Official BYC Poll: How Did You Get Into Chickens?

[BYC Project Manager]

Chickens really are the simplest and most rewarding animals to rear. From eggs to free therapy to learning about self-sustainability, there are a variety of reasons to keep your own backyard chickens. Whatever the reason, we would like to find out: How Did You Get Into Chickens?

Place your vote above, and please elaborate in a reply below if you chose "Other".

Further Reading:

• Top 5 Reasons People Have Chickens
• Common Mistakes Poultry Keepers Make (And How to Fix Them)
• Keeping Chickens Without Free Ranging

(Check out more exciting Official BYC Polls HERE!)

 

[MotherofOrpies]

When I was a kid, we had meat chickens and a pair of bantam chickens, except having to feed them, und pluck the meat chickens, I didn’t have a lot to do with them, about 30 years later, a neighbor showed me his Silkies , I fell in love at once, I wasn’t aware up to that point, you could have chickens in your own backyard I then started researching, asking neighbors if they would mind me keeping chickens, looking into how to build coops ... after 2 years my neighbor called me in and showed me his Silkie chicks, I was a goner I then decided we would go on our yearly family vacation, and after that get the chickens, so that was how it went, and I’ve had them since then

 

[fuentemoon]

My mother and sister had/have chickens and I loved visiting them. I spent a couple of years trying to convince my spouse, then one showed up at our house. No one seemed to be missing her and she was a delight, so she stayed and we got two more

 

[the_peanut_coop]

I'd always dreamed of getting chickens- ever since I fell in love with them as a really young child.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

Lockdown (around April 2020) when I read an article about a woman who hatched ducks from supermarket eggs. Random, right?! I started to imagine If I hatched chickens. Myself and my mum did secret reseach for months! Then we got permission 1-2 months later!
We couldn't find chicks or eggs so we reserved 2 hens and picked them up after the summer holidays!
I'd always loved chickens though, and my parents did want chickens many years ago, but it never happened for some reason.

Just over a year later I have two times as many chickens as I'd planned (having to make a bigger coop)

 

[Fallenone05]

I prepared and studied, my neighbor had them and gave me advice, and then she also gifted me my first chickens.

I also chose other. We hatched eggs when I was in 2nd grade as a class project and I can't explain the obsession that started once I watched them hatch and also just had a chick of my own. I didn't get to keep it and we found it a home that was much more prepared for chickens/chicks but that started it.

I begged for chickens and finally got some before my dad passed away when I was 22 or so, as I lived in my parent's house to care for my dad while he was on hospice. I'm 90% certain my dad convinced my mom to let me have them and he often sat in his room and watched them from his window for hours.

 

[BDutch]

We ( mostly my mother ) had chickens from time to time when I was a child.

Many years later I started keeping chickens after a small prefab coop that belonged to 2 rabbits got empty (died of old age). The coop was so small that I only could keep bantams in it. I did read a little about different breeds and some basics in keeping chickens.

After some problems I started to do more research on illnesses , health care , feed, space requirements, etc. I really loved my 4 tiny dinosaurs.
Gradually the coop and run extended and the numbers increased. Now I have 7 sweat naughty bantams.

Edit: correction

 

[HKG]

My parents got them for my sister and I for Easter.

 

[Iluveggers]

I was asked to chicken sit for my neighbors. Absolutely smitten by their flock of 4.

Then asked to raise chicks for my aunt & the family farm. I help take care of them throughout the week and think I lucked out with the best farm job.

Having the chicks at the house and realizing it was do-able, and begging DH, and now adding my own chicks to our backyard this year!

 

[kurby22]

I was actually only going to do quail for a new hobby and the eggs. I had zero idea what having chickens would be like and they seemed bigger and messier than quail, so I figured I’d do quail. Well I found quail to be so much fun and enjoyed the little birds and joined BYC…and they just served as a gateway bird to chickens! And I’m so glad I did, I love them so much and went from 4 chickens in April to 19 by July. I had no idea how much I was missing out on in my life! Not sure I’ll ever be without chickens ever again