My name's Sweetened and..

I'm addicted to chickens.

The first time I tried back yard chickens was almost two years ago now. I got them from a guy I just found, you know. He made an offer I couldn't resist: "Just try it! You'll love it, I know I did." I... couldn't help myself. I went for 5 and got 11. It started taking over my days. Then I got Moose hooked too! Suddenly we find ourselves out in the snow, doing back yard deals, driving home with chickens in boxes. And what do you know? Suddenly there's chicks we've never seen before hanging around, leaving their crap everywhere and telling us we're cheap.

It's a gateway drug man... It just... Now there's rabbits and ducks and goats. Soon, there'll be a cow and turkeys again. Who knows what's next! Maybe horses and then emu's. I... I can't stop, I ... don't want to stop!

Thanks for listening. If... you have an addiction story, you should share. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.

Absolutely No addiction here!!  . I have no problem adding chickens to my flock! Lol. I started out with meaties and layers after years of no poultry. Then got 150 chicks of different breeds from PP and the rest is history!  Lol. I now have approx 100 birds and slowly gaining. Thanks to hubby's boss last year in May, hubby is now ok with my birds!!

Recovery from an addiction means you need to give it up so Absolutely No Way am I admitting I am addicted!! Lol

LOL

I love what they've done to me, I was inspired by Mag's post about them being gateway drugs. I've often referred to them as that.

The way I see it, chickens are cheaper than any other addiction, be it drugs, alcohol, tobacco, body modification (tattoos/piercings etc.), plastic surgery ...

And none of those other addictions give you breakfast every day and roasters in the freezer!

Yup. Chickens goats and horses. So easy to hoard them. But the chickens and goats do give us food so it's a good thing to hoard me thinks.
Horses on the other hand.....lol

Yup, I started with chickens, got rescue chickens from a friend that was selling their farm off, most were poorly kept, frozen feet, and only about 1/3 were laying. But that got me started, then I did my first US order 2 years later and well you know where I am at now.

My biggest addiction that cost the most is my Jersey Cow addiction, cant have just one....   they are so lovable, make such delicious milk, and have the cutest little calves you could imagine...Thankfully my hubby is my JA (Jersey Anonymous) sponsor and keeps me in check on my purchasing. LOL

Reading through older posts, and yours brought this video to mind. It's soooo true.... Chickens are a gateway drug!

Yep - caught me, too.  Started June of 2011.  We finally moved out onto a rented but small piece of land in the country in February.  First thing on my to-do list - buy chickens!  Went for 5 - came home with 9 chicks and 3 "free" roosters.  I love roosters - wish I could keep more of them.  The next year came the explosion - wanted about 20, knowing some would become supper, ended up gaining 40 or so.  Never mind the bantams that crept in through the back door.  That pretty much maxed my space and our landlord's patience, so last year went with just the eggs that my hens could hatch, which was 12.  Hard decisions this year, as some will have to go to make room for the inevitable chicks that we can't resist.  But watch out should we ever be able to have out own place - chicken explosion again, ducks, turkeys, goats, dogs, miniature milk cow and meat calf, yak, did I forget anything?!
  Although I am mostly a quiet lurker, it is good to be back and read chicken and other related item.  My dad died of cancer last week, so I have not been on much, even to lurk.  Belated New Year's greetings to all, and may it be a good year for heritage chickens, and please, let the rest of winter be mild!  Isn't a metre and a half of snow enough for one year!?

I loved how you said the bantams that snuck in thru the back door , chicken team. It was more the opposite here I was allowed chickens if I could get the bantams for the hubby. So now I have a cool dozen of bantams who are wonderful hens and a easy 30 heritage hens with a small dozen of MG's to make into a X breed for meat birds. Not to mention the horse trading I have managed to do with all my neighbors and friends which has lead me to meet some really cool people and gets some ducks and turkeys. Which gated me to cows and maybe in the spring a mini donkey.......

I feel like I have been doing this backwards. I started with large horses, got into miniature horses for awhile, tried a few evil goats for a bit, back to big horses, into cows when I met my husband, some meat birds (gross!), more cows (well, they never went anywhere) and now heritage breed chickens. Throw in some farm sitting/extra help for family and friends with sheep, chickens, geese, pigs and turkeys and it's been a fairly well-rounded livestock experience so far.

We started with 1 ornery rooster. Now we have 8 lovely hens a laying, 1 bantam rooster that is fantastic, and currently 7 cockerels waiting in fatten em up camp. This year I will be getting at least 12 more chickens. I am a person that was terrified of birds. We had a really mean parrot that would attack me when I was a wee one and now I couldn't be with out my chickens! I absolutely love them!

ChickenTeam wrote:Yep - caught me, too.  Started June of 2011.  We finally moved out onto a rented but small piece of land in the country in February.  First thing on my to-do list - buy chickens!  Went for 5 - came home with 9 chicks and 3 "free" roosters.  I love roosters - wish I could keep more of them.  The next year came the explosion - wanted about 20, knowing some would become supper, ended up gaining 40 or so.  Never mind the bantams that crept in through the back door.  That pretty much maxed my space and our landlord's patience, so last year went with just the eggs that my hens could hatch, which was 12.  Hard decisions this year, as some will have to go to make room for the inevitable chicks that we can't resist.  But watch out should we ever be able to have out own place - chicken explosion again, ducks, turkeys, goats, dogs, miniature milk cow and meat calf, yak, did I forget anything?!
  Although I am mostly a quiet lurker, it is good to be back and read chicken and other related item.  My dad died of cancer last week, so I have not been on much, even to lurk.  Belated New Year's greetings to all, and may it be a good year for heritage chickens, and please, let the rest of winter be mild!  Isn't a metre and a half of snow enough for one year!?

sorry to hear of your loss chickenteam. that is never easy.
glad you are back to read/ write chicken things with us.

I do have some chickens, ducks and sheep. I was told to go cold turkey so I got some turkeys.