What hooked you on chickens?

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

My parents had a farm when I was VERY little. Even after they gave it up, we had all manner of pets, everything from geckos and parakeets to rats, cats, dogs, whatever. My mother drew the line at a goat that I begged for, though.

I knew when I grew up I wanted a farm. I waited until dh and I finally bought our own place. I started with chickens, also as I thought we could easily eat them if it didn't work out. I love birds, they are beautiful to watch. But personalities, I thought? NO WAY! ROTFL!

So.. got my original 10 chicks from the local feedstore. And LO AND BEHOLD! They all acted like individuals! Some liked to be held, some didn't. Some were noisy, some weren't. Some loved to peck my hair and cuddle... and pretty much that was that. Bought my first roo at a fair, and somehow grew very attached to the little guy. Due to an accident, he only lived with us for a few weeks before being killed, and I cried for two days.. it was awful. Got my d'Anvers pair (by accident.. really only wanted to replace my poor roo), built my own 'bator.. ordered some eggs.. LOL! Now I can't wait for my OWN eggs to grow in it.

Somehow currently have 3 chickens living in the house who are very attached to us.. my little cochin cockeral LOVES to cuddle. Dh thinks I'm crazy but is putting up with all of it.. and wants to try hatching a double yolker! YIKES! Not sure I'm up to THAT task.

Anyway.. that's pretty much the cliff notes version.

And Brooster that house is BEAUTIFUL! My poor chickens.. I'm sort of like a slumlord..

Meghan

 

[Xtradust]

My Grandparents took my DD and Me to a petting zoo that mostly had rabbits, but had some banties too, a couple of years ago. It was the first time I had reallly seen a live chicken. I've always lived a few miles from Disneyland. While we were there, my Grandmother told of the "Buff Banties" she had as a child and almost started to cry.

I thought, "I have got to get this woman some chickens!"

Then, a few days later, I saw a show on PBS called, "The Natural History of the Chicken" and I was hooked.

I started looking for a place to get chicks...and found a feed store that had baby chicks for sale, less than a mile from my house.

Bought some, lost some, bought some more, lost some more. Got smart, thanks to BYC, built Ft. Knox and here I am...with eight, 1 mo. old Frizzled Cochins in the brooder.

Matt

Btw, Grandpa and Gram now have 6 Buff Cochin Bantams and I don't think they have ever been happier, at 85 and 87.

 

[Rosalind]

My cousins on my dad's side always had either chickens or cows, as did my aunt and uncle. Just boring old production chickens. My mother considered chickens very, very redneck for years, until Martha Stewart showed off her EEs on TV--then, of course, she thought they were cuuuuute.

Didn't think a whole lot about chickens one way or the other, except as minor amusements when we visited local garden centers, for years. Then last year, DH and I were looking to buy a house, and the very nicest one with the most potential, in the best neighborhood, with the roomiest kitchen and most bathrooms, came with a barn with rooms for chickens, cows, a horse, and sheep. I am not up to minding horses, sheep or cows, but I thought a few chickens would be feasible, and the seller's Dominiques looked so handsome that I thought, "Well, just a few...maybe half a dozen..." Then it turned into, "Well, the hatchery won't ship less than 15, so I better get at least 15..." Of course, the added benefits of chicken manure in the garden, sustainability, etc. Now it's turning into, "I'd like a blue egg-laying Silkie...And some darker eggs in the egg crate would be nice..."

 

[brooster]

Brooster.............. can I please please please HAVE your henhouse?

NO, but you can have the cocky little ruler of it, my Buff Orpington roo.​

 

[horsewishr]

Quote:
Aww. That makes me all verklempt. I wish my grandma had lived to see my chickens. My mom says I got my love of animals from her.

I got mine because I was so charmed by my friend's backyard flock. Watching them was like watching a giant fish tank on the lawn.

I didn't jump right in, because I'm kind of phobic about the germs and poop. But once I started reading here, I figured I could do it. I bought 4 chicks last spring. I'm looking forward to 2 or 3 more this year.

I, too, have been amazed at the amount of personality chickens possess.

 

[eggcetra_farms]

Quote:
Aww. That makes me all verklempt. I wish my grandma had lived to see my chickens. My mom says I got my love of animals from her.

I was going to quote Xtradust and then saw horsewishr's post. I too got a little teary eyed at Xtra's post. My grandma is the whole reason I got chickens. Unfortunately she passed in 2000 and I didn't get my chickens until 2006. When I think of all the things she's missed (my HS graduation, wedding, birth of my son and daughter, etc.) it makes me really sad. That's another reason the chickens make me so happy. I almost feel like she's still with me when I'm out there watching them...

 

[kcfuerst]

Earwigs...snails...slugs...grasshoppers...crickets...creepycrawlies of all kinds in my garden. I hated them all. I spent tons of money on chemicals to spray, did the organic good bug trick that cost way too much money. I live in a big city, what am I going to do? Soooo, in my deperate research on the internet for alternative pest control....chickens??? Whoooda thought! Now I'm hooked. Love these little girls who give me food everyday, eat everything in sight and provide luxurioius fertilizer for my garden. What a hoot.

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

This may sound dumb - but I remember watching tv shows like Little house on the praire ( sp ? ) and loved it when you could see the chickens walking around.
Than last year we were doing the paper route and went past the feed store and they had a huge easter sell - FREE chick, turkeys,rabbits,ducks
so I begged DH to stop and look- we came home with three chicks,2 ducks,1 rabbit ( of course to get the babys free you had to buy a 50 lb bag of feed )
well I lost one hen early to a skunk killing her, one turned out to be a very large rooster ( rehome him ) and that left my poor Miss Peaches all alone.
Than I found this site and soon ordered 20 more babies to keep her company ! the ducks went from 2 to 3 --
and now with a brand new bator waiting for eggs -- the love of chickens has a hold on me and I fully blame each and everyone on this site LOL

this place is the best and worst place to be for chickens !!
( the best because of the great people all the wonderful advice -- worst because you start out with a few and end up with a whole flock LOL )

Julie

 

[nccountrygirl]

Yeah but ain't life grand. I tell My husband all the time that at least I'm not addicted to drugs or gambling, I just have a need for more chickens.

 

[Henrietta23]

Quote:
It is gorgeous. I've printed a picture of it to show DH since we will be building soon....