[peggyprice]

What was it that very first prompted you to keep chickens?  Let's hear some stories ...

[nettynoodles1]

for me it was an idea that had floated round my head for years before i had them. i was keping a pony at livery in what i thought was a friends yeard having been there helping for 10 odd years,she turned funny (menopausal) so i left and got  a field to use from another family friend.
 after topping it and erecting stables, hay store and store room  my thoughts went back to chickens and there was no stopping me. my poor hubby got it in the neck for about 2 weeks getting the  hen house then i was straight off to get chickens. started off with my 2 marans as i had never held a cook until the day i bought them i thought i would take it slowly. since then the numbers and breeds off chooks has varied but one thing is for sure i would never be without them. when i had to move field last year due to the bypass going through my field i wouldnt go into a yard with the pony as no one would let me take my chooks. so i ended up 3 miles away from home just to keep them. now i have 2 ponies 1 horse and  9 chooks with one of my marans havning just gonme broody yesterday hopefully more chicks to come wohoooooo.
ps off to get more eggs for her to sit on hehehehe.

[Vember]

Grandma on one side of the family had chickens, Grandad on other had raceing pigeons, I helped with both.

Got nice house 5 acres of land, had a long running battle with the demon drink wanted to give up but could see no end then met someone who had chickens and they gave me my first 2, suddenly my evenings were filled with water dishes and corn 2 chickens became 3 then 4. The Guinea fowl came then the ducks and lastly the goose! I have gone 2 an half years without the demon, and I don't spend my nights thinking about drink, just worrying if i've shut the coop door  

Wouldn't be with out my babies they saved me

[nettynoodles1]

well done on beating the demon you should be proud of yourself.

[Wildeone]

This forum did it for me, i logged on asking a courgette question and stuck around and got to know people then i fell in with a dodgy crowd, beware the ringleaders babe!!!  and they promised to help me and advise me and that i wanted them i just didn't know i wanted them! (i did!)  

Best thing ever really i love my rescue girlies and our house will never be chickenless again!

[ck2day]

I got mine after moving to the country, ponies in the field at the back, so chickens seemed the next thing. Have always been a country girl at heart so there was no way I was going without something that seems so countrified.

Now have 19 with 1 broody sat on 6 black maran eggs due to hatch this weekend, so hopefully by monday there will be 24 chucks to look after.  Would love to have more and have different breeds but OH being a bit stubborn at the mo.  I only have to watch them for 10 seconds before I feel a grin coming on, only a chicken lover would understand  

Claire

[poultrygeist]

A few years ago a couple of bantams ran through our hedge so we adopted them. After a couple of years without having a clue what we were doing and several vet trips (1 died), rat problems and deciding we couldn't manage, we sent the remaining one to a 'retirement' home (no, really).

When we moved here, we answered a freecycle offer of tomato plants. Turned out to be grannieannie who just happened to be getting some chickens to sell on so with our big garden we thought we'd do it properly so we read up, joined the forum and the rest is history.  

We still don't know what we're doing but we seem to be managing.

And especially well done Vember. I think animals/pets are the best therapy.

Rob

[violet]

No idea... just always thought it would be nice to keep hens but never had space to do it.  Last year we moved into a vicarage with a very large (I mean very large) garden and so thought why not? somebody gave us 3 to get started and see if we liked having them....WE DO! and as soon as the eglu cube arrives we will be having some more...

I had never realised just how sociable hens are, I realy cannot immagine not having them now...oh and yes of course the eggs are lovely.....

[Porffor]

Nettynoodles -  we have horses too, but on a farm down the road, sadly not an option for chooks (or the miniture sheep and goats i'd like) but am allowed to keep chickens in my garden (we're council tenants) so are looking at fulfilling my dream of having chickens.

[Porffor]

All great stories!
Well done Vember! for beating your demon.

I must say, i'm not a chicken keeper.. YET but am plannig! have been planning for years, but the plans are coming together and my hubby knows it! lol

I'm a city kid, grew up in london, love animals - and would have one or two of everything if i could! lol I'm not one for breeding though, partly because with dogs and cats it means it ages the mum. And with horses it means you have to have a stallion.. unless you have a moody mare! lol I have geldings (castrated boys).

So... firstly i'd like to keep chickens, then I'd love to have a little batch of chicks at some point.

I stayed on a farm for 6 months as a child (mum went travelling) where I learnt about horses, chickens, cattle etc. It's never left me I'll be honest.
We now live in a small village just outside a town in SW Wales, close enough to the town for my hubby, and close enough to the country for me! we have fields to the back of our garden (which have horses, donkeys and cattle in - sadly not owned by us) but have a big enough garden for a few chooks. Our horses live down on a farm about 4 miles from home and we have guinea pigs (2) and 2 terriers. the terriers are fine with teh pigs being in their run, so figure they'll be fine with the chooks but will be careful of course.

[Jellyhead]

When we moved to France 4 years ago I decided it was time to learn how to horse ride PROPERLY and not just hang on for me life :shock:   The lovely lady at the stables I go to (who is a horse whisperer I might add) taught me an awful lot about riding and keeping horses but she also has lots of free range chickens. Lily, my 12 year old used to love going to collect the eggs and I just thought, we have 4 acres or so and an old horses shelter............I want some :roll: so I started with 6. We have em actually with all the new chicks and ducklings I am not a 100% sure (and OH is looking over shoulder every now and again :shock: ). Prob in excess of 40 tho :oops:  :oops:
I IS WELL AND TRULY ADDICTED         AND LOVIN IT but still not as bad as Babe..........bagsy no returns

[Gardening Mark]

For me it was literally days after I first got my allotment. I had ample space, I'm also, dare I say it, very handy with wood. A friend was giving away 7 hens and a cock, I quickly built an amazing hen house on stilts,(which I no longer have) and there you go. Chicken keeping is great. Over the 2 n a bit years I have had many different types of birds, but have always prefered small bantams or english game hens. I recently purchased some black and white polish (the ones with pom pom heads) and they are beutifull. Also got some Anconas which are also very small but lovely to look at. I must say that I will never be without chickens or even my allotment. Now I have moscovy ducks, indian runner ducks, rabbits and pidgeons (which I only took on to rescue them from being killed, even though I have never been keen on them), but what they hey, I make sure all my livestock have a wonderfull life, its what they deserve. Plus all the eggs from all my hens taste great. But duck eggs are the nicest! I ride a mile every single day to get to my garden, which is sometimes a drag but I love it. Also do the same journey to lock them up again at night.....

[kizza]

The fact that they taste nice  

Nar.... contemplated having them years ago but it wasnt till 3 years ago i made the step, got some land and got some choooks  

[babe]

I recently purchased some black and white polish (the ones with pom pom heads)

hi mark...just wondering if you are off on holiday anytime soon.... and what is your address

     

[peggyprice]

I recently purchased some black and white polish (the ones with pom pom heads)

hi mark...just wondering if you are off on holiday anytime soon.... and what is your address

     

Babe!  Behave!!