Why do we love chickens so much?

[Dudu]

Let me join in the kudos for someone doing a wonderful thing in the world

Same here, I have tears in my eyes after reading the post about ex-battery hens. Makes one want to do something about it too, doesn't it?

 

[clucky3255]

I thought I would like having chickens, but I LOVE having chickens. We are new to being a chicken family; our girls are 22 wks old and just started laying. Everytime we find eggs, I feel like we have been given a precious gift. The girls are funny, sweet, and curious. I love when I come home after work, seeing all 12 of them running top speed toward the car, clucking and cooing. Melts my heart. I love watching them busily scratching in the gardens, eating berries, and chasing off chipmunks. I can't imagine life without them. Each of them is so special to me.

what breed of chicken is that?

 

[clucky3255]

Same here, I have tears in my eyes after reading the post about ex-battery hens. Makes one want to do something about it too, doesn't it?

what is an ex-battery hens
!!!!!!???

 

[Attila the Hen]

Please look up other people who post on here who have adopted ex battery hens. Battery hens are those poor creatures who are made to live in environments that are cramped and unnatural in order to lay eggs for us to buy from the stores. Their lives are miserable and they are considered to be egg producing machines not animals with feelings.
In England there is a movement to adopt these chickens out when their egg producing is considered unprofitable. As a nation of animal lovers ( I am also British--see reference to genes and loving animals above)
the British have a system in place to find homes for these hens. I don't think we have such a system here in the US. Do please research this. There are other comments on this thread from HouseCat who talks about factory farming. It's far more than just animal welfare--it's what ends up in our bodies when we eat them.
I'll bet you are sorry you asked. Forgive me for going on so much.

 

[Mac14]

Ya, I found on PetFinder.com, in my area, a guy had maybe thousands of white leghorns, then he ran out of money and completely abandoned them, no food and no water. People found them 2 weeks later and some had died, they rescued the rest and are looking for people to adopt them. It's so sad that people do such a thing.

 

[Help_battery_hens]

ty thats so sweet

 

[cheeka]

each and every one is so unique, even if it's a breed chicken that non-chicken folk think all look alike... mine aren't battery hens, but they are rescue chickens none-the-less... they would have expired if I hadn't taken them in. (and found homes for the surplus!)
I knew that I would love them, I'm an animal lover, period. but I was surprised at how much they seem to love me... I had chickens in the past, but they were my landlords, and while they were charming, and I took excellent care of them for over a year and a half before he finally built a coop at his new home...I didn't get attached (they weren't mine after all, and I never knew when he would get around to collecting them... loooooved the fresh eggs, nothing better!)
raising this group from chicks... has been simply joyous! all the stages they go through! I loved the awkward stage when they had feathered bodies and downy heads!
Since acquiring this group, I have added 3 new birds to the flock, they are a month younger than "the gang", but they were 15+ weeks old when they came to me. it didn't take long before they saw me as "Mother" and that was the coolest! gaining their trust was a phenomenal experience!
and like a few others have said, that "thump thump thump" thundering herd of what sounds more like oncoming emu than bitty chickens is so awesome! they may be a lot of fluff and feathers, but these creatures have substance!
Because of my feelings for the gang, I pop out of bed early in the morning so I can bring them fresh water before they get off the roost so it's always lovely and clean, and fresh good feed so they cat eat heartily while they are "stuck" in their very roomy enclosure during my workday.
I hustle home, so we can spend time together, they get an hour or two of supervised range time most days, Usually accompanied by the cats (4) and the Pug. They follow me around as I rake out the coops and the run and freshen the water again, just bc I like it sparkling clean as much as they do... I make them "Pie" and "Bombs" for treats... to learn more about Pie...(lol)... you need to visit the thread titled "should I buy eggs or wait it out", I visit before dark... to say goodnight.
Why do I love them so? they are like potato chips... I can't stop going back for more. it's very rewarding to be greeted so enthusiastically and it's always special to find eggs!

 

[TheCuteBirds]

My first reaction to seeing chickens as a pet was thinking they were lame lolwut. Then, after quite a while, I got my own chickens. That is what started my love with birds in general. Chickens are so cute just like all birds (even vultures lol).

 

[ChickadeeRanch]

My rooster died yesterday

He was such a great rooster, completely tame
he had been sick for a couple weeks then all of a sudden his suffering stopped but it was still painful to see

He seemed to hold on for an extra week or so for the hens and I.

 

[Attila the Hen]

I am so sorry about your rooster. I am very attached to my rooster and I know how I would feel. I am sure you gave him a much better life than 95% of the roosters in the world get. At least he had that.
Sorry.