Your neighbor’s roo crowing under your window after he lets them out at 5 am: incitement to murder.

And not all coops are as solid as mine, so keeping them in doesn’t solve it at close quarters. And some roos will crow all night if it strikes their fancy. Maybe while they’re roosting in a tree ten feet from your window.

I’m told there is no “humane way” to stop them doing it. Left unsaid — is there a way that works that is so horrible that grizzled farmers will not describe it to me? I wonder, then I don’t want to know after all.

Why not try those Southdown “babydoll” sheep? They’re cute as they sound, very small, and would wear a Continental clip very stylishly.

Bonus if you can teach them to bark.

Here in the village, pop 1500 (est 1793) we are surrounded by wide open SW Ontario farmland. I love it, our version of Big Sky country. So, keeping chickens is encouraged but no roosters.

I’m thinking of pushing the envelope and getting a couple of lambs this spring to weed and feed my turf. I figure if I clip them like poodles and put boots on their feet, nobody will be any the wiser when I take everybody for a walk.

Fully a third of neighbor Judy’s chicks turned out to be roosters …

I got lucky this year — all 15 of my sexed chicks are the pullets they are supposed to be. I also got the super-secret mystery chick, because it’s fine for me to have a roo way out here. Henery is dandy; Ken sez he looks “like a little pimp” strutting among the ladies.

It’s a good plan, otherwise. I’ve been thinking of doing the same myself — except I want to raise a batch of meat birds (Freedom Rangers, not hideous CornishX Chickie-The-Huts), some ducks, and also get started in Buckeyes, a rare breed that interests me. Not sure I’ll have brooder space early enough in the year to make a go of the pullet-raising sideline.

Selma, go for it.

I wish I had known how easy it was to keep chickens — I’d have had them years ago in the ‘burbs.

If you don’t mind the mess, you could raise Khaki Campbell ducks — they are great egg-layers. But they do need more space and are a lot smellier and dirtier than chickens.

Or I’ve still got three tea cozies for sale.

For cold, you could try to lay hands on rare cold-hardy Canadian Chanteclers (good luck with that!) or I’m told that Orpingtons and Wyandottes do well.

It’s been much colder than normal here, but my barn coop, since it is banked, stays above freezing on all but the coldest nights.

The chooks don’t mind cold, don’t mind wind, don’t mind any but the hardest rain. But snow just appalls them. They run back into the coop and complain loudly to me about this horrible stuff I’ve spread all over the ground, and then they won’t come out until it melts.

I like Rhode Island Reds, they’re pretty. There are also some old-time breeds that are neat and that tolerate cold weather well - a little problem around here.

I thought of pheasants but they are even noisier than chickens, apparently.

I like ducks too, they eat a lot of bugs but the idea of getting eggs is so neat that yes, your plan is definitely advancing!

We can keep fowl here but no roosters for some reason, although my neighbours about 1/4 mile away have one he he he.

Two or three chickens would be great. The heavy breeds (non-banty) don’t fly well, so they’re not likely to get over a six-foot fence. (Mine show little interest in getting over the four-foot one that surrounds the garden area.)

Next year, I’m going to focus on Rhode Island Reds. They’re friendly, easy-going and good producers of lovely large eggs. Highly recommend!

Check out the Backyard Chickens Web site for lots of great info. Oh, I also know where you can get some guinea fowl. ;)

I would make them a nice spot in my huge shed/barn for nesting but otherwise let them wander around eating bugs in the garden.

Will they fly away? My fence is only 6+ feet high.

I really don’t know anything about it except for what I’ve read at My Pet Chicken and through your pieces here.