What makes a "crazy chicken lady/man"?

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Honestly, having an excuse to leave social functions early is a huge benefit and one of the reasons I hatch so many small batches of eggs. People are always forgiving when you have 'a thing' that needs your attention, especially if you act appropriately apologetic. Your flock sounds amazing! I'd love to have more, but right now I'm limited to about 50 birds total including ducks. I might hit 60 next summer if I get meat birds, but those don't really count, right??

I have chickens for so many different reasons. The main one being 'because I can'. Why do I breed to the Standard? Because I can. Why do I have cool egg colours? Because I can. Why do I hatch like a maniac even though I probably have enough chickens? Because I can! (don't worry... I cull heavily and don't overcrowd)

Chickens are supremely enjoyable to me, and have so many different facets to their care and keeping that I find it impossible to ever be bored. I can spend a free afternoon researching the finer points of the avian respiratory system, which is really interesting, by the way, or I can get out the power tools and build something for the chickens. The more coops, the better, right?

I'm always chasing a special something that puts a gleam into my eye as I struggle to understand it or fulfill it. Sometimes it's something as random and fleeting as learning the history of binary code, sometimes it's a decades-long obsession with a subject. Chickens have filled that niche for the past five years. Passion for something isn't shameful, I've learnt, despite all the muggles that chuckle and give you a strange look when you mention your in-depth knowledge of anything more ambitious than what the last football game's scores were.

You and I would get along great. I will just start rambling chicken knowledge to people, especially my poor husband, and no one seems to find it as fascinating as I do. I understand animals and the things they do, people confound me daily.

My biggest problem is picking a direction for the year. Every year I'm interested in something different. It's so cool that there's a never ending choice with keeping chickens. I get so much joy out of just watching mine do their thing.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I Think you and I are similar.
When I get involved with something that interests me, I learn everything I can about it.
When I was into gardening, I learned the common names of plants, their scientific names, Zone tolerance, individual environmental needs, etc. People would ask how was I so successful with my gardens. I told them I gave these plants what they NEED to thrive. Quite simple. The same for tropical fish, now it is chickens. It's like the more you learn, the more you know what you don't know. Yes, an obsession, for sure.
Thirst for knowledge is an admirable trait, whatever the subject is. Chickens are a subject that one can pursue for a long time. That in itself is a challenge which I welcome.
Pursue your passion. Chicken on!!

That's funny, I got into gardening and fish keeping big time for many years. Physical limitations has caused me to downsize severely in both hobbies. I am a walking encyclopedia on gardening here and on goldfish. I enjoy hobbies that require you to learn to succeed. I like learning in general. The day I know everything is they day I must be dead.

 

[BantyChooks]

You and I would get along great. I will just start rambling chicken knowledge to people, especially my poor husband, and no one seems to find it as fascinating as I do. I understand animals and the things they do, people confound me daily.

My biggest problem is picking a direction for the year. Every year I'm interested in something different. It's so cool that there's a never ending choice with keeping chickens. I get so much joy out of just watching mine do their thing.

We must be long-lost sisters. Every time I think I have some aspect of social convention figured out... I get confused again by a contradicting piece of information. I've all but given up... maybe I'll go live on a mountain somewhere. With Wi-Fi. Chickens are stable. Chickens greet you the same way every morning. Chickens never try and talk about the weather or invite you to town functions you'd rather die than go to. Conclusion: we're the sane ones, everyone else is loopy. I've learned to contain my slack-jawing to some extent, but there are still pretty frequent occasions where I finish up an excited expository on some chicken fact to my friend and she's practically snoring, lol. Thank goodness for BYC---I'd take to talking to the walls, otherwise.

Genetics, health, behaviour, anatomy, feeding, breeding, incubation... the list of possibilities is practically never ending. Now if only I had the lifespan to learn them all!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We must be long-lost sisters. Every time I think I have some aspect of social convention figured out... I get confused again by a contradicting piece of information. I've all but given up... maybe I'll go live on a mountain somewhere. With Wi-Fi. Chickens are stable. Chickens greet you the same way every morning. Chickens never try and talk about the weather or invite you to town functions you'd rather die than go to. Conclusion: we're the sane ones, everyone else is loopy. I've learned to contain my slack-jawing to some extent, but there are still pretty frequent occasions where I finish up an excited expository on some chicken fact to my friend and she's practically snoring, lol. Thank goodness for BYC---I'd take to talking to the walls, otherwise.

Genetics, health, behaviour, anatomy, feeding, breeding, incubation... the list of possibilities is practically never ending. Now if only I had the lifespan to learn them all!

Ah to have a real live person in front of me to discuss chickens in depth would be a dream come true.

I do get to talk to my vet tech when I take a dog or kitty in. She's as nutty as me about her critters. I always wanted to be "normal" until I got old enough to realize that's not what I want at all. I prefer being different. I prefer the company of animals.

There's nothing in this world quite like a fluffy butted bantam Cochin running across the yard to greet you for goodies, except for a whole group of them. That always makes my day. Chickens are eternal optimists. Everyday is the greatest day to them.

 

[BantyChooks]

Ah to have a real live person in front of me to discuss chickens in depth would be a dream come true.

I do get to talk to my vet tech when I take a dog or kitty in. She's as nutty as me about her critters. I always wanted to be "normal" until I got old enough to realize that's not what I want at all. I prefer being different. I prefer the company of animals.

There's nothing in this world quite like a fluffy butted bantam Cochin running across the yard to greet you for goodies, except for a whole group of them. That always makes my day. Chickens are eternal optimists. Everyday is the greatest day to them.

I'd never shut up. Now, if only someone would invent the teleport, I could pop over there and be back in time to close up the chooks...

I can't ever remember wanting normalcy. I thought the other kids were the scary weirdoes and I was the normal, rational one. Friends? Who needs those?

I'll bet! Cochins are so cute. I've never had any personally, but I've been tempted to get just a couple for their stature and frivolous footgear. I'm more of an OEGB person in the bantam department, but I've never met a bantam I didn't love.

 

[mschickiemama]

I love your post! I started keeping chickens in 2010 after begging my parents for chickens. Even though I read a chicken keeping book and watched YouTube videos, I learned so much more once I actually had chickens. They also became my friends, and I enjoy their unique personalities. I just have one chicken right now. She lives in the coop with the rabbit. She is one of the original ones I got 8 years ago. I hug her everyday and really love her. <3 Sometimes I sneak her into the house too. lol Chickens are special creatures. They are living works of art like you said.

 

[drumstick diva]

Nothing makes them a crazy chicken lady or man, they are BORN that way.

 

[drumstick diva]

Old Hen - don't forget you like dogs too!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Old Hen - don't forget you like dogs too!!

Oh don't get me started on my dog problem. After I'm done thinking about chickens I'm thinking about dogs, and getting another dog, always wanting another one. I cannot live without them. I get anxiety leaving them home. I don't go anywhere for more than 3 hours because of my dogs. We need each other.

 

[feathermaid]

This thread is such a great idea!

I've loved animals my entire life and always brought home strays that included frogs, snakes and even a chipmunk once! How did my 5 year old self ever catch one? As I grew older, I seemed to develop a propensity to help wounded wild birds and other creatures, and friends always brought abandoned babies for me to try nurse back to health and find them new homes. I was never really allowed to keep anything except a cat and a guinea pig growing up. Naturally, my childhood best and truest friend also loved animals and she eventually became a successful vet tech and my go-to advice nurse. I put college on hold to work full time and achieve my dream of owning horses and rented a cabin in the country. My life was perfect with my horses and my dog, but I just couldn't sustain it forever on my own. Eventually got married in my mid 30s and moved to the "dreaded" suburbs, where we could reasonably afford to purchase our first house.

So, my horses were gone, my beloved dog passed away, I lost my job, then my best friend tragically died shortly after my daughter was born. Talk about a dramatic life change! I love my family dearly, but somehow I felt lost. Later on, I think I got into chickens out of desperation to find any semblance of my old country life after being "trapped" in suburbia for so long. I thought raising chickens might become a family hobby, but they actually turned out to be mine and mine alone. They give me great comfort in a world that seems to have no interest in my trivial homesteading aspirations.

Yes, the glazed-over stares and eye rolls always appear after any chicken talk beyond "wow, you get your own fresh eggs and you don't even have to buy them from the store!" Why don't so-called normal people have any interest in the amazing chicken world? Thank goodness for BYC! There's really no one else who gets it. My husband tries to be supportive, but he doesn't quite understand either. Maybe I am crazy. At least I can come here and read ridiculous chicken stories and not feel alone. I'm constantly learning and researching, striving to expand my experiences... like incubating eggs someday!

I desperately want more chickens. One of every color and feather pattern! I desire my own stunningly colorful egg basket so I can admire and hold that which I covet from everyone else's pictures. But sadly, I have to constantly beat away the Chicken Math Bug. With a stick. Every day. I just can't have too many birds in my backyard... what would my neighbors think? But wait... maybe I could still sneak more in anyway... if I redesign the interior of my coop to sleep more chickens? Or build a whole other coop!

Moving to the suburbs just seemed like a necessary step to save up for our ultimate goal... owning a nice piece of acreage. It's taking a bit longer than we had expected, but I think I'm gonna be in real trouble once we move to the country and actually have the space for more chickens and a rooster, and some ducks and bunnies, and some goats, and some horses. *sigh* I pray someday it will happen. I feel like I'm running out of time, but after reading posts here on BYC about so many people just starting their farm lifestyles after retirement, it's giving me hope.

Thank you everyone, for saying everything that I can identify with: chickens being the ultimate anti-depressant, liking animals more than people, using them as an excuse to leave social gatherings etc. That's exactly my life.