Official BYC Poll: Why Do You Have Chickens?

[FortCluck]

All of the above except exhibition

 

[sourland]

For pretty.

 

[Sapphire Sebright]

The eggs are nice, but really, I ended up obtaining them because it would be something to fuss over, to distract me from my diabetes. The condition was a pain to get used to, but the chickens -- and, more than anything, my family -- helped a lot, I think.
The guineas came next... I can't stand ticks, and guineas are just cool.
It started with six ISA Browns... now, about four years later, I have 18 chickens and three guineas. And I still want more!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Grew up with them so maybe that too

 

[CindyinSD]

To have meaningful work to do instead of just exercising and producing nothing beyond staying in shape.

 

[Ladies of the Forest]

At first, I fooled myself into thinking that I got three chickens to help control the out-of -control tic tuition in my area. From day one, the soft sounds coming from these three chickens made me an ardent fan. My husband of course thinks that I’m just a little bit off my rocker, but he just doesn’t understand the intricate relationship between a woman and her chickens. My two hens we’re given guinea hen eggs to hatch, and sweeter moms could not be found. They would pass the eggs back-and-forth to each other, and if one had more eggs than the other, she’d just reach under her sister and roll an egg or two to put under herself. What a world of entertainment these girls are! And how sweet and loving and family oriented, also. One morning two weeks ago I heard the soft singing of one of my hens in the coop, at a time when everyone was normally out in their pen. I looked in the door to see one of my mother hens singing softly to her guinea baby from last year, as she laid her first egg. It was like watching a birth coach, keeping her little girl safe. Don’t try to tell me that these are “just birds“ each one of them has a personality and each one of them has a soul that enriches mine.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Mine were originally pets and eggs, and still mostly are, but now they also provide great compost for the garden. and they eat the ticks

 

[AllenK RGV]

Mine were originally pets and eggs, and still mostly are, but now they also provide great compost for the garden. and they eat the ticks

Yep if it moves they definitely eat it! Or even if it just wiggles a bit.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Yep if it moves they definitely eat it!

I love that about them! Some of mine are so funny! They follow anybody with a shove around and gulp up the worms and grubs as you’re digging

It started out with just one or two of them and now they’ve mostly all learned LOL

 

[ShannonR]

I almost checked the "pest control" box, but then I realized that the chickens themselves are pests. Too many free roaming garden destroyers!