Many people are getting into back yard bird keeping both in rural and urban areas. This is a fantastic hobby that can offer a glimpse into farming and provide a family with an endless supply of eggs and meat.
There are some things that need to be determined if you plan on doing just this, as there has been a sharp rise in abandoned birds. I have also recently seen many posts on Facebook asking for someone to "come get their chickens." This is because of poor planning and can be avoided. In any circumstance, please keep in mind these are domestic fowl and need human assistance to survive. They were bred to be content, often companion animals, to be raised in harmony with other livestock on farms and homesteads. They don't know how to find food and many aren't able to survive extreme temps without proper shelter. Before you venture into this adventure, please look into local farms and rescues that will take birds you may decide later won't work out. Visit your local village or city hall to find out what the rules are on keeping your feathered friends if you live in a residential setting. Always have a discussion with your neighbors about your plans and if they aren't on board please respect that. Be willing to share your eggs so they can see that having some unusual neighbors can be rewarding. Join groups on social media that focus on having birds for the same reason you are planning on having them. Read the posts, people come to these groups for help and often get great responses to everyday challenges. Research the different types of back yard birds and the amount of noise they make. This does make a difference. Some neighbors may not even realize you have some feathered friends with the right bird choice and proper care.
In any scenario, it is important to get your birds from a reputable and local source. Believe me, that is much easier said than done, and will likely be the most challenging part of all of this. In my experience, farm supply stores are the easiest way to acquire them but not the best option. I have birds that have come from some of the biggest national chains of supply stores and they are in great health, but most recently I purchased 12 birds and lost 9 of them. Even a set back like that can make the most experienced bird raiser want to quit. This year I decided to purchase some ducklings from a reputable hatchery. The birds were born in California and sent to me here in Illinois. They have officially visited more states than I have.... They are the healthiest, friendliest, most vivacious little mess makers I have ever seen. I had to pay extra money but they came with a guarantee and help from the hatchery is just a phone call or "website chat" away. Admittedly, I worried every day about how the US Postal Service was going to handle a box of live birds but I was pleasantly surprised. In reading some of the reviews on the hatchery website there are some losses in shipping but very few compared to how many birds they ship yearly.
One big consideration is bird care. Most adult ducks and chickens need daily care but really require much less than the average house pet. Food and housing is important and I recommend getting it all in place before bringing them home. No I don't mean just make sure you have a brooder set up (and if you are asking yourself what a brooder is your aren't ready to bring home any birds), I mean have the entire coop constructed and secured from predators. I will be touching on all things bird related in the future, as my love for their humorous antics and eggs is basically the reason I sold my home and moved to the country so I could have more birds. I'm a bird brain. Is there such a thing as a crazy bird lady??