Why do you have the birds you have?

[Break an Egg]

I love my chickens, they aren't just livestock to me. I don't raise them for meat, and getting eggs is just a bonus, considering I will only eat the eggs in baked goods. I give eggs away to neighbors and friends. I think they are beautiful and funny. My backyard will never be the same without chickens.

 

[dsqard]

Eye candy and colorful eggs if I ever get any!

The SLW and GLW are just pretty to me even if they are only hatchery stock and there is something about the muffs and beards on the Ameraucanas that I just love. Don't know why but love the kinds I have!

 

[Chickanmanfromarkansas]

Eggs and meat. That is what chickens are for.
I have Easter Eggers for the colorful eggshells that they produce, Lakenvelders (my sons really) flighty things though, for the white eggs (got my first egg from them today), and White Rocks for the brown eggs and the meat chickens.
I would like to get some Turken in the not too distant future, so I can have some (almost ugly) chickens and because my wife and kids say that they are about the uglyist chicken they have ever seen. I like them thoug and they are good layers and most make a fairly descent size meat bird.

 

[gryeyes]

Original chickens I got (as chicks) were for free fertilizer and bug control, and the eggs thing was a bonus. A really NICE bonus. I wasn't interested in pure layer breeds. One of my original 8 chicks was an EE, so I was thrilled with green eggs when she started to lay.

I like chicken-shaped chickens best, nice hearty breeds. However, I've become enamored of midget chicken-shaped chickens. And I do like the cochins.

I started getting different breeds simply for the variety of breeds. Chicken-shaped breeds, small or large. For some reason, the breeds to which I am attracted turn out not to be white egg layers. Dunno how that happened. The only white egg breed I have is in two laying hens I bought from another BYCer when she was down-sizing her flock: Golden Lakenvelders.

And it turns out I like a very colorful flock and egg basket.

ETA: Correction, I have two Sebright pullets, one Silver, one Golden, but they haven't started laying yet. I got them entirely for the way they look, and discovered they lay white eggs from reading about the breed.

 

[Tropical Chook]

I got Thai games because they were the easiest to obtain, and they were also given to me for free. At first I wanted to get a few other breeds, but I've since changed my mind. My reason for getting chickens was for the eggs, but with these Thai games, I'm thinking they're actually better for meat because they breed like flies

Show one a picture of an egg, and she's broody. Great for hatching chicks, but egg collecting can be a challenge. Honestly, it's not too bad if the eggs are collected every day, but if I slip up or go away for two days or so, the sight of 7 or 8 eggs in a nest is just too tempting for my hens, and one or more of them will be one those eggs within a day or two at most.

Still, I'm very happy with what I've got because they are excellent foragers, and with them free ranging everyday, I buy hardly any feed at all. Also, with two young kids always playing outside, it's nice to not have to worry about them getting attacked by an aggressive rooster because the Asian game cocks never show aggression to humans. All round, they great birds

 

[TigerLilly]

1. I wanted fresh brown eggs
2. I wanted my own fresh meat
3. They are pretty
4. They are very interesting to watch!

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

I ended up with my Dels because they were a nice package deal that was just too good to pass up when I decided I wanted chickens. I've stuck with them because I believe they have the potential to be the ultimate dual purpose bird.

The Orloffs I hand picked due to their beauty, unique qualities, fascinating heritage, and, most importantly, cold hardiness.

 

[PineappleMama]

Only allowed four and no roos in our town, safest way to ensure we didn't break the law was to get sex links (for sure female) from the get go. Great layers our girls, and love their curious perky nature.

 

[Kansaseq]

Beautiful, friendly birds to look at, lots of beautiful, tasty eggs to enjoy and sell, and the added bonus of flea and tick control in the yard. No ticks on my dogs all summer

 

[Sumatra503]

I raise my Seramas for pets, My Sumatras for show and Eye Candy, and also have a mix and matched flock for fun and pets. They are also very good broodies. I have my Americauna, cause I love the Green eggs. I have three other layer girls too.

I get eggs regularly and sell them for food. I raised corish crosses for a while, but decided rabbits were easier for meat raising.

I also breed to sell hatching eggs in the season.

I love to show and do well at the shows. That is why I have the Sumatras. They are my show breed and from good stock. They are also good layers and have a fair ammount of meat on them.

I love my Bantam cochins and my OEGB roo. They are so sweet. I also have a few Serama/Cochin crosses that I love. I love the way they look and love their temperments.