Flashback: The saga of 'Chicken Boy'

WIMBERLEY, Texas (KXAN) - Jesse Huth had a unique passion growing up.

“Everyone that knows me calls me chicken boy,” Jesse Huth said. “That’s what I am, I’m chicken boy.”

When KXAN first told you this story about a decade ago, Jesse, then 13 years old, spent his time in the family chicken coop, tending to his cherished friends.

“He was four years old and he just said he wanted chickens,” his mom, Jaci Kroupa, said. “I had horses and I wanted him to have a horse, no, he wanted chickens.”

So how did Jesse come to fall in love with chickens in the first place?

“Well, I just like the way they look, I just love chickens,” he said. “I can’t really tell you why. I just like the way they walk, the way they look, the way they act.”

That’s not all. Jesse connects with his chickens on a personal level as well.

“Call me crazy but I can talk to chickens. I know a few words of their language.”

With so many chickens running around, Jesse has started up a little business.

“The best we’ve ever had I think was 50 eggs in one day, and we just couldn’t eat all the eggs we were getting from the chickens.”

Once a week he and his mom load up the family car and head into town.  Jesse brings in about $30 a week for the eggs, but also spends $30 a week for feed.

He’s not really in it for the money though.

“I just like the chickens,” he said.

The most chickens Jesse has had so far are in the neighborhood of 125. Now, he has plans to expand his flock.

“I hope to have the world’s largest free-range chicken business. I’m thinking of having a couple million chickens.”

No, you didn’t misread that.

“Yes, a couple million chickens,” Jesse repeated, “I love chickens.”

The loss of one of his chickens comes hard, but he has learned to cope with death.

“I did cry a little bit (after the first one died), but you get over it after a while. If I ever lost all of my chickens though, I don’t think I could handle it."

Tune in to KXAN News Wednesday at 6 when Jim Swift catches up with Jesse Huth, to see if the Chicken Boy name lives on .