Hi everyone! I've had chickens for about a year now, and completely on accident at first. I kept a pair of ducks as pets, and they did wonders for the tick population around my house. About a year into having them, a hen randomly showed up. She was from the neighbor's flock, I'm sure, and the poor thing was feathers and bone. I let her into the duck pen and sprinkled down a bit of food, which she promptly gobbled up. After that, she decided she was staying. We put a roost in the duck house, and there she stayed. After a while, three more hens and a very aggressive rooster moved in, also from the neighbor's flock. I found out why they were all moving over when I saw the neighbor one day and asked if she cared that her chickens had moved in. She told us they didn't want them anymore, and so decided to just stop feeding them 
So the poor birds starved, until they realized I was throwing down food for the ducks, and literally came running to eat it.
Well, I took care of them for about a year, during which time one duck disappeared, then the other, and then he came back with a pekin male from wherever he went. At this time, the same neighbors that ditched their chickens got a pit bull, trained it to be vicious, and let it roam free, at which point it slaughtered three of my hens and my pekin duck
So, we got THAT nipped in the bud by way of the local agency that controls pets. It would also go after small children, so I feel no guilt about it. The aggressive rooster was rehomed with people who want to work with him and have a huge harem of hens for him, and I bought two pekin ducklings, who will be six weeks old tomorrow (pictured in my avatar at about a week old), bought a silkie hen, adopted a blind ameraucana from a very nice woman who had no pen and was worried about foxes, and bought two light brahma chicks, who are playing on my keyboard as I type this
So, in short, I have a red star named Pumpkin, a silkie and an Ameraucana who I got two days ago and need names, and two light brahmas, Apple and Cider. I also have a rouen drake, Charm (he was supposed to be female) and two pekin ducklings, Peanut and Almond. I have house pets, too, but this post is long enough
So the poor birds starved, until they realized I was throwing down food for the ducks, and literally came running to eat it.Well, I took care of them for about a year, during which time one duck disappeared, then the other, and then he came back with a pekin male from wherever he went. At this time, the same neighbors that ditched their chickens got a pit bull, trained it to be vicious, and let it roam free, at which point it slaughtered three of my hens and my pekin duck
So, we got THAT nipped in the bud by way of the local agency that controls pets. It would also go after small children, so I feel no guilt about it. The aggressive rooster was rehomed with people who want to work with him and have a huge harem of hens for him, and I bought two pekin ducklings, who will be six weeks old tomorrow (pictured in my avatar at about a week old), bought a silkie hen, adopted a blind ameraucana from a very nice woman who had no pen and was worried about foxes, and bought two light brahma chicks, who are playing on my keyboard as I type this
So, in short, I have a red star named Pumpkin, a silkie and an Ameraucana who I got two days ago and need names, and two light brahmas, Apple and Cider. I also have a rouen drake, Charm (he was supposed to be female) and two pekin ducklings, Peanut and Almond. I have house pets, too, but this post is long enough
Doesn't take but once! 
