Will I Ever Be Done With The Urge To Buy More Chicken stuff!

[Vickie9304]

Hi everyone, my family has been discussing the idea of getting chickens for four years now. Now that I will be retired soon, I'm ready to learn all I can. I have bought a lot of supplies to prepare for my future chickens. I'm only raising them for pets and of course, the eggs. In Texas, what kind of chickens would you recommend? Also, do chickens really play with toys like musical toys, and the ones that pieces can move? Sorry, I'm waiting on Spring to put together the coop so I don't have any photos to share.
Thank you, I'm looking forward to any suggestions.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens. This is a great place to explore and hang out.

 

[nuthatched]

Treat chicken stuff like baby stuff:
1.They'll grow out of it in 2 weeks.
2. They're not going to actually play with it.
3.It's 90% overpriced and unneeded impulse buys.
4. It will get pooped on. All the time.

 

[WingItRanch]

Hi everyone, my family has been discussing the idea of getting chickens for four years now. Now that I will be retired soon, I'm ready to learn all I can. I have bought a lot of supplies to prepare for my future chickens. I'm only raising them for pets and of course, the eggs. In Texas, what kind of chickens would you recommend? Also, do chickens really play with toys like musical toys, and the ones that pieces can move? Sorry, I'm waiting on Spring to put together the coop so I don't have any photos to share.
Thank you, I'm looking forward to any suggestions.

What part of Texas? Do you have any wants in terms of breeds? That will help narrow it down.

I'm sure others will disagree but don't bother with the toys. Focus on what they need first and then see what might be fun. I once put a mirror in the run. They looked at it for about 5 seconds and lost interest. The mirror was covered in dust and poop particles after just one afternoon. They much prefer digging and dust bathing, honestly.

 

[dawg53]

Welcome to BYC.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello Vickie, and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.

In Texas, what kind of chickens would you recommend?

Mediterranean breeds or any smaller bodied chicken with a large single comb.
I would also strongly advise you research and build an open-air coop with proper predator protection. In other words, do not use chicken wire. Use 1/2" hardware cloth. If you want to put 1/4" hardware cloth on the lower wall sections to keep small snakes out that's fine but 1/4" hardware cloth by itself is very weak.

Also, do chickens really play with toys like musical toys, and the ones that pieces can move?

No. They are for humans, not chickens.
Instead outfit the run with items that engage a chicken's natural instincts to perch, scratch, dust bathe and sunbathe.
Make sure you offer at least 12 sq ft of space per bird in the run. More is better.

 

[muddy75]

 

[N F C]

Hi, it's nice to meet you! No need to spend money on toys for a flock...give them a big pile of leaves or hay and watch them go to town scratching and pecking. Here's a link to the TX state thread, you can get a lot of tips from other members that share your general location: Texas state thread

Best wishes!

 

[Callender Girl]

The only toy my chickens ever appreciated was a plastic cylindrical tube that could be filled with mealworms and had slots so the hens could roll it and pick out the treats. However, please see previous posts regarding poop and dust particles.

Hope you enjoy researching breeds over the winter and are able to choose a reasonable number of chicks (few of us show that much restraint!) in the spring.

Welcome to BYC; please let us know when you start your flock!

 

[janiedoe]

Hi Vickie, welcome to BYC. Depending on your area in Texas, you will need to consider the heat prior to building. A good shady area and plenty of ventilation are important and the more space the better.
I would suggest checking out idealpoultry.com out of Cameron TX.
My suggestions for a hot weather flock would be welsummers, crested cream legbars, leghorns, and olive eggers.