Quote: I have to say that there are a few "extreme" chicken lovers on the thread. There is a wide range of these people too but I will admit that I include M2H in the group.
I think I would be more in the hoosiercheetah group of wanting my chickens to sure a purpose beyond just a calming force of nature. There is no way I would be paying a vet bill over $50 for a pet chicken or over $200 for a chicken of a breed that is not available locally. Those are my limits. And every hen had better be laying or sitting for at least 8 months of the year. Otherwise my crockpot will be there waiting.