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

[WelliesNBrellas]

We're right at the 10-year mark of raising chickens. Our last hen from that first flock, Reba, is still going strong. No more eggs, but she's happy and busily grubbing bugs. Of that mixed flock, our Wellsummers have clearly been the heartiest, living the longest and outwitting the bald eagles. They have been dependable layers of chocolate eggs and have had lovely personalities. For some reason, it's been impossible to get Wellsummer chicks locally to build up our flock, which makes us sad because they are our favorite (even if a bit talkative) breed.

 

[justfowl]

I started with chicks: a barred rock. Rhode island red and Americauna. We now have 6. Chickens. We unfortunately lost our RIR and added a buff orpington, lavendar orpington, austrolorp, and an easter egger. I love the variety and hope to add an olive egger and a copper maran for the beautiful and different eggs. In the pic are our current flock including our two ducks..

 

[Haybaler72]

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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?

My wife wanted her own hen for fresh eggs .....we try to get most of our beef from a local butcher shop because it all tastes fresher...I cant stand
Store bought eggs so we got an austrolorp for free from a person who sells eggs and produc
So still learning lol

 

[sunlinesusie]

Technically I am in between 1 and 2 yrs but closer to the 2 yr mark so that is what I chose. I started out with 6 Australorp chickens and now have a variety of 16 chickens and 7 ducks.

I have always had chickens, right back as far as I can remember, use to be Leghorns or Australorps back then, now your lucky to find a Leghorn, theýre all these Isa Red chickens now. Good layers but can be bullies. Still like the Australorps and the Orpingtons, especially the Blues. I bred Spangled Hamburgs for quite awhile, beautiful birds but a bit high strung.
I would like to get some for Silkies and the little game birds again, that would be fun.

 

[NebraskaHick]

Well, actually, I didn't take the poll.
Why? Because it can't have multiple answers!
Back in the 60's Dad was selling eggs to Holcomb Hatchery in Grand Island, Nebraska. I was involved then. I was able this year to buy a sign that was in the building those many years ago! Dad was later selling eggs to stores. He was put out of business in the 70's by the "discovery" that eggs were "bad for you because of cholesterol." Later proved wrong!

In the 80's my wife and I raised chickens for butchering for several years. We provided the facilities and labor, our friends who were in on it paid for the chickens & expenses.
Then in February of 2012, a rooster from the neighbor's flock decided to perch in our cedar tree. In March, he brought one of the hens over. The neighbors didn't care, so we've had chickens since then. Red is now 9 years old and going strong!

So while I've been involved with chickens since I was a tadpole, it has not been continuous.
I do have to say, when we had 1500 layers on the farm, they all looked the same and were "dumb chickens".
Since having Red and three hens over the years, their intelligence and personalities are AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2 years ago Red was alone. I got two baby pullets. I slowly introduced them to him and soon he was taking care of them. The AMAZING thing was, I could show or tell him the boundaries on our two acres that were acceptable, and he KEPT THEM IN the boundaries! Not all was fenced; there were cedar trees and a road that I wanted him to keep them away. And he DID!
One day they were further out in the back acre, which is penned on two sides. Red looked over at me as if to ask, "What's the orders, boss?" I told him, "It's okay!" and he relaxed.
Sounds crazy, right? But I swear, that's the truth!

 

[Bunty144]

I started with only one hen and 6 roosters - common or garden farmyard variety. Shows how much I knew at the time. My flock evolved as I learned more. I got to know how to treat all the ailments they present, and I learned what a wonderful diversity of characters they are. I now have one beautiful rooster and 10 (oh no, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) hens. They're all popping chicks at a rate of knots because it's summer here. They all have names and I love them dearly.

 

[Jan allegri]

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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?

I kept chickens as a child. Now I'm retired have got chickens again.only a few months. Have 15 hens and a cockrel. A complete mixture.

 

[Bunty144]

Oh yes, and I learned how to sex eggs quite accurately, so the incidence of roosters is kept mercifully low!

 

[Lorimary]

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?

I have had my girls for about 12 years. I started with the plan to become more self-sufficient and because of my love of birds, in general. I came to BYC asking for help after setting a half gallon waterer on top of a newborn chick who was there for a day before I found her. I received immediate help from member Randi McNeil. Smashy lived to the ripe old age of 11. We have been friends for over 10 years now, despite the fact that she lives in Alabama, and I reside in CA. I guess it runs in my family to care for chickens, as I have a picture of me at 1 year old in a playpen outside with my mother as she cared for hers.
I began with 12 hens,, Black Austrolorps, a Rhode Island White, a Rhode Island Red, and Ameraucanas.

 

[Jutta63]

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?