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

[perchie.girl]

My flock saved my life figuratively. I had just moved to my home in the desert.... Been there about six months still didnt have a bed frame... Just a matress on the floor. I was down with Asthma. had about thirty hens and three roos....

So there I was bundled up on my bed big jug of tea and my nebulizer machine... I had the door to the yard open and watched chicken TV... Once I heard a blood curtling scream and here goes one of my roos Willie beating feeet with Waylen in persuit with a beak full of neck feathers..... Sent me into an appaplexy of coughing and laugher... The three Roos Waylen Willie and Bubba pretty much did a good job of protecting the flock With Waylen Directing Operations.
Course there were always scuffles....

Then I finally went to sleep.... in my dreams a girl had come to talk to me and all she would say was... Awwwk... awwk awk... I woke up to Red Hen about three feet into the room Eyeballing everything... Awwwk... I said Go on get out... Her answer was .... Awwwk.

I finally threw a sock at her and she skittered out.... The one peeking in the door from the side followed her....

deb

 

[LaurEliz]

Eggs for me, family, friends, and coworkers. Also, they're just very, very fun!

 

[Kateslittleladies]

The purpose of my flock is---pure joy!!!! I receive so much from them, as well as my other pets, that I will never be without chickens again. My mom moved in with me a few years ago and she is not an animal person. I told her one day that I would be outside with my chickens and about an hour later I hear her calling me, "Jennifer, where are you?" I laughed and told her I was out with the chickens. I went in and she was worried about me because she could not imagine why I was out for so long, she thought something happened to me. I told her I spend several hours outside with all the pets and she just couldn't believe. I adopt hens that people don't won't because they have stopped laying and I just want them to be able to live their lives out in retirement. The peace and joy I receive from them is priceless.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

The purpose of my flock is---pure joy!!!! I receive so much from them, as well as my other pets, that I will never be without chickens again. My mom moved in with me a few years ago and she is not an animal person. I told her one day that I would be outside with my chickens and about an hour later I hear her calling me, "Jennifer, where are you?" I laughed and told her I was out with the chickens. I went in and she was worried about me because she could not imagine why I was out for so long, she thought something happened to me. I told her I spend several hours outside with all the pets and she just couldn't believe. I adopt hens that people don't won't because they have stopped laying and I just want them to be able to live their lives out in retirement. The peace and joy I receive from them is priceless.

Good for you for rescuing retired hens!
I rescue unwanted roosters. Because of this, I now have six roosters and two hens! Most of the roosters live in their own rooster-only pen so they don't hurt the hens or each other.

 

[aliciaplus3]

I find chickens to be an addiction for me, I started out with a dozen just for eggs..... now I have somewhere close to 200 maybe???? Idk.... but I love em. All the colors and personalities and different colored eggs... and then the hatching of the eggs. WOW! You hear of ladies with a shoe fetish but I think I have a chicken/poultry fetish!

 

[BreezyBre]

Well I started thinking fresh eggs would be nice so I decided I wanted chickens ! Didn't know a damn thing about them so I hit internet of things and started learning ,along the way I managed to hit Greenfire Farms site and a couple other rare bird sites so I kinda went in that direction with a couple breeds lol Then I decided I wanted colored eggs so I expanded with the usual EE ,OE , cream Legbar . Then I'm happily looking at my ladies and realize we got a couple boys to make some breeding pairs ,one with some nice lineage so now breeding is on my mind for possible show /sale . Suddenly I recall my swedish hens are dual purpose and I get it in my head I wonder how tasty of a bird I can grow ?!?
I'm sunk ! I'm all in for everything ....the crazy chicken lady is born lolol

 

[Blooie]

Pure impulse. Hubby loves goats. Evertytime we drive past one particular farm with lots of them he’d sigh and say, “I miss my goats.” I always reminded him that we don’t have room. One day our daughter said, “Well, you have room for chickens!” It started out as a joke on the way to Cody one morning. By nightfall I’d chosen and ordered 22 of them!

The eggs were nice. I kept myself in pocket change selling them. And the meat was a bonus. But the real joy for us was watching two of our granddaughters grow, thanks to the care provided by chickens. Yep, the chickens made sure that those sweet girls blossomed! Katie was 8 and still struggling with her mild autism when our first chicks arrived, and her little sister Kendra was 2 and had been in her wheelchair since she was 9 months old. She was born with Spina Bifida and a much more severe form of autism than Katie. Oh, how they loved the chickens! Since I was their loving gramma and day care provider, they were here a lot, especially living across the street.

Within just a few months of having chickens, Katie developed a stronger sense of empathy than she’d ever shown before. Before the end of the first year, we could leave town for several days and she was in complete charge out there. She never missed a step in the routine, and I never had to double check how the chickens had fared while we were gone. She was actually able to stand in front of her class and give an oral report on owning chickens, which is huge for a shy child with autism. She wrote brochures. And she is now a confident, independent young lady of 12.

Kendra would just grin, flap her arms and squeal “chickens, chickens” when she saw the chickens out in the yard. One chicken in particular, our big old Light Brahma Tank, would get up on Kendra’s lap when she was outside in her wheelchair, perfectly content to let Kendra take her for a ride. Kendra doesn’t speak...not conversationally. She does know and use nouns very well, and she knows what she likes! She wants to be part of family activities so we’d put the basket of eggs on her lap and let her bring them in. Then one day, wearing her bulky braces and with the help of her physical therapist, Kendra walked out to the coop, visited with the chickens for a bit, then carried in her basket of eggs....walking! I will never ever forget how hard she was concentrating on that basket, and the huge smile on her face when she realized that she DID it! She’s now 6. The chickens have all been gone since August of last year. But she still pulls herself up and wobbles at the front door calling them.

So what started out as a joke, then an impulse, followed by food production and a little spending money became a lifechanger for two wonderful little girls. They each had a sense of purpose...of belonging and acceptance. They laughed at the chickens’ antics, learned to raise chicks (yes, Kendra was able to help there too) and no amount of egg money can buy what we saw in 2 pairs of big blue eyes shining with love for those silly looking bits of pocket lint with legs.

Sometimes the extras far exceed the original purpose.

Katie coming in after feeding and wateringt the chickens.

Kendra walking to the house with her precious basket of eggs.

 

[Aerliss]

Pure impulse. Hubby loves goats. Evertytime we drive past one particular farm with lots of them he’d sigh and say, “I miss my goats.” I always reminded him that we don’t have room. One day our daughter said, “Well, you have room for chickens!” It started out as a joke on the way to Cody one morning. By nightfall I’d chosen and ordered 22 of them!

The eggs were nice. I kept myself in pocket change selling them. And the meat was a bonus. But the real joy for us was watching two of our granddaughters grow, thanks to the care provided by chickens. Yep, the chickens made sure that those sweet girls blossomed! Katie was 8 and still struggling with her mild autism when our first chicks arrived, and her little sister Kendra was 2 and had been in her wheelchair since she was 9 months old. She was born with Spina Bifida and a much more severe form of autism than Katie. Oh, how they loved the chickens! Since I was their loving gramma and day care provider, they were here a lot, especially living across the street.

Within just a few months of having chickens, Katie developed a stronger sense of empathy than she’d ever shown before. Before the end of the first year, we could leave town for several days and she was in complete charge out there. She never missed a step in the routine, and I never had to double check how the chickens had fared while we were gone. She was actually able to stand in front of her class and give an oral report on owning chickens, which is huge for a shy child with autism. She wrote brochures. And she is now a confident, independent young lady of 12.

Kendra would just grin, flap her arms and squeal “chickens, chickens” when she saw the chickens out in the yard. One chicken in particular, our big old Light Brahma Tank, would get up on Kendra’s lap when she was outside in her wheelchair, perfectly content to let Kendra take her for a ride. Kendra doesn’t speak...not conversationally. She does know and use nouns very well, and she knows what she likes! She wants to be part of family activities so we’d put the basket of eggs on her lap and let her bring them in. Then one day, wearing her bulky braces and with the help of her physical therapist, Kendra walked out to the coop, visited with the chickens for a bit, then carried in her basket of eggs....walking! I will never ever forget how hard she was concentrating on that basket, and the huge smile on her face when she realized that she DID it! She’s now 6. The chickens have all been gone since August of last year. But she still pulls herself up and wobbles at the front door calling them.

So what started out as a joke, then an impulse, followed by food production and a little spending money became a lifechanger for two wonderful little girls. They each had a sense of purpose...of belonging and acceptance. They laughed at the chickens’ antics, learned to raise chicks (yes, Kendra was able to help there too) and no amount of egg money can buy what we saw in 2 pairs of big blue eyes shining with love for those silly looking bits of pocket lint with legs.

Sometimes the extras far exceed the original purpose.

Oh man, I am just crying in the bathtub here. What a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing it.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

We keep our many chickens and ducks for egg laying and entertainment. Farm fresh, free-range eggs are 500x better than store bought. Chickens are also beautiful and entertaining. We have 2 polish, 1 Silkie, 2 D'uccles, and a cochin simply because they are so cute. ( and I succumbed to chick fever) I can't imagine life without my chickens to color it. I admit they can be a pain, because they pillage gardens I work hard on and have to cared for on vacations, but I vow to always keep chickens as long as I live. It's no fun without them! Ours are all pets, the best kind, for they give eggs!

Awww, this made a tear in my eye! Love it

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

I originally bought chickens for eggs but they are now more pets with benefits. I always say I could just have chickens without the eggs and be just as happy I enjoy sharing my life with them and they bless us with their wonderful gifts (eggs).I also plan to breed in the future.