Well, I feel like I'm one of the oldest here, but here goes:
YEARS ago when I was a kid I was in a 4H program for inner city kids. (For those of you familiar with 4H, I was in the horseless horse and pony project) Anywho, I LOVED it and I learned so much. I had a blast going to the fair with the things I'd made and talking to the judges really inspired me.
Well, many ions later, I have married and we have our own rugrats, who just became about the age I was back then. When we finally moved from the city to the country...I knew what was bound to happen.
My poor DH never had a chance!
We did a good two months of research before deciding that we would order chicks from the hatchery. We adored them and fell head over heals in love with them all. By the time they were 8 weeks old, we'd ordered more! Just before they arrived, we got a couple goats too! Then the hatchery goofed and we got our order THREE times and ended up with TONS of chicks! We kept what we wanted and sold the rest to friends and other 'chicken people' we knew. We had also ordered some meat chickens, which was a first for us, and now we are excited as processing day is fast approaching.
We added 4 ducks and 8 guineas (was 10 but we lost two) soon after the newest chicks turned 4 weeks old, and are getting a few more (and some geese!) tomorrow, and another goat kid on Friday!
Lets just say its gone from a fun passtime to an all out addiction! The "chores" (feeding, cleaning, watering, fixing holes in the fences, holding the chicks, etc) take me an hour in the morning, another hour in the mid-day, and about an hour in the evening. My children help me with all of them except the mid-day (because they are at school then.....but sadly for only another THREE days! Oh no! What am I gonna do!?) and they have learned alot!
My daughter (almost 9) knows the differences between a rooster, capon, cockerel, pullet, and hen. She also knows the differences between a doe, buck, kid, and wether (for the goats). She LOVES braggin to her friends about HER ChickenDuck and she's the only one in her class with ducks, goats, guineas, AND chickens!
Currently we are seeking a farm on some land! lol Please keep an ear out!