Big question, why did all of you new chicken owners get chickens?

[birdicus7]

I got back into chickens in the last year after not having any since high school....I'm now 42! I wanted to give my 6 year old son the farm life experience I enjoyed as a kid. Plus I wanted him to learn responsibility and caring for something that depends on you. Chickens are perfect for that. And I get eggs in return. He gets to keep any money left over from egg sales once feed is paid for. Lessons abound...

 

[Autumnchicken]

We got our first chickens 9 weeks ago. We wanted healthier eggs and meat. Being more self-suffient is a plus. My grandsons love helping and playing with the chicks. I love watching them too, it is very relaxing and funny. Next spring I'm ordering 50 meaties and 10 turkeys! I can't wait!

 

[KBChicks]

I was pretty out of control as a teen so my Mum shipped me off to Idaho to live with my uncle on his farm to teach me some responsibility.
It was the best thing she could have ever done for me....I was in charge of the chickens.
Now 40 years later....I'm STILL in charge of the chickens....except on my own little baby farm with the hubster.
Thanks Mum!

 

[ambabya]

I love animals but live in town so I'm limited to what I can have here. Love to watch the chickens and my kids are crazy about gathering eggs and helping with the chores. We also wanted better quality eggs.

 

[trunkman]

Wow, all great responses, I bought my first flock in January and love the fresh eggs and love to watch all the personalities, I'll never be without chickens again even if they don't pay for themselves, they are now pets with extra benefits, eggs!!

 

[can you hear me now?]

Quote:
same here. Not really new at it but I got chickens and a pig shortly after we bought 6 acres.

 

[trunkman]

I also love going to collect eggs every day, it's like a new adventure every day!

It never gets old!

 

[bburn]

I have always loves chickens.....to decorate with. Have collected them for years. They are everywhere in my kitchen. But I have never lived anywhere that was not on a 'block'. Four years ago I remarried after 20 years being divorced...I know...what was I thinking?

Now I live out in the country, up on a little mountain and I love it. There was an old dog run out back that I have talked about putting quail in because there seems to be a real shortage of quail here. We talked casually about chickens a few times and drove to the chicken swap several times and talked to the folks there. Then one weekend in the spring my husband said he was thinking about driving up to Atwoods in Clarksville to look at the baby chicks. We brought home 30.....and no brooder. We set them up in a cardboard box and looked round for something to put them in. Ended up with the liner for a pick up truck that was in the woods out back.

Fast forward and this week I have gotten at least a dozen eggs every day. We don't have as many chickens because we bought straight run and had to finally get realistic and send some to freezer camp. Now I have 19...a BO and his flock and a BR and his future flock in quarantine, one big coop and run, a second run with a temp coop and a new coop by next weekend. In time for the girls to be coming out of quarantine.

I can spend hours out there watching them peck. There is joy in coming around the corner and the BR seeing me first as always and starting to chatter...I believe he is telling everyone that I am on my way. Then the whole bunch start chattering. I love the eggs....a little gift each one.

I do believe that we all need to get more self sufficient. We also have two hogs we are growing out. One to take to the packing house and one to have bred. We are working on clearing out the woods behind the house and plan on goats or mini cattle.

Those who ask how can you eat your pets I say because I know where they have been, how they were raised and what they were fed. I can it seems eat them. But first I want them to have a great life.

I am in my late 50's and I love having chickens in my life. Even at 430 in the morning when the rooster that is 20 feet from by bedroom window starts to crow....is there a better sign that you are in the country than a rooster crowing? I don't think so.
And thank goodness for BYC and the wonderful people here who answer countless questions, over and over and help us understand how to take care of the animals that we have grown to love.

 

[trunkman]

Quote:
AMEN!!

 

[Qi Chicken]

You know I just really like chickens. I don't know why. I liked chickens before I had chickens. ...and relieved to find out that I LOVE chickens now that have them. I really just find them so endearing, and their communication/society is pretty complex. You can have 25 chickens and see how they all interact. It is much more expensive and you need a lot more land to have a flock of horses or something.

Another thing that interested me in chickens specifically was reading about the gradual extinction of so many of our domesticated animals. Due to changes in the nature of farming. Where before there were many varieties of chickens scattering the farms now there are 10 million cornish crosses in a huge complex and hardly any on the farms. We have a 10 million chicken unit not far from us. I think it's 10 mill. maybe it's only 5, I don't know, a LOT of poor chickens. In terrible conditions which is another good reason if you need one.

Anyway. To really propagate a breed you can't beat the chicken. They lay an egg almost every day and it takes less than a month to hatch a chick. Pretty quick turnaround. I would really like to get involved in some of the really rare breeds. I really love chickens.

and eggs are fun!