I've noticed a fun split among people I know—those who grew up on a farm will move heaven and earth never to deal with chickens again, while people who grew up in cities or suburbs are really into the idea.
I'm married to someone who grew up on a chicken farm, have never so much as threatened to own a chicken, and still hear the litany of how awful chickens are at least a couple times a year. They're apparently really, really nasty animals.