How did you come to have chickens?

[ams3651]

i honestly dont remember. I had a book from the library about sustainable living and it may have started there. the house and 2 acres I live on were parceled out and the rest of the land sold after my grandparents passing and being that Im out in the counrty again and planting a garden I wanted to have animals and chickens seemed the easiest because I already had a shed I could use. When my boyfriend left in january, knowing he would be gone at least a year I decided to dive in and give myself a project and a focus. My grandparents, both sets, had chickens and I like the idea that its part of my history. Now im thinking goat or sheep for next year, and my oldest son wants turkeys or pheasants.

 

[newchickenfamily]

I think I was a farmer's daughter in a previous life. I just love animals! The dogs, cats & fish tank just weren't enough for me. FINALLY talked hubby into 3 little chicks just a few short months ago. We are "city slickers" that now have a Chick N Barn & Yard in our suburban back yard! Chickens are the ultimate recyclers! Still waiting for eggs!!!

 

[granmahen]

One word....granddaughter. Gemma's first pets were snails at age 2. Quickly graduated to cat, then turtles, hampsters, mice, fish, lizards, guinea pig, rat, birds, hermit crab, three cats and two dogs. People started bringing bunnies to us so we had three. Gemma wanted to join 4H and started with a rabbit (they live in an apartment and a bunny was just right)so they bought a broken chocolate polish called Raja. When we went to watch her show at the county fair (she got a second and a third place..not bad for a 9 yr. old) and we happened into the chicken barn. I was hooked. Thought about bantams (just a suburban backyard here) but I wanted girls for sure...that's all that's allowed....so we went for full sized. We have an australorpe, a nh red, a ri red and a white leghorn. Three eggs so far, can't tell who, right on time. Love to sit and watch them and they are so appreciative of the smallest treat. Wish I could have more. Was told the australorpe would be least friendly, but its just the opposite. Could be because Gemma held her since baby in shirt, on head, even said "Hey Granma, look" and I turned to see her holding chickie head first in wide open mouth. Yuk! Anyway we have a veritable petting zoo in the backyard and house with 25 pets. All thanks to granddaughter. Love the life

 

[chiknlady]

I remember my grandmother having them when I was a child and I was the only one who really took to them and helped her with them etc. (She had 16 children and out of all of them and all of the grandkids--I was the most into growing, canning and chickens). About a year ago I lost my DH and as I processed the loss--I decided to rejuvenate my garden--which had laid fallow for the previous year and decided to add chickens and ducks. The chickens were my new beginning--Since then I have made a memorial garden, a butterfly garden and a mini orchard in addition to the original coops and the new one I am planning. At 40 I have become a DIY'er and a poultry lover again. I have decided not to wait until I retire or until I can afford my dream life--I am living in the moment...and finding new sources of joy! Thanks for asking...

 

[ronniega1]

i lived in nyc all my life moved to north carolina and my ex brought home a turkey poult. i looked on the internet looking for types of fowl...boy did i find plenty...i had assorted batams silkies oegb peacocks turkeys pheasents...now i live in georgia and started my hobby again i have 16 assorted colored silkies 2 ri reds 2 polish 2 turkeys and 2 peafowl.....they were all babies when i got them they are now starting to get bigger and i can tell the boys from the girls...still not sure of the sex of the turkeys and peafowl as they are still young...my friends laugh at my hobby but i love my back yard farm....ronnie

 

[redkan]

When she was a sophomore in HS my oldest daughter (who is now a pre-vet major in college) had a gym teacher who wanted to try raising her own chickens for eggs then meat in the fall. She only wanted 6 chickens and the minimum order was 12 chicks so she told the kids the rest were free, first come, first serve ... my daughter brought home Myrble and George (see my avatar on the left). We enjoyed having the eggs so much that the next year when the teacher reordered we got one more (a buff orpington who became "Stupid #1") but then our hay farmer told us he was downsizing his flock and so we went out to his farm and got an Americauna (badly pecked and bleeding) whom we named Screech and another BP who became Stupid #2. That was our flock for about 2 years when we lost Stupid #1 to the road, #2 to a fox and tragically George and Screech in the same week, also to a fox. Because we were so undone by the loss of George and Screech the farmer's brother stopped by one day with a new Americauna (Eileen) and our first Barred Rock (Gretchen). That same summer we gve above daughter 4 bantam EE chicks who were the basis for our bantam flock that we keep giving away .... one of those was our roo Basil who is currently recovering from a nasty fox run-in.

So, to make a long story short, my daughter went to gym class one day.....

 

[flakey chick]

The seed was planted when I read a local newspaper article about a girl fighting to keep her pet hens. It mentioned that chickens were good at killing garden pests. After more research I found out that they were good at killing gardens too. I kept reading now and then. I found out about chicken tractors and that banties wouldn't do as much damage if they did free range.

I had a baby chick as a kid. Everyone in our nurseryschool class got one when we hatched a batch. Mine died when it choked on a big worm. The only chicks to make it to teenagedom were a pair owned by twins. We didn't know they really needed other chickens. How cruel.

When I was a teenager riding horses, the friends place where we rode had chickens, including a yard chicken named squawky. Thats when I learned that hens layed an egg almost every day even without a rooster. Squawky had been injured by a predator and rehabilitated indoors. The flock would not take her back so she roamed at large going wherever she pleased. She was very friendly with people and the other animals.

I mentioned chickens to my husband and he seemed ok with it. We aren't home enough to have a dog or cat. His dad raised a couple batches of meat chickens. Also as a teenager he had a job catching chickens, innoculating them, debeaking them etc.

 

[scubagirl]

I heard a coworker talking about backyard chickens and building a chicken tractor.

I thought it sounded like fun so I researched it. Built a chicken tractor, went on craigs list and found someone selling chickens in my area. I bought 3 gold laced wyandottes and then we were chicken addicted. we now have 28 pheasants and 28 chickens, 6 different breeds. 2 aviaries filled with grass and plants, trees and shrubs, hanging branches everywhere for roosts, 4 small hen houses. I love it.

 

[Nupine]

5 years ago, my dad and I went to TSC to get some hardware or horse stuff or something, and it was a chick day. So we came home with 3 Black Australorp pullets and 3 Red Sex Link pullets. I haven't been chicken-less since and I now have around 60. My parents had a few chickens once many years ago though.
Ashlyn

 

[sbluvinit]

I HAVE LIVED IN THE CITY ALL MY LIFE SHORTLY AFTER I TURNED 30 WE MOVED TO THE STICKS, DRIVING TO WORK ONE DAY I CAME UPON A SIGN THAT SAID FREE ROOSTER SO I TALKED MY DH INTO STOPPING TO CHECK HIM OUT. WELL LET JUST SAY HE WAS IN HIS NEWLY BIULT COOP 2 DAYS LATER. I SOON FOUND HIM A COMPANION A GIFT FROM MY UNCLE MILES AWAY. AND NOW HERE WE ARE 4 YRS LATER I HAVE ONE ROO, 7 HENS, 3 GUINES, AND 2 RUNNERS. I AM HOOKED. MY COOP IS DUE FOR YET ANOTHER EXPANSION AND A FEW MORE HEN BOXES. NOT SURE WHY BECAUSE WE CURRENTLY HAVE 4 HEN BOXES AND ALL MY HENS LAY IN THE SAME BOX EVERY TIME. MY RUNNERS NEED A GOOD GROUND NESTING BOX SO THAT IS WHAT I AM HOPING FOR. NEW POND & DUCK NEST.

MY BEAUTIFUL BROWNIE WHO STARTED IT ALL.