Official BYC Poll: How Did You Get Into Chickens?

[21hens-incharge]

Many many years ago I got ducks and a couple geese from y local Co-Op. They were aging out of being able to keep them in the store so no heat needed.

Yes it was an impulse buy. I knew the basics of keeping them and had a place in the country with a barn and existing pens.

Fast forward a year and I added chickens.

A few years later I moved back into town so had to rehome everyone. That was very hard on the kids.
We lived without chickens or ducks nearly a decade before my city made them legal.
You bet I was all over that. Hubs not so much.
It took a LOT of nagging but eventually I got my chickens and have never regretted it.

 

[Toryhillc]

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".

View attachment 2974280

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!)

My husband's gramma use to have a farm with chickens and he thought it would be fun. Now 15 years later he added to my chicken run and is regretting getting me started..lol. Funny how I use to be nervous of chickens as had never been near any and now they are my pets and the girls get pensioned off. No trips to the freezer for my girls..or my roo.

 

[AntiqueB]

I've had a lot of birds over the years: parakeets, canaries, lovebirds, etc. I love all birds!

When my child was 6, he really wanted a pet. Hubs vetoed a dog (too much walking), cat (clawing things), parakeet (messy), so we got a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach (take that, Hub!). But roaches aren't very interactive, so. . .

I suggested chickens. I *might* have said that child would learn how to take care of animals, and learn compassion, and all that (but it was me that really wanted the birds!). And so we got 3 chicks, which were irresistible. Even Hub was caught playing with them, though he'd never admit it.

One turned out to be a cockerel, so we were down to 2 until child was given an egg at a chicken expo. He wanted to hatch it, and so we did! That one needed a friend, so we bought another chick.

And that is our 4-girl flock! Seeing the hatching really changed everyone, and she is everyone's favorite hen, so friendly and gentle. Even Hub says he loves her!

I really can't see myself without chickens. I love that I can pet those soft feathers, and that they'll happily sunbathe or just nap on my lap. They are my therapy and my friends.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Other: I saw a COOP on impulse and decided to buy it, and it happened to come with five chickens!

With that said, I had been doing some reading on chickens, and had five days before I could pick up the coop/chickens, so I did a lot more reading in those five days. I'd humored the idea of getting chickens for a year or so, and when I saw the opportunity I seized it.

 

[KranK]

Grandpa has had the chickens since i remember. Once i decided to take a sick hen who has been living in a rabbit hutch because other chickens were bullying her outside. I was taking care of her everyday and thats how it started. It started 3 or 2 years ago

 

[kk+chickens]

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".

View attachment 2974280

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!)

i am going to have to disagree that they are the simplest animals to rear. there are almost no vets in our area that see them. there aren’t a whole lot of studies done on them because nobody wants to pay for chicken studies (most people just eat them when there’s a problem) and they have a lot of potential issues that don’t have easy answers.

 

[BDutch]

i am going to have to disagree that they are the simplest animals to rear. there are almost no vets in our area that see them. there aren’t a whole lot of studies done on them because nobody wants to pay for chicken studies (most people just eat them when there’s a problem) and they have a lot of potential issues that don’t have easy answers.

Vets? I think it depends where you live. Here are vets, sometimes even specialised in birds. The problem I have with mosts vets are 1. the price/costs and 2. the medicines they prescribe. They often seem to prescribe antibiotics and medicines for cats and dogs that are not allowed. Some don’t even diagnose properly and give strong medicines ‘just in case’.

Studies? There are lots of chicken studies online available in Dutch and English , because there is a huge chicken industry in my country and lots of research on keeping chickens and optimising production. But I guess > 90% of the research is to maximize profits in egg (laying hybrids) and meat (Cornish types) production. Google a poultry subject + WUR (Wageningen university & research) and you probably have a hit.

Luckily we have BYC to help with the uneasy answers. And IMO if you keep in mind a couples of golden rules you don’t have much issues at all. 1. Provide enough space and ventilation in the coop.
2. Create a big run with lively (grasses, herbs and insects) ranging possibilities for you’re chickens or let them free range at least two hours each day. 3. Choose a breed or crosses that are fit for you’re climate (not the laying hybrids or show birds) . 4. Avoid bringing in new chicks/chickens or quarantine. And check on parasites before you have a problem.

Natural breeding, diverse genes and not interfering much in natures way make a stronger flock and easy to rear. But you need to accept a casualty now and then.

 

[meepANDpeep]

I hatched super market quail. On impulse.

Then chickens were next after I raised those quail. I did a lot of research first before hatching 3 eggs. One egg hatched and I bought 3 more little chicks to keep her company. Then I hatched out another egg that was a week and a half younger than the others that someone gave me partially incubated (long story).

One year and a bunch of chicken math later and now I have 20 birds

 

[mopalia]

Mentioned to my son that chickens were one of the few animals I had never had care of (horse, gazelle, antelope, rabbits, pigs, peacocks,etc etc). A few weeks later a prefab coop arrived at my door, and a week after that son and his wife arrived to set it up and fence a run. Then we went and bought chickens. It's the adult equivalent of "But Mom, it followed me home!"

 

[kk+chickens]

Vets? I think it depends where you live. Here are vets, sometimes even specialised in birds. The problem I have with mosts vets are 1. the price/costs and 2. the medicines they prescribe. They often seem to prescribe antibiotics and medicines for cats and dogs that are not allowed. Some don’t even diagnose properly and give strong medicines ‘just in case’.

Studies? There are lots of chicken studies online available in Dutch and English , because there is a huge chicken industry in my country and lots of research on keeping chickens and optimising production. But I guess > 90% of the research is to maximize profits in egg (laying hybrids) and meat (Cornish types) production. Google a poultry subject + WUR (Wageningen university & research) and you probably have a hit.

Luckily we have BYC to help with the uneasy answers. And IMO if you keep in mind a couples of golden rules you don’t have much issues at all. 1. Provide enough space and ventilation in the coop.
2. Create a big run with lively (grasses, herbs and insects) ranging possibilities for you’re chickens or let them free range at least two hours each day. 3. Choose a breed or crosses that are fit for you’re climate (not the laying hybrids or show birds) . 4. Avoid bringing in new chicks/chickens or quarantine. And check on parasites before you have a problem.

Natural breeding, diverse genes and not interfering much in natures way make a stronger flock and easy to rear. But you need to accept a casualty now and then.

yeah i think it’s the casualty now and then. if you’re ok with that, it’s a lot easier, but i’m not.