Why do you keep chickens and what got you into it?

[AnnainMD]

I know exactly when I decided I wanted chickens. My husband and I started getting our meats locally after reading "Omnivore's Dilemma" and one of the farms we started going to is the GreenAkey's farm in Westminster MD. When we were touring the farm last August (2009), we of course saw the pastured hens behind their electric netting and I FELL IN LOVE. I LOVED the sound they made--there were over a hundred or more hens and the soft murmuring sound they made...I could NOT get it OUT of my mind. It was so soothing and I had no idea that they were so fun to watch or especially, to listen to.

I just kept thinking about them and over the ensuing weeks mentioned many times to my husband "I LOVED hearing the chickens. Loved it! I can't believe how much I enjoyed listening to them!" Finally he said, "I think we can have some." Needless to say, it was all over at that point. The research began!

So my number one reason--their soft little clucking. #2-eating locally #3-getting my own eggs from my own backyard, #4-the excitement from my son (definitely a bonus, I didn't realize how much he would enjoy this too).

Also, I had NO IDEA that the "bauck, ba gawk" sound they make means "I've laid an egg!!!!" Who knew?

 

[sarahsark]

Great question! And I loved reading through all the stories!

Ok, here is mine...

My husband is a health freak, Im'ma just say it off the bat.

He began a slow descent into this adventure in 2006, right after we married. We were wed in March 2006, and in May 2006 found out we were five weeks along with our first child. He took a great interest in what we were eating, then. He decided he didn't like all the chemicals and flavoring additives and junk like that in our common foodstuffs, so he started to introduce some organic produce. Within six months, we were consuming totally organic meat, milk, certain fruits and certain vegetables. By 2008 he brought up the idea of having our own organic garden, and we moved away from the health food store and towards local farmers' markets and our own backyard.

Around the fall of 2008 he began talking about purchasing chickens. My reaction was one of HORROR!!! I was like, "Chickens?! Chickens in my yard?! With their diseases and bacteria and poop everywhere?!"

I put my foot down for an entire year before I finally gave in during one of his particularly long, especially irritating nagging sessions about the darn things and he immediately purchased a small flock. I wouldn't speak to him for 2 days, I swear. I kept harping on all the risks and that they're dirty animals and I wasn't going to be responsible for them and all this stuff.

Well, within a week I wouldn't let anyone else near them - those cute, adorable little peeping things were MINE!

Now the situation is definitely very different. I'm the one who, just recently, mentioned my longing for more birds after a coon attack nearly wiped them all out late last year, leaving us with only our three hens that are now 8 months old. So, my husband will be purchasing a whole new flock some time later this spring, once we get their "space" all set up and all the details sorted out.

Wish us luck!

 

[Andi]

Well, I'm a sucker for just about any critter. I grew up a city kid and had no experience with chickens beyond enjoying hanging around the 4-H barns at the county fairs.

After my mom developed a sensitivity to store bought eggs after chemo (yet organic eggs were fine), I decided that was justification enough to start a new adventure.

I'm amazed every day at how fun chickens are. I never would have guessed they each had such individual personalities! Spoiled chicken they are, spoiled chickens! Love 'em!

 

[jettgirl24]

I'm not sure where my current obsession came from... I grew up on a horse farm but my parents would never let us have chickens for some reason. I remember going to the feed store every spring and BEGGING to get chicks but the answer was always no. Once I moved out of the house I was suck in apartments for 10 years so I never even gave it a thought during that time. Last year I moved back to the country to housesit for my parents over the summer. I got super into my organic garden and my interest in getting chickens was sparked again. At the same time I was getting fresh eggs from a friend and I started hearing more about the whole urban chicken movement. Both of those things really sold me on the idea (not that I needed much of a sales pitch). Luckily Seattle is a pretty darn chicken friendly city so when my BF and I got a house in the city this past January I immediately made plans to get babies this spring

I won't lie, a big part of what sold me on our current house was the already built dog run off the side of the garage... I saw it and immediately thought, CHICKEN COOP!!! A little minor construction and four chickies later, I officially have my own flock! I'm thinkng of adding another hen this summer when we visit the poultry exhibition at the fair. The 4-Hers usually have some interesting breeds for sale so I'd love to find just one more (famous last words)!

 

[GotChicken?]

Had chickens and ducks when I was a kid, and was thinking about getting them again the last three years, but would pass it up not matter how loud they squeaked in the TSC bins. Then last fall I rescued a rooster that had escaped the local livestock auction and had been living in my workplace's dumpster for three days; had to get it out before garbage pickup!

My boss took it because her brother raised chickens, but holding that scared, soaked to the bone roo and having him cluck softly in my arms just felt so good. This January I picked up three Silkies, and the addiction began anew.

 

[Domestic_goddess]

Three years ago I walked into our local feed store, I saw baby chicks..thought they were cute and wondered about them. I didn't buy any at that time! Well I did some research and decided to go back and get some, when i went back to the store they were gone. I asked the store clerk about when they get more in and they asked how many I wanted, I said a "few". Well I pretty much at that point, lost interest and forgot about them.....expectually since I didn't hear another thing about chicks from the store for 3 months. Well one day I got a phone call from the feed store and they said..."your 6(I thought I said a few) chicks are here and you need to come pick them up!" I was in shock.....I didn't have anything prepared! I called my husband and asked him what he thought and he told me it was okay to go ahead and pick them up. I had to buy everything all at once, pine shavings, feed, feeder, waterer, and a heat lamp! I was completely clueless. Came home with a cardboard box full of all my purchases, including the chicks and got started.......Needless to say 3 years later, I have gotten chicks every year and now have 26 chickens!

 

[cowpie]

I got started with chickens years ago just for fresh eggs,now they are my therapy.You can be having the worst day ever and go out to the coop and the girls are happy to see you and make all those chicken sounds.....ahh,life is better by just walking through that door!!!!!I was house bound last summer for a week and was crazy with out the girls.Our daughter lives in kansas and when I go out to see her I'm gone for a week or more,do I worry about the cows or dogs or even the grandchildren,no,just if the chickens are gettin taken care of like I like them taken care of!I just wouldn't be happy without them!

 

[darkmatter]

I've been keeping chickens for close to 20 years now. I suppose I started for economic reasons, I grew up with all the relatives raising chickens and I remember collecting eggs as a young lad (scary dark cobwebby place). I find I like having my own eggs, meat, and fertilizer. A plus is the bug patrol----although it's the Guineas that excel at roaming the property eating ticks and other problem bugs----haven't seen any snakes since the Guinea patrols started. I built a big chicken run last year and fenced in the Garden with a shared fence with a chicken door to let them in during the Fall and Winter after I'm done with the Garden harvest. I should of done that years ago! The Chickens clean up the Garden over the winter and till/fertilize better then I have. The Missus sells the surplus eggs to her friends and Quilt club members and always have requests for more then we produce (twenty one eggs yesterday) So, I suppose it just seems natural now to have to let the chickens out in the morning and close them up at night, having the Guineas roam making racket all day long patrolling while the chickens peck around in their space. See my BYC page.

 

[OHhappychicks]

Hi! This is an interesting thread! It is fun to read all the reasons for having chickens. My story is, 2 yrs ago this spring, while I was waiting for my son to remember to bring me eggs from his grandmother- in-law(?) in which he kept forgetting, It all at once dawned on me, I should get my own chickens! It felt like the right thing to do, so I mentioned it to my husband, and he thought it was a great idea!

He was raised with chickens, I was a town girl. I was always kinda afraid of them, as I was flogged by a huge rooster when I was little, but now for some unknown reason LOVE MY CHICKENS!

We live on 32 acres with only cats and a dog, so we have plenty of room. I even saw a Martha Stewart show featuring her chickens and she recommended Murray McMurray, so I got on that web site and put my order in. My husband built me the best Coop. We put a lot of thought into it and looked at a lot of different plans. It was so much fun! Then when those little chicks arrived in the middle of June,

, we knew this was for us. We have 15 hens, 2 porceline bantams, 4 red star, 3 black star, 3 cuckoo marans, 3 leghorns and just acquired a Delaware rooster (which is in quarantine). I have ordered 8 araucanas and 8 speckeled sussex, due to arrive the 1st of May.

We are going to try to let one of the hens raise some chicks also. We are going hog, I mean chicken wild!!!

 

[wishful]

Oh wow! I don't know how I missed the replies but all of a sudden I come back and there are three pages! Thanks everyone! It was really interesting to read through all the reasons.

We had chickens when I was really little, like two or so I think, but they were eaten by some predator and we never tried again. One of our neighbours also had chickens and I remember going out to collect the eggs. One time my friend and I tried to nab one before her mom collected the eggs, so we could try to hatch it. I think we had it a total of two hours before her mom found out about it. >.< Not that it would have mattered if we'd had it a month - I don't remember if we even were trying to keep it warm. I think we were just kinda eyeing it and planning what we would name our chick, haha.

Another neighbour had a few about ten years back and I'd go take care of them and collect the eggs when they were gone, and I thought they were pretty cool.

Then a few years ago another neighbour had chickens. I remember she had one roo and then one of the hens went broody and hatched out a clutch of adorable chicks.

I don't think I'd really thought about having any of my own, though, until a year ago or so. That's when I really started to read and think about local food and sustainability and all that, and somewhere along the line I suddenly got the idea to have chickens. I think my family has finally acknowledged that this isn't just a phase - my mom got me a chicken book for Christmas this past year, lol. Of course, it'll be a few years until I actually have a yard, and even then I'll no doubt be renting. -sigh-

I enjoy reading this forum and living vicariously through you all, though.

ETA: I mean I was two when we had chickens, not that we had two chickens - I think we had seven or eight, maybe. Then something came and killed them all in one night. -sigh-