Topic of the Week - What is the purpose of your flock?

[patirosaj]

How do you stop them from eating your tomato plants? I had to give up planting tomatoes! One day I found they had eaten all my tomatoes, leaves and all just left the stalks!!! They look at me as if to say hey mum we left you the rest of the plant.

 

[patirosaj]

How do you stop them from eating your tomato plants? I had to give up planting tomatoes! One day I found they had eaten all my tomatoes, leaves and all just left the stalks!!! They look at me as if to say hey mum we left you the rest of the plant.

I have raised planters (built out of pallets - cheap and easy to do), so I staked the corners and stalled bird netting around it. The girls still get through to a few, but many more survive.

 

[Jojosine]

Reasons for keeping chickens:
Started: Eggs
Discovered: Entertainment
Turned into: Addiction
Now also: Meat

Went from 4 chickens a year ago to:
1 rooster, Harvey
9 adult hens &
13 chicks
= 23 birds

Mind you, the young cockerels will end up on our table if we can't give them away, thankfully one is spoken for, but the others won't be so lucky. It's sad, but we knew this would happen when we started breeding.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

I have 18 hens and 1 rooster, for pets and eggs.

 

[krissyweso]

I have chickens for probably a little of every reason. Some are pets, chosen to be such because of a special quality that makes them loved by all, such as the funny antics of Jace or the calm and docility around children my sweet Jazz displays.
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These birds are almost always kept for their whole lives, and if they're sold for some reason, it's only to homes I know and trust to care for them well.

Then I have the egg layers, which pay the feed bill for the rest of the freeloaders. These are usually sold in two to three years. This year it's White Leghorns. I highly recommend them, by the way.
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Some birds are breeding stock for my endeavours towards the Standard of Perfection. These birds will likely be kept for a good long time but I don't know as of yet whether I will keep them their whole life or not. Likely not, if I can get some better stock from their eggs.

Partridge Chantecler cockerel. This is the bird I am keeping from this set. That gold you see in his hackle is the underside; the top side of the hackle is the brilliant red seen on the rest of it.
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Partridge Chantecler pullet. This one is not a good bird in terms of colour but she has decent structure in points where the above cockerel is weak, I think.
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Some of my Silver Ameraucana breeding group. The cock is going to be invited to dinner as soon as I get a suitable replacement due to his bratty temperament. I have eggs from them in lockdown now.
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Last, I keep them for tick patrol. The ducks in particular are great at this and definitely reduce how many issues we have with them. As an added bonus, I don't have to mow the area where the birds spend most of their time. I have also utilized a spare cockerel for meat. I have more for that purpose sitting in the coop now, and I mean to do it more often, rather than giving away all those feed guzzlers for nothing in return... still, I shirk from it enough I don't think it can as of yet be classified as a purpose that I keep my flock for

Beautiful post!

So, your third picture of the two white chickens are leghorns? I rescued a group of mixed breed cockerels and pullets a few weeks ago, and I know the mille fleurs and the barred rocks, but I have two that look EXACTLY LIKE THOSE. And another two that look like half leghorn and half barred rock. I thought my all white ones were leghorn or white rocks, but now I definitely think leghorns!

 

[Ponypoor]

I have 9 3 adult hens and 6 teenagers lol these are the most recent pics I took a few days ago x3

A beautiful flock

 

[Back40chick]

My purpose has changed somewhat. At first, I saw them as pets with benefits. But some heart breaking losses have made me not get so attached. I enjoy my chickens, but mainly it is for the eggs.

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

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We all keep chickens for our reasons, whether it's eggs, exhibition, or just pets with benefits. This week, out of curiosity, I'd like to hear what your flock's main purpose is for you? I.e. why do you keep chickens?

Egg-laying?
Exhibition?
Dual purpose (meat and eggs)?
Lawn ornaments/pets?
Other?

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Pic by @fairwindminishetland
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I got mine for the eggs. Currently got 20 hens, and a pair of young roosters, one who I plan to use for breeding purposes (he’s a really friendly Orpington, so he would be good to mix with my Rhode Island Red hens) and one who’s just an extra. (because that’s the Plymouth Barred Rock who hid in the woods when my family was catching all the extra boys and giving them to a local rescue. Supposedly the people who we gave them to will be using the roosters for their hatchery business.) I have like 4 siblings, and my brother Jon really likes boiled eggs, so we can definitely eat 10 hens worth of eggs a week. Hopefully when the pullets start laying, I can have a few left over for the farm store I plan to start. Or, you know, I could bake a really large quiche.

 

[Glory to His name]

My purpose has changed somewhat. At first, I saw them as pets with benefits. But some heart breaking losses have made me not get so attached. I enjoy my chickens, but mainly it is for the eggs.

I would say the same!
Also venturing into raising more for meat.

 

[BantyChooks]

Beautiful post!

So, your third picture of the two white chickens are leghorns? I rescued a group of mixed breed cockerels and pullets a few weeks ago, and I know the mille fleurs and the barred rocks, but I have two that look EXACTLY LIKE THOSE. And another two that look like half leghorn and half barred rock. I thought my all white ones were leghorn or white rocks, but now I definitely think leghorns!

Yes, correct. It will be easier to tell when they mature and their body type becomes more evident, as White Rocks have a very different structure once they’ve matured fully. The birds in my photo are quite young.