What made you decide to get chickens?

[Quail_Antwerp]

My SIL gave me 24 RIR and a pair of bantams about 4 years ago. The bantam roo got killed by coons. Some neighbor came up and informed me that he had sold my 24 RIR for $2 each to a guy up the road without asking me if I even wanted to sell. I came home and he handed me $48 and said he did me a favor

I waited 2 years before getting chickens again. I had loved getting fresh eggs. Did not really care for the RIR, though, so I was happy when my mom showed me a McMurray catalog. I ordered $300 worth chickens and ducks. Four months later I was once again relieved of my poultry as two-legged vermin stole my entire flock while my husband and I slept.

That was last year.

This year I have replaced my flock. No two legged vermin yet. Coyotes have come pretty close, but so far, no losses to predators, yet. I expect to have it happen at some point, but so far my prayers have been answered. I pray every night for protection over my birds. Laugh if you want, it works!

We also stationed our two watch dogs on either sides of the coops, so no one gets in without the dogs sounding the alarm.

 

[ChandlersChickens]

My daughter was my enabler!!!

Her second grade class hatched some eggs in their classroom. With a parent's permission, a child could take some chicks home. I wrote a note with permission to bring home two.
After the teacher got the note.....then I told my husband what would soon be coming home. He said "WHAT are you going to do with chickens?!!!"

One chick was a rooster and found him a home...then I bought an EE. And now I'm going to get a couple more EEs. And now I have an addiction

 

[EllyMae]

I started my addiction to them at a very young age...following my grandpa around his farm. Now that we have a farm of our own, why not get chickens? My kids love the chickens AND the fresh eggs! Since I don't have a green thumb, I figured livestock was the safe way to go. I tend to be a real Dr. Dolittle when it comes to animals.

 

[CarriBrown]

I had them growing up. When my husband and I lived in our first house, I was itching for chickens. We lived in a tract house and couldn't have them, so I talked my dad into building me a coop at his house.

Then we moved without ever filling it.
I talked DH into building me a coop at our new house (we went to "look" at chicks at the feed store and ended up coming home with two cochins and two BRs). The BRs became the big bullies, so they moved to my dad's house.
So, my dad has the two BRs and DH and I now have 10 chickens. DH wasn't so sure about the chickens at first, but now he says they are his favorite pets!

 

[cyrixlord]

I never had chickens or even raised chickens before this April. My SO thought it would fun to have 2 lawn ornaments that ran around the backyard. we had plenty of bugs, and i thought it would be neat to have aerated grass from their scratching. they could eat the birdseed that fell from teh feeders. they could fertilized the yard!

So in April he brought 2 australorps home. we wanted the colored egg layers but this worked out well. they were 3 days old. I raised them around my dogs and figured theyd be dead in a few months but they have survived.

I learned that they're more territorial than my dogs, are great watchchickens, and i do so love their noises (except at 7:30am when they make their only loud noise of the day for about 20 seconds unless there is something wrong in the yard)

Now they're giving us eggs. they're just mad now because they're locked in their run because i'm planting grass seed

I think once you find the right balance of chickens you can sustain, they can be quite pleasurable.

 

[redoak]

A friend of my wife had chickens and we got hooked on the fresh eggs. We read up on them and decided they would make fun pets, with the benefit of fresh eggs.

 

[debilorrah]

Quail - the nerve of that guy!! That is theft!! I am outraged for you.

 

[MagsC]

4H for my daughter, economy,eventually fresh eggs and just plain because I like chickens.

 

[Dixiedoodle]

I have wanted chickens for 25-30yrs, I love their walk, talk, the eggs, the crows, that they eat bugs etc...But each time I mentioned it my dear husband would always say.. "When I can built you a secure coop and run--THEN you can have chickens.." This yr was the yr... ... Dixie

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

I've always been a bird person, always having cockatiels and parakeets as a child, but as an adult I own very large dogs who are just as bird oriented as I am. So I couldn't have any indoor cage birds anymore.

A trip to the Fort Worth Stock Show, and a stop at Tractor Supply on a Sunday afternoon, and I became a chicken owner. 2 BR's and 2 RIR's came home with me that afternoon.

After a few months of raising those, I became accustomed to chickens, and started looking at different breeds. And being the person that I am, Silkies were a natural fit.

I've tried other breeds like JB's, Polish, Rocks, Cochins etc... but nothing gets me like a Silkie....