths to feed for 0 reward to me. I still will be keeping three as they are good roosters with a cause or just too darn nice quality to lose like Squidward(we have a Bob) my three spurred Sumatra and a gypsy face with no red facial bleed through.


Follow on update. Sorry if I haven't been on much lately this year I have developed some medical issue that is preventing my getting outside and being with my birds. So far nothing so major that I expect my days to be numbered, but I am walking around sporting bloodwork that suggests I am always in need of a daily transfusion and am a we bit mobility impaired. Additionally, I have a NASCAR pit crew sized crowd of MD specialists following me so a minimum of 2 DR appointments/weekly. It is a full time job not mucking that part up. Of course no one really knows what my issue is, that puts them in the same crowd as all of my exes.

I've been worried . My thoughts have been with you daily.

 

[electrycmonk]

I'm currently living in College Station, so howdy neighbor! I keep debating on open air coops. Alpine, TX (where we'll be moving) gets 2-3 snows a year usually, and I've seen it get down to 0F before, although the 20's is probably more normal. Also it's very windy, all the time, and the thunderstorms, though few and far between, are usually hellish. It's also very dry, and it cools off quickly at night, even in the hottest parts of the summer. If I had chickens here in College Station, I'd do open air in a heart beat. All that to say, I can't decide.

I will second @AllenK RGV & @RUNuts on a few details without any reservation!
1) Building for humans to walk in (and give yourselves shelving above the flock).
2) figure out your budget & then see if you can safely give yourselves a 20% coushin (sp) for recent raw materials inflation.
3) look at other TX, & other SouthWest coops here in the forum
4) make sure you have extra room to use a couple large dog crates for broody or hospital rooms that can be mounted to the walls of the coop (off the ground) and maintain the ground floor space for chicken real estate.

my additional suggestions:
A) have the roof on the run be one with the roof of the coop for reducing building costs for extra attachment materials
B) *IF* you have a west and east facing roof, make the west roof the longer side with the run and this allowed for a longer, slower slope
C) find some tarp like material that can be the solar screen for the west side from roofline to about a foot off the ground.
(If you look at my coop build thread, this will make sense) because this will heavily reduce the solar and liquid intrusion from all the storms that normally comes from that general direction.
D) always have a place for neatly/cleanly storing extra raw materials for future modifications to the coop/run that is in or on the coop/run and keeps the stuff off the ground too.
E) when you arrive be scoping out up-cycling materials locally to your new residence - in fact start browsing the local craigslist page as well as the Facebook marketplace for stuff in that bubble as you get ready to transfer. This will give you a leg up on the cycle of what stuff pops up and how often. Like. Tin roofing from shed and barns being torn down etal.
YMMV

 

[electrycmonk]

Open air well ventilated walk in coops are a must in my book, also ones that can be divided as needed to accommodate more chicken if you do add a rooster to your flock. Broodies will brood and give you surprise offspring.

Currently, I have 12 roosters in the bachelor pad for DW to rehome by Wednesday or I will do it for her. She has missed 2 deadlines and lifted only one finger to make that happen. They were causing over mating problems, taking up space and moths to feed for 0 reward to me. I still will be keeping three as they are good roosters with a cause or just too darn nice quality to lose like Squidward(we have a Bob) my three spurred Sumatra and a gypsy face with no red facial bleed through.


Follow on update. Sorry if I haven't been on much lately this year I have developed some medical issue that is preventing my getting outside and being with my birds. So far nothing so major that I expect my days to be numbered, but I am walking around sporting bloodwork that suggests I am always in need of a daily transfusion and am a we bit mobility impaired. Additionally, I have a NASCAR pit crew sized crowd of MD specialists following me so a minimum of 2 DR appointments/weekly. It is a full time job not mucking that part up. Of course no one really knows what my issue is, that puts them in the same crowd as all of my exes.

Hang in there dude.

 

[Matejka]

68 and I'm up for the nite. Coffee in hand, sitting on porch.
The rain set in about 9 last nite. Steady rain all night. Just sloshed put and checked gauge
Almost 2 inches.

 

[electrycmonk]

68 and I'm up for the nite. Coffee in hand, sitting on porch.
The rain set in about 9 last nite. Steady rain all night. Just sloshed put and checked gauge
Almost 2 inches.

Yeah, looks like a noisy night for ya down there... actually for several of y’all south of me...

ETA- and my forecast is still looking strong for a very wet “tomorrow” AKA Saturday:

And so far the 72 hr accumulated rain total is just over 3” like 3.1x”(?) if I add up the numbers...

 

[Broody Brookie]

Thanks @RUNuts @electrycmonk @AllenK RGV for all the info. I hope they can figure out what's going on soon and get you better.

 

[electrycmonk]

So, they are finally forecasting a hot
One....

 

[RUNuts]

Good points made. I upcycled from shipping crates to keep the cost down for my second build (quail coop). Must have good ventilation for everyone and dry spots too.

Steel cans to protect feed from rodents.
Second hand dog kennels for yard division.
Leftover house paint to protect the wood & make it look better for the neighbors.

@AllenK RGV good hearing from you. Understand about the roosters & good points about separation. Hope you are getting better.

@electrycmonk how do you keep the birds out of your shelves? cabinet doors? Brother's birds roost in the eaves. Poo over everything.

 

[electrycmonk]

Good points made. I upcycled from shipping crates to keep the cost down for my second build (quail coop). Must have good ventilation for everyone and dry spots too.

Steel cans to protect feed from rodents.
Second hand dog kennels for yard division.
Leftover house paint to protect the wood & make it look better for the neighbors.

@AllenK RGV good hearing from you. Understand about the roosters & good points about separation. Hope you are getting better.

@electrycmonk how do you keep the birds out of your shelves? cabinet doors? Brother's birds roost in the eaves. Poo over everything.

Good question, answer will be forthcoming when I update the build thread... soonly... currently in phase 1 of mite treatment.... gawd I hate these little buggers. (Heebeegeebee shudder) almost as much as my flea experience years ago in Galveston...../shudders again.