My mom has always not really been the..."farm" type of person. She's not a big animal fan, although, like me, since she's a Vegetarian, she still respects them. She doesn't like it when we bring our Cockatiel, Moss, into the kitchen when she's making supper, she doesn't like to let him sit on her shoulder or finger, she won't touch any of my dad's chickens, etc...she loves our yellow lab, Dawson, but doesn't like any other "farm" animal (as she calls them).
But recently, since I've been sharing news and updates about our chickens at my dad's house, she seems pretty interested. I've asked her to help me wire my homemade incubator (the thermostat and everything) when I get a thermostat for it, since she's really good at wiring things. I've told her about how a chicken egg develops and how to incubate them and everything, and she listened and asked questions, as if it was an interesting topic to her. She says she will even let me bring the incubator from my dad's house to her house so I can hatch here and then bring the chicks back to my dad's house to be put with the other chickens (when their old enough). Before, she wouldn't want anything to do with chickens. But now, after I've explained to her how much fun we have at our dad's house with the chickens, and I've told her bout BYC, and about how our neighbors have chickens now and they really enjoy them, etc etc. she listens and seems to be warming up to the idea of having chickens.
Last night I told her, "A chicken house would look nice here in the backyard." She didn't say, "We aren't getting chickens; so it doesn't matter." like she would have if I told her that before, but she just nodded. I think that she would really enjoy chickens if she gave them a try.
I've told her how you can still have a nice house while having chickens...since she has come to think that if you own chickens, you have to live on a farm or own a dirty house. Not true! What mostly convinced her that this wasn't entirely true was when I went to a friends house, who had chickens, and they had a really nice house and a beautiful patio with a pool...my mom really liked how it was set up, and I told her, "See? You can have chickens and have a nice house, too." She didn't argue or disagree.
Now, I need your help to convince her even more!
I've always wanted to have chickens at my mom's house, since we are here mostly and don't get to see ours at my dad's house for a couple weeks because of school.
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If you have the time to, please post ANYTHING positive about chickens that you can (include your experiences and everything). But before you go and think, "but raising chickens also has some negatives, too...so shouldn't she know about those, too?" Yes, I know this. So, feel free to also post negatives about it. But when she sees how many positives there are compared to negatives, it will help. Also, if you post a negative, also post a better side to that negative... for example: "Raising chickens does require you to buy food for them...BUT, depending on how many chickens you have and how big a bag you buy, you only need to buy a bag of corn/mash twice per month (or maybe even once), because chickens don't need to eat as much when you add other food (such as leftovers) and when they free rage outside and eat bugs and grass and stuff. So while you do have to buy food for them, you can lesson how often by the number of chickens you have and how much you feed them".
I will email or show her all the things that you guys write. I want her to see how much fun and what a great experience chicken raising can be, but I also want her to know what to expect.
So, post away with anything you have to say about raising chickens...out of your knowledge, experiences, etc etc etc.
Thanks for all your help, and I will let you know what happens!
P.S. Please don't think that I'm pressuring her into getting chickens. I'm just showing her info about it and letting her decide on her own. If, after all that I show her and all that I tell her, she says she doesn't want chickens, then I will leave it at that. But since I've noticed that she seems interested, I thought that it would only be fair to help make that interest grow. If it's meant to be, it will happen. If not, then it won't. Thanks!
Oh and feel free to write any stories you have about your chickens. I'm sure she will enjoy reading them!
But recently, since I've been sharing news and updates about our chickens at my dad's house, she seems pretty interested. I've asked her to help me wire my homemade incubator (the thermostat and everything) when I get a thermostat for it, since she's really good at wiring things. I've told her about how a chicken egg develops and how to incubate them and everything, and she listened and asked questions, as if it was an interesting topic to her. She says she will even let me bring the incubator from my dad's house to her house so I can hatch here and then bring the chicks back to my dad's house to be put with the other chickens (when their old enough). Before, she wouldn't want anything to do with chickens. But now, after I've explained to her how much fun we have at our dad's house with the chickens, and I've told her bout BYC, and about how our neighbors have chickens now and they really enjoy them, etc etc. she listens and seems to be warming up to the idea of having chickens.
Last night I told her, "A chicken house would look nice here in the backyard." She didn't say, "We aren't getting chickens; so it doesn't matter." like she would have if I told her that before, but she just nodded. I think that she would really enjoy chickens if she gave them a try.
I've told her how you can still have a nice house while having chickens...since she has come to think that if you own chickens, you have to live on a farm or own a dirty house. Not true! What mostly convinced her that this wasn't entirely true was when I went to a friends house, who had chickens, and they had a really nice house and a beautiful patio with a pool...my mom really liked how it was set up, and I told her, "See? You can have chickens and have a nice house, too." She didn't argue or disagree.
Now, I need your help to convince her even more!
___________________________________
If you have the time to, please post ANYTHING positive about chickens that you can (include your experiences and everything). But before you go and think, "but raising chickens also has some negatives, too...so shouldn't she know about those, too?" Yes, I know this. So, feel free to also post negatives about it. But when she sees how many positives there are compared to negatives, it will help. Also, if you post a negative, also post a better side to that negative... for example: "Raising chickens does require you to buy food for them...BUT, depending on how many chickens you have and how big a bag you buy, you only need to buy a bag of corn/mash twice per month (or maybe even once), because chickens don't need to eat as much when you add other food (such as leftovers) and when they free rage outside and eat bugs and grass and stuff. So while you do have to buy food for them, you can lesson how often by the number of chickens you have and how much you feed them".
I will email or show her all the things that you guys write. I want her to see how much fun and what a great experience chicken raising can be, but I also want her to know what to expect.
So, post away with anything you have to say about raising chickens...out of your knowledge, experiences, etc etc etc.
Thanks for all your help, and I will let you know what happens!
P.S. Please don't think that I'm pressuring her into getting chickens. I'm just showing her info about it and letting her decide on her own. If, after all that I show her and all that I tell her, she says she doesn't want chickens, then I will leave it at that. But since I've noticed that she seems interested, I thought that it would only be fair to help make that interest grow. If it's meant to be, it will happen. If not, then it won't. Thanks!
Oh and feel free to write any stories you have about your chickens. I'm sure she will enjoy reading them!
