Official BYC Poll: Why Do You Have Chickens?

[Neggative]

i got them first for their eggs but within minutes turned into well loved pets! there eggs are just a bonus!

 

[Es_In_Miami]

Okay I will bite I have them for eggs first .. Now seems I need all the different egg colors

Right!

 

[Fluffy_Feathers]

Here's my rather long story, if you like reading (skip to the end for my reason)...

My neighbors had chickens and did not take care of them. They had 20-30 chickens in a rather small enclosure. Something got in there and killed all but 6. 5 of those chickens got out of the enclosure and were wandering around their yard as well as mine. The sixth chicken was left in there with the dead ones, sick or injured. We let the sick chicken out and never saw her again, she probably died somewhere. Those 20-25ish dead chickens laid there all winter, and my neighbors didn't care to clean them up. They had 2 ducks as well, and their pool was almost empty and had dead chickens in them, and what water was left was disgusting. The remaining 5 chickens and 2 ducks I took care of, since my neighbors didn't. 3 roosters and 2 hens. I got chicken scratch (not the most nutritious, I know, but I knew nothing about chickens at the time) and fed the chickens twice a day. I gave some to the ducks as well, who were on the other side of the fence. I put a pizza pan in their yard and would fill it with warm water. They loved it. When the water froze I would weave my hands through the chain link fence and break the ice out, then fill it back up. The chickens would roost in my trees. One hen even started laying and we got an egg everyday or every other day (I assume she got enough calcium from foraging). She was very sweet and I named her Ally. I wanted more chickens to go along with them, so we started building a chicken coop. About that time my neighbors cleaned up the dead chickens and took back their 5. This likely happened because we called the sheriff or the animal control about their dog being in small (and I mean small) cage outside the whole day (they didn't take care of their dogs either, their shelter through the winter was terrible). Honestly this broke my heart because I knew they would die. And they did. My neighbors then decided to give up chickens and get a cow and 3 goats, and they just stuck them in there in the chicken coop and run, which was already small for their chickens. The cow had something wrong with it and couldn't walk right. One of the goats died, too, and it just laid there and decomposed. They have since moved out (THANK GOD) but the chicken bones and goat skeleton remain.

I got chickens because I loved taking care of my neighbor's chickens, especially Ally because she was so sweet. Maybe it was also partly because I wanted to do better than my neighbors in the sense that I wanted to see my chickens be healthy and happy and thrive. So in the end a positive thing came out of a negative thing.

 

[Crestcrazy2]

Here's my rather long story, if you like reading (skip to the end for my reason)...

My neighbors had chickens and did not take care of them. They had 20-30 chickens in a rather small enclosure. Something got in there and killed all but 6. 5 of those chickens got out of the enclosure and were wandering around their yard as well as mine. The sixth chicken was left in there with the dead ones, sick or injured. We let the sick chicken out and never saw her again, she probably died somewhere. Those 20-25ish dead chickens laid there all winter, and my neighbors didn't care to clean them up. They had 2 ducks as well, and their pool was almost empty and had dead chickens in them, and what water was left was disgusting. The remaining 5 chickens and 2 ducks I took care of, since my neighbors didn't. 3 roosters and 2 hens. I got chicken scratch (not the most nutritious, I know, but I knew nothing about chickens at the time) and fed the chickens twice a day. I gave some to the ducks as well, who were on the other side of the fence. I put a pizza pan in their yard and would fill it with warm water. They loved it. When the water froze I would weave my hands through the chain link fence and break the ice out, then fill it back up. The chickens would roost in my trees. One hen even started laying and we got an egg everyday or every other day (I assume she got enough calcium from foraging). She was very sweet and I named her Ally. I wanted more chickens to go along with them, so we started building a chicken coop. About that time my neighbors cleaned up the dead chickens and took back their 5. This likely happened because we called the sheriff or the animal control about their dog being in small (and I mean small) cage outside the whole day (they didn't take care of their dogs either, their shelter through the winter was terrible). Honestly this broke my heart because I knew they would die. And they did. My neighbors then decided to give up chickens and get a cow and 3 goats, and they just stuck them in there in the chicken coop and run, which was already small for their chickens. The cow had something wrong with it and couldn't walk right. One of the goats died, too, and it just laid there and decomposed. They have since moved out (THANK GOD) but the chicken bones and goat skeleton remain.

I got chickens because I loved taking care of my neighbor's chickens, especially Ally because she was so sweet. Maybe it was also partly because I wanted to do better than my neighbors in the sense that I wanted to see my chickens be healthy and happy and thrive. So in the end a positive thing came out of a negative thing.

That's awful I don't get how people can do that to a living animal,
I hope they are banned from having animals . Thank you for taking care of them even when they weren't yours

 

[TMH]

BYC has an incredible array of members that keep chickens for many different purposes. Which of the options on the poll apply to you? Select as many as apply, and if you have reasons that aren't on the list, reply below outlining them.

I just like having animals

 

[Flockincrazy]

we do alot of baking and make alot of homemade things like mayo and facial & hair products so i was buying 5doz eggs a wk so now I don't have to

 

[Flockincrazy]

That's awful I don't get how people can do that to a living animal,
I hope they are banned from having animals . Thank you for taking care of them even when they weren't yours

That is awful I don't understand how people can be like that i had a neighbor once that was not taking care of her dog so I took it to my sisters and left the gate open she told me like 3days later I don't know how that dog did it but she got the gate open she's gone then preceeded to say I didn't want that stupid f'n dog anyway it broke my heart

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Here's my rather long story, if you like reading (skip to the end for my reason)...

My neighbors had chickens and did not take care of them. They had 20-30 chickens in a rather small enclosure. Something got in there and killed all but 6. 5 of those chickens got out of the enclosure and were wandering around their yard as well as mine. The sixth chicken was left in there with the dead ones, sick or injured. We let the sick chicken out and never saw her again, she probably died somewhere. Those 20-25ish dead chickens laid there all winter, and my neighbors didn't care to clean them up. They had 2 ducks as well, and their pool was almost empty and had dead chickens in them, and what water was left was disgusting. The remaining 5 chickens and 2 ducks I took care of, since my neighbors didn't. 3 roosters and 2 hens. I got chicken scratch (not the most nutritious, I know, but I knew nothing about chickens at the time) and fed the chickens twice a day. I gave some to the ducks as well, who were on the other side of the fence. I put a pizza pan in their yard and would fill it with warm water. They loved it. When the water froze I would weave my hands through the chain link fence and break the ice out, then fill it back up. The chickens would roost in my trees. One hen even started laying and we got an egg everyday or every other day (I assume she got enough calcium from foraging). She was very sweet and I named her Ally. I wanted more chickens to go along with them, so we started building a chicken coop. About that time my neighbors cleaned up the dead chickens and took back their 5. This likely happened because we called the sheriff or the animal control about their dog being in small (and I mean small) cage outside the whole day (they didn't take care of their dogs either, their shelter through the winter was terrible). Honestly this broke my heart because I knew they would die. And they did. My neighbors then decided to give up chickens and get a cow and 3 goats, and they just stuck them in there in the chicken coop and run, which was already small for their chickens. The cow had something wrong with it and couldn't walk right. One of the goats died, too, and it just laid there and decomposed. They have since moved out (THANK GOD) but the chicken bones and goat skeleton remain.

I got chickens because I loved taking care of my neighbor's chickens, especially Ally because she was so sweet. Maybe it was also partly because I wanted to do better than my neighbors in the sense that I wanted to see my chickens be healthy and happy and thrive. So in the end a positive thing came out of a negative thing.

I love it that you took care of these poor neglected animals the best you could. Bless you for that! And I love your story, that a good thing came out of it, that although those animals suffered, you now have a heart of compassion and care for living things. I like that focus, thank you!

 

[Chicka_deee]

Here's my rather long story, if you like reading (skip to the end for my reason)...

My neighbors had chickens and did not take care of them. They had 20-30 chickens in a rather small enclosure. Something got in there and killed all but 6. 5 of those chickens got out of the enclosure and were wandering around their yard as well as mine. The sixth chicken was left in there with the dead ones, sick or injured. We let the sick chicken out and never saw her again, she probably died somewhere. Those 20-25ish dead chickens laid there all winter, and my neighbors didn't care to clean them up. They had 2 ducks as well, and their pool was almost empty and had dead chickens in them, and what water was left was disgusting. The remaining 5 chickens and 2 ducks I took care of, since my neighbors didn't. 3 roosters and 2 hens. I got chicken scratch (not the most nutritious, I know, but I knew nothing about chickens at the time) and fed the chickens twice a day. I gave some to the ducks as well, who were on the other side of the fence. I put a pizza pan in their yard and would fill it with warm water. They loved it. When the water froze I would weave my hands through the chain link fence and break the ice out, then fill it back up. The chickens would roost in my trees. One hen even started laying and we got an egg everyday or every other day (I assume she got enough calcium from foraging). She was very sweet and I named her Ally. I wanted more chickens to go along with them, so we started building a chicken coop. About that time my neighbors cleaned up the dead chickens and took back their 5. This likely happened because we called the sheriff or the animal control about their dog being in small (and I mean small) cage outside the whole day (they didn't take care of their dogs either, their shelter through the winter was terrible). Honestly this broke my heart because I knew they would die. And they did. My neighbors then decided to give up chickens and get a cow and 3 goats, and they just stuck them in there in the chicken coop and run, which was already small for their chickens. The cow had something wrong with it and couldn't walk right. One of the goats died, too, and it just laid there and decomposed. They have since moved out (THANK GOD) but the chicken bones and goat skeleton remain.

I got chickens because I loved taking care of my neighbor's chickens, especially Ally because she was so sweet. Maybe it was also partly because I wanted to do better than my neighbors in the sense that I wanted to see my chickens be healthy and happy and thrive. So in the end a positive thing came out of a negative thing.

oh...my...goodness!!
I’m so glad that you were there even if you weren’t at all familiar with chickens and ducks at the time.
i hate thinking there are animals treated that way in the world right now It makes me so disappointed and sad

 

[triala]

Well when we moved here the previous people had 4 chickens, which put the idea into my head I suppose. Three years later I persauded hubby that we could get 4, look we will get eggs, chicken poop is good for the clay soil... It then gradually increased. Sometimes by one dying which meant we needed to replace her, but getting one on her own would not be fair, she would get pecked to death...; or if one of them went seriously broody so we tried them hatching a few bought in eggs. My worst outcome for that was four eggs put under a broody - four eggs hatch . Ten weeks later - all 4 turn out to be male!!

Two years ago we hatched a cockerel we kept. Same last year. This means I tend to be mixed hatching our own eggs and sometimes bought in ones. Now I am up to ten girls, two boys; three chicks hatched in an incubator that are 5 days old, one broody sitting on three eggs that are due to hatch Thursday/Friday, and another determined madam who we have just put in a broody pen yesterday. This particular lady was our broody last year, hatched three from five no problem (2 male, 1 female - I think I have issues!) but has become a total escape artist. We have fences 5 1/2 foot high around their enclosure, and even with wings clipped she can still get out when she is determined - which she is because she likes laying eggs in our mint bed. Bare belly, sitting for four hours or more in mint bed, getting her way back there whenever move her, hackles up when I go near, pecking me, making dob-dob-dob noises a lot - broody. I am hoping she will settle in and start hatching the eggs she has!

Sorry - back to the original question - why do we have chickens?: Chickens are my therapy.