Ended WINNERS ANNOUNCED - Official BYC Mini Contest #2 - Tell Us Your Best Chicken Story

[sumi]

Winners announced here!

This contest is brought to you by our BYC Sponsors
(click to view & support them)

Pic by Sumi​

If you think back over your time as chicken owner, what event/story stands out for you? What was the funniest, or most heartwarming, or just quite unbelievable thing that happened with you and your chickens? We would like to hear you all's best chicken stories and...

The five best entries will each win a 2018 BYC Other Poultry Types Calendar!

​

How to enter:

Reply to this thread and tell us your best chicken story. We're looking for funny, heartwarming, or out-of-the-ordinary stories and only one per member, so give us your best one!

RULES:

1. All entries must be submitted as a reply to this thread.
2. Only one entry/story per member will be accepted.
3. The five best entries will each win a 2018 BYC Other Poultry Types Calendar
4. Have fun!

We will be accepting entries until Tuesday the 12th of December.


If you would like a calendar, without entering the contest, please see how to purchase one HERE


Also make sure to visit our

BYC Store !!!!​

 

[MissNutmeg]

Ruthy, a beautiful Rhode Island, is now about five and has been all by herself in the midst of a Buff Orpington sea. She originally had five other fellow sisters but they all passed away over the time of only three years leaving her all alone.The Buff Orpingtons don’t enjoy her company at all and enjoy picking on her and kicking her off the perch at night. Ruthy now finds refuge in our warm garage making herself at home on a step (I have a small sign saying "DON'T STEP ON RUTHY!"). If the door was closed she will dutifully walk up to the back deck and patiently wait till we open the back door, and let her in. Then she would waddle through the house and back out onto “her step”.....

~Peeking in the window~ <3

 

[sumi]

 

[ChickenGirl555]

I’m pretty new to chickens, for my first 6 pullets are only just 5 months. So I don’t have many stories, but my most heartwarming is the tale of how my baby Nugget, the buff Orpington, was the first to trust me.

I was just sitting on the grass, watching the pullets free range. Anytime I tried to touch the chickens, they would run away. But one day, my little girl, Nugget, walked to me. I didn’t notice her at first, because I was watching the others. I didn’t realize she was there until she hopped on my lap and sat there. She looked at me, and I started petting her. A few minutes later her friends came over, and Nugget acted all cocky, like she was the best chicken in the world.

And Nugget still is my baby that loves to come to me, and asks to jump in my lap.

 

[KnittingChick3]

We rescued a "wild hen" from the car wash.

My co-worker saw a white chicken roaming around the car wash of our small town one Friday. We watched it off and on all day from where we work. This is the first year raising chickens for both myself and my co-worker, but I said that if I could catch it I'd take it home. Early the next morning, she called me and told my the chicken was still there.
So, my husband and I (in our pajamas) went to town to try and catch this chicken...
Well, I guess we were the talk of the town, running around trying to catch this bird. At one point, there was 4 adults including ourselves, chasing this bird around...
Eventually, we set up a cage with food and my husband sitting in the car 20 feet away holding the other end of the rope attached to the door. We figured she (it was a hen) was hungry after running loose for 2 days with no food and probably not much forage. It took several minutes, but in the cage she went.

Here she is right after we got her home. I think she was only there 5 minutes before she laid an egg.
She's a White Leghorn. Because she's so hard to catch and is more jumpy than my other birds, we named her Fidget. She gets along fine with my other birds and she faithfully lays an egg just about every day. We're glad we adopted her.

Happily eating corn cob, but doesn't want to share. (She's still really hard to catch!)
Here's the post about the Fidget story, with updates, for anyone interested:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-wild-in-small-town-found-a-new-home.1174351/

 

[Allie Grace Sanders]

It was almost dark when we brought home our Buff Orpington cockerel... We were unloading him into his temporary home when I lost my grip and he ran for the ladies. He mingled with them for a second, but then he went into the woods. He was walking and he found a spot lay down on. Turns out the "spot" was full of prickles. He probably jumped 6 feet high and screamed! He ran and squawked for a while before he laid down. We looked for a while before we found him. He was perching on a large log. There were so many prickles! In fact, my hand is all torn up. He let me catch him and bring him home. Now everyone loves everyone, and he sleeps in the coop. Here is a picture if him.

 

[chickencheeper]

We were brooding our 6 pullets in the dining room in an enclosure that was open topped and they were learning to fly so we put boards over the top, but those tricky chickens somehow figured out how to get up onto the sides, so whenever I got home I’d find them all perched on the side of the brooder, though they were all to chicken(bad pun) to leave the brooder. So finally I decided to give them a bit of freedom and brought them to our kitchen table(setup:

they were all just chillin on the table when honey(our troublesome buff Orpington that was the ringleader for the brooder-jumpers:

) decided to fly from the table to the couch were the rest of the fam+dogs were sitting. She landed on top of one of our dogs, luckily the one who wants no part of the chickens(see here being a scaredy-dog the day the chicks first came home and were on the floor in the family room hiding behind mom:

and he just looked at her surprised and luckily he just froze cause he was scared of this tiny chick that had just landed on him, I promptly snatched her away and put them all back in the brooder.

 

[RonP]

Several have asked about my avatar, so here I will share a story about how a close encounter with an adversary, changed an enduring battle against Mother Nature and her combatants.

We all know keeping a backyard flock alive is a primary objective. Food, water, and shelter, is the mantra. Food and water, straightforward, lots of information available, do a quick search, fill in your blanks. You will know what will work for your flock.

Shelter, well here we have many options. You must design a shelter to protect your flock from the elements, INCLUDING PREDATORS.

Indoor shelters, proper ventilation, size, manure management, predator proof, uncomplicated.

Outdoor shelters, an entirely diverse situation.

45 years ago, I built my first outdoor run using chicken wire. I was in high school and knew everything about everything. I hatched out 21 birds! I built a box and an outdoor run. Everyone knew chicken wire was the right material to use… I continuously lost birds due to neighborhood dogs, raccoons, opossums, fox, and I have no idea what else… My air rifle was by my side, I was determined to eliminate anything that disturbed the sanctity of my flock. There were many casualties on both sides …until I had no chickens remaining, and admitted defeat.

Fast forward about 15 years, I moved into a new to me "country home" when my oldest was just shy of 6. A good friend decided that every 6 year old needs a pet, and a great learning experience would be hatching and raising chickens. So he shows up on my 6 year olds birthday, with an incubator and 2 dozen eggs. She diligently turns each egg carefully twice a day for the required time period. I candle the eggs at the appropriate time interval, to see if indeed they are fertile.

I see nothing!!!

In a panic, I order 2 dozen chicks from a hatchery to arrive the day before the chicks are due to hatch.

I have a plan...

I place the chicks in the incubator with the unhatched eggs for warmth that evening.

My daughter wakes me up the next morning screaming with excitement!

She wants an explanation as to how we hatched 40 chicks from just 24 eggs!!

I now have 40 chicks, housed in a spare bedroom. I needed to build an outdoor coop and run, fast…

I purchase a prefab plastic shed and a chain link dog run. All set… Little did I know I was once again setting myself up for failure… I will not get into the details, but you can probably fill in the gory and the consequent battles against the natural predators.

Casualties on both sides, until no chickens remained… I was defeated once again.

About 13 years ago my son remembering the chickens from the previous home, decides chickens should be a part of our family once again.

We had an old shed already on property, just needed some repairs…

Okay, we will do this together. I design the repairs, he will do the labor, supervised. We agree.

We rebuild the shed, fairly simple, now what about the run? I know chicken wire is useless and I know chain link fencing will not stop prying little hands or tunneling varmints. I settle on inexpensive 2x3 fencing, and surround the run on all sides, top, and 2-foot skirt. Satisfied on security, we add birds.

The onslaught of attacks were brutal. Every predator within miles must have seen this structure as an invitation for an easy meal. My defenses held them back, until… My little bantam rooster, barely larger than a Jersey mosquito, but with the heart of a lion, attacked a raccoon trying to gain entry through the fence.

I was devastated… I started a trapping campaign determined to eliminate all who dared enter my zone.

This continued for several years. One of my greatest battles against nature, until this one morning I found a fox kit in one of my traps. While relocation of predators was not my routine, I just could not bear to eliminate this future enemy. Too cute with adoring eyes…

Just a baby. I held him captive till I reinforced my run making him no longer a threat nor my enemy.

He ended my war.

He inspired me to create the strongest defense imaginable. Half inch hardware cloth supported by 2x6 lumber… A 200 pound dog would not breach this run.

It took about 2 weeks for my reinforcements to be completed, all while my captive enjoyed free meals and medical attention, he had fleas, tics, and worms.

He was released with a clean bill of health, and a belly full of my dogs food, lamb, not chicken! He returned often, as he became good friends with my dog. He was absolutely a beautiful animal. If I had a proper setup I would have kept him longer. I was too afraid he would lose all his wild instincts and it wouldn't have been just. As it was, he was not afraid of me holding him. Kept him for 3 weeks total and was sad to let him free, but the run was secured.

Because of him, I have a run as secure as my coop.

Many fault predators for being what they are. Wild animals following instinct for survival. I made him very comfortable while he was in my care. I did not want him to lose his instincts for survival, and was very happy to see him weeks later still playing with my dog, trying but not eating his food or my chickens.

This little creature taught me a life lesson about compassion. About how a strong defense is often your best offence, especially when dealing with a battle you will never win. Moreover, about sleeping with both eyes closed, and knowing I did beyond to protect my flock.

Almost every day, with his picture, I am reminded and somewhat remorseful for my wasted time and life. For this I will be forever in his debt, and he will remain my avatar indefinitely.

 

[SueT]

This is based on real events involving my RIR Rosy. I put it together as a story for my granddaughter. Rosy died this past year. (She will be remembered as a bossy tyrant...lol.)

Okay, maybe the events were slightly more haphazard than the story indicates, but there really was a volunteer tomato plant in the run, as you see in the pics, and Rosy really did get the first tomato. (She got the first of everything....)

 

[Age-of-Goositude]

View attachment 1202472 I want to tell you about one in particular of one of the birds I adopted. This bird I adopted through roostersanctuary.com they are located in Colorado and they drove all the way here to Washington to bring these boys to me. Marcello he bonded to me right away but it's Caspain (pictured) who I want to tell you about. It's no story in particular but it's his story since he has been here. When I met them I had kennels ready with their own plush dog beds and blankets and glass dishes and toys. I let him in and he started crowing, he pecked at the toys a little, had his dinner and slept in that bed. Every morning I would have to reach in and pull each of the boys out and let them outside in separate areas, quarantined, every morning he would flog me, every time my fingers made for the kennel he would bite, and grab ahold of my fingers or my arm. Eventually I tried to integrate them. Caspian and Marcello don't get along but I thought hey maybe one could be a part of the flock one day and inside the next day. Marcello got right into it, he was the top rooster and took to joining greatly. He could finally experience what it was to be a chicken. Caspian on the other hand was okay for a while but I noticed something both heartbreaking and intriguing. He didn't fight and of course you don't want your roosters fighting but there is a pecking order and if you want a rank you have to stand up for yourself. I did find out he didn't like fighting the hard way, for being empty headed and not thinking it all the way through. He ended up scalped(Marcello was not outside during the time and had nothing to do with it by the way /I never leave these two in each others sight) Caspain ended up going to the vet and sleeping with me every night. His eyes swollen shut. His head was cleaned twice a day and he was given antibiotics to prevent infection. He changed, he became more cuddly and reliant on my hands directing him where food and water was and a comfortable place to sleep in the evening. Eventually he got better and I noticed there was a hen who wouldn't leave him alone so he ended up being separated with her. When he was without her he continued to flog me but with her she seemed to help his anxiety and PTSD, he still was biting very hard. We ended up moving around a little, the whole flock with us of course, I'm not going to mention the issue but we ended up moving three times and ended up back where I am now but during that time Caspian has come to know and love us. He takes great care of his girl and is extremely picky on who joins his flock. I would never let another rooster join him but for a while he was daddy to a young black copper maran cockerel I was given with a deformed foot and he also allowed a white leghorn and now most recently a mixed hen to join his ranks. He just got a beautiful coop I painted turquoise. I'm currently making a predator proof run for him. He does not flog or bite anymore and he sings almost all day long. He still is quite skittish but has made so much progress over just this year I am so damn proud of how well he is doing and I wanted to share his story for a few reasons, but mostly to show that aggressive boys can be rehabilitated and roosters are wonderful and if you're out there and want to adopt an ex fighter, contact some sanctuaries because these boys need out, they need to have the life they deserve and to experience being a chicken.