Why?

When I told my parents about my chicken adventures, my announcement was met with uproarious laughter. And of course, they asked a question which you yourself might be wondering: WHY? Why have chickens? That's a fair question. After all, my first reply, "for their delicious eggs"! Is quickly countered with, "but you can buy eggs for $2!"

So I think my main reason is probably the same as for why people have vegetable gardens: there's just something immensely satisfying about producing your own food. We have a strawberry patch and several raspberry bushes in our yard, which were already planted when we moved in. That first summer, after barely any work on our part, we collected enormous baskets full of goodies from these plants. What I didn't immediately eat, I shared with friends, made into jam, froze to eat over the winter, and used for baking goodies. The entire process was much more satisfying (and better tasting) than anything from the grocery store, even though it required more work. It's the same idea with the chickens.

Plus, baby chicks are just darned cute!