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

[eikome]

I'm relatively new at this, 2 years. I always wanted chickens. I grew up on a small farm, but my parents wouldn't let me keep chickens because they were "too smelly".

I had to wait for years and years before I could buy my own house with a lawn I could keep chickens on.. And now I finally have them!

I started with 4: a Black Australorp, Barred Rock, Speckled Sussex, and an EE. My Black Australorp died suddenly when she was just over a year old. We couldn't find any cause. Just never woke up one morning. That was hard, she was a great layer.

Then we decided to double our flock size and get 3 more: a golden-laced Wyandotte and 2 more EEs. So now we have 6 girls!

The original 4:

The 3 newbies:

 

[debnayls]

Started by living next to a Tyson house and a few birds got loose and escaped to my yard. They were only pets. Then my son got me 2 Rhode Island Reds and I was hooked. Moved to a different state, took my 2 Rhode Island hens with me and started a flock. Now have mostly Red Star Sex Links with some other breeds thrown in. Been at it about 40 years.

 

[KJsFlock]

View attachment 2009564​

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?

We started with 6 for the grandkids who use to spend most of the summer with us. We vary between 25 to 35 now, who free range over 6 acres. We converted a partially finished office space in the barn into a chicken coop. With insulation and drywall we only have to supply supplemental heat when it's down around 0. Love my chickens. They come when I call which makes me laugh everytime. I sell my excess eggs at my gym to friends for $2/doz which helps with the feed bill. Chickens are a wonderful addition to any size farm or farmette. Our mole population has significantly decreased since the chickens eat their food supply.

 

[JennCP]

I started six years ago with a small assortment of hatchery birds. Since then I’ve expanded to some show and heritage breeds and am getting ready to start breeding myself. I have a rainbow flock. I also moved from a half acre to 5-1/4 acres with two little ponds. I’ve got about 80 chickens now plus two ducks, three turkeys, and a varying number of meat rabbits, 8 cats, and a dog. This summer I hope to build a new coop with separate areas so I can segregate specific pairs for breeding. I also plan on getting my NPIP certification so I can ship across state lines.

 

[Sir Winston]

Actually had a pet chicken in my youth (yes one chicken) which met an unfortunate death (accidental) at the hands of a relative. Didn't get another till 20 years later in 1996, when my youngest brother and his wife brought some of her brother's recently hatch chicks over. They were Rocks , and I've had various breeds ever since(R.I. Reds, Buff Orpingtons,Australorps). Now have Sussex for last few years , great birds. Might add a couple peacocks!

 

[Ratajczykstacy]

View attachment 2009564​

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?

Decided to start raising chickens about 6 yrs ago when the house we bought came with a coop, started with 6 barred rocks and 6 Rhode island reds. Over the years have lost them to various things. But love having them. I have added into my flock here and there so not I have 1 original red and 1 original barred.and 2 americuanas, 2 black sexlink, 2 welsummer and 1 rooster that was given to me- not sure what he is. Then I finally got 3 ducks last spring

 

[Wendee]

View attachment 2009564​

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?

We got interested in raising chickens when my son went to work on a chicken farm and brought home a big breasted chicken that alluded capture. we had 12 Rhode Island reds that came from Crackle. Needless most ended up rosters. So we had a processing plucking party. Now we have cinnamon browns 8 and one unknown black hen and one Rhode I

 

[nashua]

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.

What you call novagen look exactly like my Gold Star Cinnamon Queen (sex links). I like them best for the same reasons: egg laying, curiosity, interactive personalities!

 

[AChickenBoi]

At first, I didn’t want chickens because I knew I would get attached to them and cry my eyes out when one of them gets eaten by some predator (and I was right. I cried when one of my barred rock chicks got taken by a hawk). My parents got about 4 chicks anyway and I warmed up to them. I think we got them a couple days after Easter, so about 9 months that I’ve been raising chickens.

 

[Pretty Birds]

I have been raising chickens for almost 7 years. When I was a child I always asked my dad if we could get some baby chickens when we went to Tractors Supply in the spring. He always said when moved out of town and "in the country" we could. We lived in the country for about a year and then got some chicks from a local feed store. We got 9 Rhode Island Reds and 3 Barred Rocks. I fell in love with raising chickens and have had many breeds since then.