My first experience with chickens was about 12 years ago, when my daughter was around 15. She got 4 chickens from a friend whose landlord said they had to go. We had no pen for them. I converted the playhouse I had built for her when she was 3 into a coop. We had a yard full of raccoon, possums, fox and even a coyote or 2. Needless to say, those chickens disappeared 1 at a time.
So, she decided to get babies. We built a run for them. They lived in a dog crate in my living room until they feathered out. Then they went outside. In all honesty, I really do not remember what happened to them.
Fast forward a few years. I get married, and the new hubby wants chickens. I do not want chickens. New hubby gets chickens. The babies lived in my living room.
I thought they were cute, but I didn't like them. I made him put them outside when they weren't even fully feathered. About a month later, a raccoon got into the run and within minutes 9 of 12 were killed.
So, hubby got more babies. They lived in my living room. I still thought they were cute, but did not like them. He had also gotten 2 ducks( named Cheese and Quackers). But I still didn't like them.
I was a little afraid of the chickens. I was very afraid of the rooster. I didn't like chickens.
At some point, one of the girls hatched out 4 little babies.
And 2 duck babies hatched ( peanutbutter and jelly). The other chickens were pecking at the babies, so we brought them in. They lived in my living room. I still thought they were cute, but I still did not like them.
We ended up with a few extra roosters, and Quackers was really beating up on the chickens trying his best to mate them, so we put up an ad in the feed store, and a nice young couple took the 2 roosters and Cheese and Quackers.
Then we had a coop fire, in the middle of a very freezing cold January. With the coop having burned to the ground, we had no place to house the survivors. So we put an ad in the feed store, and guess who responded? Yup, the ones who had taken the roosters. It was a good feeling, they obviously liked the roosters and ducks so much they wanted more. And the whole family was all together again. They brought a picture along- Cheese and Quackers had a little baby!!
I was perfectly happy being chickenless. Remember, I don't like chickens. Fast forward 4 years, and we get a call from the daughter. She had a dozen chickens, and someone had little ones he needed to get rid of. So, she decided to give 4 to me. The hubby was excited. I was not. He threw together a coop ( don't ever do that-think it through, and make sure you listen to people here- build it bigger. Trust me, you'll need it). So, along came the Ladies.
I went into their run every day after work and sat wth them for a little while. They got used to me, and would jump on my shoulder. Since I was sitting out there watching them, I liked them a little more than I had the other chickens. ( But I still didn't like chickens)
I was happy enough with 4. But hubby wanted little itty bitty babies. I didn't want itty bitty babies. He got itty bitty babies. Somehow, it was me who built the brooder box when they outgrew the rubbermaid container at 3 days old. Eventually, it was me who built them a temporary run so they could have time outside. Then it was me who advertised on freecycle for lumber when unemployment and no money made it difficult to buy lumber to get the itty bitty babies out of the shed.
So, anyway, we found this site, and all these enablers, with great stories of chickens, and pictures, and enablers. And I spent alot of time watching Chicken TV. My neighbors got involved in the chicken enthusiasm. And then, the rooster got killed. And the hatching bug started. First I hatched out his babies. Then I hatched out some Texas babies.(not a successful hatch). THEN.. I wandered into the 24 hour auction thread. Since I had an incubator.... I got me some Cukoo Marans, Silkies, and Frizzles.
So, she decided to get babies. We built a run for them. They lived in a dog crate in my living room until they feathered out. Then they went outside. In all honesty, I really do not remember what happened to them.
Fast forward a few years. I get married, and the new hubby wants chickens. I do not want chickens. New hubby gets chickens. The babies lived in my living room.
So, hubby got more babies. They lived in my living room. I still thought they were cute, but did not like them. He had also gotten 2 ducks( named Cheese and Quackers). But I still didn't like them.
I was a little afraid of the chickens. I was very afraid of the rooster. I didn't like chickens.
At some point, one of the girls hatched out 4 little babies.
And 2 duck babies hatched ( peanutbutter and jelly). The other chickens were pecking at the babies, so we brought them in. They lived in my living room. I still thought they were cute, but I still did not like them.
We ended up with a few extra roosters, and Quackers was really beating up on the chickens trying his best to mate them, so we put up an ad in the feed store, and a nice young couple took the 2 roosters and Cheese and Quackers.
Then we had a coop fire, in the middle of a very freezing cold January. With the coop having burned to the ground, we had no place to house the survivors. So we put an ad in the feed store, and guess who responded? Yup, the ones who had taken the roosters. It was a good feeling, they obviously liked the roosters and ducks so much they wanted more. And the whole family was all together again. They brought a picture along- Cheese and Quackers had a little baby!!
I was perfectly happy being chickenless. Remember, I don't like chickens. Fast forward 4 years, and we get a call from the daughter. She had a dozen chickens, and someone had little ones he needed to get rid of. So, she decided to give 4 to me. The hubby was excited. I was not. He threw together a coop ( don't ever do that-think it through, and make sure you listen to people here- build it bigger. Trust me, you'll need it). So, along came the Ladies.
I went into their run every day after work and sat wth them for a little while. They got used to me, and would jump on my shoulder. Since I was sitting out there watching them, I liked them a little more than I had the other chickens. ( But I still didn't like chickens)
I was happy enough with 4. But hubby wanted little itty bitty babies. I didn't want itty bitty babies. He got itty bitty babies. Somehow, it was me who built the brooder box when they outgrew the rubbermaid container at 3 days old. Eventually, it was me who built them a temporary run so they could have time outside. Then it was me who advertised on freecycle for lumber when unemployment and no money made it difficult to buy lumber to get the itty bitty babies out of the shed.
So, anyway, we found this site, and all these enablers, with great stories of chickens, and pictures, and enablers. And I spent alot of time watching Chicken TV. My neighbors got involved in the chicken enthusiasm. And then, the rooster got killed. And the hatching bug started. First I hatched out his babies. Then I hatched out some Texas babies.(not a successful hatch). THEN.. I wandered into the 24 hour auction thread. Since I had an incubator.... I got me some Cukoo Marans, Silkies, and Frizzles.
Oh, I LIKE CHICKENS!!!
