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

[harice4806]

Going into my 5th year with them. Lost my first flock to a mink a little after they turned 1 and started over shortly after securing the coop better. Had always wanted them growing up and finally moved out to the country. I love having them. On really rough days I just go out and sit and watch them and it's like therapy.

 

[George3240]

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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?

 

[morsekathan]

Since 2011. They came from the Farm at my daughter's school. They couldn't leave them over the summer, so they came home with her. I have never looked back or regretted the decision to take them.

 

[myfivegirls]

I’ve been raining chickens for 11 1/2 years! I got my first 5 Red Star chickens in August 2008 as a present from friends. I guess I was imprinted as a little girl when I went to see my dad at work and in they had baby chicks and ducklings in the spring.

I actually haven’t been on BYC recently but a fellow BYC’r was at my job this evening and recognized me from a Chickenstock meetup 3 years ago! So we got talking about chickens and then I saw this email about the poll when I got home!

 

[ivajunebug]

We started out with 6 chickens that we picked up from Craigs list. the total cost for feed, a little hen house and 6 girls laying was $75. We were in love at once and of course hooked on chickens. We have raised 12 more from babys' and enjoyed watching them grow and also our grandsons get involved in picking them out and naming them. We currently have 7 hens and will be adding new babies this spring.Our hen house has gone from little to a spacious Tuff Shed.

 

[anno1]

I've had chickens for about 10 years or so, except for the last two years, after I moved. I just got chickens again in June.

I had gotten pullets from a local hatchery before, a cross between White Barred Rocks and Rhode Island Reds. Very nice chickens, great layers. But my husband passed away four years ago, and when I moved, I had to give the chickens away. One of the things I looked for in a house was a place where I could have a garden and chickens. This spring I put in a raised bed garden and coop, and am developing a permaculture garden that the chickens will be able to roam--some.

This time I got chicks, 7 different types. Buff Brahma, Wellsummer, Plymouth Barred Rock, Speckled Sussex, Silver and Gold Wyanndottes, Easter Egger (that interestingly looks almost identical to the Wellsummer, but lays a blue egg.)

I'm hoping that I've managed to build a predator-proof run. Time will tell. You can see the chicken run to the left of the coop. It runs the length of the garden fence. Permaculture garden is behind the coop.

 

[Mysticone]

Almost at the year mark for mine... I get my new chicks in May! Super excited!

 

[jenfred75]

My first 9 were born on Halloween 2019. I had 4 buff Orpingtons and 5 gold sex links. I gave 3 to a friend, because I only wanted 6, but had to order 9. In September, 3 died suddenly and unexpectedly, so the first week of November I got 7 more, now I have 10. I now have 2 buff Orpingtons, 2 sex links, 2 easter eggers, 1 welsummer, 1 golden laced wyndotte, 1 austra white, and 1 barred rock. I have no idea where I got the crazy idea, but I love it!!

 

[George3240]

Like most all other farm kids my first job was to go gather eggs as soon as I could hold the basket. We had chickens that were East Texas Tough. Could range over 180 acres and avoid being eaten by most predators. No particular breed other than a bit of Game cock in them. S About the only time I was without chickens was when Uncle Sam sent me off on my senior trip. Even then I managed to make friends with people that had chickens. We didn’t speak the same language except chicken. It translates well and I learned to appreciate some foreign breeds unknown to me before that. Now I keep Delaware’s and a few Black Copper Marans. Both are easy keepers and gentle as lambs with my grandkids. (Unlike my Granny’s chickens that I had to carry a stick to ward them off in the henhouse).

 

[rehdancer]

I started out with 12 chicks in late May 2019 but re-homed the 4 that turned out to be males. All are mixed breed, one is a black bantam, and one is noticeably larger than the rest, also black. One brown/white with leg feathers, the rest are white with varying amounts of black speckles. I told my husband I wanted to have chickens before I die. He said, "you want to have chickens before I die !!!" He built me a loverly raised coop with attached tool shed/feed shed. And he's still in excellent health at 73 - maybe another coop?????