I got my first chickens two years ago. Three years ago we lived with my grandparents. My Grandfather had two cows, two miniature horses, two goats, 8 cats, and about 36 chickens. All of the animals were in very small pens. The chickens all lived in a 10x7 coop, and they had a 14x10 run. Their run was all mud, and the manure in their coop was a foot deep, and they all had close to no feathers because they picked on each other out of boredum. It broke my heart to see those poor chickens like that. The other animals didn't have it any better. It made me sad to see them like that, and know that there wasn't anything I could do to help them. I tried cleaning their coop once, and my grandfather told me that I was messing up his system and to get out. It didn't go well living with my grandparents, and they moved out. They found homes for all of the animals except the cats and the chickens. My grandfather was considering weither or not to just cull them and be done. I was mortified! I begged my parents to let me keep them, and they agreed that I could, even though they were in bad shape.
My dad and I made the chickens a bigger coop, and we started free ranging them. Some of the chickens were very sick, and passed away within a few months of me owning them. The rest grew new feathers, and became very happy and healthy. Except one hen. I named her Henny. She is half blind in both eyes, and she can't jump, roost, or scratch for bugs. We moved a year after my grandparents moved out. I was aloud to pick 13 chickens to take with me, and we re-homed the rest. I kept Henny, 11 other hens, and one roosters. Two of the hens I took with me when we moved were attacked by two raccoons this past spring, and one passed away from what we think was heart failure. I currently have 2 roosters, and 13 hens. Half of the hens I have were my grandfathers. It took me two years to get those hens back to almost perfect health. They are almost 5 years old, and still lay an occasional egg. My other chickens were ones that 3 of my grandfathers hens hatched after they came into my care.
I am proud to say that even though I was 12 when the chickens came into my care, I saved 30 chickens lives, and made them better, and happier. My chickens are my best friends, and they seem to love me too. They were terrified of me at first. Now I can walk up to them and pick them right up and they just nestle right into my arms.
This is the story of how I got my chickens. I will never regret saving them.
My dad and I made the chickens a bigger coop, and we started free ranging them. Some of the chickens were very sick, and passed away within a few months of me owning them. The rest grew new feathers, and became very happy and healthy. Except one hen. I named her Henny. She is half blind in both eyes, and she can't jump, roost, or scratch for bugs. We moved a year after my grandparents moved out. I was aloud to pick 13 chickens to take with me, and we re-homed the rest. I kept Henny, 11 other hens, and one roosters. Two of the hens I took with me when we moved were attacked by two raccoons this past spring, and one passed away from what we think was heart failure. I currently have 2 roosters, and 13 hens. Half of the hens I have were my grandfathers. It took me two years to get those hens back to almost perfect health. They are almost 5 years old, and still lay an occasional egg. My other chickens were ones that 3 of my grandfathers hens hatched after they came into my care.
I am proud to say that even though I was 12 when the chickens came into my care, I saved 30 chickens lives, and made them better, and happier. My chickens are my best friends, and they seem to love me too. They were terrified of me at first. Now I can walk up to them and pick them right up and they just nestle right into my arms.
This is the story of how I got my chickens. I will never regret saving them.
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