L0rraine,
My husband and I were city kids (I'm from Brooklyn and he's from Phili), so this has been a grand adventure for us. We started with poultry by getting ducks for our Border Collie to herd, then by rescuing two Rhodies and were absolutely charmed by these bossy hens! Josh has been so amazing during this process, he started out hating the chickens and now he walks around with one perched on his shoulder - his favorites are a Silver Laced Hamburg and a Polish. He's very good with them, having gotten over that impulse to startle when the chickens flap their wings in your hands. He's really getting a kick out of the Silkie chicks - they are fussy little 3 week olds right now.
Now we're talking about getting a 5 acre farm when he retires from the Navy in 2.5 years because we're just so poultry obsessed. For me, the biggest bonus will be having a true natural pond instead of our little kiddie pools and water bins. That's one chore I won't mind getting rid of!