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

[aart]

Never raised a chicken in my life.

Was kinda thinking the same...maybe title should say 'keeping' chickens?

 

[TwoCrows]

My parents and grandparents both kept chickens for meat and eggs, so I had exposure to chickens into my teens. But I didn't start keeping any poultry till about 15 years ago when I started with quail. Of course this just opened the door to chickens.

 

[The Farmers' Daughter]

I started 3.5 years ago with a dozen battery leghorns. I had them for 3 months before @chickens really helped me rehome them. I've stuck to buckeyes and chanteclers since then.

 

[casportpony]

For me, it all started as a kid when my mother bought some, so chickens and waterfowl have been a part of my life since the early 70's. I now have chickens, peafowl, ducks, and a couple of turkeys.

 

[FortCluck]

5 years a year less than I've been married

We got married and moved to the country and wanted to start doing country things The person that we rent from told us to start chickens because her mother had previously had chickens on this property.

We started off with a bunch of chickens from tractor supply and from a local farm. I ended up getting really sick so we had to re-home all of them, but once I was better we decided that we would start it again.

The flock that we have now we've almost had it for about 2 years! We have chickens ranging from 8 weeks old to almost 2 years old. We have two roosters and I think 14 pullets/hens.

We also have a few cockerels that we will be sending to freezer camp soon.

We also got ducks a few months ago and we are going to be getting turkeys for Thanksgiving

 

[DiYMama540]

Funny story actually...
I've helped various neighbors and family over the years, bird sitting and what not, but one day when I was a teen...a crazy rooster decided to attack me and that was it- scared to death of them after that!

Fast forward several years to my own kids wanting chicks and needing a little extra responsibility, I figured we'd give it a try. Fear melted quickly when I finally got to raise my own baby birds!! (No roos though!!) Has turned into my absolute favorite hobby!

Marking myself down as a newbie...little over a year with my own flock!

 

[FortCluck]

For me, it all started as a kid when my mother bought some, so chickens and waterfowl have been a part of my life since the early 70's. I now have chickens, peafowl, ducks, and a couple of turkeys.

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Love your peafowl. I want some some day. I need to research more though!

 

[cluckmecoop7]

I have six almost hens. I raised them from chicks. You can see pictures of all of them and vote if you want to.

 

[FortCluck]

My parents and grandparents both kept chickens for meat and eggs, so I had exposure to chickens into my teens. But I didn't start keeping any poultry till about 15 years ago when I started with quail. Of course this just opened the door to chickens.

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I love how your chickens are black or black and white so pretty looking in that pic with both colors together.

My flock looks like a Crayola box puked all over my lawn I have so many different colors.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Aug 1 2009 My dh an I brought home a Game hen and her 10 chicks that hatched at a retreat my dh worked at. Never thought about chickens but we have had ducks since 2004 and geese since 2007 so hey why not. I am hooked. ❤
I only have one rooster left from that first year and he has been the best! Still going strong!