madchickenlady Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 A friend of mine asked me this question, so I thought I'd be nosey and ask you lot! The answer for me is that we tried to get a dog (eldest son was allergic), then we tried to get a cat (husband nearly died ). I had already kept rabbits and guinea pigs, so fancied something different. At the time of no dog/cat, I was distraught, but after a few weeks of chook ownership, I was smitten I now think that I'll always have hens, provided that I live somewhere suitable. So, what about you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilipCaldwell Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 For me the biggest factor was Omlet, i had always wanted chickens but was scared as it isnt all that common round here and wasnt sure how easy it was.The eglu is so trendy aswell, and who wouldnt want fresh eggs everyday?!?!?!The chickens are great characters also. Omlet stripped all the confusion away for me, and the forum was a grat help starting out aswell.A couple of days browsing the forums and looking at the eglus and my mind was made up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsylabrador Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 I got bored waiting to move back to the countryside from london so decided to bring the countryside to me. Got myself an allotment and chickens seemed the next best step. What should it be next - pigs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madchickenlady Posted January 11, 2010 Author Share Posted January 11, 2010 I quite fancy an alpaca.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogprincess Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 My husband wants micropigs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 We had chickens and ducks when I was a child and I loved feeding them and naming them, I never forgot the fun and wanted chickens as an adult but housing choices (rented, flats, small gardens) restricted that rather A friend of mine wanted chickens in 2008 and showed me a pic of an Eglu, I was smittenwith its good looks and ease of cleaning and that spurred me on in my chicken dreams, relocation for work was offered and I jumped at it and when we moved in Oct 08 my main concern (yes honestly!) was a big garden for a spot of the 'good life' (hence we have a tiny house as budget didnt let us have both!) an Eglu followed and was filled with three chickens when we moved, numbers expanded from there and a field with stables was rented for some sheep and the overflow chickens We have never looked back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madchickenlady Posted January 11, 2010 Author Share Posted January 11, 2010 Redwing - We are in the process of selling our house, and I have to confess that one of my criteria for our new home is that it has a bigger garden so that I can have a large walk in run and a few more chooks! Thank goodness for my tolerant husband! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raina Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Well, when i was 10 years old, My sister's neighbour had chooks, i would go round every day & help the woman feed the chooks and let them out, Sadly all of her chooks were killed by a fox. but ever since then i wanted some. I asked my mum pretty much all the time for chooks and she said no cuz she's terrified of birds,Then i found the Eglu and Begged my mum & she said yes and my mum now want's to get some more chooks lol, she's even offered to put some money towards a WIR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toots Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Thank God for my tolerant husband! I am one of those!! but i only have myself to blame. i saw the eglu and suggested it to the misses She is animal mad and i should have realised 2 would lead to 4. now all i hear is "when we move we can get more girls, some sheep, i would like a lama...." i shouldn't have got her started! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madchickenlady Posted January 11, 2010 Author Share Posted January 11, 2010 Result, Raina! Converting our nearest and dearest does seem to be the first hurdle... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharLeila Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Hmm, a PIGLU? Maybe thats the next step forward for Omlet? I was told about Omlet by someone else in my area who has an eglu with a couple of chickens. I went online that night and was sold as soon as I saw the Cube, although a little expensive I now know that it is a great investment and gauranteed to keep my girls warm and more inportantly, safe! Like others, we have had a dog, guinnea pigs, fish, etc and wanted something different. I think we will always have Chickens now. Still thinking about a PIGLU though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beulah59 Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 When we first moved to this house, DH took one look at the garden and announced, ‘We could keep a pig!’ When I pointed out the shortcomings of his idea, his reaction was, ‘Well, we could keep chickens, anyway!’. Over the next six years we gained a couple of cats, three goldfish and a wormery, dug out five or six vegetable patches, learned to live with the bindweed and ground elder, built a greenhouse and bought a shed … but no further mention of chickens. Until about 18months ago, when I stripped out a rockery that really wasn’t working well . Once I’d moved a few of the stones out of the way, before I could begin to picture filling the gap left behind, DH suggested it would make a good spot for a chicken coop … And promptly forgot all about it again! Meanwhile, I set about making some (online) enquiries – I’m part of an online community and a number of the members keep chickens, most of them ex-batts. I read websites about keeping chickens, online forums for chicken lovers, searched for ‘chicken coops’ and ‘hen houses’ to see what’s out there, and when I had a plan, I started to talk to DH about the possibility. It was only when he later referred to my ‘obsession with chickens’ I realised that the idea had burrowed once again down into his subconscious mind – doh! Nevertheless, we bought a couple of books and borrowed more from the library, I worked on costs and pros and cons, but the final decision came when I asked the girls if they’d rather I saved up for a new flat screen television (we’re still using CRT technology, albeit wired for digital) or bought a chicken coop and their unanimous decision was for chickens! It was at least six months before we were ready ... but we collected our first four ex-batts Aug 31st 2009. We lost one at three months, and DH wanted to get some more immediately, and this time we went for some Light Sussex ... collected them Dec 9th. Sadly one of the LS took ill and it was all over very quickly, so we currently have 5. We've decided that 6 is our limit in current circumstances ... so we'll stay as we are until there is space for two new hens ... I'm thinking black this time ... and we still plan to rehome some more ex-batts at some stage. I do most of the work, but he is well and truly hooked!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raina Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Result, Raina! Converting our nearest and dearest does seem to be the first hurdle... ( She was holding them (in the pet Carrier) this morning and said they were cute lol I thought i'd never see her hold them or call them cute lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanTheDiver Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 I had wanted chickens for ages before I got them, but hesitated as I didn't think we had the room really, I am an avid gardener and still wanted my garden and OH kept saying no. I then got the go ahead from my OH, who wasn't really bothered about them either way. So he bought me the cube and six chickens and many eggs later he is as smitten as I am. But I get to do all the cleaning out as I wanted the chickens, but I don't mind as it gives me time to spend with my girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 My hubby had wanted chickens for years, but we didn't think it would be possible as we knew there were a lot of foxes in the area. Then a friend showed us the Eglu, and within weeks we had bought a cube and got our first girls, only weeks after that we were planning the WIR!! The bug hit hard and fast, within 6 months we had gone from 4 in a cube to 12 in a WIR, we've stayed static at 12 since October though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaireG Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 I know Bronze from a diffrent forum and it was her posting about them that planted the seed in my head! A friends son then got chickens and after tasting one of the eggs i knew i had to have some chickens of my own. My DH then said i could have some when i could afford an Eglu, thinking it would take ages for me to save. I then found a very barginous Eglu on Gumtree and got my first 3 girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 I'm the same as most people, I'd wanted chickens for years but living in suburbia didn't think it would ever happen. I saw a bit on Omlet in the Daily Mail and looked it into and that was it. Hubby was quite keen for me to have them although he wouldn't admit it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 I've never been allowed a cat or a dog (mother's allergic and I used to be but grew out of it when I stroked them anway ) so we've always had to have 'different' pets. I really wanted chickens as they were always running around the farm we used to go to and you could go and collect your 'own warm egg' from the nest boxes in one of the sheds I had to nag and nag for chickens for 2 years until I had a 'maybe' then bought a few books and started planning it, considered quail then went back to chickens. I saved up and then over the summer holidays I bought a wendy house, ripped apart our climbing frame to build a WIR and thought I was all ready then had to wait another week to get them because we were going on holiday! The day after we got back I bought the trio of belgian quail bantams, the cockerel want back after a week and we got Babs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 I suppose I had always wanted them.. My auntie had them when we were kids and I remember collecting the eggs etc. When I changed jobs 4 years ago it was all about improving quality of life and when I moved house chickens slotted neatly into the equation. I find them so incredibly peaceful after a chaotic day at work and I like that they follow the routine of the seasons with their mornings and evenings and they make me laugh when they do the chicken run or the scratch scratch, peck , peck shuffle in search of food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igobarefoot Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 I saw Adam on Country File with his chickens which reminded me how much I'd always fancied keeping them. Soon after I discovered Omlet and the forum and the rest is history! I now find myself day dreaming about small holdings and having enough space for more chickens, donkeys and alpacas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Ooh yes donkeys I've always wanted ducks, goats, horses.................. since having them at home but never thought of chickens until I saw the eglu and my eyes lit up, I could have a flock. That was in June 2008 and it took until November to persuade OH and finally get them. Now he is besotted as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutti Frutti Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 (edited) Lovely thread! I've enjoyed reading the answers My answer is... My grandad He always had chickens at the top of his garden. I was never allowed to go and see them, just peer through the net and I was NEVER EVER allowed to name them... because he was a butcher!! Edited January 12, 2010 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyhole kate Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Hmm, a PIGLU? Maybe thats the next step forward for Omlet? I was told about Omlet by someone else in my area who has an eglu with a couple of chickens. I went online that night and was sold as soon as I saw the Cube, although a little expensive I now know that it is a great investment and gauranteed to keep my girls warm and more inportantly, safe! Like others, we have had a dog, guinnea pigs, fish, etc and wanted something different. I think we will always have Chickens now. Still thinking about a PIGLU though! CharLeila Can I be nosey and ask if you declared your new pets? given your location as my DS was refused permision to keep his 4 girlies when he moved into married quarters at RAF Marham due to noise concerns noise how could they complete with Tornados Luckily I managed to find them all omleteer loving homes just curious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharLeila Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Keyhole Kate, No I haven't declared my girls and for 2 reasons. The first being that someone else on quarters has an eglu who is of much higher rank than me and secondly, I'm on the understanding that my garden must be returned to its original state when I leave. Move the cube and put grass seed down. Job done. My girls done seem to mind the Harriers flying over, if anything they look quite comical looking up at them. Also, my girls don't really make much noise at all and I'v spoken to the neighbours who have said they're surprised how quite they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadietoo Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Ever since I lived in Wiltshire in the 80's and used to drive past a house with chickens and a goat every morning I've wanted to have chickens and a goat... Last Christmas my daughter presented me with two chickens (but no housing for them as she couldn't afford that!!). I'd seen Eglus advertised in the back of the Good Food magazine and when I was researching the best housing all the indicators pointed to an Eglu but more importantly I found this great forum too and that was that...I officially became a Chicken Keeper instead of a clueless middle aged woman with two chickens!!.( Of course, I wish now I had a Cube = more chickens! - but I am upgrading to a Tony in the near future as soon as my piggy bank is full!!). The goat will have to wait until we have a bigger garden....( also now a minipig please too!!) Edited to say Gosh time flies when you have chickens..not last Christmas of course, Christmas 2008! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
