COMPARING THE FIVE BEST BACKYARD ANIMALS
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I've also omitted varieties of fowl other than chickens. Actually, many kinds of poultry—such as geese, guinea fowl, ducks, quail, and pheasant—can easily be raised in back yards . . . but there are too many species of winged livestock to cover in this article, so I've focused on the most popular one.
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OK, that's enough of prefatory remarks. Let's get on to the meat of the article!
RABBITS
Quiet, clean, and prolific, rabbits are the most nearly ideal animal to raise in a small space. If they're kept in all-wire hutches and the manure is cleaned out regularly from under their cages, the furry mammals are odor-free and won't attract flies. Rabbits also give an excellent return for the amount of feed and labor invested. The litters from one ten-pound doe—kept in a 30" by 36" hutch—can yield up to 80 pounds of meat a year! In addition, the pelts-although generally not strong enough for clothing—can be used (or sold) for trim on coats.
But in spite of all the good things to be said about rabbit raising, the species does have one serious disadvantage. The gentle creatures are quite predator-prone, so unless you build your butches or fences strong enough to keep prowlers out (or enclose your rabbits in a shed or garage), your stock will be easy prey.
CHICKENS
The most popular barnyard birds can be highly efficient meat or egg producers. A broiler, for instance, proves its weight-gaining efficiency by yielding nearly a pound of meat for every two pounds of feed. Moreover, a good egg-laying hen'll supply about a dozen eggs for every five pounds of feed. And certain dual-purpose breeds will actually give a fair supply of both products!
Chickens are also good foragers: They'll eat everything from meat scraps and bugs to weeds and kitchen leftovers. Of course, that same quality can prove devastating to a garden, so guard your crops against disaster by fencing in either the vegetables or the birds!
Like rabbits, the fowls are well suited to a small-space operation. Stout fences aren't required (the appropriately named chicken wire is usually the least expensive and easiest enclosure material to use). The birds will, however, learn to fly over five- or six-foot barriers . . so you must either fence over the top of their pen or clip their wings to keep them earthbound. In addition, predators may well try to raid your flock, so be sure your coop's fencing and flooring arc at least strong enough to deter rats, owls, coons, opossums, and canine prowlers.
I should also forewarn you that chicken coops in a "citified" neighborhood tend to cause more human commotion than does the appearance of a few rabbit butches. Neighbors are often concerned—and perhaps rightfully so—that the birds will get loose and dig up their prize petunias . . . that the flock will create odor and fly problems . . . or that you'll decide to keep a rooster, which would force them to put up with a living alarm clock! Although these difficulties can be prevented by proper management, you might be wise to sound out the folks next door and prepare them for their new neighbors . . . your chickens. (The promise of an occasional gift of fresh eggs might be one good way to make the introduction!)
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