Why do you keep chickens?

[WisconsinGardenChick]

Thanks so much for taking the time to tell your story, 4 Love of Baby Chicks! I am sorry for your losses over the years, but glad you finally have a predator proof coop. About the baby chicks whose heads were taken by the coon - I read recently that they do that to drink the blood from them! D@&# vampires!!

Congratulations on your ribbons and trophies!

Katherine

 

[WisconsinGardenChick]

Thanks for taking the survey, Sjisty! And for sharing you story. You write that it was your husband's idea to get chickens; who takes care of them now, you? Him? Shared? My husband was adamantly against my getting chickens. Now he gets a huge kick out of them and volunteers to help. He loves them as much as I do.

Katherine

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I originally got chickens because this world is really going down hill so we thought if something did happen we could always butcher the chickens to help our family while keeping a few for egg layers as well. After getting them we all fell in love with chickens (NEVER expected THAT I tell ya), they catch the mice around the farm, they keep spiders out of my house be patrolling all around it and eating them! They fertilize my lawn (never looked better) they fertilize my garden (compost mix) They eat all our left overs and feed them back to us in eggs

, they love you unconditionally or at least they do when you have food and your calling "HERE chick chick chick"! LOL AND we LOVE chicken TV. I know there's more but can't think today!

 

[Sjisty]

Quote:
We share, me more than him because I work out of the home and am here all the time. He builds whatever I ask him for, though, and gets just as excited over cheeps and peeps from the incubator. We both sit outside for a couple hours every afternoon for "chicken bonding time," and anyone who comes over during that time knows they will have to come sit with us, too.

 

[chixie]

I had a few chicks growing up that people gave me... My husband and I both decided to get my first chicks last year. I decided to keep getting chicks this year..lol... I wish the survey had more choices for answers because on grandparents my grandma on my mom side took care of the chickens but on my dads side my grandpa raised chickens and other poultry for extra income. My chickens of course are for pets(added benefits of eggs)

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Quote:
Thanks for your lovely post,6chickens! I can see where raising chickens because you have to might not be satisfying or enjoyable. Interesting about the chipmunks - I'm going to have to let mine have free run of the yard in spring and see what they do. We are overrun with chipmunks here.

Katherine

"Velociraptors", says my dear husband....

 

[WisconsinGardenChick]

Quote:
I'm using the free version of survey monkey, and they don't allow you much for free! I might be able to adapt that question, though. Thanks for doing the survey!

Katherine

 

[Kelsykin]

The chickens I have coming are the first I will own. I had friends several years ago that kept chickens. If they had to go away I crashed at their place and took care of the chickens. I had one that followed me like a puppy dog. She was a Faverolle. (did not know the name until recently). She was the absolute sweetest thing I have ever encountered. She was also their only Faverolle they had. They loved her and she got to live till she died of old age.

 

[dlfridie]

Survey completed.

In a city row house, I was partially raised by a woman who loved birds and gardening.
We had a small vegetable plot about 8 square feet. We even grew string beans on the chain link fences.

She told me in her youth she had an aviary, raised parakeets, and sold them.
However, the only parakeet I remember was when I was maybe 3 years old, it was "Prettyboy".
From then on, we only had dogs and tropical fish as pets. That's how I became an animal lover.

When I was about 9 years old, a Mockingbird attacked me for fiddling in her nest.
I developed a deep seated fear of birds.
The movie "The Birds" came out and that made everything worse.

The fear persisted, until I went to college and decided to get Parakeets to squash my fears.
I didn't do well with them, they bit me all the time.
Fast forward to married life with kids, I raised a few Parrots for 13 years.
I loved them, but too much mess/noise in the house.

That's when I came up w/ the perfect solution for my passion for birds.
Chickens. They are easy to take care of & inexpensive.

There are so many recalls and food contamination problems, so this is my small way
of controlling the quality and freshness in some of my food.
I like to bake and make ice cream, and now I have fresh eggs on hand. How cool is that?


I have 4 pet chickens because of an an early influence in my life that instilled in me
a love for birds, gardening, and self-reliance.