Arizona Chickens

[Bobby Basham]

ok question for anyone who wants to answer:

Name one situation/thing that you think is wrong for a chicken owner to do.

this question isn't meant to offend anyone, my guess answers would be about those that don't even visit a site like this bc they are not that in to their chickens. or something you heard or saw in years past.

This is just a generalization and would say that the folks who are raising chickens strictly for meat and/or egg production are established and know what they're doing and don't see the need to check onto websites. They are not "that into" their chickens, giving them names etc. It's a business for them.

With small backyard flocks becoming more popular, folks are raising them as "pets with benefits" with some emotional attachment, which puts them in a different category.

I wouldn't adopt or buy an expensive pet (my friend paid $1,200 for a New Foundland puppy, but has had dogs before) without doing some HOMEWORK and proper preparation before receiving it into my home, and chickens deserve the same respect and dignity.

My concern would be for clueless newbies who blindly grab a few chicks at the feed store (like for Easter), bring them home then not knowing what to do with them after they outgrow that little cute stage. Now they're stuck in a quandary.

I would say the wrong thing to do, especially for newbies, is not educating yourself before embarking on such an endeavor, whether it be for pets, show, meat and eggs, and get online and/or buy books, and read as much "chicken" stuff you can get your hands on, seek the advice of those who have "been there, done that", because the chickens will suffer in the end. It's more than just putting them in the back yard and throwing some scratch at them on occasion.

 

[SonoranChick]

ok question for anyone who wants to answer:

Name one situation/thing that you think is wrong for a chicken owner to do.

this question isn't meant to offend anyone, my guess answers would be about those that don't even visit a site like this bc they are not that in to their chickens. or something you heard or saw in years past.

I once had a neighbor who proudly told me that she feeds her chickens everything from the house that the family didn't finish consuming. This included sugary cereals, sodium-filled chips and snacks, moldy and spoiled produce, and rancid meats. She said they can eat anything, so it's fine

 

[DesertChic]

ok question for anyone who wants to answer:

Name one situation/thing that you think is wrong for a chicken owner to do.

this question isn't meant to offend anyone, my guess answers would be about those that don't even visit a site like this bc they are not that in to their chickens. or something you heard or saw in years past.

There are two scenarios that immediately spring to mind for me:

1) Tolerating a truly mean rooster, especially around children. There are so many good, tame roosters out there, and to subject little children to rooster attacks simply seems cruel. I know what it feels like as an adult to be attacked by a mean rooster, and the thought of a little kid possibly losing an eye or something....just don't do it.

2) Newbies who think they can feed their chickens nothing but corn and have healthy birds. It just won't happen. If you have plenty of lush, green land for the chickens to free-range on and consume plenty of greens and bugs, then supplementing with just corn might be okay. But to think you can stick your chickens into a coop and feed them nothing but cheap corn and have healthy birds...that's just not how it works.

 

[Bobby Basham]

I once had a neighbor who proudly told me that she feeds her chickens everything from the house that the family didn't finish consuming. This included sugary cereals, sodium-filled chips and snacks, moldy and spoiled produce, and rancid meats. She said they can eat anything, so it's fine

So, would you classify that neighbor as someone who is "not that in to" their chickens? Maybe they're doing this out of total ignorance and don't mean any intentional harm to them. Maybe I'm taking this too seriously and making it out to be more than what was originally posted.

 

[BlueBaby]

So, would you classify that neighbor as someone who is "not that in to" their chickens? Maybe they're doing this out of total ignorance and don't mean any intentional harm to them. Maybe I'm taking this too seriously and making it out to be more than what was originally posted.

Maybe they got the chickens to be a garbage disposal?

 

[BlueBaby]

Kick a rooster to show him who's boss. That was suggested to me by someone I know who keeps chickens.

There's so many others, but that's the first thing that came to mind.

Kicking a rooster will only help to contribute to his human aggressiveness.

 

[Bobby Basham]

Maybe they got the chickens to be a garbage disposal?

It would be wrong to leave any food left in the fridge (or where ever) until it got to a rancid, moldy stage. If a person gets tired of leftovers, give it to them asap, not letting it get to the stage where it's not fit for man nor beast.

 

[SonoranChick]

So, would you classify that neighbor as someone who is "not that in to" their chickens? Maybe they're doing this out of total ignorance and don't mean any intentional harm to them. Maybe I'm taking this too seriously and making it out to be more than what was originally posted.

That's a good question, and I would have to say that they did it out of sheer ignorance and convenience. They are the type of people who kind of look at animals as something that will serve them, and chickens aren't pets. I think it was easier and cheaper for them to feed the chickens all leftovers in order to cut down on buying actual chicken feed. They wouldn't harm the chickens intentionally, but they definitely aren't newbies either...you'd think they would have learned by now not to feed the chickens Fruity Pebbles and Doritos for dinner.
Edit to add: I just remembered, this certain neighbor would also sell her eggs to other neighbors, and if asked, she would say they were "organic" Again, I chalk it up to ignorance. She wasn't trying to lie, she really thought that since her hens laid them in her yard, that made them organic.

 

[Bobby Basham]

That's a good question, and I would have to say that they did it out of sheer ignorance and convenience. They are the type of people who kind of look at animals as something that will serve them, and chickens aren't pets. I think it was easier and cheaper for them to feed the chickens all leftovers in order to cut down on buying actual chicken feed. They wouldn't harm the chickens intentionally, but they definitely aren't newbies either...you'd think they would have learned by now not to feed the chickens Fruity Pebbles and Doritos for dinner.
Edit to add: I just remembered, this certain neighbor would also sell her eggs to other neighbors, and if asked, she would say they were "organic" Again, I chalk it up to ignorance. She wasn't trying to lie, she really thought that since her hens laid them in her yard, that made them organic.

You and DesertChic provided good examples of poultry-specific issues. It seems like other concerns could apply to anyone raising animals and pets under their care. They all need food & water, space, shelter and protection from the elements and predators.

 

[SonoranChick]

@meetthebubus what do you think chicken owners do wrong, or are most misinformed about? This was a good topic for a conversation