Texas

[havi]

I wish I could make it mobile, but theres no way. Its going to be a 8x12 or 10x12, not too sure yet. Plus we only have one acre and it wouldnt be enough room to move one that large around. I was thinking south too, but DH said it would be blowing in too much. So Im not sure..

 

[prissyfarmer]

i'm in Rusk, tx...transplanted 3 years ago from houston. we have barred rocks, auracanas, cochins, bantams, sex links & production reds. we also raise dairy goats, rabbits and austrailan shepherds.. busy, busy, busy...

 

[havi]

Where did you buy your araucana's from? Ive been looking for some local true araucana, but havent been able to find any. Im from East Texas originally and I still visit from time to time.

 

[sattoritx]

Thanks guys for that Texan hospitality

bunch more ideas to consider and some ideas finally now set in stone.

This is what I've come up with so far....

We have that nice south breeze too in the summer so we are going to put in at least 2 vent doors on the south side which will be covered with hardware cloth. The north side (which will open to the run and be about 2/3 of the front) will be attached on hinges so we can keep it open (or closed). To allow the air to move through the coop better. So it will essentially be a 3 sided coop most of the year.
We plan on just having the door area cut out (and attaching a door in the winter if needed). I am not an early riser so the solution to having to open a coop door every morning was just not to have one. Of course this means our run will have to be more secure so nothing can get to them at night.
We plan on having a poop pit too and I was worried about the draft from that but I think a board that slides under it should work.
We do have electricity we can run to the coop so I am not to worried about that now, it would be nice if someone would invent a heat lamp that works like a thermostat. (Can you use a space heater? Pine shavings, fire, nevermind...)

I just can't wait to start construction on the dern thing, its the hubbie thats waiting till the chicks

are a little older.

I am just trying to avoid us running around last minute trying to build a coop looking like a pair of chickens that just got their heads cut off.

 

[buckaroo's wife]

Absolutely have a solid wall on the north side, an open wall on the south side, and vents on the other two sides. It helps if most of your open vents can be covered in the event of wind, driving rain, or freak snow storms like we got here in north central TX this winter.....good luck!!

 

[Doc Henry]

Quote:
You can get brooder lamps that have a wafer thermostat just like an incubator they will turn on and off depending on what temp you desire, I also put timers on heat lamps so they turn on at dusk and off at dawn, If you really want to get creative you can wire in some dimmer light switches and wire them to heat lamps so you can adjust the output.

 

[sattoritx]

Quote:
You can get brooder lamps that have a wafer thermostat just like an incubator they will turn on and off depending on what temp you desire, I also put timers on heat lamps so they turn on at dusk and off at dawn, If you really want to get creative you can wire in some dimmer light switches and wire them to heat lamps so you can adjust the output.

Thanks those are some very good ideas. I have a couple timers laying around that i usually use on our fish tanks. and a dimmer switch just genius I'm sure my hubbie could rig something like that up.

 

[kyeschicks]

If you live in Amarillo, TX please read this if you haven't already

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=4005371#p4005371

 

[cnj-tx50]

I didn't add heat to our coop this winter, but they seem to snuggle up together to stay warm. I think blocking the wind and keeping it draft free seems to be what they need. We did reach below freezing several days in a row and several of those days did not get aboving freezing. I did have to break ice in the water containers whick concerned me more than them getting cold. Both my grandmothers had chickens and sold eggs for "laundry" money and never had heat or even power to the coops.

 

[MaggieRae]

I've still got that rooster if anyone's interested...