Mom will not let me get chickens

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chickenlover02

chickenlover02

In the Brooder
Sep 23, 2015
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I want chickens badly but my mom wont let me get any maybe I should try being more responsible but do you guys have any advice.
 
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It's nice you want to get into poultry, everyone needs a hobby. But with any living animal, there are daily chores that have to be done to provide them with the best care possible. Starting to show her you are responsible with other chores is a good start. Learn all you can about chickens in the meantime and show her this isn't just a passing fad. If she's concerned about the cost of housing and feeding chickens, show her you can earn money to pay for your hobby. Your mom could be concerned that this is something she will eventually have to take care of.

I wish you luck, it's nice to have you here.
 
We don't know your age and that is a big factor... Many young children would love to have chickens (or other pets) but they have very little means to take care of them nor pay for their care so that ends up falling on the parents...

I remember fondly as a child believing I was ready to feed, water, bath, and just all around take care of this or that pet, and the reality is that once the initial novelty wears off my parents generally ended up taking care of the pet...

I'm not saying there are not exceptions to the rule, once you become a teen (or if you are teen) you can do small jobs and earn money and at that age you can start to display responsibilities if you choose... I have seen several children that are devoted pet owners, but I have also seen many that once the novelty wears off they skip town...

The best way to convince parents is to show them you are responsible and up to the task... Do all your choirs and even extra choirs on time without being reminded... Find some paying work even if it's just plucking weeds in the neighbors garden for a few bucks, and start a savings account... Inquire about getting another pet like a hamster or gerbil and show them that you are responsible enough to take care of it without their intervention... And as said above do all the research you can on chicken keeping, learn about all the potential diseases, medical problems, proper meditations, feed and housing requirements, types of birds and the list goes on an on... When you do all the above then approach you parents again...
 
Taking care of chickens is a lot of hard work and responsibility. My son was happy we were getting chickens (I KNEW what I was getting myself into), but that faded pretty quickly and I do all of the work with little help from him. From a parent's perspective, if your mom isn't willing to take on the responsibilities of it if you're a younger child, then there isn't anything you can say/beg/plead to get her to agree. The initial cost of having them alone is a lot. You have chickens, coop, exercise pen (unless you free range then wing clipping can be added to the to do list), feed, bedding, and a lot of other supplies needed. Once that's all done it's still not "cheap" to have them you have bedding, feed, feeders/waterers, treats, supplements when they start laying, etc that you pay out. Then you have the work involved and time spent on them.

Anyways, I'm not saying chickens aren't worth it because they are very awesome to have, but it's not a small investment and it requires a lot.
 
Showing your parents you can be responsible and reliable is a good start. But parents have to believe you will continue that way. That's the rub, I don't know if you are old enough but, if you earn some money baby sitting or taking younger children to school - you can pay some chicken expenses. I was 11 when I got my dog, used my own money saved from birthdays etc. to pay for him. Had to sell my bike to pay for his shots. Took kids to school - didn't pay well. Of course I had no way to earn enough for other vet bills.But, I groomed him (learned to trim) bathed him, trained him, fed and walked and cleaned up after him. At 14 I was trimming and some neighborhood poodles. That was real money to me . and it helped a lot.
 
I agree with the other posters, chickens are a lot of responsibility. Think about other ways to show your mom that you're responsible enough for chickens. I got my first chicks the summer before 7th grade, and I spent several hours a day that summer taking care of them, but they taught me a greater sense of responsibility. And now my parents know that I can be constantly counted on to go out and take care of them, even if I honestly don't want to or its -50 degrees outside. Chickens aren't for everyone though, you have to consider time management. Are you in before or after school sports or clubs? Does your family travel often? Or if you're a teen, do you have a job? Those things can make chicken keeping much harder. Think about it, are you honestly prepared to take care of a animal that can easily live 6+ years? Think about the costs of chickens too, because honestly, they're not cheap. I've had chickens for almost 2 1/2 years, and I think we've spent a minimum of at least $300 on feed and bedding alone.
 
Chickenchick11 said:
Think about the costs of chickens too, because honestly, they're not cheap. I've had chickens for almost 2 1/2 years, and I think we've spent a minimum of at least $300 on feed and bedding alone.
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Even a bare minimum coop and run will set you back hundreds when it's all said and done... Cost will also vary by the amount of birds and your upkeep schedule...

I have quite a few birds and if I wasn't lucky enough to get free day old and expired food from a local grocery store, my feed bill for the week would jump from about $20 to $60 or more easily several hundred a month... I also have a large coop with lots of litter, I use the deep litter method so I rarely change the littler but when I do it's about $200 to do so... That $5 a pop for pine shavings adds up quick...

Now of course if you only have 2 or 3 birds it's a lot less overhead, but all the nickles and dimes still add up and so does your time...
 
Quote: It really does! I spend a lot of fresh produce for them. I've tried to find local grocers who have stuff they can't use, but more often than not it's no (they have a local waterfowl rescue that picks up which is awesome). I'm about to add oyster shells into my expenses since I have a roo and it's a bad idea to switch to laying feed from what I was told.
 

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