Official BYC Poll: Why Do You Have Chickens - Select All That Apply

[Phyrst]

I would say that the reason I originally started keeping chickens was to connect to the past, to re-create a happy childhood experience. My father always liked chickens and kept a small flock while I was growing up. He's the one that taught me about responsibility, compassion and the satisfaction of keeping chickens. He gave me my first chick and I loved it! He's gone now, but today when I watch my flock cavorting across the lawn, I always think of him. Hope that doesn't sound too corny - but it's the honest reason I keep backyard chickens!

 

[omaeve]

Therapy. my husband died jan 3 2013 .and my chickens hatched jan 31 and helped me deal with my grief.

 

[Jonathan w]

I love eggs but hate the way commercial concentration camp chickens are treated

 

[willsussex]

S

i listed that i have them for pets, eggs, bug control, and fertilizer but i really only bought them for eggs and then they became my pets and the fertilizer and bug control are just added bonuses.

 

same

 

[allsummedup]

A mixture of all of those options.

 

[chickendude9]

I like them because its the first easy step to become more self reliant ( but mostly pets and eggs)

 

[mhimmel1]

I really just like chickens.

 

[Triple Willow]

I bred horses for a decade until the recession put me out of business. I always had a few cluckers around for the eggs, though. After the last horse went down the road in 2011, and I was nearly broke and completely disheartened, I needed something to keep me afloat financially. I converted horse barns to henhouses, ordered 100 chicks and called up the local natural foods market, and a year and a half later I have a profitable 300+ hen egg business. The University Ag Extension expert told me that there is no way to be profitable with a small free-range egg operation, but I have proved him wrong. So another purpose for keeping chickens is financial recovery and rebuilding a sense of self-worth.

Very cool! I'm glad you are doing well and proving some "experts" wrong. What breed of chicken do you have? I'm really glad you didn't just give up which is easy to do sometimes. Wishing you the best!

 

[Triple Willow]

Therapy. my husband died jan 3 2013 .and my chickens hatched jan 31 and helped me deal with my grief.

I am so sorry to hear that Omaeve, I just can't imagine. I'm glad you have your chicks to give you some comfort and may God comfort you as only He can.

 

[CandaceID]

It was another way to keep my son busy. It made him feel more responsible, that he had an important role in the family as the hens and our dinner depended on his effort.
I guess both times we've done it, was because we wanted our kids to know how to manage their own food source.
When we raise our hens and gather eggs, we know the work was done with respect and care for the animal and our future environment, as well as care for our own food safety.
For my husband...he enjoyed smoking a cigar while watching "my girls. " He cut back on the cigars but still finds the hens relaxing.