What hooked you on chickens?

[Henrietta23]

Quote:
I had to update my own post because I realized that I left something out! We were driving to DougD's house to pick up our chicks Saturday afternoon which took us on a route that I used to use to get to a former job. We passed this one house and I remembered that I used to slow down and look at the chickens in their front yard every day. They were so peaceful and happy looking. This is an old house almost on the University of CT campus, a very nice house and they had these chickens walking around. It put the whole idea of having chickens in a new light for me. I had always thought of chickens as being animals on a farm. I'm so glad I changed my mind!

 

[RobinEgg]

Well my love for chickens started with my grandma, also. I spent a lot of time with her , helping care for her chickens, although they weren't pets. When I was 7 a good friend of hers gave me my first pet chicken, a small brown barnyard banty. Still after 20 some odd years later small brown barnyard banties are on top of my favorites list. I thank God for knowing my grandmothers and for the knowledge they shared with me and my cousins.

 

[UncleHoot]

My obsession didn't start until last year, with my first batch (ever). I'm on my 3rd batch now.

But I often think "Why didn't we have chickens when I was a kid?" We certainly had the space for them. I guess it was just something that I didn't know anything about, and as a result, I assumed it would be difficult. Now that I know how easy raising chickens can be, I can't imagine living without them.

Plus, I think I'm going to have a BIG garden again this year. It has been shrinking for the past 6-7 years or so, but now I have someone else to eat a lot of the left-overs.

 

[tnkinhunting]

I grew up on a farm and chickens were everywhere and usually one was Sunday dinner! I hated that part - I would run and hide when my aunt went out to get a "fryer" or "old hen" for dumplings. But I sure did love her cooking!

That was about 50+ years ago, I still can not kill anything except rats and mice and spider's - So, when I was first married we got a pair of self blue OEGB and I have had them off and on (depending where we lived) ever since. I love having my chickens talk to me - especially my OEGB blue splash hen - she sings so loud you can hear her outside the barn. Banty's are small and you can have more of them than standard chickens!

Love having a couple of broody hen's with their chicks around the barnyard. They are wonderful to watch and keep the bugs and slugs out of our yard. Also, this site has enabled me in my addiction!!!! Shame!

 

[Gindee77]

The first time I had chickens (1994) I got 6 unknown-breed chicks at a livestock sale. Five minutes later, I was hooked! They turned out to be a GLW, a SLW and 4 Barred Rocks and ALL pullets!! My DH built me a hurried up coop out on our country property where we kept our horses. In the meantime I kept the chicks in my house in a cut off barrel, then in my garden shed in a horse tank until the coop was finished. I found a hatchery about 60 miles from my house and ordered 20 more layer chicks of various breeds from them and went and picked them up. We also got 25 meat chicks and raised them for meat....I was a sissy and couldn't eat the meat!

I was in love with my chickens

and thought (still think) that Araucana eggs were the coolest with all their pastel colors! I had some Araucanas and a mix of lots of breeds and we were getting 21-23 eggs a day all winter. Coons got in my chicken coop in the spring (they chewed thru the wood and got in) and left only 5 live hens.

I had always loved collecting eggs with my grandma and have always wanted to get back into chickens. I am experimenting to see if I can get away with it in my neighborhood. I no longer have my country property...I couldn't keep up with all the work after my DH passed away.

I want to be out in the country so bad...and maybe someday I will again. in the meantime, I'm raising chicks and will try to have a few hens in this snooty neighborhood I live in. The village clerk said it was okay unless the neighbors complain and I live right next to the worst complainer in the world!!! So fingers crossed all the way, I hope my hens are quiet and peaceful. I will only let them out in a chicken tractor and otherwise they will be in the coop. I only have room for about 8-10 chickens. So we'll see...right now I have 13 chicks with a vegetarian lady lined up who wants all my roos and even any hens I don't want.

I love everything about having chickens and I love all breeds, mostly the standard breeds, I haven't tried any of the fancier ones yet. Maybe if I make it out to the country someday!!

 

[puckbunny87]

Hehehe... this thread is great.

My love of chickens started as a kid... my parents always had a few chickens, but when I was 6-7ish we went to the feed store and dad let me and my sister pick out our own baby chicks. I named mine "Tiny" (inventive, I know)... and she proceeded to grow into the largest hen we owned. She followed me constantly. When we'd climb trees, she'd fly up to be with us. I have pictures of us in the trees. I have pics of me and her, of her and the neighbor kids... actually, I have a lot of pictures of her. Lol.

Best chicken ever ;-)

 

[Guitartists]

How can you not fall in love with chickens??? I need to get my hubby to a chicken show or something. I just know that he has yet to find his breed

He gathers worms at the park after the rain, so I know he secretly likes the little buggers

I love them because they come in so many different colors, sizes and patterns. Each with personality and comical nature. And they serve a purpose... eggs and meat, you can't ask for a better little critter. I can't wait until we make it to the country! Hubby says I can get whatever fowl I want once we are out of town.... I plan to hold him to his word!

But I guess to answer the question, I grew up with stories of my Grandpa's little banty hen. I have always been intrigued by their character and bravery. Such spunky little birds

 

[Bamaman]

Never even thought about having chickens til, a Cornish cross fell off a truck headed for processing. It stayed on the side of the Hwy. for about a week, til I went out in the middle of the night and caught it. It was quite the experience actually, me chasing a chicken all over the hwy, into my neighbors yard, then back to the hwy, I finally caught it, and there was a lady at the gas station laughing her butt off at me.

... A month later I had about 30 chickens.

 

[Parson's Wife]

It began with a discussion on the economy. Looked into what was available in our area. Found BYC, found silkies...and it has not stopped...

I grew up on a farm, loved it. But with the way our life is set up...I didn't know what, or how. But we have made a way, with the Lords help. Suffered a tragic loss Sat., but it has not stopped me. I find something so very peaceful in the sounds of the chickens, and just watching as well.

 

[opihiman911]

The island I live on, Kauai, always has had wild chicken. After Hurricaine Iniki devestated our little island, it seemed the wild chicken just exploded with all the domesticated chickens that got loose after their coop was destroyed.
During the following weeks of recovery fresh food items were at a premium. I noticed a chicken every day would go under my porch for an hour or so and then come out. One day I went and checked on it and there was 5 or 6 eggs in a nest. I removed all the eggs except one and marked that one. That night I had the most delicious fresh egg omlet to go along with my canned spam and MRE.
That hen kept going back to her nest under my porch for well over a month and I kept on enjoying a fresh egg meal every couple days. She finally got wise to me and moved on.
I will always remember those eggs and how delicious and fresh they tasted. Even though they were small cream colored eggs I will never forget how tasty they were, especially compared to all the canned food and MRE we were eating.
After things got settled down I decided to raise my own chicken so I would always have a fresh supply of eggs and even meat for "the next time" which I hope will never come.

Aloha,Cory