Wow. A garden of dreams. But a chicken? Don't they scratch all over the place? I'd be afraid that they would destroy plants. They'd be a great source of fertilizer, though.:)

Guinea hen would be better. They eat the bad bugs and don't destroy plants nearly as badly as chickens. They are also great at getting rid of ticks if you happen to have them in your yard.

I have had both.

Both will scratch for bugs, but yes, chickens can be worse.

I lost all of my guineas. They were so cute, but are not truely domesticated like chickens. Guineas eat hard shelled bugs, including ticks and fleas (which is good), but they will also gobble up seeds and all the beneficial pollinators, including all bees, honeybees, butterflies and hummingbird moths (which is very bad). They lay their eggs on the ground and prefer to make their nests out in the wilds somewhere...not safe. The females rule.

I still have my chickens.
Chickens eat all kinds of soft insects, mice, snakes. weeds and seeds. They will munch on your ripe tomatoes and eat strawberries, too. The are also very cute, but you have to keep them out of there unless you are watching them.

Hens are good.
Roosters rule in the chicken world, but are not necessary for egg production and unless you want to raise fowl for meat, don't get any roosters. Trust me.

Anybody want a rooster, or two, or three? I'll gladly give you mine!

I will be buying more pullets this spring - certified female chicks only. I love my girls.

That's my two cents worth.
~Annie

If you have space, get a peacock! Now THAT would be a dramatic focal point for your garden!

If you are going to get a chicken though, get a fancy one! I'm particularly fond of the large Blue Cochins.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fancy Chickens