The Best and Worst of Chickens!

[Bockbockcaboose]

Hi all. Hoping to get chickens this year, and alongside my research I'd like some tales. Whats the best thing about your chickens, and the worst?

Hilarious answers vvvv welcome 🐓

The best bit is hearing them chatter away as they potter about.

The worst thing is that they adore bathing in soil, and we are forever sweeping soil off the patio. My chickens are also white, so they often look very dirty and unloved. They much prefer dirt to anything cleaner that they could bath in

they adore bathing in soil... so they often look very dirty and unloved

Ha! That's okay - my DC were similar.

Bumping for the evening chicken keepers...

They chase my husband round the garden and it amuses me.
They poo a lot.

My friends chucks.

Bought them a deluxe new hen house, they have fucked off next door and roost in their trees even though it's bloody cold!!

They are very nosey...

The worst but is the way they lay down to sunbathe - all contorted and dead - like! Until you drop everything to go rush and check up on them....
All fine!!
Best bit is the cuddles.

Caught ds 6 carrying his chicken Keith into the house showing him every room!!
Regularly found 12 Ladies in my front room!!.

How cuddly can they get? Are some breeds more cuddly than others? Is it pot luck?

Mine were super friendly and forever trying to get into the house but oh the poo... Also on the summer I had to cover the coop with a blanket to keep it dark otherwise as soon as the sun came up from 5am ish they would start making a huge noise to he let out.

Oh just remembered one of them is continually trying to get in to steal the cat food!!!

They are very friendly - train them with corn.

Best - they are hilarious, super fun to watch, very relaxing, easy to look after especially if you get the right hose-able kit
Worst - Eglus (see above) are pricey. We were lucky to get two third hand

How do you train them with corn? I'll have to nose around on YouTube. 🌽

Op maybe come back here for names should you get any!!

Oh, I definitely will! I think 3 to start with...

The best bit is the different personalities of each bird. We have 6 laying hens and 2 free loading bantams.

Our of the 6 hens 2 are really nosey and confident, 2 are friendly but a bit hesitant and 2 are a bit shy.

They currently love our polytunnel as it's full of loose, dry compost obviously designed for chicken spa days.

The worst bit is the poo. And my bantam cockerel goes for me if I have the wrong shoes on. Little twat.

Especially from someone with a chicken called Keith!

What have you all called your chickens, if you did name them?

And Frouby, what are the Wrong Shoes? Asking for a friend...

They are great fun, nosey, always on the hunt for treats. Easy to find babysitters for as they pay their way in eggs. Kids LOVE them and collecting their eggs. Very low maintenance.

Downsides: They poop for Britain, excellent for the compost bin however! They will ruin a peace of grass very quickly and you need to fox proof thoroughly or they won’t last long.

Love them and wouldn’t be without their gorgeous eggs and cheeky personas.

The Wrong Shoes are my ugg fluffy boots, my pink trainers or occasionally my riding boots. Acceptable are my scruffy gold/yellow trainers, my muckers, black trainers.

He's a grumpy little shit. And a bully. Never goes for dh, but has had a pop at poor ds (6). I call him Knobhead. Ds turned round and went 'Knobhead, no' so have tried to stick to his sunday name which is David Beakham. His wife is called Victoria Beakham.

The others are called Aunty Sandra, Aunty Deb, Aunty Sue, Pamela, Skye and Ryder.

The best? They are such lovely characters.

The worst? Watching 9 chickens chase the 10th who happened to have a dead mouse hanging from her beak, when one of them caught up with her they had a tug-o-war with it. Then ate it.

Fighting over the mouse 🤮

I loved the chickens next door got. Their little chats to each other. Their fluffy feathers. Their eggs.

I especially loved the rats that started living under the henhouse and then moved into my garage. And chewed/shat everywhere. What an utter mess and the smell...
Three pest control visits later and three dead bodies on my grass and I think that’s them all gone. And then I saw another one. Great.

My chickens are called:

Mildred
Nora
Dorothy
Ethel

@Elieza time to get some cats??