It was Easter when I first got my chickens. Everyone had to find their name on the back of a metal chicken. Then, my grandma and grandpa brought us to their garage, where four chicks awaited us.
That is when I fell in love with taking care of these birds.
After that, we went to a country store many different times, getting more and more chickens. I had help taking care of them for a little bit, but then I got the hang of it. I also got help naming every single hen. I can remember most of their names, but we wrote them down to remember anyway.
As our flock grew, we had to make a bigger chicken coop. We had a rooster for a while, but he was mean and was making the hens mean, so we gave him away. At our peak, we had 26 chickens, but now we have 23.
Read more: Protect your chicken coop from common predators with these important tips.
I have slowly been getting and making things for them. I currently have a harness, a xylophone and a homemade coop.
I take care of my chickens every day and clean the henhouse every Sunday. I do so love my chickens.
Author Victoria C. keeps her chickens in Yakima, Washington. This article originally appeared in the January/February 2023 issue of Chickens magazine.
Have a great story about your flock? Email the story of your birds in ~750 words to chickens@chickensmagazine.com (subject line: Chicken Chat). Be sure to include high-resolution images of yourself, your chickens and/or your coop. The author of each issue’s published essay receives a prize from one of our ad partners. (See print magazine for rules. Sponsor: EG Media Investments LLC)
