Hi all... My name is Shanna. I am just getting started with chickens. I am expecting my incubator on Tuesday and then I will be ordering eggs. I will only be planning on a few chickens and a couple ducks, but it just might get out of control...LOL Anything that gets rid of bugs will get along great with me! I am hoping to have the following breeds: Chickens Orpington Jersey Giants Salmon Favorelle Calif. Grays Ducks Khaki Campbell Buff Orpington Cayuga I would love advice, as poultry is the only thing I have no experience with!
I love my khaki campbells and at teh moment have a white one - she is a reall character and a very good layer. Good luck with yor flock and welcome!
First of all... Secondly, if you are getting an incubator, I can almost guarantee it will get out of hand!! Hatching is so addictive! I have absolutely none of the chicken breeds you have listed, but I do have a pair of cayugas, and I love them. If you want something just for bugs and weeds, I would recommend guineas for bugs and geese for weeds, if you are in an area that you can keep them. They are both quite loud! I got my chickens for bug control this summer, and a month or so later got my guineas. The chickens were eating them, but just not fast enough. 90% of a guinea's diet is bugs, so they are very effective. Another tip is if you keep ducks and chickens together, make sure to keep the water outside of the coop. The ducks will make a huge mess of it!! You can get a small kiddie pool for the ducks to swim in, after they get their feathers. Not sure what else, but if you have specific questions, there are many knowledgeable people here who are happy to help!
Thanks everyone, I have always had animals until I got married and had kids. Now we just have the typical dog and cat situation...LOL We don't have alot of bugs, just enough to feed some chickens and such...LOL We live in a rural area, but inside of city limits, I guess if my neighbors complain about the noise, I'll just give them some fresh eggs and explain to them that their barking dogs have never caused me to complain...LOL We are going to build a coop similar to the one on the Buff Orpington description page. Our ducks and chickens will share a coop but most of the time they will be roaming the backyard. I have not decided on a water area yet. Maybe some wine barrels cut in half length ways. Or maybe an antique bath tub. Not quite sure.
