How did you get into the chicken hobby?

[Alleyoops25]

We are here talking day in and day out about our birds and how much we love them? But I thought it would be interesting to see how we all fell into the this hobby. My started about three years ago when my nieghbor packed a hen up to the house to see if I wanted to eat it. This hen kept flying over her fence and getting into the garden. My nieghbor wanted her gone but didnt have the time to wack her head off and clean her. I took the bird think "Man I have some odd nieghbors" Well my duaghter fell in love with this hen. And then so did my son. So my husband decided he would build a quick temporary coop. The one we are still using to day For our new chicken. When the neighbor figured this out she packed up a roo to keep the hen company. And then every time she had a chicken that was driving her bonkers she would bring it up and toss it into our coop. Now we have 12 adult chickens, 38 chicks, and three incubators full of eggs. And we still have that poor little hen who almost lost her head. Okay thats our story now tell me yours

 

[robbobbin]

I stopped at the TSC to buy dogfood--and it was chick time! I came home with 2 RIRs and 2 Barred Rocks.
5 yrs and hundreds of chickens later, I still have one of the original BR hens.
I had never been around chickens, raised a army brat, city girl.
Now chickens are my life. I don't plan to EVER be without them.

 

[Judymae]

TSC did it to us too!! Saw some cute little birdies and went home to think about it. Went back to get some and they were sold out and said they wouldn't be gettin' anymore. So off to the flea market we went. Started with 8 RIRs and 2 little duckies. Still have the original 2 ducks but something ended up with all the chickens. Now thanks to Ideal we have 13 new little ones. 7 days old today. Our new collection contains 7 barred rocks, 2 golden campines, 3 americaunas, and 1 blue silkie. They are sooo much fun. Didn't even realize how much I missed my chickens until now!

 

[aimee]

I had wanted chickens since I was in high school (16 years ago) and have been pestering my DH for years about wanting some.

Then this spring on the home for the store in town, he pulled into the feed store and said I could get one. I was so excited, especially since I hadn't said anything to him for awhile about getting any.

They didn't have any in yet, we were there a week early. So when I got home I did a ton of research on exactly what to get and we went back the following week.

I was originally only going to get one, then we decided to get two so the one wasn't lonely. We ended up leaving the store with three, then a couple of weeks later a friend gave me another one and then we went back to the feed store for supplies and I ended up leaving with a Frizzle. So now we have five!

 

[Poison Ivy]

My mom took my daughter on vacation and my uncle had chickens. My daughter wanted one really bad & my uncle tried to give her one but my mom said no. Well later that year a old family friend had a talk with "Santa" and we got our 1st chicken. That was about 4 or 5 years ago and we still have Henrietta.

 

[poppycat]

aimee- I love your avatar!

I'd wanted chickens for a couple years. My friend has some on her farm and I couldn't stop watching them! Then I found out that quite a few people in my town have them so I started working on my husband. I eventually wore him down and we've had chickens for over a year now. Hubby loves them by the way.

 

[Kerr]

Although I'm new at this
My dads crazy best friend brought over 6 chicks
a Hen and a Rooster and just gave them to me.....
no kidding....
So with my jaw still dragging on the ground I stepped
up to the plate...put them in one of our secure dog pens
beside the house - built them a temporary hotel....

Their new house is almost complete -- its
beautiful - I think I'd sleep in it myself

Now they are my new buds - my babes - my white chick
sits on my hand and the others follow me around
The Hen doesn't have the affection for me that
the peeps do.....but thats ok
she doesn't yell at me anymore at least.....

 

[akyramoto]

My best friend babysits her old neighbors little boy & they have about 30 chickens & she's always talking about them & about how I should have them too. About 2 months later she brought me 6 chicks, and about a week after that she thought I needed more & brought me 7 more!! haha!! I originally only wanted about 4!! now I have 18!! I love them though!! I think I'll be a chicken owner forever.

 

[SarahF]

We are renting a farm house, Barn, and Garage from our Grandmother and my DH decided he really wanted chickens. It was going to be his project, I wanted nothing to do with them. He wasn't doing any research and the days were getting closer and closer to picking up our day olds. Well, fancy that my DH had to work late that night so I picked up our new family members. That was my mistake. They have been my children ever since. We had them for two weeks and I asked him to feed them, he didnt even know where I kept the food! Pathetic, eh! Anywho, thats my story. Now I'm the proud mama of 5 Barred Rock girls.
SarahF

 

[4H kids and mom]

Well, I feel like I'm one of the oldest here, but here goes:

YEARS ago when I was a kid I was in a 4H program for inner city kids. (For those of you familiar with 4H, I was in the horseless horse and pony project) Anywho, I LOVED it and I learned so much. I had a blast going to the fair with the things I'd made and talking to the judges really inspired me.

Well, many ions later, I have married and we have our own rugrats, who just became about the age I was back then. When we finally moved from the city to the country...I knew what was bound to happen.

My poor DH never had a chance!

We did a good two months of research before deciding that we would order chicks from the hatchery. We adored them and fell head over heals in love with them all. By the time they were 8 weeks old, we'd ordered more! Just before they arrived, we got a couple goats too! Then the hatchery goofed and we got our order THREE times and ended up with TONS of chicks! We kept what we wanted and sold the rest to friends and other 'chicken people' we knew. We had also ordered some meat chickens, which was a first for us, and now we are excited as processing day is fast approaching.

We added 4 ducks and 8 guineas (was 10 but we lost two) soon after the newest chicks turned 4 weeks old, and are getting a few more (and some geese!) tomorrow, and another goat kid on Friday!

Lets just say its gone from a fun passtime to an all out addiction! The "chores" (feeding, cleaning, watering, fixing holes in the fences, holding the chicks, etc) take me an hour in the morning, another hour in the mid-day, and about an hour in the evening. My children help me with all of them except the mid-day (because they are at school then.....but sadly for only another THREE days! Oh no! What am I gonna do!?) and they have learned alot!

My daughter (almost 9) knows the differences between a rooster, capon, cockerel, pullet, and hen. She also knows the differences between a doe, buck, kid, and wether (for the goats). She LOVES braggin to her friends about HER ChickenDuck and she's the only one in her class with ducks, goats, guineas, AND chickens!

Currently we are seeking a farm on some land! lol Please keep an ear out!