Amy Larson - Chickens, Ducks and Turkeys: A Frugal and Natural Approach to Raising Poultry in Your Backyard

Chickens, Ducks and Turkeys

A Frugal and Natural Approach to Raising Poultry in Your Backyard

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P oultry are amongst the easiest of farmyard animals to keep, so simple that they are even suitable for small urban gardens. There is not a country in the world where they are not farmed for both their meat and eggs.

Whether you are looking to start a mini flock of 3 laying birds in your back garden or you are looking to set up a number of flocks for commercial meat and egg production, poultry are versatile enough to meet your needs. They are also very friendly animals that can make great pets, particularly for young children. They even help provide nutrients for your garden.

Many people these days like to grow their own vegetables, making sure that they know where their food comes from and that it is grown without excessive use of pesticides. Adding birds into the mix is, therefore, a logical next step and one that can be explored without any excessive outlay of cost. The idea of having easy access to fresh, tasty eggs and the odd bird for the pot can be very enticing. If you have the time, space and inclination you can turn your birds and their eggs into a source of extra income.

While most poultry are self-sufficient and easy to keep there are still a few things that you need to know before you embark on your poultry journey. There are so many different choices available to the new bird owner that it can appear somewhat daunting. This book will help you decide which bird is the right fit for your family needs and which housing solution is right for you. We will take you through what you need to know to set up your home to welcome your day old chicks into your family and help them grow into adult birds.

One thing to remember at all times, birds are living breathing animals and they require you to be able to dedicate time to their care and flock maintenance. Unlike a grow your own garden they will really suffer if you are unable to care for them properly. If you are able to look after them, however, they will give you many years of pleasure and fresh eggs and meat and this book will be with you every step of the way.

I n this chapter, you will learn:

• Why birds are a good animal to keep
• How to raise birds, even in the city

P oultry are one of the easiest homesteading animals to keep; you can even have them in the backyard of your city house. If you look after them well they will provide you with beautifully fresh eggs and tasty meat for years to come. You can start small, with just a few hens, and grow your flock and your hobby from there.

Eggs and Meat

Love eggs? Almost everybody enjoys eating this staple food. Easy to make, nutritious and tasty they pack a lot into a small shell. Buying eggs from the store is one thing but imagine that you could eat your very own eggs, laid fresh that morning. You know everything that your bird has eaten and know that the eggs are healthy. They taste even better than the most expensive of free range specialty eggs available in grocery stores too! Fresh duck eggs are fabulously rich and a real treat, they add something extra to your baking too. You can also raise poultry for meat; again because you know what they have eaten you know that the meat will be fresh and healthy for you. Turkey is, of course, the traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas meal, raising your own means that you can be sure that the meat will be tasty and organic. If you raise more than two you can even give them to friends as a seasonal gift.

Recycling

Chickens are nature recyclers; they will happily graze on all your kitchen scraps and, as an added bonus, will produce rich, nutritious fertilizer for you to use in your garden. Win-Win

Garden Maintenance

Birds love nothing better than to eat weeds and will help you to keep your lawn looking neat and tidy (just keep plants out of their way). They will also help keep mosquitoes and other insects under control as they enjoy snacking on them whenever possible.

Pets

Chickens and ducks in particular make really good pets. Sometimes children can be a bit scared of a chicken beak but a duck bill is harmless. Turkeys may seem a little intimidating because of their size but the toms in particular are very friendly and love to spend time with their humans. The more time you spend looking after your birds the more they will get to trust you. They will start to follow you around the yard, eat from your hand and even come for a cuddle. Many love to be handled and they are great fun to watch as they go about their daily business.. Different breeds have different plumage and many are truly beautiful to look at.

They are also very low maintenance which means that it is easy to go away on vacation. If you go away for the weekend you just need to make sure they have enough food and water to keep them happy. If you are going away for a little longer you only need to find someone to top up these essentials while you are away. They dont need anything else.

Y ou want your birds to be healthy so you have to be able to give them enough space to stay happy. The minimum requirement is 10 square feet per chicken. Ducks need a little less coop space than chickens and will be quite happy with about 3 square feet indoors but will need access to the outside. Turkeys, being larger need more space in the coop. Again they will be happiest if they can go outside.

As long as you have 30 square feet available (birds are social animals and need a minimum flock of 3) you will be able to keep chickens for eggs. If you are going to allow them access to grass and the outside you can reduce the minimum space of the coop to 4 square feet per bird but they will need at least 6 square feet of outside roaming space to add up to the total 10.