What made you decide to get chickens?

[dichotomymom]

Grew up on a farm, believe in simple living, like living as sustainably as I can and they are fun to watch

 

[Freckle Face Farm]

My daughter was leaving for Japan (Air Force) and I was having empty nest syndrone...When I decided to fill it with chickens.My family thought I lost my mind..But it worked between building a run and a A-Frame chicken tractor I have adapted well to my new BCM chicks..AND MY DAUGHTER JUST LOVES THE BASE IN JAPAN...Everytime we web-cam she asks to see the chickens....(LOL)!!!

 

[cmom]

About 2 1/2 yrs ago my DH decided we wanted some chickens. He brought home 6 RIR 3 day old pullet chicks from the local feed store and a 5 lb bag of chick starter feed. Later I found out that the feed store gets their chicks from Ideal. I had nothing to keep them in so I went back to the store and bouight a brooder and feeder and waterer for the chicks. I already had a lamp so I was in business. I set everything up and all went well. Since then OUR flock has expanded. I converted a rabbit hutch into a brooder. Works well. There are lots of pictures on my BYC Page.

 

[Southernbelle]

Farming is in my blood and we finally moved to a place where I can realize my dreams.

 

[Lobzi]

I didnt really "decide". Chickie found me one day when I was walking home from work. He was about 2-3 days old, running down the sidewalk in front of me. I thought he was a baby bird, fallen from the nest. There was no nest so I carried him over an hour to my home. We stopped in the park for some water. It was a very warm afternoon and he drank and drank. When I got him home, I offered him hamburger... eat ate like there was not tomorrow. The next day I was planning to take him to the Park headquarters so they could take care of him. They refused him so I carried him to school with me, figuring that I'd nurse him until he was strong enough to fly away. It was the kids who noticed his feet and told me I had a chicken not a bird. At that point I knew I'd be keeping him. That was my beginning to chicken farming. Today I have two more roosters and one hen. My hen is broody on three eggs and Im hoping for some more females for my guys.

 

[ODS-n-ENS FARM]

Almost 2 years ago my mom/best friend died suddenly and unexpectently. She was only 62. My FIL's health suddenly got worse and I spent my time caring for him. I guess I didn't notice just how bad my son was dealing with the loss until he suddenly moved out in a rage of anger that fall. Needless to say it was a long winter .My heart was broken and my house empty. I did not sleep much and according to my friends I had lost my spark. So last spring talking with my Dh and my dad I decided to get chicks. I thought it would be good for my dad. Boy was it. But it turned out to be very good for me. I had a new reason to get up and start my day. And at the end of the day my Dad would be at the barn w/DH and I(he grew up on a large turkey farm and we always had poultry of some sort from chickens to emus growing up).....Telling me what I was doing wrong, how many more I needed and how I need an incubator. Some nights he'd just sit w/me and watch them. So I got chicks to help my dad and in they end they have saved me. Chickens are better than prozac!

Oh yeah my son has recently moved back home and has told me WE need turkeys and a duck. LOL

 

[cockadoodle]

All the typical reasons for me I guess. I think it was a couple years ago when I first thought about it. Told my wife how cool it would be to have a couple chickens running around. She thought I was crazy.
Every few months or so I'd mention it again, not sure how it got into my head exactly. Some of it has to be on my side of the family with my father having been raised on a chicken farm with 50,000 birds, he talked about it a lot when I was a kid. I also, like many of the people here, want to get back to the basics a little more, teach my daughter that that there's more to putting food on the table than driving to the grocery store (or at least should be) and have a pet that actually contributes to the family in at least a couple tangible ways. Urban sustainability, and all of that is part of it too and reducing by a tiny amount the number of birds the corporate houses now have to buy and abuse. It all came together about 2 months ago when I visited my father in law in southern colorado and his neighbor had chickens in his backyard. I did some research and found out it is legal where I live (with permits, etc) I bought mine about a month later. My only concern now is that I want more, and am going to probably have to move to do it. This really is addiction at its finest.

~Mark

 

[columbiacritter]

I just wanted enough hens for my DH and I to have tasty organic eggs for ourselves...........then he picked up my poutry catalog and became a bonafide chicken nut. Now we have three coops, 10 layers, 3 rooster and 25 more on order.

 

[Chickenmaven]

Quote:
Bless your heart!

 

[TexGardenGirl]

short version - I wanted organic free-range eggs without having to pay for them. Thought maybe the manure could somehow be used in the garden.

long version - I guess I've had chickens in the back of my head most of my adult life. Until 3 years ago I lived in the city, mostly in tiny apartments (until I worked my way up to 4 cats & nobody will rent an apartment to someone with 4 cats, so I did live in a rental house for a little while). 3 years ago DH & I moved to the country but we thought it was a temporary situation. I started noticing the various small farms/backyards on my way to work everyday - that one's got chickens, that one's got a few turkeys, look at those goats!, ooh those people have cows, etc... And then we had the opportunity to get our little 2-acre place down the road from the previous place. Bought it & moved in 1 1/2 years ago, started the garden right away (I MUST have homegrown tomatoes!) and was amazed how much it costs to buy compost (I'm making my own from yard & kitchen waste too, but it's not enough at first). Then I remembered the chicken thoughts. My mom got me a chicken book Christmas before last, and I decided I must make it happen. I did a lot of research first, and finally over this Christmas we built the coop, ordered the babies, and now they're 4 weeks old! Yay! Ordered 10 hens, got them plus 11 roos "for warmth". My big surprise was how much I love them! I love all animals in an abstract kind of way, and I had mushy motherly feelings when I was bottle-feeding my two kittens years ago, but I'd forgotten how much another creature could get into your heart

Now I'm thinking about a few goats, maybe rabbits.
I don't think you'd find too many people who'd disagree that our country is in some kind of trouble. The debate would be over what exactly is wrong and how to fix it. Regardless of that, it wouldn't hurt for everyone to learn a little more self-sufficiency, even if it just means having one chicken for eggs, or one tomato plant in a container on your high-rise balcony, or hemming your own clothes, changing your own oil in the car, cooking more meals from scratch, whatever. All those things are good regardless of your politics.

And everyone could always use more chickens! (Well, unless they're allergic - wouldn't that be awful??? )

ETA: "it's a chicken, not a bird" ROFL