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

[whychicksmatter]

Hi,

For the past 22 years I've had chickens starting with New Hamps, couple of Leghorns, White & Brown, Buff Cochin bantams, Silver Pencilled Wyandottes, Americauna, Polish, Chanteclers - white & partridge, a few others & currently Blue Laced Red Wyandottes & a couple of Chanteclers.

This is a great site to find information on breeding purebred chickens - always interesting posts.

 

[kagarris]

Someone told me to expect to lose some chicks. I planned to accommodate 6-7 chickens so I bought 9 chicks. I didn't lose a single one! The first year was very challenging to accommodate the extra chickens, but they fared well. We got new neighbors recently and gave them three of our hens. They were happy to get them, for sure, and I was happy to reduce our flock without sad or drastic measures.

I had 3 buff orpingtons, 3 novogens, 2 americaunas and an australorpe. The novogens are great layers, even laying every day while molting! The buff orpingtons are almost as good, laying most every day, but not while molting. Needless to say, I offered my new neighbors the americaunas and australorpe. Though, I don't feel too bad because they had just gotten through with molting and were back to laying at least 4-5 eggs a week.

I had no idea how fun it would be to raise chickens. I love that they come to me when I walk by and how they proudly brag (cluck) when they've laid an egg. I just had no idea. The family that I gave three hens has a young child that loves to hold the hens (and they like it too). So I am very happy my hens have a great new home.

I think when my hens stop or slow down on laying, I will only get three more chicks at a time. I'll be looking for novogens. They are so friendly and curious. They are awesome.

 

[bfc chicks]

Looking back I'm not sure when the first one came, it was around 1959-1960, but I remember her name. Very original "Henny Penny". She was the only chicken on the farm for many years along with the dairy cow, herd of beef cattle, draft horses and riding ponies. She stayed around but I could never find her eggs. Then learned that grandpa enjoyed his fresh egg every morning for breakfast. After that there were a few added til I was 16 and then I talked my uncle, dad, aunt and myself that if they would buy the chicks and my uncle supply the feed I'd raise them and feed them and help to butcher them. They agreed and I ordered my first 500 white rock straight run chicks from Murray McMurray hatchery. Don't know if it's still the custom but they sent me 25 extras and when we butchered them and all accounted for we had a total of 525 birds. 525 chickens require one ton of feed to bring them up to butchering weight. Since I had paid for 100 I got to keep all the hens and a few roosters of my hundred and I went into the egg business for the next few years while I was going to college. When I transferred out of state for school most all of my girls had to go, but mom and dad kept a few for fresh eggs. It seems that I dont know when there hasn't been the sound of a rooster in the morning or fresh eggs on the table. Now at 68 I raise 6 different breeds of chickens and try to keep the lines pure. There's never a dull moment with hens but there are also a lot of peaceful moments with them. Just to see the strut like ladies in high collar coats in the winter, or guarding their clutch of chicks really makes life enjoyable.

 

[sloanbychoice]

The first time I had chickens, I had only two hens, gotten as adults from a friend. I had a tiny coop that came with the property we had, and I knew NOTHING about chickens. But I was lucky, so they made it. I got an egg almost every single day from Bossy, and one every other day from Tattoo.
I Loved them!!
That was a very long time ago.

Spring 2018, I decided to start a chicken family. Got ten chicks from the store, got a tiny little coop from the same store, and there we went. Instant love (addiction).
I tried to learn quickly. We free ranged, and ended up losing all but two by fall to hawks and dogs.

So we set out to turn an old barn into a chicken coop palace, and fence in a run. Determined that predators will not get my girls again, we no longer free range. I got more chicks, of course, and now have 17 hens. Recently added Boss, an EE rooster.

I’m still learning, and still making mistakes.
But I spend every minute I can down at the coop with my flock.
I simply cannot imagine not having them.
And I won’t not have them.

 

[Etakeh]

10 years last Spring.
In fact, I still have one from the first batch - the chicken that's on my shoulder in my profile picture. Henery. She was laying still, as recently as last summer. Amazing lady.

 

[HotDesertChick]

Been around chickens for virtually all of me life, but more as a "bystander" or helper as a small kid.

My father had failed in an expensive business (commercial aquarium) on the Oregon coast. We survived by renting run-down properties that allowed my family to have a milk cow, raise a couple calves, grow a big veggie garden. And...of course....have poultry for meat and eggs. We got by without government assistance, but it took Dad fifteen years to pay off all debts (also went on to have a very successful private business doing something else).

My mother got the "Chicken Bug" early on, and by my high school years decided to raise many different breeds of chickens. She couldn't resist the annual listings in the Stromberg Poultry catalog! But she always relied on her Barred Rocks for productive chickens.

I became caught up in Chicken Fever as well. As my parents always had chickens, I never lost my interest in "fancier breeds".

I finally could own chickens in Washington state, after several moves with my husband, and eight years in Canada. Had rabbits (tri color Rex), for all but three years in Canada and the US, but did not get back into chickens until 1981. Began with mainly Old English Game bantams, a few Barred Rocks in Washington. Moved on to Golden Seabright bantams in coastal GA.

After retiring to southern New Mexico, I finally plunged back into chickens in 2015 with a varmint-proof setup. Have one remaining Black Maran, three tiny Belgian bantams (to sweet to nix!), and four colors of Polish. Trying Appenzeller Spitzhauzen this spring.

By now,... and with Hubby scratching his head and worrying about my sanity,... I can say that I will likely have "biddies" for as long as I am a able.

Mom had chickens into her 90's ! (Look Out, Hubby?!)

 

[DsrtBratChicken]

I've been raising chickens for going on 10 years now and I've had good and bad days. I've lost Henson for no reason at all besides they just couldn't handle life. They're purely for the eggs. And my chickens are pets that I love dearly.

 

[BrotherKeeg]

I started in 2015 with white leghorns and turkens for eggs. I fell in love with the variety chickens come in and ended up having chickens like OEGBs and Silkies to Cochins and Brahmas to Plymouth Rocks and Polish chickens. I’m 29 and I seriously don’t ever see myself not raising chickens in the future.

 

[LoneOak]

When I got divorced in 1996, I bought a 2 acre portion of a homestead that had a chicken coop. It set there for 4 or 5 years with me wondering what the heck was I going to do with a chicken coop. Well, the light bulb suddenly lite. Get some chickens to raise in your chicken coop. I have raised birds and sold eggs ever since except for a 4 or 5 year period when I got sick and had a couple back surgeries. I have a really healthy flock of 24 hens that are laying an average 20 eggs a day right now. I am fighting some problems with the weather (so wet) and wildlife (damn coons) right now but me and the girls will make it and be happy for years to come.

 

[Cwestlake]

When I was a kid my mom and dad raised chickens, and my great aunt had chickens on her farm. I remember going out to collect their eggs and helping out on my aunts farm during summer vacation in Georgia! I have always enjoyed helping with any of the farming animals, We also raised guiena hens as well and pheasant! I grew up in Georgia and moved out to California in 1978! I chose to raise 4 hens here at my home with my husband Our grandkids really enjoy collecting the eggs! our Hens will be 1 year old March 25th... We may add some more hens to our flock this spring! Here’s our 4 ladies (RIR is Hazel) White Leghorn is Snowball, Barred Rock is Missy and The Speckled Sussex is (Speckles)...