Can people who never touched a chicken raise chickens!?

[CathyB]

chcknrs - I know, it will give me someting to look towards for next spring. New babies!

 

[Portia]

We were going to have only 6-8 and here we are with 15...and TSC and the local feed store have chicks coming in early May...

 

[Crunchie]

20 acres? Oh, you need more than 12 chickens. You need an incubator...

mmmwwwuuuuhaahahaaaaahaa <---- that's my evil we'vesuckedanotheronein cackle.

Seriously,

I can't tell you what great enablers...um resources the folks on this forum have been!! You will be great at this, you've got all the help you need right here.

I didn't have any experience with chickens (though I've lived on a farm forever and have a plethora of other animals) when we got our first birds--4 hatchery hens from a friend who had extras to sell. I still have two of those hens and they are still faithful layers! We now breed Polish and Marans, and have 2 incubators (and yes, they are both cookin'!), brooders, several breeding pens, and are in the process of converting an extra, unused stall off of one end of our horse barn into a large breeding coop for a large flock of Marans. I hope to have birds from my Polish lines in condition to show later this year. I have a MD permit to sell hatching eggs, live birds, and operate a hatchery...and it all started with a few hens we got just to provide us with eggs.

 

[LynneP]

I was a teen the last time I worked with my cousin John and his 4-H hens and now I'm...um...retired. So it feels new- I have 12 ordered from the local co-op for May 16. This is a great site, it's vast and helpful...I'm sure you'll find what you need.

 

[Kristib2pea]

Add me to the list of never touched a chicken, but totally obsessed with them. It's a little sad, my husband will want to watch a movie at night and I would rather look at chicken coops online, LOL!!

 

[kodiakchicken]

I'm new to chickens too. I've been around them (never owend any) and never really like them then a friend asked if I wanted to go in on her order. It's all started with trying to be more self-sustaining. So, I told her I'd order 4. I ended up ordering six plus three ducks to boot! They'll be here next Tuesday and I can't wait! I've been exhausted everyday because I'm up until all hours of the night reading this forum and anything else I can get my hands on about raising chickens and ducks.

We only have a half acre outside town. I was just going to build a 6x8 pen - GULP - guess I'd better start planning bigger. My husband can already tell it's an addiction and they are not even here!!!!!

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I've been exhausted everyday because I'm up until all hours of the night reading this forum and anything else I can get my hands on about raising chickens and ducks.

ME TOO! LOL What is wrong with us?? I am still crying to hubby to get me an incubator

He's still saying no!​

 

[SpottedCrow]

Before my son's class hatched chicks for the science class, I thought chickens came in nice little packages for a dollar something a pound...
But when we got to take some home for the weekend, and Tom and Jerry peeped and cried, until I picked them up...then they fell asleep on my shoulder in a chicken pile...You remember the story of the Grinch and how his heart grew 3 sizes...that was me...you would've had to pry my fingers off them...DH didn't talk to me for a week...
It's almost 5 years and I can't picture myself without them...There will be some good times and some bad times...this is all part of the hobby...

 

[Radine]

I'm a noobie, too. My BF's been supportive to a point. Sometimes he complains that I'm obsessive, though, so I'm trying to calm down some.

I found out that my Cackle order wont arrive till May 30th, so that took alot of "wind out of my sails" I'm only using a 5x7 foot section of our shed for the coop, right now. But I'm hoping he'll catch the bug once they're here and maybe we can expand next year. And he thinks I planned on a rooster because "I didn't know you didn't need one to get the hens to lay eggs". shhh, that's are secret

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I'm a noobie, too. My BF's been supportive to a point. Sometimes he complains that I'm obsessive, though, so I'm trying to calm down some.wee I found out that my Cackle order wont arrive till May 30th, so that took alot of "wind out of my sails" I'm only using a 5x7 foot section of our shed for the coop, right now. But I'm hoping he'll catch the bug once they're here and maybe we can expand next year. And he thinks I planned on a rooster because "I didn't know you didn't need one to get the hens to lay eggs". shhh, that's are secret wink

My hubby is excited about us getting our order on May 23! If he wasn't as excited about I would be sad because I want it to be a family project. I hope your BF comes around...have him start reading this forum! It's addictive! He will want all sorts of chickens then lol. Can't wait to see your chickens​