I wasn't in a place or situation where I could have had chickens before I moved here, but I am SO glad I decided to start keeping 'em. I had NO idea how much fun they'd be, how enjoyable it is to just sit out in the yard watching the girls (and the roos) do chicken-y things. They come up to me now and then and we have conversations; although I have no idea what they say and they MIGHT not know what I'm saying, these little talks are very satisfying to me. And the girls walk away as if they're just as happy with our special time as am I.
I know what you mean gryeyes. How could you match the light hearted joy of watching chickens go down a children's slide? You could spend a lot of money on a lot of stuff and still not have that much fun. Plus my kids got to see too. These are funny family moments that they will remember and hopefully convince them that they had a happy childhood
My daughter is so excited about her pet silkies we have in the incubator. This has been a great hobby for sure, and keeps getting better. Although animal control might come after me since I will soon be just a tad over the legally allowed number of chickens on a city lot. Oops.