When I first started there was a "back yard flock" forum that was quite helpful. In addition, my amazing hubby had read (and I have since then) "Pastured Poultry Profits" by Joel Salatin. Not because we had 20 acres and wanted to make $ off our chickens, but because we were looking for info on dealing with small flocks in small spaces. MAR made me a nifty "Chicken tractor". It was perfect for our 3 hens and 2 Indian Runner Ducks. This breed of duck are great layers (up to 300 eggs a year - rivals many chicken breeds). The girls and I would LOVE to have ducks again, as they were great fun; but they would have to be in a protected yard as we have more space than when we started in the subdivision. Neighborhood cats got our ducks at the neighborhood house, and we fight coons, cats, coyote, fox, bobcat and then there is the winged predators now that we have a few acres. Ducks don't go home to roost like my hens. And with the Runners you don't have to have any more water than what they can get their faces in to wash their beaks. While they will swim, and enjoy it, it is not necessary for most ducks - they need to keep their beaks/nostrils clean is all. LOVED my ducks! Just don't want to make easy prey for our predatory friends.
A chicken tractor is GREAT if you don't want them to be fully free range. You can move it every few days and they can have fresh grass and what they can find. Our current coop is a modified "tractor" in that the coop can be moved with our tractor - it is on skids. This saves the unsavory chore of raking out the coop.
We have 4 nest boxes for as many as 20 hens, but they seem to enjoy making an easter egg hunt out of their daily laying since they are free range. We have had a few chicks show up occasionally, as we do have roos. However you don't need roosters for eggs as many folks think.
We have substituted banty chickens for our "entertainment" since we can't do the ducks. The girls will play with the banty chicks so they are people friendly, and we have had several hens that are almost pests because they want to be right where you are when we are outside. "Sophia" one of our first banty hens would ride my shoulder while outside and ride our mini-donkey as well.... not always his idea, but he would tolerate her.
I hope you enjoy your fowl as much as we have!