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

[BantyChooks]

It's been nearly six years for me. I don't remember when exactly I got chickens, but I do know it was early 2014 and there was a significant amount of snow on the ground. I started off with about fifty hens and roosters of varying ages and breeds... plus a few ducks, I think. I've had them ever since.

 

[21hens-incharge]

About 25 years ago I bought a little piece of land. It has a barn and animal pens....I however only had a cat and 2 dogs. That just didn't seem right.

I ran across ducks and geese being discounted to DIRT CHEAP at the CoOp. I thought why not....I have the room...how hard can it be?
I went to the local mill to buy food for them. I got very lucky and the owner was experienced as well as very willing to share his knowledge.
I enjoyed having the waterfowl enough that the next spring I bought a dozen black Australorp pullets...as day old chicks...again I got lucky beyond belief and all were female! The next year we added 15 more Australorp, 5 silkies, a barred rock, a Columbian Wyandotte, 2 black tailed white japanese and I forget what else.
That round I was not as lucky. I lost one weak Australorp chick and EVERY STINKING SILKIE was male. Well one wasn't even a silkie. He was a bantam red cochin. Due to attitude issues the 4 silkies left.
While living out there I raised several batches of chicks for the neighbors.

That was a lot of detail

I went about 5 years with no birds....not a single one. Moving to town....where chickens were illegal in 2002 I had to give up my flock.

You better believe as soon as birds were legal in town I was on it.

Sadly I had not saved my photos into albums before the latest upgrade. I lost many many many photos.

I do have these of a pack of broody Australorp, my red cochin that is neither giant nor bantam and was bought as a giant buff.....
Then my best broody mama! My bantam black cochin with her adopted faverolle chicks from this past spring.

 

[Folly's place]

I forgot to say that those first birds were in 1992 or 1993, and I've had chickens ever since!
Not so many pictures though, so just a few newer ones.
Now I winter 30 to 40 birds, both bantams and standards, and love having them.
Mary

 

[BantyChooks]

These were some of my first chickens. They're all long gone now.

 

[RUNuts]

My brother was lamenting how hard it was to keep chickens.

Challenge accepted!

 

[Pennys Mama]

I've had them off & on since I was a kid, just during the last year have been able to get them again. I love, love, LOVE my chickens! And have guinea, ducks, turkey, Bobwhite, Coturnix, goats & dogs too.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

16 years for us!!!

My brother got chickens in 2004. Seemed like a crazy idea to me, so we decided to do it!

Got 5 chicks from a church friend, 1/2 RIR and 1/2 Black Australorp. All but 1 were roos!!

 

[Shadrach]

Never raised a chicken in my life.
Six years spent trying to collect eggs and feed free range chickens on a family members farm.
The same six years helping out with the about 5000 battery hens.
Two years with two bantam pairs in the UK.
Ten years caring for and studying chickens here in Catalonia.

 

[muddy75]

i got my first chickens in july 2018 starting with 3 RIR and 3 BA and by the end of September I was already of victim of chicken math having added 6 EE, 15 silkies, and 3 BB turkey poults! Halloween I started hatching and hatched my first coturnix quail for Thanksgiving! 2019 I had to rehome all of my chickens due to city interference but have kept my pheasants, chukar, and quail. i’m currently hatching my first 2020 eggs having 30 in the incubator!

 

[aart]

Got my first mixed age and gender flock 6 years ago last Sept.
Had wanted chickens since I was 15 and spent a summer tending my brothers chooks in upstate NY.
Was a chicken sitter for 10 years for several friends before getting my own flock.
After a year of sitting on the couch mourning the death of my son and reading about chickens, I finally got up and started building the coop in the spring of 2013.
Chicken Coop fits into Big Shed.
Have tried it all from hatch to harvest, for 'cleaner and closer' food.