Plus, they could always sell a chicken for cash money as the need arose.
When I was quite young I bought a bantum rooster and his brown hen from a gypsy in the community. He could fight like nobody's business.
My father’s father used to lock all his animals in the barn when they heard the gypsies were in the area in MN. My dad remembers the commotion when he was a little boy. The animals would disappear if they weren’t locked up. (At least, that is what my father said). It was during the Great Depression and Dad said no one stole or went hungry out on the farms. Then, he amended the statement-—and said there was stealing, but only if the gypsies were traveling through.
Stereotypes exist for a reason. Gypsies didn’t believe in private property rights.