Chickens just not appreciate by teenagers

[fullhouse]

Our kids love the chickens. Having more than 2 kids and a cat makes us the odd family around here anyhow. I think they just know we aren't the "normal" family.

 

[Must Be Losing It]

NS2A,

Don't be sad. Our situations are similar in that I have a city job w/ an hours commute each way and live in a very rural area w/ 4.5 acres. Used to have goats, but I finally am fulfilling my love of chickens. So I guess I'm doing this for myself and having my boys love it too would have been a bonus.

My husband is a hill billy from waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay upstate New York, and he's my enabler and is enjoying my hobby farm and wants me to keep it up and have us be less reliant on grocery stores, etc. and wants me to do quail next year for his own purposes, and my neighbor wants me to incubate a turkey for next fall. So someone is appreciating my obsession besides myself.

My boys both had a hard time in the beginning adapting to my husbands upstate ways (2nd marriage thing) - took a while for them to realize venison is a staple in our home and now they just accept it and enjoy it. Fresh eggs will be interesting as well but they'll get over that too.

So don't be discouraged because one ridiculous New Englander is disappointed her teenage son doesn't think chickens are cool.

 

[lizardz]

Oh, how I can relate, Losing It -
Last year we used our downstairs bathtub for a brooder (the main bathroom and the one our 16 y.o. son uses). He was totally embarassed by it. His comment - "How do you know if you're a redneck? You have chickens in the bathtub!

Then, over the winter, we put the water hyicanths (sp?) from our pond into the tub to keep them from freezing. Embarassment again. His friends, however, think it's pretty cool - one told his mom, "I always like going over to their place; you never know what you'll find in the tub" I don't know if our son will outgrow his embarassment or not, but isn't that what parents are for? Now, he and one of the roosters have an ongoing fight - everytime the rooster sees him, he gives chase. Claims he hates Rocky, but when I talk about re-homing him he tries to make me feel guilty about "putting him out on the street". Never can figure out those teens.
Liz

 

[ChicknThief]

LOL Liz!

Hey, I am 17 and could not be LESS embarrassed about my babies! I proudly show anyone who will look at the pics I have of them on my phone.

I think that it is just an insecurity issue that some teens have a hard time with and others dont. I am sure he will grow out of it Losing It! And my money is on him growing up and having chickens of his own.

 

[jkcove08]

It truely depends on the kids.. We were at our local farm store a few weeks ago and they had thier chick in. I was not interested since they were just broilers. My 2 yr old was in the cart looking into the bin when a young lady in her late teens, early twenties pick one up and held it to him saying" isnt it soooo cute, you want to pet it?" Well my son is shy and in any case I have had chicks in the house for the last 4 months so that little chick was nothing special..lol We had a city friend come out to our place for the first time and he brought his family. The children ran from fence to fence looking at everything we have. They just didnt know who they wanted to look at first, the horse, the sheep, the chickens, turkeys, geese... It was just to hard and around and around they went. It took him about 30 minutes to get them all in the car after he said it was time to go... My nephew could care less about any of it. They all have thier interests and unfortunately they dont all LOVE chickens..lol Go with the flow and encourage the younger one. Jenn

 

[gumpsgirl]

Your 15 year-old is just at that funny age. Anything that might spark a conversation about reproduction with his friends, might just be embarrassing! I'm dealing with that myself with my 15, soon to be 16 year-old. Deep down your son is probably enjoying them. If not now, he will later when he gets to benefit from those yummy eggs! As for your younger son, he is more than likely trying to follow suit. Heaven forbid that he won't seem macho in front of his older brother! Your not nuts, so don't worry about that one! I still remember going to my great-grandpa's and getting to collect eggs in his chicken coop. I loved it and it is a memory that has lasted my whole life!

 

[WillsMama93]

My 14 year old is the one who begged for the chickens.. he was so excited when we got them, and he loves them dearly.. he has been a little leary of handling them though.. since his favorite, Junior, died, and a friend of ours told him it was becasue he was over-handled as a 2 day old chick, he has shyed away from holding the chicks.. but I think he's coming around!

 

[theOEGBman]

Quote:
Im with Jessica here. Im 17 and am not embarrassed at all! Im proud of my birds, and everyone I meet knows I have chickens within the first 5 minutes of our convo! My brother, who is 19, is totally embarrassed of the fact that I raise chickens, but he also hates my cockatoo, ducks and snakes too! I think it just depends on the person I guess. You've got a 50/50 chance of your son learning to love them, so I guess you are going to be ok.

 

[ams3651]

My 17 year old is on board but he thinks Im a little crazy for being on here talking to chicken people. But he's got the farming in his blood, had to actually tell him he cant do it for a living. And as for the stories when hes older, he likes to hear the story about my grandmother who had a pet piglette in the house and how it would slide around the table running and the other story about my dads pet skunk.....

Yeah, crazy moms are good for stories. But I think they learn the value of life and the work it takes to make the food you eat.

 

[hcammack]

I am 16 and my chickens are my chickens not my moms or dads they have never had chickens in there lives and I also pay for all the supplies for them. At first my friends though it was really weird that I have chickens. They came over for my birthday and relized that chickens are the coolest

Henry