Holy Heck, What Happened????????????

[Jloeffler]

Quote:
I am a firm believer that our loved ones stay with us even when they are gone. And though that may sound wacky to some, that being said, who do you think helped you make the decision to adopt your cute little balls of feathers? It could be cosmic karma, but I like to believe differently! I'd say your dad knows how you feel!

Oh, and the dh has been helping start to build my own incubator! LOL

 

[surgerynut]

Jim, I definitely know what you mean. I find myself spending every spare minute with these intriguing animals, spending hours outside in 100+ degree weather just to amuse myself with their wonderful antics. I started "collecting" chickens in March of this year, thinking I was going to have 8-10 hens. Now I'm up to 40 chickens, 10 ducks, 2 geese, 2 turkeys and 2 goats. At this rate, I'll be able to open a zoo by next spring. When I lose a chicken, my family begins to perspire because they know from recent experience that I will replace it with 4 more. Chicken math. I love my chickens!

 

[tmasker]

So I came home from teaching all day in late Feb. to tell my husband about a friend who built an "A" frame chicken coop and is raising chickens in his backyard. I put in my order for 2 1/2 dozen fresh eggs right away! What a surprise to find the array of white, brown, and green eggs in the carton. My husband was amazed of the taste of the eggs and we continued to enjoy the fresh eggs. One day in March my husband said we have an acre zoned for agriculture that had small chicken coops in the back corner when we bought it. He thought we should raise our own fresh eggs. I forgot to mention he had one hip replaced in mid March and started planning and building the coop as soon as he was walking again. The night before the other hip replacement, he was putting the finishing touch on the coop to secure it for the arrival of our girls. The day after his second hip replacement surgery my son and I loaded up the cage and headed to the local Farmer's Market. We were met with all sorts of confusing facts and types of chickens so I had our friend join us to sort out all the information. We purchased one very younglabused Cochin (Dusty) and two bantas who were suppose to be hens.. but what did I know? (Cinnamon and Nutmeg) Nutmeg ended up being a roo so he went to a family looking to breed. We found two very young Rhode Island Red (Laverne & Shirley) who looked very healthy and promised to produce a faithful amount of eggs in the future. As we were heading out of the market I mentioned we had five chickens but none were laying eggs. My son saw a big old Rhode Island Hen (Momma) being loaded into a pickup truck and inquired about her. She was heading for the stew pot since she was at the end of her laying abilities. She was still laying eggs so we bought her to give her a chance at a new home.

At home we readied the coop with food and water paying careful attention to raking up any construction debris that could hurt our new friends. Manned with a video camera to record the homecoming, we released the six chickens into their new home. We spent the next two hours watching and admiring our new ladies while talking to my husband on the phone in the hospital. We took the video his hospital bed to show him on his laptop. Instant LOVE!

As soon as my husband was released, we drove around to the coop to see our new girls. As he recovered the next eight weeks, sitting outside by the chickens feeding them freeze dried meal worms. He couldn't wait for me to come home to show me their new tricks such as jumping for the worms or eating them out of his hand.

Mother's Day we purchased our Polish Chicken (Polly, who has been ill, but getting better

and had since added three Americana Chickens for green eggs (Goldie, Carmella, & Autumn). the latest addition was two cutie, white 3 month old frizzles (Marshmellow and Snowflake) Yes, we have been bit by the chicken addiction!

Just today we purchased two white silkies to add to the family. Chicken Math!! We have spent all summer enjoying them.

Oh and I failed to mention we had to add a second coop to the first one to accommodate Polly, Marshmellow, and Snowflake because the others pick on them.

Only chicken folks can understand the love and entertainment we get from our feathered friends.

 

[Chick1043]

Haha! I know what you mean, Jim! We had 4 chickens and some how it became my responsibility to feed, water, etc. I hated those birds SO BAD!! So one day I asked my dad if I could get a couple chicks well it ends up I have six chickens and love them sooo much!! Planning on hatching some too!

 

[nomoq]

Thanks everybody for the awesome responses..........Pics were asked for so here goes:

Not the best pics but they will do for now....

Jim

 

[Endur50]

I love it.

I am a country girl, my husband a city boy. Throughout the last few years he's tolerated the horses, tolerated the muddy boots in the house, tolerated his wife driving a truck when he has a civic. etc etc. He's good natured and supportive, it's just not his thing. He was of the opinion that country living is for bumpkins. Then we planted a garden and he got into it. Then we got chickens and he's hooked. He now goes to flock swaps by him self when I work the weekends. The chickens get their waterer hand scrubbed out every other day. When we're at work parties, he always tells everyone about his chickens.

We're now looking for land to buy for when he gets out of the army in a few more years. The current land we are looking at has a huge barn already on it. His first words were "cool, we can have tons of chickens".

We finally have something in common!!

 

[StrayMagnet]

This is a awsome story jim, It's always the big tough guys that are Secretly lovable teddy bears underneath all the "Tough" skin.

I'm a softy for Most Animals.. and I am a Every bit my screen name.. "Stray magnet". Lots of ppl here know my story. but not sure if you do.

When hubby called me one afternoon To ask me "do you want chicken". I was confused. I was taking my mother home. and Planning on stopping at a chinese resturant near her wich serves awsome Seasme chicken. and He hates chinese food. so im like "ummm did you decide you want some" hes like no.. "do you want a LIVE chicken"
at this point he's laughing. and Im thinking.. "is someone at the house offering us a chicken?" now I have joked with him that we should get some chickens.. for fresh eggs. and cute baby chicks. and we could make a little extra cash on the side this way..

Well He is laughin and said "no" but we have a chicken in the front yard that wont leave. I had a good laugh over it.. and my hubby normaly Chase's away any stray animal that comes in our yard.

HE's not a animal person. He runs outside. and Takes his cell and video's the chicken. and you hear him on the video "here chick chick chick"

now He tollerates our cats. I got them without asking him 3 years ago. and when im not looking I hear him talking to them. and see him stopping to bend down n scratch their ears.
When our new dog Strayed in our yard.. he tryed to be tough. n chse him off. When it didnt work. he let me try to find it's owner.. sayin "IT DONT COME INSIDE." by day 3 of it being here and a bad storm brewing.. he said "let the dog inside"

When the chicken kept comming WHO was the one to let me know ""our friend is outside go get her some bread". and he woud talk to her when he went out to his work truck. HES the one who started to call her "chick chick" HE has been always adment "The chicken is not ours.." but ALL that changed 2 weeks ago

when I discoverd the reason of this chicken visiting. she had a nest. I went to walk the dog who by now is 100% ours. as no one answerd our add for a found dog. and I go to take him out and "Chick chick" attacks him. I laugh and go about my walk.. come in.. n a few hours after hubby said to take the lunch to his work truck. well it was then I was suprised by why chick chick has been hanging out with us for amost 2 months now.

10 baby's!!! I ran in excited.. and My hubby.. the NON animal person is the first one up off the sofa and out the back door to see it.. PUSHING past the kids!. and when they went under the work truck.. he is like OMG get them out. so they dont get hit!!!.. and.. when I pull out make sure they are all away from the truck.

(yea he dont like animals lol). Once he left he was not gone 20 mins when he calls me from the road. "ann. find a way to confine them under the porch so when i get home from work i dont hit a baby or the mom".

LOL can you say HOOOKKKKKKKEEEDDDDDDDDD. Well I could not buy anything that day.. so he had me go outside at 8pm when he called to be sure all 10 chicks were under the porch. so he can pull in the driveway.. and again the next day I had to fallow him out to the truck to be sure all 10 chicks were not in his way so he can leave.. so now our entire side porch is Screen in with chickn wire and planks of wood turning it into a coop (i did it all) and he was impressed I pulled it off in just the 4 or 5 days we had the chicks. and he's even into my idea's for the hen house I'm going to build.

This was july 9th. July 11th. we were suprised by a late hatch. when one of the 2 eggs that were not hatched.. Decided that it was ready. an here is this 225 pound man tryin to crawl into a tight spot to see this Cracking egg. and asking me if we should bring it in to hatch being the mom's not sat on the nest long enough for at least 2 days LOL!!!.

and he's NOT shooting down my Talks about HATCHING CHICKS ourself!! I know he will be just as excited.. and I will most likely have to ban him from constantly touching the incubator.. and resist the urge to keep touching the eggs.


After all that HE confess to me a few days ago that HE USE TO BUILD CHICKEN COOPS for a guy he worked for when he was a kid. and he already knew some about chickens. and that for them to be super friendly I need to chance holding the chicks. lol!!! and when hes out at this truck breaking down box's he's taking to them,

so WELCOME TO THE CLUB.. CLUB CHICKEN!!!

I can still eat chicken.. ONLY beacuse it's not one I've rasied or gotten attach to. but i can say.. I have a new appreciation for eggs when I eat them..

 

[Team Fluffy Puffy]

I was the exact same way haha i feel ya haha

 

[BrownSheep]

Quote:
I'm that way too. With every thing! We lost a lamb this spring. So what do we do? We buy 4 bummers, and to top it off our remaining two ewes had triplets.....and this is how our flock went from 5 to eighteen in a matter of 2 months.... Sad considering we thought none of our sheep were bred

 

[Chickenrandomness]

BYC should have a tee-shirt that says "Don't come between a man and his chicken"