Chickens Yay or Nay?

[Pork Pie]

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Best wishes

Pork Pie

 

[chrissynemetz]

Hello, and welcome to BYC! We're so glad you decided to join us!

 

[BlueHorse17]

 

[LostBoi73]

I have 2 schools of thought on this
Firstly NO!!!run fast and far! They are more addictive than a crack & smack combo. You may not be able to mainline a chicken but they still get into your blood.
My second thoughts are why the hell not? You have a space that seems to be crying out for the addition of chickens, and contrary to popular belief they are intelligent ( many studies say more intelligent than most dog breeds) they are very funny! They have bags of personality and can be super friendly and affectionate! The first time you get to see recognition of yourself in their eyes and the dart as fast as they can to get to you then you know you should have gone with option 1 as you'll be truly hooked. Mark my words you will end up at a show jonesing after someone else's chicken

 

[ChickensYayorNay]

My husband didn't want them, either, but I do catch him petting them!

I love my girls, but they are a commitment. Vacations require finding someone willing to come over twice a day, and evenings are always cut short! They do provide a lot of love and joy, though. I can't imagine life without them.

THIS right there is why I'm on the fence... And will more than likely be the deal breaker. My husband and I travel quite a bit (I've figured out we have been gone 8 weeks so far this year alone). We have a good friend who stays at our house with our pooch but 3 weeks of the 8 he was actually with us so we had to find someone else to stay here. And being that those 3 weeks he was with us were in the middle of winter (2 weeks in the Dominican Republic and 1 week in Gulf Shores, Alabama) I don't think our other dog sitters would want the added chore of twice daily chicken chores.

3 of the weeks we were at our property in Illinois and our dog was with us so there was no one here taking care of things so the chickens would be unsupervised. The other 2 weeks we were in South Africa and our main friend stayed here - he would be good for chicken duty for that.

So, I might just have to continue living vicariously through everyone else. They just seem like fun pets to have.

 

[Iluveggers]

THIS right there is why I'm on the fence... And will more than likely be the deal breaker. My husband and I travel quite a bit (I've figured out we have been gone 8 weeks so far this year alone). We have a good friend who stays at our house with our pooch but 3 weeks of the 8 he was actually with us so we had to find someone else to stay here. And being that those 3 weeks he was with us were in the middle of winter (2 weeks in the Dominican Republic and 1 week in Gulf Shores, Alabama) I don't think our other dog sitters would want the added chore of twice daily chicken chores.

3 of the weeks we were at our property in Illinois and our dog was with us so there was no one here taking care of things so the chickens would be unsupervised. The other 2 weeks we were in South Africa and our main friend stayed here - he would be good for chicken duty for that.

So, I might just have to continue living vicariously through everyone else. They just seem like fun pets to have.

My neighbors were hesitant for the same reason. I got into chickens because I was their “chicken tender” when they are away. Maybe touch base with a few other friends who would be willing to split the job. She doesn’t pay me per say, but leaves me a bottle of wine & I get to keep the eggs (along with an extra dozen here & there when they have them.) Now she has 3 neighbors offering (fighting over who will) to babysit, which is good because I am getting my own chicks!

 

[Briosafarm]

I also have retrievers and two quarter horses...living on acreage is a great place for chickens IF you want them. They are fun, funny and delightful in ways you won't know until you have them and the eggs are indeed way better than from the store. Many petsitters are used to taking care of all kinds of animals (but it sounds as if you board your horse?) Chickens don't necessarily need anything done twice a day, there are all kinds of ways to set things up with a large coop/run and feeders and waterers so that they are safe from predators, have plenty of room, and someone just needs to check on them once every day or two to see that all looks okay and they still have water (and collect eggs.) After three decades of owning show dogs, being an avid researcher and very knowledgeable and hands-on about health and care of dogs and horses, I was still taken aback by all the things to learn about chicken diseases and issues...in some ways it's harder because you have to learn flying by the seat of your pants (much easier to find good vets and specialty clinics for dogs and horses.) If you're interested and excited about chickens, the research and process will be enjoyable and worth it. Otherwise, save yourself.

 

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us