Official BYC Poll: How Long Have You Been Keeping Chickens?

[swampfox440]

Love to hear of other long marriages--Congrats!...My husband and I met at 16 and married at 19. We celebrated our 47th yesterday!

Thanks and congratulations to you

 

[swampfox440]

About 9-10 years, & still have 2 hens from 6 years ago.
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How cute they are !

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Love to hear of other long marriages--Congrats!...My husband and I met at 16 and married at 19. We celebrated our 47th yesterday!

Congrats!
I'm 50something & still looking for my Mr. Right. Main criteria...must love chickens!

 

[MysteryChicken]

How cute they are !

Thanks.
They're 6yrs old. Oldest chickens we have. The girl in the first picture is still laying eggs, & is broody. The second girl is done laying eggs, & acts super old. So I believe this year is gonna be her last. She's really slowing down.

 

[Silexian]

For as long as I can remember. My parents had chickens. Which I always had interest in and helped take care of until I moved out on my own. I always wanted something more flashy. Than the dual purpose brown egg layers that they kept. When I was ten years old. With money that I saved through out the year. I ordered 25 rare breed chicks. From my well worn Murray McMurray catalog. To put in a small coop that my dad and I built. I have had chickens ever since. That was almost 42 years ago.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Since 1989, so 32 years.

 

[RebelEgger]

I've had mine for 15 months now. We started with 5, we are down to 2 of the originals. We lost one of the girls <t the end of winter, we don't know what happened. We rehomed one of the boys when they were very young, and just rehomed the other boy about 1 month ago. Now we have 2 new girls we are introducing to the older girls. I love chicken keeping and wish I had started this journey years ago.

 

[DatCampG]

Since October 2008. I started when an elderly neighbor asked if I wanted a rooster and hens. They were six months old, the neighbor grew tired of keeping chickens, so I obliged and said yes. Ever since that day years ago, I have always given free eggs to that elderly neighbor. As I expanded my flock, all my elderly neighbors in my community get free eggs. They all keep me in egg cartons so I never have to buy them. I barter, I get fifteen square bales of hay that lasts me until the next year's hay bailing season. In August 2019 I started incubating my own chicks. I love my chickens, eggs, being self-sufficient and "I enjoy the exercise". No gym membership required.

 

[MaeM]

Less than a year now, but when I was younger I had another flock for 6 years.

 

[VirginiaLowe]

40 years approximately. I first took some from someone burn out in mountians close by, by a bush fire. There was an unused chook house at work, and i kept them there for some time, but gardeners kept taking the eggs, so got some myself not long after and kept them in back yard, as have ever since. They save all our waste food and weeds and turn them into eggs. Also organic feed and seeds, of course.