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

[Laura_BelgianBantams_63]

My first were Belgian d'Uccles and Silkies from a neighbor, before this site, and before there was much information at all about 'backyard chickens'.
I did know about poultry, but made many many mistakes along the way as far as predator protection is concerned.
Once our coop was set up, things went way better, and it's been a lot of fun.
I still have decendants of those first d'Uccles! And other standard breeds, and now an interest in white Chanteclers and bantam Easter Eggers too.
MaryView attachment 2009562

OMG Belgian D'Uccles! I have a few too! I love them sooooo much! They are quite the show-birds!

 

[The Happster]

First got chickens about eight or nine years ago when my mum "accidentally" bought a chicken coop. Because she liked the look of it. So then, of course, we had to get chickens to live in it. Three POL, with tons of character. So then we wanted more. We decided to get day old chicks. After that one of our hens went broody and hatched us some more. Best experience in my life. And since then we've been overrun with roosters and hens.

 

[PetuniaAcres]

I am brand new. Growing up both my grandfathers raised chickens and one also raised guineas, peacocks and other fowl. This is my first flock and I have 5 buff orpingtons.

 

[9SpiceyChickens]

Not long enough. It's 3 years for me now, but I had it as 2 years. Thats ok!

 

[Aryetheral Waalburgus]

I'm at 10 years. Every year I say "no new chicks this year" and every single year I get more . My oldest hen, Buckbeak is 5 years now.

Here are my 3 new babies:

 

[bmanty]

When we moved from the city we wanted to find property of an acre plus outside of city limits. Chicken coop was an added bonus in the search. We told the previous owners, leave the birds. (that coop needed cleaning bad and they needed some TLC) Started with 5 birds the previous owners left. They have all passed on. I have 7 full grown now and 5 babies, a couple ducklings. Started off with Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks, White Leghorns. Have Buff Orptingtons now as well.

I basically do my best to keep them clean, fed and they thrive well. give them treats, pet them once in a while. I know there is more I can learn but I think I am doing well, my first babies were from four years ago and are doing great. I have only lost birds I have raised from day one to my own dogs unfortunately, no predators or sickness though through these 5 years.

 

[Anime2lover]

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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 rhode island reds and black australorps. The reds had behavior issues so we switched two years ago to our current chickens. Easter eggers and a new batch of australorps. Since we started i've personally hatched eggs successfully twice. I've also successfully hatched duck eggs twice. And currently have a broody sitting on 10 eggs.

 

[AnimalCrazed]

*What got you interested in raising chickens?

I've always loved animals and all growing up my mom didn't really let us have too many pets, by that I mean we came home with a stray cat and only after my mom fell in love with her did we get to keep her. So naturally I couldn't wait to get pets of my own. My friend also had chickens and I loved them and really wanted some even though I lived in the city limits. The second year I was married my husband let me get 4 chicks from the feed store, this was a year or two before they were actually legal to own in the city. I had those for a year and the next year got a couple more.. and the next year a few more bringing my total to 8 hens. (1 barred rock, 1 Easter egger, 2 golden comets, 2 buff orpingtons, 2 silkies.) By this time 6 hens were legal in the city limits and my neighbors had gotten some too. Which brings me to the next question...

*Did you ever "take a break" and not have chickens?

Not on purpose, we were in the process of moving to our farm house when we got new neighbors in a rental house next door. They had a husky wolf dog... they were there two days when the dog broke into the yard and the chicken coop and none of the chickens survived. I was heart broken, but I was moving to a farm with 5 acres so I knew I would have chickens again. The next spring (like 8 months later) we got 10 or 11 chicks... I can't remember.

*What breeds did you start with, how many, and do you have any pictures to share?

Now I breed my own chicks every spring and I think my adult bird count is currently 20... but I've got chicks in the incubator right now. Currently I have:
4 French copper marans, 1 golden cuckoo Maran, 4 barred rocks, 1 sapphire gem, 3 olive Eggers, 5 Easter Eggers, and 2 ameraucana roosters.
A GRAND TOTAL OF 11 YEARS
(I breed the olive Eggers and easter Eggers)

 

[Alaskan Chicken QBJudie]

Started with chickens 28 years ago. Took a break when my son was a baby but he's 21 next month and we've been raising chicken together since he was 7 or eight. (He won't even let me sell off extra roosters who hatch in our coop by the time we know they are boys, we already have a bond...ok me too I guess! damn can't blame the rugrat)
They are our spoiled pets.
Currently we have two coops. One for the Millie DeFlures & Silkies (their coop has the chandlier) And the big girls (Easter eggers & some of the 5 year olds that were weirdo back yard breed mixed with polish) have a big Chevy van (that's all completely carpeted wall, ceiling & floors I added a egg hutch at the back doors took out the small back window for a entrance and then equipped it with 2 big 8 feet long roosts).
I don't like killing chickens so if I hatch them i keep them even if they look strange. Once they get too old to lay eggs they still are welcome to stay. I had my first Ameracauna hen for over 7 years. And my first Mille DeFlure duccle lasted 6 years.
The girls in the van get to free range all over our property. They've got 4 acres to play on but they usually stay within the acre right around their coop. I started using the van 5 years ago after one bad Alaskan winter where it got so stinking cold my birds got frostbite. My coop was too big for the heat to stay around them. I gotta say it's much easier to clean up the chicken poop come spring. I just pull wheelbarrow up next to side door / open / rake it in.....no more shoveling and once I'm done garden hose out the carpet.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I can’t believe how long this thread has gotten.

Btw, I’m up to 23 now