How did you get into the chicken hobby?

[Alleyoops25]

You guys all have very interesting stories. It is amazing how many ways people have fallen in love with chickens. And there isnt a one that is exactly the same. But So far every can agree that they are theraputic ( can't spell). Wally i am so glad your wife over came cancer, it takes a huge amount of energy from ones body fight a disease like that.( even the family of those with cancer) My grandma had lukemia, And see fought it for 10 or 15 yrs. The last year of her life her and my grandpa went to Murdoch's and bought like 50 chicks. THey kept them on their front porch that went out into a dog run that they ran chicken wire around. They kept them thier until they had gotten to big for it. While they were their my grandma who became to weak to move out of bed was comforted by the sounds of the chickens out side her window. And she really missed that when they got moved into their new coop. And they helped myt poor grandpa a lot to . He is one of those guys that holds his feelings in, and tries to talk like he is big and tuff. Anyway he would go out and feed the chickens, and then take the bucket that he carried the feed in and turn it over and sit on it and watch the chickens. The chickens got so used to him doing that , that they would hop up and sit on his lap. He thought he had some specail kind of chickens because he had never had ones do that in all the years they had them. We told him that maybe it wasn't the chickens but it was him, he never slowed down to sit with the chickens before now. But they took his mind off what was happening with my grandma, and he was really struggling with the thought of loosing the love of his life. ( they had gotten married when he was 16, and my grandma14) But these birds really helped him. I am sure he shed tears with the chickens that he couldnt shed near us. My grandma died Sept. 29, 2005 . at their home in Delta Colorado. And i think in part my grandpa has still found reason to live because of his "special chickens."

 

[LynnGrigg]

My grandparents had chickens so I heard about the chickens when I was growing up. I never had any. I didn't get any chickens until I married Scot. Poor guy, He knew I was an artist but I don't think he guessed that I was also a closet zoo keeper. We ended up with 24 chickens, a pony, 7 goats, a pot bellied pig, 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 corn snakes and a ferret. We raised shorty jack russells for a few years. Although we've scaled down to 3 dogs, 2 cats ... I recently got an order from Mcmurray and currently have 19 six week old chicks and three adult hens. I had really missed the eggs. I don't know if we'll keep all these chickens. I'll have to see how it goes. I am enjoying socializing with the babies for now (The little buff orps are so gentle) and have lots of friends who want eggs when we start getting them. I used to have neighbors with incubators... I'm going to have to start looking so I can hatch some of my eggs. I love to see crossbred chickens. The roosters can turn out so beautiful.

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

Alleyoops, love the story about your Grandfather. Lots of the stories are very touching.

Mine, sadly, is not of that breed

. My parents kept a farm when we were kids (all the 'little stuff', no cows or horses), and I've always been an animal lover and a farmer in my heart. My hubby didn't really know that though, lol. When we finally bought our own place, I knew I wanted chickens and a cow. Hubby wasn't so sure, although he wasn't dead set against it. I waited and waited until we were very settled here (3 years), and told him last spring that THIS spring I was getting my chickens. This spring, when they began taking orders at the feedstore, I was ready to start. I got addicted to this website around that same time, read a bunch of info and a bunch of books.. and knew this was going to be a lot more fun than I had thought. See.. the chickens we had back on the farm were strictly free range, and the only chickens I knew of that had been in a coop had pecked and pecked each other (they were at a nearby farm). I really wanted the girls for eggs, and maybe meat. I had never met a chicken that would hold still long enough to let you get a good look at it, let alone pet it. Hubby agreed to 2, then 3 in case one died, after 2 hrs of my campaigning. His farmer boss got wind of what was going on, and convinced hubby we REALLY needed a dozen, and one needed to be a rooster! lol! We got our chicks, and really I am AMAZED at what type of little creatures they are. True, most act like they hate to be picked up, but then they don't want to get down! They are funny and curious. If I talk to them, they peep back. Little Sally flies out of the brooder box to hang out with me every chance she gets. Priscilla has decided she LIKES to be petted, and will stand in one spot and let you pet her like a kitten. When they are out in the run, and I am in the garden, they hang out on the side closest to me and keep an eye on what I'm doing.

I never expected them to be so.. well, pet-like I guess. I've never been a huge bird person, since the pet birds I've owned always acted like we were FORCING them to be tame, and that they would rather be anyplace else on the planet. My chicks really seem to enjoy the attention, and to like us.
Still working on the goat

which dh does NOT want, and really we need more property before I'm comfortable getting the cow. I mentioned guineas to him the other day and he told me to do whatever I want with the birds LOL! He really likes them, too.

Love the stories! Love this thread!
Meghan

 

[theOEGBman]

Growing up, we always had chickens. I never owned any, but my grandparents did. They would watch me every day, from the age of 6 weeks, and I was literally raised in their garden. I always got to go collect eggs. When I was 5 years old, my grandparents came over and told me to come with them. We went outside and next to our shed was a pen. Inside was a big pair of OEGs. My first chickens ever. Unfortunately, a coyote took the roo 2 days later, and my grandpa took the hen home. Then, I got a pair of OEGBs. We always had BBred OEGBs, so that was what my first pair of chickens was. They hatched 3 chicks, and I got a Silver Duckwing hen as well. That started it all. We got a bunch of chicks, pullets and a bunch of cockerals. Those were great, they laid tons of eggs. I remember when they hadnt started laying, and my grandpa told me to go check the pen for eggs. I found a nest with 25 eggs in it, and I remember how proud I was to find that nest for him. I got my first duck when the neighbor asked me if I was the Animal Lover. He was a Blue Swedish we named Uncle Quackers. Unfortunately, the dog killed him. We got turkeys and I fell in love with them as well, then in 2001, we lost my grandpa to Cancer. I have the last BBred OEGB he ever hatched still, and now I keep all of my chickens in his memory. I've went through hundreds of chickens. And the funny thing is, Im only 16 years old,lol. Im almost 17, but I've owned chickens for 11 years.

Oh, By The Way, My name is theOEGBman because They were the first birds I ever owned and I love em,lol.

 

[herechickchick]

Alleyopps25 that is a lovely story, it is so nice to hear in this day and age of easy divorce that there are relationships that last and true love does exist. Thank you for sharing.

-Adam

 

[Alleyoops25]

Thanks Meghann, I know it really wasnt about how I got into the hobby, but mine was the first one. However when Wally told about how they help his wife and cancer it reminded me of my granparents. And I was so amazed that chickens really are feathered shrinks.

 

[SpottedCrow]

These are all great stories...I know how hard it is to have to deal with sickness and having these lovely critters to cry on helps so much.
I always thought also of chickens were those shrinkwrapped things you had for dinner. Boy was I ever wrong!

 

[CHICKYDEB]

We moved to the country in November 2004. In August 2006, I stopped at a Mennonite farm to buy sweet corn and something possessed me to ask if they ever sold any chickens. The next day I picked up two silkie roos and three silkie hens from them. Then I bought every chicken book I could get a hold of. I fell in love with them the first day, pursuaded my DH to give up his shed to make a coop. This year put up a new fence to accommodate a couple of mini goats (so cute and lovable) and they make fine room mates with my chickens. Had two chicks born last year, lost one (my first heartbreak). Acquired another silkie roo, and four silkie hens this year. Two weeks ago I suffered the loss of my new roo and two new hens to a hawk(?)..my second heartbreak. The same attack left one of my other roos with no tail feathers..and all shaken up! I love their personalities and I can't imagine not having them!

 

[Alleyoops25]

WoW, The only way I could get my DH to give up his shop is if I shoot him

 

[Dawn419]

I was first introduced to the hobby/habit when I was a kid. My aunt had a nice flock of mixed Banty's on her mini-farm and I was just infatuated with the "Easter Eggs" whenever I collected her eggs for her.

Back in the late 80's, when I married my ex, we moved to a 75 acre farm. He was the only one working while I stayed at home with his 2 young daughters. The girls and I decided it would be fun to turn one of the unused sheds into a coop and we did just that. We bought a "used" Standard mixed flock and after both girls got into school, the "herd" as I lovingly called them became my constant day-time companions. I'd let them free range during the day and anywhere I went on that farm, they all where right there with me. He and I divorced and I had to leave my herd behind as I moved to town.

So, I meet my wonderful man almost 13 years ago and convinced him to stay in TN instead of returning to Florida. We moved to a rural rental almost 6 years ago. One night while he was talking with a neighbor he brought up that we had once been talking about getting into meat rabbits (about 9 years prior to said conversation). Next thing I know, we've gone from our one pet rabbit up to 38 "rescue rabbits" thanks to the neighbor (gradually thinned them down to the 7 we have now).

Was the neighbor done? Oh no...hubby then is convinced that he needs to build "our" greenhouse at the neighbors place. Can you say NIGHTMARE!!! It was never ours like I was lead to believe but we were the ones doing all the work. I got out of that situation as soon as I could, hubby followed shortly after.

We were talking one night back in November when I made the comment, "Gee, now that we are done doing projects for other people it sure would be cool to have a few Banty's for our own fun!" Shazaam! Hubby calls from work the very next day..."I found your coop!!!" At the time, we planned on only keeping 1 Blue Silky roo. Now that the babies are here, I'm thinking more like expansion, expansion, expansion!

I'd feel bad, but hey, he did this to me...he can deal with it and I've told him as much. To my suprise...I've yet heard him complain!