What are the top 10 reasons for raisign chickens?

We found a great list of the top ten reasons people give for raising chickens over at Chicken Video. Here are some of the reasons that we loved!

1. Taste & Freshness - Personal chickens are the ultimate source of truly fresh eggs, and nothing beats the flavor of home raised chickens

4. Great Pets - Safer than dogs, chickens make great pets that require little care, produce fertilizer, eat bugs, are very cute, and give eggs at almost no cost, plus, if you get tired of them, you can eat them

Of course, we didn't like this reason:

8. Awakenings - If your flock has a rooster, nobody within a hundred yards will need an alarm clock.

Read the whole list on ChickenVideo.com. What are you reasons for raising chickens? Share it with us!

A Duck Question from a Poultry Reader

Someone asked: "How much room do I need to give my pet ducks? I'm raising them from babies I hatched."

We're so happy you've decided to start raising ducks! A small pen that measures five feet by five feet will do just great for about ten ducklings, though you didn't specify just how many baby ducks you are raising. If you want to build an actual chicken-like coop for your ducks, make sure that is is free from drafts and secure from the elements. It is also useful if your ducks have access to the great outdoors, either via a fenced in section of pasture or a movable kennel with an open bottom.

We'll cover more questions about hatching and brooding ducklings later. Thanks for reading!

More people are raising quail!

Quail are tiny little gamebirds and don't come to mind when you think of backyard poultry hobbyists. However, a lot of people are discovering the joys of raising these tiny gamebirds.

According to Wikipedia, "Quails are small, fat terrestrial birds" that eat seeds as well as insects. The encyclopedia also says that quail "nest on the ground and are capable of short, rapid bursts of flight. Some species such as the Japanese and Common Quail are migratory and fly for long distances. Some quail are farmed in large numbers. The Japanese Quail (or coturnix quail) is kept mostly to produce eggs."(source)

Quail can be a lot of fun to raise, though the returns in terms of eggs and meat are not nearly as bountiful as with chickens. In case you're interested, there's some great information on raising quail at home over at Raise Quail.com. Read some of the articles on raising quail and tell us what you think!

Why should you raise ducks?

More and more people throughout the United States have begun raising ducks. Raising ducks is a lot of fun, though not nearly as popular as raising chickens. However, we expect that the popularity of raising ducks in your backyard will quickly rise.

Here's a great poultry article on Raising Ducks for Beginners on Hubpages. It covers a lot of the basics and you'll learn quite a few neat things about ducks in your backyard.

Enjoy!