- Sep 24, 2010
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Hi! I'm a lurker from the Washingtonians thread. So out of all the various poultry you've had, which ones are your favorites and which are the hardest to deal with?
Ducks: Lay delicious eggs and are good for bugs in the garden. They are friendly and have such funny antics. However, they are way messier than chickens unless you go with a bantam breed. They don't need a pond for swimming, just a cat pan works pretty well and they eat pretty well the same food as chickens do.
Geese: My geese have been pretty cool. If you want predictable geese, start with babies. They will bond to you and become a part of your family. They can be noisy depending on the breed and situation. Embdens are my favorite and they are calm and rarely honk unless something's up. They don't need a pond either, just a cat pan or a kiddy pool. They leave really big poops, though.
Quail: Quail have to be my favorites. Coturnix are perhaps the easiest and the best for eggs and meat. They are the most domesticated of the quail breeds and are the easiest because they are domestic fowl and not a wild one. They can be calm, friendly, and quite personable. My showmanship bird was a Coturnix roo named Killer Bug. He actually walked down the show table and everything! They require a covered and completely secure pen or run. they can't be free ranged, cause they can,a nd will, run off. Most will tell you you need a 28% or higher protien feed to have a success with them, but I raised, and bred, mine on an 18% all purpose poultry ration with no problems at all. However, the more wild breeds may need higher protien.
Word for the Wise about coturnix, though. They CROW and i mean, dying animal, strangled, drowning, and its way out, kind of sound. And loud. And even at night.
Turkeys: I absolutely love my turkeys. They are curious, friendly, and are pretty easy to raise. Unless you plan on eating them in a timely manner, DO NOT purchase Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys. They are not suited for life longer than a few weeks and ultimately will suffer until they finally die of weight related problems. The other breeds, however, are mostly heritage breeds and are actually bred for showing and not for just food. They lay beautiful eggs that have the most delicious and fluffy taste of all the eggs I've tasted. They are wonderful company and you will have a hard time keeping them out of your face. They also make really great noises. I really like my Royal Palms. They are also really great mothers and mine even set and raise chicken eggs.
Ringnecked Pheasants: One thing I'll never try again unless I have the space and the rioght pen. They are quite a wild bird and haven't even made strides toward domestication. They are wild and will be wild. end of story. They need a large pen that is fully enclosed and has, preferable, a soft netting as the roof of the unsheltered area. This is to keep them from injuring themselves when they fly up to get away from you. I had a good deal of success with mine when I trimmed the wing feathers. this way they couldn't fly up as hard and I had less injuries. However I got tired of the flighty birds and sold them.
Red Golden Pheasants: My love and joy in the exotic poultry world. These birds are absolutely gorgeous and they are not near as flighty as the ringnecks were. I found I was actaually able to walk inside their pens without much trouble. These are a true beginner pheasant, too. They are simple to care for and don't have as much agression as some of the others. They need a large covered, secure run, complete with perches. They do roost at night. They should be fed a high protein diet. I found mine to be clean and simple to care for and they are lovely.
Peafowl: I like these, too, but they can be a bit of a bother. They are very friendly and know where food comes from. They can also fly really well and love to sleep on roof tops and on top of barns. They need lots of space and aren't really suited to pens unless they are really large and well covered. They aren't really flighty at all and can be really charming. However, the males can be really noisy during breeding season, nearly non-stop mating calls. They brood lots of babies and are really simple to care for as chicks. i love them, but they are not for those with neighbors or small spaces.
Pigeons: though not technically considered poultry, I find them to be really charming. There are literally hundreds of breeds of pigeons in any form you can think of, so do your research on breed specific care first. For the most part pigeon have a basic care and are simlilar to chickens. They can be fed layer rationa nd APP with many problems. They will often stick around if they are free ranged, but hawks a re a huge concern with them. Breeds I have raised and liked are Indian Fantails, Komorner Tumblers, and various types of rollers.
Emu: My experience with emus was small and short lived, sadly. I purchased eggs on Ebay and of 4 one hatched, due to a power outage. The little baby was Eemoo. My favorite all time bird i have ever raised! She was extremely smart, friendly, and loved people beyond anything else. I can't describe in words how people oriented and friendly emu are. they are also really simple in their care as adults, but they are difficult as chicks. 1 in 10 emu chicks developes incurable splay leg. A high protein diet is essential, though not, too high or it can cause problems. They need lots of greens and fresh veggies and lots of water. They only need about an acre per pair, so not too much space. If you have the time and space, I'd strongly recomend them. Though they can be hard to raise, they are the most rewarding bird I've ever raised.
Well, there's a bit about what I've raised. Feel free to ask a few questions.
