I have chickens (bantams and full size), ducks (Cayuga and Khaki Campbell) I have had (runner, buff and Pekin ducks), currently have Geese (Brown Chinese, White China, Toulouse, Brown African). The Cayuga ducks can lay around 200 eggs a year and will go broody. The Khaki Campbell ducks can outlay a chicken but do not go broody, I plan on hatching some of my Khaki Campbell eggs under the Cayuga ducks.
Cornish hens are just a type of chicken, the Cornish Chicken - I named my Cornish rooster drumstick. To me they look like they would have good drum sticks - I have only sent 2 bantam hens and 3 of bantam roosters to fc (so far) and he was not one of them, so I do not know, yet.
- Chickens, if you use the deep litter method (I use oak leaves), have a tarp roof so the leaves stay dry, and do not overstock can be very easy to keep. If I get a rooster that is aggressively breeding, he gets separated / caged next to the hens for a week at a time, till he figures out that he is required to court them. Has to find food for them and call them to it, dance for hen first instead of just jumping the hen, so on. I cull any egg eaters, or chickens that are overly aggressive. Chickens do have a pecking order, but if I see a chicken being chased by another for over 5 to 10 mins at a time, over several days - fc. My chickens are good bug, banana peal, watermelon rind, potato and any other vegetable or fruit (they can get) - eaters.
- Ducks and Geese -- walking poop factories. Go after ANY water that they can get to. They are messy pigs. Kept my yard beautifully. I did not have to mow and my grass looked like a golf course, till I got the geese - now my yard is dry barren dirt. The 7 (3 month old) geese are overstocked and as soon as I get them all sexed and banded, 4 of them will be going.
- My geese have been noisier than any cat, that I have owned, and are constantly 'commenting', usually loudly.
-- Guard dog type bird - jumbo pekin ducks and White Chinese Geese can have about the same level of agression. The other geese and ducks, that are here, have been more laid back.
-- Yummier? My bantam chickens have dressed out at a bit over a pound. Unless you want chickens that will go broody and can hatch your duck or geese eggs. I suggest larger chickens. I will be sending some of my ducks and at least one (of the extra male) geese to fc, later this year, and will be able to tell you, then. yummmm
- No coyotes, just possum, coon and owl. - so - I have my geese free - watching out for my ducks, ducks closer to house, watching out for chickens, chickens in coop Ft. Knox - asleep.
-- My questions.
How much space and what type of space do you have for them.
Do you plan on have the birds on pasture or buying feed?
Do you know what chicken tractors are?
Have you plucked a chicken or water fowl, before?
How many are you interested in starting with?
What predators and what type of protection from predators, do you have? LGD?
