I enjoyed a recent Grist article on raising your own meat. The last paragraph especially stood out for me:

“…livestock aren’t pets. They are on a farm because they serve a purpose. If I can’t raise an animal to eat, then I shouldn’t keep sheep whose purpose is to become meat. Furthermore, if I can’t eat meat that came from an animal I know was loved and respected, that had a good life playing in the sun and eating grass, then I should go back to being vegetarian.”

What I most appreciate in this statement is the emphasis that livestock are not pets. There seems to be some urban confusion about that. The truth is, each domesticated livestock species was bred for a very specific function, even flavor. So if you are considering raising livestock it is useful to know what you want out of the experience.

For instance, acquiring Yokohama chickens because they are neat looking without knowing anything about the birds will land you will chickens that take longer to mature (food costs and coop clean up without the reward). Once they do lay they don’t lay well and they can’t tolerate foul weather. If you want ornate feathers, great. If you want eggs, not so great.

That said, the basic considerations are:

Identify your need- meat, byproducts (honey, eggs, milk), activity.

Assess the amount and type of space they will need to be healthy. For instance, chickens need dirt to scratch on. If you raise them on concrete, they can develop problems with their feet. Or rabbits don’t do well in direct sunlight all day. They get overheated easily.

The next thing is food, shelter, other physical needs, and life cycle. I also look for information on temperament. Some animals are known for being easier to handle than others.

I am also research the amount of sound, mess and smell they might produce. If you are not prepared for a noisy, sloppy and stinky animal in your urban setting, it could be disastrous.

I encourage others to consider breeds listed on American Livestock Breeds Conservancy watch list. I try to select breeds that are listed as Critical or Threatened. This preference is balanced with availability and cost of the preferred breeds. I also consider the source of the animals. I had a bad experience with chickens from a hack breeder. The pullets were infected with a common avian virus and the entire flock died within the first month or so.

I research by finding books and sites on breeds. I seek out resources that are affiliated with a university. As we well know not all sites/forums are equal and I am less interested in cute anecdotes.

Once I have narrowed down some selections I jump on online forums, and call breeders and farms to discuss specifics, to find sources, and to get gems of knowledge.

Regarding poultry: chickens are by far the easiest, most self-sufficient and resource efficient birds to keep. Ducks were not. They go through crap loads of water, make a huge mess of their pen and are really noisy. However, FYI- Novella Carpenter informed me that Muscovy Ducks do not quack.

Though a bit of a pain relative to chickens, I like keeping turkeys. They need more space,  make more of a mess with their huge droppings, and are harder to handle but I enjoy their company. The heritage breeds I’ve kept have tasted great. I’d really like to keep a couple of geese for the holidays. I did not think to do it last year and when I went to purchase one frozen I was stunned by the price of $70 for one little goose that would not even feed my family. Being water fowl, I suspect they are also messy. Geese also make great watchdogs because they are territorial and honk at intruders. Things to consider…

All this is assuming that you’ve check your city ordinance to at least know how you are breaking the law.

If I missed anything about choosing breeds and you have questions, let me know!