Actually, as long as you keep their run full of hay - when they work it down, just add more - and their house relatively clean, they don't have any smell at all. Commercial houses, and poorly kept ones are the ones that smell.

I personally love my 3 roosters' crows in the morning. I can tell who is crowing by the sound. They each have distinct crows. I can't wait till my babies start crowing too.

Adult birds, I have: 18 white leghorn hens, 2 Aracauna hens and one Rooster, 1 Buff Orpington Hen, and three hens and two roosters of backyard barnyard lineage .

At nine weeks old, I have a variety of brown egg layers, both pullets and cockerells 47 total - Buff Orpingtons, Silver Laced Wyandottes, Black Astralorps, Brahmas, Barred Rocks, and a couple I haven't quite identified yet.

My three barnyard hens are now raising (together) 4 babies, who were born in the last week. They're just adorable. Little brown and yellow fuzzballs.

The longer I keep chickens, the more I learn about them, and what they need. Mine provide me meat, eggs, entertainment, frustration , and a more than reliable alarm clock and predator alarm, too.

Hawkcreek - you just reminded me of my grandmother . We spent much time doing the same thing with her - and a bunch of peeling peaches in the summertime when their orchard was in full production. Grandmother canned many many jars of peaches, and I ate a good deal of them.

Here's hoping I can make some of those same happy memories with my neices and nephews.
Kathy

I think the smallest breeding flocks I've seen advocated is 100 birds, in approximately four-five flocks, with 20-25 hens to 4-5 roosters.

You might be able to find some info here:

Rare Breeds

I think a really good deal would be to know one or two other local breeders and regularly trade chickens to bring in new genetic material. This is assuming new birds aren't available from a hatchery.

Aha, this from the Rare Breeds site:

"Given the vulnerability of poultry to predators, the number of flocks is important. "Conservation breeding flocks" are those of 50 birds and above."

That is truly scary.

Okay, everyone seems to be totally speechless so I thought I'd change direction - I realize this is the "chickens" thread, but I'm wondering if we can expand to other poultry ... Anyone got ducks? I now have 8 mallards - 2 adult males, and 6 one-month old babies of undetermined gender - and am brand new with them. I'll have 2 more adult females, and how ever many of their 30 eggs hatch, in about 2-3 weeks. I need help ..... advice? do's? don'ts? I've read Carla Emery's suggestions, but I'd like some real practical advice.
Thanks
Kathy

We just bought three Muscovy ducks and a drake. I've heard that they are an incredible food source---they reproduce like crazy, are delicious, and will roost in trees at night, making them safer from predators than other breeds of ducks. (An interesting aside: I've read that biologists aren't certain whether Muscovies are ducks or geese----or somewhere in between!) They're the quietest, most laid back animal on the farm right now, and that's worth something!

What are you doing with your ducks? Food? Pets?

And adding to what Ludi said, that "retirement" means slaughter. When you buy chicken breasts at the store (large family packs with large breasts), they are generally these retired laying hens. Broilers are generally not as large.

Different breeds of hens will lay more or less, as well. White Leghorns, for example, are better layers, but not considered meat birds due to their smaller size. They're a bit flighty, but are the best bird for feed to egg conversion. They don't eat nearly as much as the larger breed birds. They'll lay about an egg a day all year round. My Aracauna's tho, will slack off in the winter, and I'll be lucky to get an egg every other day. Same with my buff orpingtons and barred rock hens. But they are also larger birds, making them much more suitable for providing meat for larger families when they're culled from the flock.

Hope this helps,
Kathy

Shannymara,
I also used Cackle Hatchery when I ordered my baby chicks and I also recommend them. We had one chick out of 50 that was a little weak - and we eventually put him down because his legs basically just quit working. I had him separate from the rest in a hospital brooder, hoping it would help, but it didn't. Still, out of 50 chicks, 49 survived to 8 weeks before two drowned in the duck pond . So, we have 47 out of 50 almost grown chickens now (almost grown size-wise; they'll be 14 weeks old on Wednesday). I was happy with their service and the chicks. I have also heard wonderful things about McMurray, but didn't order from them because their prices were much higher. I got my 50 chicks (including shipping cost) for $48 from Cackle. That same $48 would have bought me 25 chicks from McMurray.
Kathy

My ducks have turned out to be useful afterall . Last night they certainly earned their keep. The duck and chicken run is at the same end of the house as our bedroom (about 25 feet from the window) - put there specifically so I can hear if there is trouble at night. Well, last night at midnight, the new mother duck (protecting her babies) started quacking so loud, it woke us up. I was freaking out - thinking something was after them. And I was right. I grabbed the spotlight and the 9mm pistol and headed out the door, just in time to see two very large dogs running off. I didn't fire a shot - but next time they might not be so lucky. Thankfully, nobody was harmed other than a few ruffled feathers. I'm glad I made the pen as secure as I did, or they would have been in before I could get out there.

I've been pretty paranoid about the goats ever since we got them home (having lost sheep in the past to dogs) - but I didnt realize how loud a duck can be. If they can wake me up from a dead sleep, I can sleep a little better at night. Even if I dont hear the chickens, the ducks will let me know if something is up.
Kathy

The only thing in the bird category that is louder than a duck, is a goose! Very loud and much more aggressive.

Best thing about duck IMO is they eat a ton of mosquito's. Geese will too, but if you have little one you best keep the geese locked up, the ones around me growing up were a terror! They would wait for me to turn my back then they would run up and bite hard enough to leave deep bruises.

I have never liked live geese since, roasted on the other hand they are excellent!

If you want to raise chickens to overwinter in a cold climate, get varieties with a "rose comb" - the small comb that lies close to the head. These varieties are adapted for cold climates. Large combs will get frostbite.

Wyandotte is a breed well adapted to the cold.

Wyandots are great birds. meat/eggs, lay almost all winter in New Mexico, lay for years. Barred rocks are also pretty good. We used to keep about 30 chickens. Wyandots rose to the top in the hen department. Barred Rock roosters are pretty, big, and mean. We used them to keep errant fighting cocks (in NM, this is still legal), and boys at bay

Leghorns and production reds are also pretty good for the shorter picture. the leghorns get big, fast. the reds lay a lot of eggs, but don't age as well as the wyandots.

Chickens are the best way to turn insects, ticks, and weeds into eggs. Beware of potential rat/mouse problems involving feed though.

Received a new batch of baby chicks from Murray McMurray. All arrived alive with one extra - 26 Dominiques and 6 Buff Silkies. Unfortunately one of the Dominiques was weak and died. The Doms will be for eggs and meat, the Silkies as setters - they are supposed to be especially good mothers and will set any kind of egg they can fit on (so, probably not ostrich eggs, these gals are bantams).

Overall I've been happy with McMurray but I do have to admit I've gotten a couple "mutts" from them, chickens which clearly did not carry pure genes of the breed they were supposed to be. But these have been few and easily culled if one were trying to retain purebreeds. I'm probably only going to try to keep my Dominiques pure, they and Dark Cornish have been the best breeds for me so far. Though I have been extremely pleased with the egglaying ability of the one Auracana I have.

Shanny et al,

I've been happy with Murray, but I have found a local supplier that I now use pretty much all the time. I have some Silkies too, but the Americauna's just are the coolest for me. Having said that however I am happy with Murray nonetheless, I really like their catalogue. I've found my breed though. My grey hen just got the name Rocket.

The Henspa looks like a fine tractor devise. It looks a little to plasticy for my taste, I prefer weathered wood, but it looks good. I think there are some A Frame Tractors for sale on EBAY that you may like. Let us know if the henspa is anygood though.

Thanks,

Patti
www.gardengirltv.com

My local guy is just for meat birds. I still use Murray for the fancy's.

Patti

Also my hens are all banties, I love the little eggs.