Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
PHEASANTS
Chinese ringneck
— primarily for meat
All others
— ornamental, some for meat
PIGEONS
All varieties
— used primarily for meat or exhibition
Ducks always seem to be happy and enjoy a nice clean place to sleep. Even though
they love to play in the mud and get grimy during the day, they become excited and
make a pleasant little sound once back in their coop when they find that you've cleaned
it out and restocked it with fresh, dry bedding. They know you've done something good
for them and they, in turn, work their hardest to help you by providing you with a reli-
able egg and meat supply, and insect and weed control.
Even if you don't choose to make your birds pets per se, they soon identify you with
their feed source, and, perhaps, as the person who brings them treats. If you regularly
give table scraps, such as extra lettuce leaves or some other tidbits headed for the com-
post pile, they will come running to see you. Believe it or not, they are similar to dogs
and cats that wait for you to get home from work at the end the day. As you may know,
it is extremely rewarding when little creatures come running to see you with welcoming
looks on their little beaks and bills.
While busily doing your evening chores, you'll find it hard to dismiss the aesthetic
and mental health reasons for raising poultry, whether selling their eggs is a profitable
business or not. Poultry are beautiful, working with them is relaxing, and they provide
you with food. What more could you ask for in a hobby or vocation?
Combining Species
Can you mix different species of poultry together in one facility? Purists in the crowd
feel it is best to have a separate building or pen for each type of poultry on your property,
but it's not critical. You can easily raise chickens, ducks, geese, guineas, and in some
cases turkeys all together, once they are no longer babies. Even babies can be kept to-
gether for a few days. If the size of your facility is adequate, and a mixed-species flock
has ample space outside for an exercise area, most all poultry can be kept together.
The problem with mixing species arises when waterfowl are raised with other fowl.
Ducks and geese are cute as pie when they are day-olds, but once they discover how
much fun it is to toddle from the water source to the feeder and back again, they'll do it
a million times, soaking everything — a condition chicks, poults, and keets don't toler-
