Resources
Central Texas is great place to keep chickens. We have poultry-friendly city ordinances, feed stores that sell organic or conventional feed, coop builders, communities of chicken-keepers, and a favorable climate. Here’s a sampling of the resources you’ll find in and around Austin.
GETTING STARTED
To get started with chickens, a little research is needed. It’s a good idea to check your local laws to make sure keeping poultry is legal. For Austin, a chicken coop must be 50 feet from your nearest neighbor’s house, and the chickens must be properly housed and cared for, including following noise ordinances. For full details on Austin's City Ordinance, please read Title 3.0, Animal Regulation. If you belong to a Homeowner’s Association, please check with them about additional restrictions.These days, most research starts online. Browse our Frequently Asked Questions page for quick answers to most common questions. Next, consider signing up at www.yahoo,com, where you can join the austexpoultry forum, a discussion group that focuses on Central Texas poultry keeping. Conversations about managing your flock with our local climate can be invaluable, and the forum is a good place to buy and sell chickens and gather good advice.
When you’re ready to meet other chicken owners, come to an Austin Backyard Poultry Meetup. There is no cost to join, and there is always an informative program. It’s a great place to ask questions and talk to folks with lots of experience and ideas. Meetups offer both an online presence and monthly meetings at a local gathering spot.
City Chicken site has a good introduction to getting started, along with other topics pertinent to those of us in urban environments.
A magazine subscription can provide a steady dose of good information. Backyard Poultry is delivered to your mailbox 6 times per year. Their website offers a selection of previously printed articles, and back issues of the magazine can be purchased. Another publication is the former Fancy Fowl USA, now The Poultry Magazine, which has more emphasis on exhibition fowl and the poultry industry.
City Chicken site has a good introduction to getting started, along with other topics pertinent to those of us in urban environments.
A magazine subscription can provide a steady dose of good information. Backyard Poultry is delivered to your mailbox 6 times per year. Their website offers a selection of previously printed articles, and back issues of the magazine can be purchased. Another publication is the former Fancy Fowl USA, now The Poultry Magazine, which has more emphasis on exhibition fowl and the poultry industry.
For a larger, more general, discussion group, try BackYardChickens.com, which boasts 100,000 members strong. BYC is now the world's largest online communtary for backyard chicken keepers. Carla Allen, a coordinator of the Funky Chicken Coop Tour, is one of the moderators of the backyardchickens.com forum. The site covers almost every aspect of chicken keeping that you can think of.
An interesting way to get a first-hand look at chicken keeping is to attend a Chicken Coop Tour. Austin has it's Funky Chicken Coop Tour, where people open their backyards to the public and show visitors how to set up and manage a small flock. Coop Tours are springing up in other cities every year, so look at our page for CHICKEN COOP TOURS IN THE USA to see if there's a coop tour near you. And, if you are interested in starting your own tour, see the articles Michelle Hernandez, founder and organizer of the Funky Chicken Coop Tour, wrote on Starting Your Own Coop Tour and Expanding a Coop Tour.
Choosing the breeds of chickens to raise is part of the fun. For those with iPhones, iPod Touches, or iPads, check out the Pickin' Chicken Breed Selector by Mother Earth News for a mobile reference. Another good reference is the Chicken Breed Chart, which describes general traits that may fit best with your project. A wonderful photo gallery of chickens can be found at Feathersite. A large number of breeds, showing both the roosters and the hens, are displayed in full color. You'll quickly learn to recognize the differences in many varieties of chickens.
Would you believe there’s an internet radio show devoted to backyard chickens? Listen in on Host Andy Schneider, better known as the Chicken Whisperer for his daily broadcast on Blog Talk Radio. Join the chat room, it is quite a hoot! Beginners and experienced chicken keepers can learn a lot from Andy. Earlier broadcasts can be downloaded, so load up that iPod or mp3 player!
COOP SETUP
When its time to choose a house for your chickens, you can build your own coop, buy one from one of Central Texas’ artisan coop builders, or find one online. Do-it-yourselfers should check out The Garden Coop Plans for overall sound design and some excellent construction techniques.More ideas can be found at Backyard Chickens Coop Designs site, and if you think a movable coop is right for you, look at the Chicken Tractors site. For the more ambitious and innovative builder, check out the Rammed Earth Coop, built by a parent whose child attends Austin Discovery School. This coop protects chickens from both the extreme Texas heat and the winter cold by using thick earthen walls and eco-friendly materials.
Finish your coop with non-toxic sealers and paints from Eco-wise, where you can also find books on chicken keeping and many enviromentally-safe products for green living.
Is a ready-made or a custom-built coop right for you? If, so several local artisan builders have creative solutions for your backyard.
Consider coops available online that can be shipped nation-wide, such as from Randall Burkey or King Coops. You may pay a premium for shipping, but the perfect coop will serve you well and may be worth the extra expense.
WHERE TO FIND IT
Most people start their flocks with day-old baby chicks. Callahan’s General Store has the best selection available in town. They get a variety of breeds every Thursday afternoon, so get there early for the best choice. The chicks are usually supplied by Ideal Poultry, a hatchery located about 70 miles from Austin. You can arrange to pick up birds directly from the hatchery or special order through Callahan’s. Raising chicks is easy and fun, but keep a copy of Chick Care instructions on hand to help your chicks grow into healthy birds.Xtreme Gamebirds may be able to provide the birds you want, but it’s best to call or go online to make arrangements for delivery. They are located closer to Austin, but don’t have storefront facilities.
Callahan’s General Store also offers young pullets, about ready to lay, and cockerels, but the birds have been debeaked. Consider them “rescues”. Callahan’s also carries organic and conventional feeds, poultry supplies, books on poultry and other animals, and garden equipment. You’ll also find a full hardware store with a terrific housewares department, plus Western wear.
Buck Moore Feed and Pet Supply is a small, locally-owned family business with a storefront on North Lamar Blvd. Besides a full selection of organic and conventional feeds, you can pick up feeders, waterers and food for cats, dogs, wild and pet birds, and other small animals. Grab a bulk bag of rye grass or clover to grow for chicken forage, or grab a bag of Lady Bug potting soil while you’re there. (The goat milk hand lotion is a special treat for humans.)
Tomlinson’s Pet store off Airport Blvd carries Purina Layena pellets and chick starter in bulk or by the bag.
Texas’ first organic feed mill is located just a few miles east of Austin. If you prefer organic feed for your flock, Coyote Creek’s Organic Feed Mill blends the best grains available to deliver very fresh feeds to our area. It can be purchased at Buck Moore Feed and Pet Supply or Callahan’s General Store.
Texas based H and H Poultry makes old-fashioned soy free chicken fee loaded with a full list of ingredients. Callahan's General Store carries this feed, with more locations available for purchase promised in the future.
CARING FOR THE FLOCK
If you need help with medical care, we recommend consulting other poultry owners, books, and online resources first. The Merck Veterinary Manual is an excellent online source of medical information. But if you need a veterinarian, north Austin has Research Pet and Bird Hospital. In South Austin, Westgate Pet and Bird Clinic may be able to help. If you are willing to drive 30+ miles down IH35 to San Marcos, you might prefer to see Dr. Williams, a livestock veterinarian. Medical supplies are also available at Callahan’s.
BACKYARDS and FOOD
Find a chicken coop, and usually there’s a garden nearby. For stocking up on soil sold in bulk, or finding those rare or unusual herbs, try The Natural Gardener , a see-to-believe full-service nursery experience. Butterfly gardens, herb and vegetable gardens, an orchard, and an open-air chicken coop are just a few of the inspiring sites. There is a wonderful selection of plants, from a flat of vegies or cactus, to pots of tropicals or rosebushes, and trees. Books, gifts, tools, and furniture are more than you’d expect to find at nursery.The Natural Gardener founder, John Dromgoole, is a garden celebrity. For John's radio and television schedule, check out "John's Stuff" His seasonal tips for gardening in our climate are a regular TV feature on Central Texas Gardener. The weekly garden shown is seen on our PBS affiliate, KLRU. Host Tom Spencer showcases local gardens to spotlight the latest trends, along with lots of sound advice. The show also features a blog and online archive of previous episodes.
For a closer look at what grows around here, check out the blog of Renee Studebaker of the Austin American-Stateman (our local newspaper). Renee’s Roots is a photo-rich conversation on what’s happening in our gardens throughout the year, including the impact of our strange weather. She even includeds some yummy recipes. Renee would like to have chickens, but her gardens are doing great anyway.
Our chickens do a great job of pest control, but there’s plenty more to learn about insects. Elizabeth “Wizzie” Brown explains non-chemical ways to manage backyard bugs in her Integrated Pest Management blog, Urban IPM.
When those delicious fresh eggs start to fill the kitchen, we know exactly where they came from. To find out more about where more central Texas-grown food comes from, pick up a free copy of Edible Austin magazine. Features include wonderful recipes, food news and events, articles on foods that are grown here, and profiles of the people who produce them.
When it’s time to find food from somewhere else, stop by on a Wednesday or Saturday at Boggy Creek Farm for legendary local produce, locally produced lamb, yogurt, and other goodies. And a visit to the farm’s hen house is always fun, too. Sign up for the weekly newsletter to see what’s in season and hear entertaining tales of chicken society.
The ever-growing list of Austin's Farmer's Markets are sponsored by the Sustainable Food Center, an organization that promotes a variety of healthy, sustainable practices and programs.
Wheatsville Coop is a member-owned natural foods grocery store, open to the public. Open 7 days a week, some of the best locally-produced grocery items are offered.
Keeping chickens makes us get outside,slow down, and take it easy. The Slow Food organization embraces this idea by encouraging us to enjoy and share our food, with appreciation for where it comes from. Join them for food events, educational initiatives, and social activities.
POULTRY SHOWS
Poultry Shows are part of the fun of chicken ownership, whether as a participant or spectator. In January, the Brazos Valley Poultry Club hosts the Bluebonnet Classic in College Station. Google them in the late fall to find details. In the spring, Hayes County 4-H Club has their annual Fancy Feathers show. Backyard breeds are on display as well as exhibition fowl.Exhibition Poultry if a free online magazine focusing primarily on exhibition shows in the Southwest area of the United States.
PARTICIPATE
Your new flock is established, you've met other chicken enthusiasts, and you're ready for more community participation. Are you thinking of offering your backyard for the next Funky Chicken Coop Tour? Let us know by writing us at pr@austincooptour.org. If you don't live in Austin, and your area needs a Coop Tour, see the site that explains How to Start Your Own Coop Tour. Twelve great tips for starting a chicken coop tour in your town are available from Grit Magazine. Michelle Hernandez, Funky Chicken Coop Tour Planning Committee member, authored this article, using methods that worked so well for previous successful Tours in Austin. If you're thinking of starting a tour, don't miss these great ideas!Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance FARFA's efforts to prevent unnecessary and expensive government regulation often benefit backyard poultry owners as well as small farms. Learn more about how government action can affect your ability to raise your small flock. Awareness of the issues is the first step toward effective action.
NoNAIS is now NOT-NAIS, because citizen action was able to affect the political process. For the backyard chicken keeper, this means we don’t have to barcode our poultry and report our new chick purchases or bird sales to the government. NAIS is now an example of how hard work and participation by the community can lead to a happy ending.
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The link to City of Austin information is broken.
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