Why did you get your first chickens?

[AngieO]

A year or so after we moved out in the country one of my husbands customers decided to get rid of a few of her chickens. He came home with I think it was 3 Rhode Island Red hens and we fell in love with chickens! They were awesome, laid regularly and they would lay down on the ground when you would go to pick them up. We have since had chickens for the last 12 yrs or so. We have also had turkeys, ducks, quail and peacocks off and on.

 

[Gatorbob26]

I was 9 and my neighbor had OEGB" s so I kept asking my parents then on Easter he gave me 6 five hens and a too and have had chickens ever since

 

[redneck farmer]

Well about 3 days befor we got my chickens my dad ( who always comes up with ways for me an my brother to make money) said: " wouldn't it be cool to have chickens an sell there eggs?!" I could not stop thinking about that idea an then 3 days later mom left town to Ohio an then that night dad brother an I were goin to the bow store to get new stuff for r bows so I said " if we r gonna go send money on bows y don't we get chickens" an then we went an got some while mom was gone ;P imagine her face when she got home

 

[UniPaints]

Since I left the dorms in college, I always managed to plant a garden, but always wanted chickens to remind me of my happy childhood living with my Abuelitos in their cute bungalow. We had chickens, rabbits, a goat, a dog, an occasional turkey and all the cats I could sneak feeding. My grandpa and grandpa would wake up talking about the chickens and how each was doing, how the gallo was and I wanted to give my kids similar memories.

Then, when I lived near Portland, it was so exciting and cool to see chickens in the amazing edible gardens of the front yards of picturesque victorian homes (Irvington District). Chickens in the City? Not in the country? I was amazed. Finally, after a few years of planting seeds and relocating to the Bay Area of CA, the opportunity presented itself. We'd torn down a row of backyard fence which was built in front of another fence (2 fences, why?). We used the good boards to build a weathered looking coop and the rest is history. The girls' manure has made our compost better and we are using much more. (In fact, now I have find recycled wood to build more garden beds, we have so much compost! The only downside is I had to build frames to keep the chickens out of my edibles, and they like the hollyhocks and other flowers. I can't cage everything off so I have to fence off a small part of the yard for when I let them free-range out of their run.)

The kids really enjoy fresh produce and now they love their fresh eggs - scrambled, fried, omelets baked goods. They also chicken-watch out of their windows when they should be doing their homework! My husband comes home and goes straight to check them. We all love them.

I hope the lesson of self-sufficiency weaves into their ethos for life. Already, they can't eat a store bought egg.

Tomorrow I am getting two more chickies; hopefully a Wyandotte and a Buff Cochin for more eggs for recipes. As long as I don't fall for any bantams, I shouldn't likely end up with a Roo. Wish me luck!

 

[Mac14]

I love all the stories! Will post later.

 

[MissJenny]

Some 40 years ago, when I was 11, my mom brought home left-over Easter chicks from the nursing home where my grandmother lived. They became a 4-H project. Then about five years ago I saw chickens in someone's backyard as I was driving by and I thought how nice it would be to have chickens again. I ordered five from a hatchery and whenever one of mine goes broody I order eggs and hatch my own.

 

[gryeyes]

I have a memory of visiting someone who kept chickens when I was a child. I was fascinated by the chicks. The lady chose a chicken for dinner and whacked its head off with a hatchet. She had asked my parents if I should go inside when she did this, but my father said, "No, let her see what chickens are for.". So I saw the headless chicken flap and try to run. The grossest thing was seeing the head cluck, soundlessly, on the ground.

That was it for well over 40 years.

Then I relocated for a promotion and my landlady said it was okay for me to get some chickens when I broached the idea to her. I wanted the "best" fertilizer for raised garden beds. Found several coop plans on the 'Net, made one, bought chicks. Thought four or six, well, maybe eight chickens would be great. One of the eight was an accidental rooster... But the landlady said it was okay to keep him.

Good, because I was in love with all eight xhickens. I had discovered they ate bugs - whoo hoo! And I shared the eggs with my landlady. But I'd had NO idea chickens had individual personalities! That's what sucked me in.... I really could care less if they laid eggs or not - those are just a bonus.

I now live on my own little two-thirds of an acre, keeping a large mixed flock of fifty-some hens, three roosters, two ganders, four turkeys, and 25 ducks. Plus, I retired last year, early...

Started with chickens at age 56. I'll be 60 later this summer. I will always have chickens. My first rooster Carl is still my dominant rooster, Buffy, the first hen to go broody and hatch my first GrandChick is still with us, my first GrandChick Samantha is in my flock, and every chicken has a name. I still don't care if the flock lays eggs but I do love to eat eggs now. I actually like the duck eggs better. If the hens stopped laying eggs today, they'd still have a home with me for as long as they live.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Posting soon!

 

[bobelot]

I got my chicks cause well they were really cute and selling for a cheap price (5$) and I wanted a pet.
And I'm allergic to any animals with fur and hypoallergenic dogs are expensive and so chickens seemed like a great idea and we went to the store place but my mom said we wernt going to buy them but we did !!

 

[Wyandotte103]

My friend asked me to help her show silkies at our county fair. I obliged and got my chicks (6 SLWs) today!!!!!!! And 1 mystery chick!!