While chickens may be the gateway animal to homesteading, there are also plenty of other poultry species to consider adding to your homestead! Raising poultry on the homestead can be fun, educational, challenging, and even rewarding. My goal is to raise every species of domesticated poultry, and so far I have experienced five different poultry species. The following poultry species profiles outline the differences that I have noticed between raising each different species of poultry. Chickens, ducks, guineas, pheasant, and pigeons… each one is unique and requires slightly different care. It has been fun experiencing the quirks of each species and I hope these lessons will encourage you to try raising a different type of poultry on your homestead!

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Why Try Different Poultry Species on the Homestead?

I am very thankful for the years that I participated in the 4-H Poultry Project (which was 7 years). Through 4-H I had the opportunity to raise poultry, show them, and then auction them off. The money I got from the auction I would then put towards the following year’s poultry project. This method allowed me to get a little taste of raising different poultry species without a full year commitment to them.

Don’t get me wrong, each and every species that I have raised has endeared itself to me in one way or the other. However, I must say that some of the lessons I learned made me grateful that they were going to a new home by the end of the summer!

The poultry that I have had the most experience with and enjoy the most are chickens. Despite their challenges, chickens have remained my favorite type of poultry. I have been raising them ever since my first year in 4-H. After a few years of raising chickens, I decided I wanted to start trying the different poultry species while still raising chickens. Now I’d like to share what I have learned!

Raising different species of poultry on the homestead is not only educational, but you may find that one species of poultry is more suited for your homestead than another. For example, ducks are a great edition to a homestead, however, they do best with an adequate water system in place. Guineas are excellent foragers, so they would enjoy a free-range homestead setting.

Hopefully the following profiles will give you a little glimpse of some different poultry species you may want to try on your homestead!

Homestead Chickens

Chickens seem to be the most popular poultry species to raise. However, they also happen to be one of the most difficult poultry to raise and keep healthy. Chickens have been quite domesticated, developed for the best performance, and are easily available in most farm stores come spring. There are many different chicken breeds to choose from and many breeds come in different varieties. It seems that each breed has its own funny quirks!

Chickens are most commonly raised for eggs, meat, and pets. You can also raise chickens for showing and exhibiting. Which chicken breeds you choose for your homestead will depend on your purpose for raising chickens.

Some of the best homestead chicken breeds are dual-purpose breeds, who can be used for both meat or egg laying. Raising chickens on the homestead can provide you with eggs, meat, entertainment, garden fertilizer, compost, and pest control.

The Basics:

• Housing– safe & secure chicken coop with roosts, nest boxes, and litter
• Feed– layer feed or flock maintenance feed with natural supplements and table scraps, need a free-choice calcium supplement
• Water– fresh drinking water daily
• Space– 3-4 square feet of coop space per bird, 10-12 square feet of enclosure space per bird
• Forage– adapt to confinement or free-range
• Daily Care– droppings must be cleaned up daily in the coop, food and water must always be provided
• Raising Chicks– require a brooder with supplemental heat, need starter and/or grower feed

Homestead Chickens: Lessons Learned

Here are some lessons that I have learned about raising chickens when compared to the other poultry species that I raised.

• Fragile– Baby chicks are very fragile when compared to other poultry babies. They are less tolerant of temperature fluctuations and are more prone to ailments, disease, and hatching problems.
• Less Disease Resistant– Similar to the observation mentioned above, I have also noticed that chickens tend to succumb to illness more readily then the other poultry species I have raised. They seem to die of random ailments and on sudden occasions. It makes me wonder if maybe genetics and over-domestication has led to less hardy strains of chickens.
• Dependant– Chickens are definitely more dependent on human care. They are easy prey for predators and many breeds would not be able to survive if left to forage on their own. They need safe and secure housing since many breeds would be unable to roost in the trees like their ancestors.
• Good Pets– Since chickens are a very domesticated species of poultry, they also make the best pets! Of the poultry species I have raised, I get the most attached to the chickens. Certain breeds have been bred for friendliness and to be docile, which actually allows you to bond with them!
• Social Structure– Chickens have rigid social structures, which means integrating new members into a flock is difficult and time-consuming. Other poultry species seem to be more excepting of new members being added to their flock.

If you are trying to decide on what chicken breed would be best for you, check out this Guide for Choosing Chicken Breeds for the Homestead!

Homestead Ducks

Ducks were the very first poultry species for me to raise other than chickens. Let’s just say I had a real learning curve when I switched from chickens to a different poultry species! Ducks are funny, cute, and quite different from chickens!

If you are wondering, can I raise ducks without having a large water source? The answer is yes. However, from my experience, having a water source that doesn’t have to be changed every day and is big enough for them to play in will make both you and your ducks happier!

Ducks are commonly raised for eggs. Some breeds can also be used for meat and other breeds are especially good at bug control. You can raise ducks for showing and exhibition. On the homestead, ducks are great for laying eggs, providing meat, bug & pest control, and lots of entertainment!

The Basics:

• Housing– safe & secure coop without roosts or nest boxes but with thick litter
• Feed– duck feed or layer feed or flock maintenance feed with supplemental niacin, natural supplemets and table scraps
• Water– fresh drinking water daily plus a large water source for bathing
• Space– approx. 3-4 square feet of coop space per bird, 10-12 square feet of enclosure space per bird
• Forage– adapt to confinement or free-range but prefer free-range
• Daily Care– droppings must be cleaned up daily in the coop, food and water must always be provided
• Raising Ducklings– require a brooder with supplemental heat, need starter and/or grower feed, must have a water source big enough to bath in, brooder litter needs to be absorbant

Homestead Ducks: Lessons Learned

Here are the first lessons that I learned from raising ducks!

• Hardy– Ducks are hardy! Right from the get go, ducklings love water, which is a big difference when compared to chicks who, if they get so much as a leg wet, they might get chilled and die. Ducklings also seem to be rather resilient when it comes to poultry diseases.
• Water Maintenance– Water maintenance is definitely a challenge with ducks. Even when they are ducklings, ducks need a source of drinking water that they can stick their whole bill/head in to help them clear their nostrils. Keeping water clean and bedding dry was extremely challenging for a newbie duck raiser!
• Different Housing– Ducks require slightly different housing than chickens. They don’t need roosts since many domestic species of ducks can’t fly to roost. Which also means a droppings board can’t be used for droppings management.
• Feeding System– The feeding system used for ducks must be open so that they can fit their bill into the opening to eat. Ducks also need more niacin than chickens to keep them healthy.
• Sex– Sexing chicks is hard, but sexing ducks is even harder! Many times you have to buy straight run ducklings and hope that you get a few females and can get rid of the males. A lot of times you can tell males from females based on their voice and the sex feather on a male is a dead giveaway once he grows it in.

Homestead Guineas

Guinea fowl are totally different from both chickens and ducks! They look like some African bird (which they did originate in Africa) and they are kind of scary and intimidating. However, they are also very funny creatures to watch.

There are several different kinds of guinea fowl, however, the most domesticated one is the helmeted guinea fowl, which comes in several different color varieties. Pearl helmented guidea fowl are the most common variety and the one that I raised.

Guinea fowl are most commonly kept for pest control and predator control. They are great tick eaters and very protective of their territory. In my experience, guinea fowl are only partially domesticated and are very independent birds. Guineas would be great on the homestead to use as guard animals and as a natural pest control.

The Basics:

• Housing– safe & secure coop with roosts, nest boxes, and thick litter, may not use the roosts or the nest boxes
• Feed– gamebird feed or layer feed or flock maintenance feed, natural supplemets and table scraps
• Water– fresh drinking water daily
• Space– as much space as possible
• Forage– prefer free-range
• Daily Care– droppings must be cleaned up daily in the coop, food and water must always be provided
• Raising Keets– require a brooder with supplemental heat, need a high protein starter and/or grower feed

Homestead Guineas: Lessons Learned

These are the lessons I learned when I kept a pair of guinea fowl for the spring and summer!

• Noisey– You have probably heard this before, but guinea fowl are loud! However, they are only loud when they make their alarm calls. When not alarmed they are very quiet and don’t make hardly any noise at all. When alarmed though, they can carry on for quite a while, which is one reason why they are great guard animals.
• Independant– Guineas are very independent and I consider them partially wild. If allowed, they would forage for most of their food, raise their own young, roost in trees at night, and protect their little harem from predators.
• Not Pets– If you want to raise a poultry species for a pet, guineas are not for you. Catching a guinea fowl is like a rodeo show! Oh, and don’t forget to watch out for their powerful wings and feet! Guineas need to be caught by their wings so they don’t try to beat you with them and their legs need to be secured as soon as possible to prevent them from spurring you.
• Disease Resistant– Guinea fowl seem to be fairly resilient to disease. However, they are somewhat cold sensitive since they were an African species of poultry.
• Sexing– It is extremely difficult to tell male guineas from female guineas. The major sex identifiers are their different calls and sometimes the male will have a brighter, bigger helmet.

Homestead Pheasants

Pheasants are a very interesting poultry species to raise! As far as domestication goes, they are border-line wild. There are two common species of pheasants that you can raise, ring-neck pheasants and melanistic mutant pheasants. There are other exotic breeds that you can raise, however, they look more like they should belong in a zoo rather than on the homestead!

Pheasants are mostly raised for meat or for wild release. You can raise pheasants to release for building back up wild populations or for hunting. On the homestead, pheasants are great for adding wildlife diversity to your property or for raising as a meat source.

The Basics:

• Housing– safe & secure coop with roosts and thick litter, enclosure should be low and long with the lower half blocked off the limit viewing outside the pen
• Feed– gamebird feed or layer feed or flock maintenance feed with supplemental protein, natural supplemets and table scraps
• Water– fresh drinking water daily
• Space– as much space as possible
• Forage– confined until old enough for release or butchering
• Daily Care– droppings must be cleaned up daily in the coop, food and water must always be provided
• Raising Chicks– require a brooder with supplemental heat, need a high protein starter and/or grower feed

Homestead Pheasants: Lessons Learned

These are the lessons I learned when I let a broody hen raise three melanistic mutant pheasants with her brood of chicks.

• Not Pets– Pheasants are not pets! They have no desire to be around humans and will not form a bond even when handled.
• Escape Artists- They are escape artists. Any chance a pheasant gets, it will try to run away to the wild. Even baby pheasants will try to slip out of your hands and escape. Lets just say I had a few close calls with trying to catch baby pheasants running around the Farm and in my garage!
• Hardy– Pheasants are hardy. Since they have only been partially domesticated, their genes have not been overly modified and they are able to retain good, healthy traits needed for survival in the wild.
• Low, Long Pens– You may think that pheasants should be raised in a fairly large enclosure. However, it is actually better to raise them in long pens with low coverings while you are letting them mature. Pheasants frighten very easily and if they have too much space to fly up, they will break their necks on impact with the covering or roof. It is actually beneficial to have the bottom half of their pen covered so that they can’t see out and get startled or frightened.
• Cannabals– Pheasants are cannibalistic. When raised in large quantities, they will resort to pecking at each other and fighting. Peepers, or blinders, are often used to block their vision of each other. When I raised only three pheasants, I didn’t have a problem with cannibalism and I released them as soon as they were old enough.

Homestead Pigeons

Pigeons are the only other poultry species, other than chickens, that I have kept for more than a year. Raising pigeons is actually more popular than you would think! These small birds have a long, fascinating history. All of the pigeon species we have today (and there are a lot!) are descendants of a single wild pigeon species.

Domestic pigeons come in all shapes and sizes and are raised for a variety of purposes. Pigeon breeds are categorized according to their purpose: rollers, tumblers, homers, fancy, and meat. Rollers and tumblers are performing pigeon breeds. Homers are used for racing and facny pigeons breeds are simply unique and exotic to look at. Meat pigeons are simply that: raised for pigeon meat, also called squab.

Pigeons are mostly raised as a hobby. Breeding, showing, and racing pigeons is a big deal to those pigeons raisers who participate in them. Pigeon shows can be bigger than chicken shows and there are probably just as many, if not more, pigeon breeders than chicken raisers. If you raise pigeons, you breed pigeons.

On the homestead, raising pigeons for meat would be the most practical purpose for having pigeons on the homestead. However, they are also great conversation starters and fun to watch!

The Basics:

• Housing– safe & secure loft with V-roosts, nest bowls or boxes, and litter along with a large flight pen attached
• Feed– pigeon feed, natural supplemets and table scraps
• Water– fresh drinking water daily
• Space– 27 cubic feet per pair
• Forage– confined or free-flight once loft trained
• Daily Care– droppings can be cleaned up weekly in the loft, food and water must always be provided
• Raising Squabs– best done by an adult pair

Homestead Pigeons: Lessons Learned

Here are the lessons I have learned from keeping my pair of West of England pigeons.

• Raised in Pairs– When raising pigeons, you typically keep pairs: one male and one female. If you breed pigeons, you have several different lofts: one for males, one for females, one for breeding pairs, and one for young pigeons.
• Lofts, not Coops– Pigeons must be kept in lofts. Common components of a loft include V-shaped roosts, nest boxes or bowls, and a flight area. Pigeons can, and will fly, so a flight pen is helpful for letting them exercise their natural abilities.
• Low Maintenance– Pigeons are relatively low maintenance. Their loft can be cleaned once or twice a week, depending on how many birds you have in a certain area. They still need food and water every day, but since they are so small, they don’t go through very much food or water in one day.
• Hardy– Pigeons are very hardy. Cold weather doesn’t seem to bother them very much and they are pretty disease resistant as well.
• Pigeon Food– They do require a different kind of food than chickens or other species of poultry since they are strictly seed eaters. Finding pigeon food can be tricky. I use a pet dove feed that I can find at my local pet store, however, there are also show feeds and performance feeds that serious pigeon breeders invest in.
• More Than a Hobby– If you really want to get into raising pigeons, you have to invest time, money, and be willing to learn and seek out information. Showing pigeons is competitive and breeding them takes time, patience, and lots of knowledge about genetics!

The Right Poultry for Your Homestead

Any type of poultry can be entertaining, endearing, and a joy to raise! Some require a little bit more care than others and each one has its own special need that must be met when you are raising them. I have enjoyed my experiences with each poultry species I have raised so far and I look forward to trying the many more poultry species to come! I may not be an expert in raising all the different poultry, but at least I will learn which ones are the best fit for my homestead.

Do you enjoy raising one species of poultry over another? I would love to hear which one! Or maybe you want to try a new species? If so, what kind?

Stuck on raising chickens like I am? Then make sure you join our modern pioneer newsletter community where I share all my tips and secrets for raising a homestead flock like a modern pioneer!

by Alexa