Official BYC Poll: Why Do You Have Chickens?

[ShrekDawg]

I bet we have an expert who will chime in! If not there are always tomato hornworms to be eaten here.

I hope so! Haha and I haven’t seen those thankfully

 

[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!

 

[CindyinSD]

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

 

[AllenK RGV]

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!

What you aren't waitlisted for more yet? Get a move on!

Also I do not know my actual chicken count but I think conventional chicken math says I have 5. I'm impressed you have 18!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Ya know I sold eggs to hatch and peeps this morning yes kept a couple
Hey @sourland

 

[Erin80]

I said pets, eggs and meat......we don’t eat our layers, ever, and never will.....but this fall we are raising Cornish cross for meat.

 

[ShannonR]

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

 

[ShrekDawg]

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

Mine destroy the gardens too!!! My mom doesn’t want to let them out anymore because of it.

 

[rosemarythyme]

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

x2. I wouldn't keep them strictly to poop (boy that sounds weird, can you imagine saying "I have dogs because I like to bag their poop!") but it's a nice side effect for gardeners. My mother in law even comes to ask for buckets of poop.

I mainly got chickens because I had pet birds throughout childhood and teens, and I wanted to have pet birds again, but not in the house (hubby is mildly allergic to their dander). Figured it was easy to justify chickens because you get eggs out of it too, and they don't take up the space that something like a herd of emus would. Hubby was agreeable at first but not enthusiastic... skip ahead 4 years, and he was the one pestering me to consider getting more chicks!

 

[ShrekDawg]

x2. I wouldn't keep them strictly to poop (boy that sounds weird, can you imagine saying "I have dogs because I like to bag their poop!") but it's a nice side effect for gardeners. My mother in law even comes to ask for buckets of poop.

I mainly got chickens because I had pet birds throughout childhood and teens, and I wanted to have pet birds again, but not in the house (hubby is mildly allergic to their dander). Figured it was easy to justify chickens because you get eggs out of it too, and they don't take up the space that something like a herd of emus would. Hubby was agreeable at first but not enthusiastic... skip ahead 4 years, and he was the one pestering me to consider getting more chicks!

That’s amazing!!! My dad is similar. Didn’t like them much at first but now he loves them and talks to them and helped me pick out more breeds last year

He even loves the rooster I hatched this past fall LOL