Poll: Reason(s) for more chickens now than when you started

[geebs]

or...... bad chicken math

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Broody Hen. Here's Chloe our eternally broody Silkie with her professional Nanny, Miss Rosie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMg6S33-030

I've posted this video before, please forgive me. Since getting chickens, I've also gotten "blogging" and "posting pics". I think I'm addicted.

Now we have 9 new chickens, 4 will be laying eggs in about 6 more weeks! 5 will be needing homes (I dont think they're meaty enough to be meat).

 

[kathyinmo]

I started out with about 35 hatchery chicks, "for eggs." In researching I learned alot about so many topics. One topic of interest to me was about heritage breeds, rare breeds, preservation efforts, and such. So, I sold or gave away all of the hatchery stock, and started on a venture of seeking out quality breeder stock. I do hope to help with preservation efforts and hope to have quality stock to breed.

I also use chicken for what they are intended for .... meat and eggs.

I have downsized for the winter. I really wanted to get down to 100, but that hasn't happened. Hatching now, so I imagine I currently have 200 or so birds here, and I plan to hatch hundreds in the next few months. Some for meat and eggs, some for stock improvement replacement, some for others.....

From a hobby to an obsession, I guess.

 

[markandcindy]

Our original idea was to build a coop in the spring of 2011 and get 5-10 chickens for eggs so I started reading this forum. Then we went to visit Dan the chicken man down the road in Santa Fe, TX in October and he gave us a pair of month-old Silkie chicks. We kept them in a dog crate until we finished building a small coop. I think we have 2 hens but at 5 months old, who knows?

Then we saw an ad on Craigslist for 2 week old Black Jersey Giant chicks, went to buy 8, and brought home 11. That was 2 weeks ago and they are starting to look like baby eagles! I bought 2 mixed bantam chicks at the feed store "just because". One didn't make it but the other one is doing just fine in with "the giants"; she can run underneath the other chicks in between their legs and no one is picking on her, but my plan is to put her with the Silkies when she is old enough to put out in the coop. We are working on building a new, much larger coop and a covered, fenced area.

Still not spring, still haven't bought the egg-layers...chicken math.

 

[Mahonri]

We built the coop for eggs.

My wife agreed to 15, but McMurray would only send 25.

The rest is history. I got an incubator, got some Wheaten/Blue Wheaten eggs from pasofinofarm and the rest is history.

I've currently got 66 birds (35 of which are chicks) I'll try to get the number down to 36 by summer.

 

[Davidisinaband]

My reason isn't in the poll..

The first ones tasted soooo good.. lol

 

[catdaddy66]

I was bitten by a chicken. It got infected and now I've got a fever..., and the only cure is... MORE chickens!!!

They are exceptionally fun to raise and the eggs are wonderful! I need more to offset the drop in layer production during winter. I never want to by another egg as long as I live!

 

[FoodKillah]

I wanted to buy a couple of chickens to get the fresh daily egg that my baby daughter needs. Then, after i tasted the eggs and after spending some time with those great chickens and finding peace around them, more had to come. I have 5 now (1 rooster) and i build anther coop that will hold about 10-15 chickens to move them there and raise the number.

 

[Judy]

Originally for eggs, meat, entertainment, and for the grandkids to have the experience, including blue or green eggs. Now, all that, though the grandkids are older and I won't get any more EE's (no eggs for months and they're old enough they'd have to cook a loooong time.)

 

[Rte.66_chicks]

You need to include "just because I can", "chicken addiction", and "BYC enabling" to your poll. They all fit for me, in addition to the reasons I checked.