Raising backyard farm birds?

A rooster is not needed to have chickens lay eggs. If you have one the eggs will look and taste the same as you need a microsope to see if they are fertilized. He will however need to eat and if it is only eggs you desire you could raise males with the hens and have great roasted chickens. Given enough space you could keep a rooster and up to 20 hens as breeders for your laying hens and the males for food. i have seen that a rooster can service 25 hens. He will like to with them.

Answer

1. I think it is easier and cheaper to breed and hatch your own. Most places require that you buy large quantity of chicks when they sell them and some breeders have their chicks overpriced, plus even though they say they are hens there is a huge chance of one or more being a rooster. Plus you can breed the chicken breeds you want.

2. The rooster would not need to be seperated and it is likely that some may be fertilized but if you gather every morning and put them straight in the fridge they are just like any other egg. If you plan to hatch these eggs do not expose them to cold and they can sit on your counter for up to 5-10 days before you decide to incubate them.

3. There is really no ratio necessary its just if you have a large ratio of hens and one roo it is not as likely to always have a fertile egg. You don't want to keep roosters together, they will fight and sometimes to the death.

4. He would be okay alone but Im sure he would appreciate a companion.

On a side note: Roosters can be mean so I would suggest raising your own. They are just like many other animals, if you handle it often and spend time with it he is likely to be a very sweet rooster. If you don't he can very well become aggresive. All the roosters I have raised are very sweet and most of the time my favorites among all the chickens. Also, there are different breeds of chickens that are more docile vs. others that are not. For example Amearucans can be challenging but Orpingtons or Brahmas are generally a very docile breed.

Chickens: I'd recommend no rooster. He is noisy, protective, will not leave those poor ladies alone. They will lay without a rooster, they only need to be fed "layer pellets" Some roosters have been known to be mean, and can seriously hurt if they are in the mood to attack. I have only raised chickens for eggs, not meat. I'd not want to give bad information. Chickens love to be out and about. A secure pen and coop are required, but now and then let them out into the yard, they will chase bugs, dig in dirt, sit on fences, and go home to the coop at night. Lock them in to protect from predation, mink, raccoon, fox, hawks. I've always loved the quiet company of them. On average I keep 6, and have more eggs than I can deal with, many are given away. They are the best eggs anywhere, because they are happy chickens.

Ducks: Same as chickens, some breeds are better layers than chickens. They would love to have a pond, but not always required. If there is a pond, it will require regular cleaning, unless you have a pump/filter system. You could give them a child size swimming pool for summer, and take it away in winter. (easy to dump out and refill) Always ensure they have a way in and out, rocks, a ramp. Young ducklings without parents have not developed an oil gland, and can become water logged, and drown. Preening is essential for their feathers to be aligned for water proofing.

Geese: The best watch dog in the neighbourhood! A great warning system for intruders from any avenue, even the air. Easy to keep, very hearty, even in the coldest of weather, a few bales of straw or hay can be enough protection.

All these birds can live together. I once had a male muscovey duck, a female rhode island red chicken, and a Khaki Campbell duck all live happily together. They were never very far apart, free ranging, or in their pen.

Annie has good advice. I would however separate the water fowl from the chickens. It was my experience that the water fowl made a mess with the water and had wetter poo. It would generate a cleaning nightmare with the hens. I kept them in the same location but with a separate pen and yard, I would allow them out all together to free range. Geese live a very long time and need a dry house to sleep in. I kept the water out of the building to not encourage wetness in side. The ducks lived with the geese. Have fun I have enjoyed my birds for over 30 yrs.