I got my start with chickens when a neighbor got a bunch of chicks and knew nothing about them and most of them died after a time. What was horrible is they never removed the dead ones or cleaned up the poo. They had them on a shelf in a shed with a piece of chicken wire as a wall. So what poo didn't roll out was packed down. She came to me when her husband made a coop and asked if they could be bathed. I figured it had to be better than poo covered. They already looked wet. So since I had no idea myself and it was a very hot day we put them in a cage we had and I put the sprayer on mist and hosed them down. Put them in the sun to dry and they started preening and then lounging in the sun to dry.
They where put in the pen, then she got some adults a little bit later and asked me if it would be ok to put them in with the chicks which where teenagers by then. Well, of course I had no idea so she put them in and the roo killed off all the boys. She lost interest in them. And she asked me if I wanted them and of course by this time we had been throwing feed in to them and doing our best to get water in their bucket. They had a lock on their door and we couldn't go in. Their feed bucket was out from under the shelter and was full of water and their water was under the shelter where we couldn't reach it. There where dead chickens rotting away. Partially eaten by the living chickens. It was the worst sight anybody could see.
We got them, cleaned them up and removed the dead bodies and their pen. DH and our (at the time) youngest grandson made a pen for them. I had no idea what breeds they where or anything. I had chickens years ago but they where white leghorns and we had them for a few months before the wildlife picked them off. Their run wasn't covered which is one of the biggest mistakes a person can make in my opinion. Critters would just crawl right in. So I wasn't experienced with chickens but I became a member here and have learned so much. I never knew there was so much to know about chickens. I never realized they where actually smart. I always just went by the old wives tale that chickens are the most stupid animals because their brain is so tiny.
They are smart animals and great pets. I love each and every one of mine. Even the ones without names. I try my best not to get attached to the chicks if I plan to sell them but it's hard.
DH tells people we got into chickens when our grandson wanted to put some in the show Tyson holds every year at the fair. But we had chickens before that. It is what got me interested in shows though
Tyson Foods offers for the kids in this county $10 for 25 chicks and a bag of chick starter. The kids are to take care of the chicks and fatten them up in a couple of months to show. They have to pick out 3 pullets that are the biggest but also closest to the same size for the show and the rest they can do what they want with. They have to bathe them for the show and show them. Tyson holds a class for the kids to show those how to handle and take care of the chickens and how to show them and whats expected. At the show they show them just like they do anywhere else except the chickens they bring don't go home with them. After the show there is an auction. Businesses will bid on the chickens but they don't get them. They all go in a truck and after the show they get taken to the local processing plant that processes all kinds of things like road kill, scraps from processing plants of all kinds. They collect used cooking oil and grease from business. Different things then go to other places like make-up companies and dog food plants. Alpo is one of the places that gets their cooked meal from this plant. Thats why I never give my dogs Alpo. There is alot of rotten animal scraps and whole rotten animals cooked down and made into a meal.
Anyway, thats how I got into chickens. BYC is the reason I got into silkies and sizzles.
Ya'all are huge enablers, but I love everybody for their willingness to lend a hand to anybody that asks for help and advice.
The friendships I've made with people on this site are just wonderful. I can talk about my chickens and nobody gets bored here.
happy, 
