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

[Lovethembuffs]

I raised chicken and game birds when I was in High School...in the '70's!! I couldn't have them again until 2012 and when I bought my own property. The first of my flock I purchased RR and now I am raising Belifelder with a few RR red. The past three years I've hatched out most of my own chickens now rather than purchase. I have a girlfriend who has Belifelder also so I hatch from her flock. My roosters are Belifelder and I just hatched out 13 of 13 Belifelder chicks. Very cute and so rewarding on 100% hatch rate. I also used egg cartons to hatch the eggs in. Great method and so easy to keep track of what's going on in the incubator. I use a Brinsea incubator for hatching and have also hatched American buff Geese. I have learned a lot over the years from having access to this forum. Thanks BYC!!!!

 

[Lovethembuffs]

ooops!! rotated the pic

 

[Eelantha]

What got you interested in raising chickens?
Did you ever "take a break" and not have chickens?
What breeds did you start with, how many, and do you have any pictures to share?

The rooster of the flock of mutts I started with as I moved in completely charmed me. Right after that chick fever got me hard with mama hen and her peeps, and only after those two things did I realize how nice it was to get fresh eggs out of my own backyard rather than at the local grocery store. Finally, I have found chickens to be great therapy animals.

I took take a year-long break in 2018 from chickens for a massive coop update. Then I hurried to start over my new flock in 2019 because I wanted a secure back-up source of food for the cold winter months. My marathon run against time pays off today, because now I have 6 laying hens to last me through the coronavirus fiasco, along with one mama hen brooding up the next generation of winter layers in a corner of the coop. I am thanking my chickens every day for their company and the eggs they are giving me, and thanking God himself for creating such a wonderful animal!

 

[Manhen]

270 sunrises. 271 sunsets. Three sussexes.

 

[Silkie2005]

My three original LF chucks! The two chickens in the middle and on the right have since passed away but the chicken on the left is still alive and kicking all these years later!

The last surviving member of my original bantams, she is now 8 years old and still lays eggs!

 

[Elfie4306]

I first had chickens when I was like 6, I named them the first two I ever got Peeper and Eater. Because Peeper was an incessant peeper the first day, and believe it or not, Eater spent all her time at the feeder. I also got a mini chicken, (I don't remember the breed) but I named him Teeney-Wheeney. I was super creative.

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

I have had chickens for 4 years. Over that time period I’ve kept 27 chickens, 4 quail, and two ducks. We have never gone a day without chickens since then. My life has been miraculously transformed by my lovely birds!

 

[reymithcel]

about 3 years I guess

 

[Yowza Wowza]

Nine years. Saw baby chicks for the first time on a school field trip and I knew I had to have some of my own.

 

[RhodeIslandRedBreeder]

View attachment 2009564​

How many of our peeps are really new to raising chickens and how many are old-timers?

In addition to answering the poll, please reply with some fun details, like:

What got you interested in raising chickens?
Did you ever "take a break" and not have chickens?
What breeds did you start with, how many, and do you have any pictures to share?

I started with mixed breeds. Then went to gamefowl. But I had to stop bc I moved. Now I raise Rhode Island reds. But I am trying to get back into gamefowl.