When asked,"Why are you raising chickens?"

As Foghorn Leghorn used to say, "Naw that thar is what I call a variety son!"

I started out just wanting some fresh eggs and a couple of pets, then i seen a report that was released by the FDA admitting that there is arsenic in the chicken that you buy in the us. I cant bring myself to knowingly feed my children something that contains arsenic so now i raise them for meat and eggs

I've never had anyone ask me why I am raising chickens. Or currently, ducks and geese. I guess people around here know what chickens are for.

People around my town think I'm crazy for raising chickens.

For so long I had begged my parents to let me have a barnyard animal:a pony,a donky,a cow....

Finally my mum told me when I was 16,"If you do your homework on this then maybe we'll try"

Man,I hit the books like nobody's business.

We picked up 6 chicks from a local feed store in April,the cutest little things ever.

When one died the first night I was totally heartbroken,I thought I'd done something wrong.

She was sick from a bird at the store though,it wasn't anything we had done.

The other 5 grew like weeds and were ridiculously funny.

They were in my bedroom for about 10 weeks or so,and had an awesome little ritual in the morning.

Scarlet and Charlotte would jump up on my bed,then sit on my chest until I woke up.

Charlotte would walk all over my legs 'cause that was faster.

Now my chickens are like family to me.All 9 of them!

I started off with my 5 hens,got another roo as a tiny chick,aquired my Silkie roo,then my Silkie hen and her chick.

Having chickens is one of the most rewarding experiances of life,at least I think so.

A couple of years ago, some friends of ours were giving us fresh eggs from their hens. Then they both became sick & eventually some critters got all the the poultry. So, after much research into our zoning laws, I live in the middle of New Orleans, and types of chickens, my DH & I converted an old shed into a coop & I gave up 10 feet of garden for a run. I thought I had settled on RIRs, BRs and EEs, but the feed store only had RIRs. We started out wanting 4, but then upped it to 6 to have enough eggs to share back with our friends, so I got 8, thinking at least 2 of them would perish due to both of us being newbies. Well, all 8 survived, and we now have lots & lots of delicious brown eggs.

When people ask me why we have chickens, I give a 3 part answer: Delicious eggs. Free fertilizer for the garden. Lots & lots of entertainment!

I get that question occasionally, and most folk have their own idea of how I'll answer before I say a word.  Usually, the answers they expect have something to do with self-sufficiency, education, quirkiness or just plain old craziness.  (many folk in my line of work have little to do with animals or the outdoors, unless it involves dogs,cats or a day hike).  The truth is it's a bit of each of those, but mostly it's because I truly feel rewarded when I can care for and tend to animals, then see them thrive. I'm the kid who didn't just have a fish tank...I had 10 of them, and bred fish to sell to local pet stores.  I was the kid who fell in love with tending to and managing a large group of animals and felt rewarded every time the group increased in number.  I was also the kid who tried to increase the numbers of rare fish to help preserve them.  Chickens aren't fish, but in many ways caring for them is the same as my childhood hobby.

None of that is easy to describe to other people, but sometimes they do "get it."  If they don't that's OK.  Besides, the eggs I bring to work usually help them to understand.

Same as w/ Oregon, no one has ever asked me. It's always, "Oh, I wish I could have chickens!" 

I know I won't find 'em on this site, but I'd like to hear from folks who think it's "crazy" to raise birds. I cannot imagine anyone I know thinking that!