why did you get into chickens?

[picklespickles]

i was having a funky start to my day and coming here and reading all yalls replies helped me remember a lot about my own motivations and gratefulness for what i have now and that it just feels right. thanks.

 

[Rosalind]

I grew up in farm country--our neighbors had chickens, my aunts and uncle had chickens, my grandparents had chickens at first and then just bought headless chicken from the neighbor's farm. When I visited my aunt and uncle, they had me do farm chores in lieu of TV. Some farm chores I hated (weeding the veggies, ugh ugh ugh), others I didn't mind (picking fruit, feeding chickens, sweeping the barn). When my husband and I bought our first house last year, it came with a barn that had a chicken room pre-built into it, and a chicken run in the back. So it seemed logical to get some chickens for manure, bug control and eggs.

Also, they are very cute and fluffy. My mother, who only ever saw commercial production-type chickens at our relatives' houses, was amazed at how pretty heritage breeds are, and how soft and cuddly a Cochin rooster can be. They are by far the easiest animals I have ever cared for. They eat everything that might be edible and some things that are not, they only need their feeder filled once or twice a week, waterer filled twice a week, room swept every other week.

I didn't expect to be so attached to them. I figured I would dislike the roosters enough to be willing to wring some necks. Nope, they are all sweet and friendly, and when I had to put one down due to injuries, I cried.

 

[BantyChickMom]

My chicken fascination started at Easter this year.
I mentioned to DH about getting the 3 kids a chick each, and of course he wanted to know WHY.
I didn't know why, after all it was just a whim.

Well, that little whim has turned into 52 and I just love every aspect of chicken tending.
I visit with all of them and talk to all of them, even when just passing by the pen.
I just recently hatched my first little chicks and have more in the bator now.
I love just sitting and watching their antics and hearing them carrying on conversations among themselves.
They are great pets and I don't know how I lived this long without owning some.
Right now I only have 4 laying but looking for an egg everyday is just as exciting to me as it was finding my very first egg.
My kids share the chicken excitement with me and want to hold the babies as much as I will let them.
I can't wait till my others start laying and I have even more breeds to start hatching from.
I thought no one would ever understand my fascination with chickens but then I found this site.
That's when I realized I'm not the only crazy chicken lady, or I'm not the only person out there that is addicted to chickens.
I didn't find out until recently but DH said he saw the man we got our first 5 from and he asked how many we had now.
When DH told him about 50, he said, "See, I told you you would have more than you knew what to do with".
I guess I haven't gotten there yet because I keep looking for ways to add just one more kind that I don't have yet.


What I didn't expect/realize?

Just how addicting chickens really are.

 

[LuckysMom]

I decided to hatch some chicks in an incubator in my 1st grade classroom. It turned out to be the most interesting and exciting thing I'd done since retiring from USAF Special Ops 10 years ago! And after they were here; well, I just fell in love with them!
My daughter and I were cleaning out their cage today and she said, "Chickens are so cool, I'm glad we have them". And everyone who stops by my house likes to sit and watch the chickens. So it's a really neat family thing, too.

 

[domromer]

Wow what a great thread, it's neat to read everyones stories.

For me it all started while in detention in 9th grade. I was bored to death and found a pile of mother earth news magazines. By the end of the day I had read them all and was amazed that people lived in houses made of straw and kept goats and chickens. Fast foreword 13 years, I've just bought my first house and now have enough land to grow a big garden and have chickens. 3 of my six girls have just started laying and it's great having chickens. I never imagined they would be such fun pets. Now that their laying it's even cooler. Next it's goats and a house made of adobe and solar.

 

[paganfish]

Quote:
Very cool! I used to live in an adobe house in Taos, NM...loved it!

Neat story! Thanks for sharing!

 

[okiechick57]

Seems I am the only one who has NO idea why.... raised in Los Angeles.........no farm...........certainly NO critters aside from city dogs/cats....chickens came in frozen section of grocery store............moved to country in my 40's......... asked for chickens for my birthday..........been in love

ever since..... I am the ONLY one of the kids (there are 9 of us !) that lives the chicken life

I will NEVER be without chickens GOD willing

 

[Scrambled Egg]

I agree Domromer --I have really enjoyed these stories --course maybe we should start another thread on the reasons for being in detention in high school, lol!!!!! That is really funny!!!! My son has been there for being late to shcool so many times but I missed out on the pleasure myself, haha! Anywya--the chicken stories have been really interesting, maybe someone should write an article or pitch it to the Today show as a feature.....or Dr. Phil as therapy --

 

[domromer]

course maybe we should start another thread on the reasons for being in detention in high school

It could be called " How Dom spent all his time in high school"​

 

[ratlummountain]

i guess i just try and live an organic kind of life ...

plus, they give me a reason to take a 5 minute break from work and walk to the top of the hill. (i work from home half the time)

i love my girls!