Hi! My name is Stephanie, and I'm very happy to have found a place about chickens that seems to be very knowledgeable 
I'm assuming "Backyard Chickens" means folks who live in city limits with birds? Well I'm a Canadian farmer 50km from town, who started with my horses. I went through having goats, pigs, etc to finally found something I love beyond my love of horses BIRDS! I love colors! I love uniqueness! I love new!
I started my flock last spring, with a rooster and 3 laying hens that came with a rooster that not yet had a voice and 3 other hens who hadn't started laying quite yet. Well, I learnt very quickly that I had a fox close by, and she cleaned out my working roo and laying hens plus my roo who had JUST started crowing and my Americana who had just started laying. And left me the ones that didn't lay yet.
I learnt about guineas and met a lady who had a bunch for sale. I bought 2 originally and since then, I haven't had a predator around here at all. I now have 3 guineas, a BR rooster, 2 Queenie hens, a Bearded Banty rooster, Americana cross hen, a few mutts, and 12 Red Rock Crosses, 5 turkeys, and new editions... 18 chicks (unknown of any breed crossing) yellow and black and white tuxedo
There are MANY kinds of birds I would love to raise at some point. But this is where I am now and I can't wait to learn from all of you and meet you all
I'm assuming "Backyard Chickens" means folks who live in city limits with birds? Well I'm a Canadian farmer
50km from town, who started with my horses. I went through having goats, pigs, etc to finally found something I love beyond my love of horses BIRDS! I love colors! I love uniqueness! I love new! I started my flock last spring, with a rooster and 3 laying hens that came with a rooster that not yet had a voice and 3 other hens who hadn't started laying quite yet. Well, I learnt very quickly that I had a fox close by, and she cleaned out my working roo and laying hens plus my roo who had JUST started crowing and my Americana who had just started laying. And left me the ones that didn't lay yet.
I learnt about guineas and met a lady who had a bunch for sale. I bought 2 originally and since then, I haven't had a predator around here at all. I now have 3 guineas, a BR rooster, 2 Queenie hens, a Bearded Banty rooster, Americana cross hen, a few mutts, and 12 Red Rock Crosses, 5 turkeys, and new editions... 18 chicks (unknown of any breed crossing) yellow and black and white tuxedo
There are MANY kinds of birds I would love to raise at some point. But this is where I am now and I can't wait to learn from all of you and meet you all
and good luck with your poultry adventure 
! Glad the fox isn't treating your farm like a drive through anymore. 
