Hello from Florida

My wife and I are considering starting our own "mini farm" on our property. We live in north central Florida on 5 acres (all pretty much wooded with scrub oaks and some water and live oaks). Reason for starting one with pigs and chickens is the cost of items bought in the market is just so outrageous. On top of that the quality of food is gone down. We have in recent months done some gardening and received some home grown beef and pork from relative, I must admit these products were by far much better than any store bought. So we are talking about chickens here, what are some thoughts my family and I need to consider to be successful in raising some chickens? We are beginners and have honestly no clue on where to start other than what I read here. We basically are wanting them for 1.egg production (my favorite b-fast food BTW) 2. meat (we are a family of 5 and eat chicken in various ways about 2-3 times a week) 3. Fertilizer for future gardens. I would love to hear some suggestions in any form as I mentioned we are beginners and know squat! What breed do I need to meet my needs? Do I need to keep a rooster in constantly with the hens or seperate. How can I tell if the egg has a baby inside or not? In short we just want to provide the best quality of food possible for our children as humanly as possible.
-Thanks in advance and God Bless!
BJ and Jenny

 

Thank you very much for the info! Well basiclly starting off we have....the will and the property. That's it! I have read some post and information from this site and it is very helpful! I have seen a great idea for the construction of a place for the chickens seen here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/707319/50-chicken-chicken-tractor-pics-and-progress Since we need to buy this paneling for the construction of a pig pen, I do not see a reason as to not buy a few extra panels for the coop too.

 

Oh yes, I sure will keep up to date on any disease that may infict our future flock. This is one primary reason for doing this. I am by no means an activist but you really don't have to venture out far to see a commercial chicken farm and the way they house and raise the chickens. Absolutley disgusting. 1,000's of them eating off of the remains of others makes me sick to my stomach. But in any event...Go Noles!