Convincing Mom to Get Chickens: Part 2

[KCNC06]

Quote:
This reminded me of something my sister said to me recently. She decided that as part of the Easter festivities at her house this year we're going to dye eggs. My mom and I both have several hens and said that we would bring eggs. My sister said she would just buy her own eggs because she didn't want to eat eggs that came out of a chicken's butt! I asked her where she thought the eggs from the grocery store came from, she said it's different. I told her about the "How It's Made" episode that I saw about the egg factory....horrible!

 

[sianara]

Hey 77,

I just found your thread and am sending "chick" wishes your way. It sounds like you're on the right track with your point of view. It is a good idea to research thoroughly so you can present an educated opinion. You have certainly done that.

Keep in mind that if you do get chickens they will be YOUR pets, not your mothers so you should accept responsibility for all their care and follow through with it. I have lots of chickens and ducks and I truly enjoy them but they can be alot of work at times (mainly because I have so many and I take very good care of them). They are also living beings and it's not ok to neglect them if you're "not in the mood". (I'm a mom with two almost grown kids, I know that mood very well

).

When my daughter was 11 she begged for a ferret. We agreed with the understanding that she would pay half of all her expenses (vet visits, meds, food, housing etc.) or we would get rid of her. Since she knows me so well she knew I would follow through. We've had Emily for almost 7 years now and she probably won't live another year due to ferret related age/illness. I am proud to say my daughter has kept up her end of the bargain. She'll be going off to college in the fall and I'm praying Emily has passed by then or I think she will die of heartache from missing her "Mum". She's a very sweet, tiny little girl and I know we will miss her dreadfully

.

Anyway, didn't mean to get off course here... I wish you luck and don't forget to hold up your end of the bargain.

 

[77horses]

Quote:
Yes, I would never neglect them at all. I help my father take care of his/the family's chickens all the time and I enjoy most of it.

I get an allowance and would either help pay for half the cost of feed, supplies, and the chicks themselves, etc. or I could pay it all off myself. A small flock of chickens (maybe 4-5 hens?) shouldn't cost that much at all.

 

[sianara]

Yep, a few big hens or a few bantam hens would be perfect for you. (Forgot you helped your Dad). Keep us posted, I'm subscribed to this thread. Maybe the Easter Bunny will bring you a few fuzzy surprises

 

[77horses]

Quote:
Thanks! And I hope so!

That would be the best Easter gift ever!!!!

 

[write2caroline]

What about showing her some of the "Designer Chickens" Frizzles, Silkies, cochins. They are smaller and would be more pet like than production. I have a neighbor who takes her Silkie EVERYWHERE she goes. Just like Paris Hilton and her DOG only this is a spoiled Silkie.
Caroline

 

[toejam]

update on my dad and geese:
nothing...no geese for me....

 

[77horses]

Quote:
Aww sorry.

That's too bad.

 

[77horses]

No baby chicks for me as an Easter present.

I had hope that I might wake up and find a bunch of baby chicks that were a surprise gift, but who was I kidding. Never again will I let my hopes get up about that.

But oh well. I should have known that my mom would never warm up to the idea of raising some chickens anyway.

 

[77horses]

OK everyone, I've had renewed hope and decided there's still something I can do.

I just did some more research and wrote my mom a really long letter. Just finished it and wanted to know what you guys think!




Mom-
Since we are doing the whole greenhouse and compost thing, I believe that a small flock of chickens, maybe 4-5 Bantam hens (*Bantam chickens=a smaller version of the larger, standard breeds of chickens. They can be more docile and are easier to care for because of their size*) would be a perfect to go with it. They provide manure for fertilizer and that would go great with the greenhouse (chicken manure=amazing fertilizer=better plants that grow!). Also, it's astonishing how they can benefit gardens and/or any landscape in general. When free ranged (a.k.a able to walk around in the yard and forage, etc.), they use their talons to expertly forage through dirt, grass, leaves, etc. to eat ticks, mites, beetles, and many MANY other insects and pests. In fact, they will sometimes even attempt to eat mice!
Obviously, chickens (hens) lay eggs. Eggs can be used for many reasons; for one, they can be eaten. And you don't have to worry about buying eggs that came from cruely-treated battery hens. But if you prefer not to eat eggs for whatever reason, you can either keep them for hatching out your own baby chicks in an incubator (if you wish to expand your flock or sell baby chicks to people who you know will care for them...a rooster is needed to hatch eggs, however) or you can give them away or sell them to local neighbors. Although, if you plan on only keeping a small flock of Bantam hens, don't plan on having more than enough eggs to give away because Bantams are smaller and that makes the eggs they lay smaller, too. But a small flock of Bantam hens can provide just enough eggs just for your own basic needs.

Besides the eggs they lay, the fertilizer they produce, and the pest control they provide, chickens are also great companions and pets, believe it or not. Chickens have many different personalities, similar to dogs, cats, and other animals. They can be taught to do tricks for you, they can be taught to come running over to you when you call them, and they can be very friendly and docile. Some are even thought of as "lap chickens" because they are so friendly and love attention. If socialized with humans often and treated kindly, chickens will often sit in your lap and even fall asleep in your lap, eat out of your hand, and let you hold them. They love to snuggle, too!
Overall, chickens provide many opportunities and are a fun experience to anyone. They are just one step closer for you to become more self-sufficient. They are easy and quite inexpensive to care for, they are very enjoyable to have around and they benefit the whole family.
Now that I've explained some of the benefits of raising your own chickens (although there are many more if you wish to research it further!), there are some reasons why you might not want to get chickens. For one, you may not want to get them because of the cost. Chicken feed, especially if you only own a small flock of Bantam hens, is quite inexpensive and can go for even up to a month or so before you need to buy another bag of feed, which is often available at local feed stores (Blue Seal, Tractor Supply Co., Paris Farmer's Union, etc.). The cost to build a small coop is also not very expensive. You can effortlessly find small, easy-to-build coop plans online that are just as easy as building a small wooden shed. You can also buy a pre-built coop online, but this can be a bit more costly. Also, supplies for chickens, such as bedding (pine/wood shavings work best), medical supplies, etc. aren't very costly either. The only medical supplies you might need are possibly de-wormer (which isn't always needed, but good to have on hand) or if your chickens ever get lice or mites (WHICH CANNOT BE PASSED TO HUMANS!!! CHICKEN LICE AND HUMAN LICE ARE DIFFERENT SO THEY CAN'T AFFECT YOU!), then you might want to have a small bottle of mite/lice duster on hand, which is also inexpensive and easy to find.
Another thing you may be worried about is the chickens stinking up everything and being "dirty". Well, chickens aren't very dirty and if the coop is kept clean (which doesn't take much effort), then it can be kept at a minimum. And the chicken manure, as stated earlier, can be used as fertilizer when added to your compost bin. Chickens generally keep themselves clean by preening their feathers and taking dust baths to get rid of any possible pests on them. They have a small oil gland near their tail that they use to condition their feathers. And in the case of a chicken becoming dirty (from the weather, such as rainy days that cause mud to get in their feathers, etc.) they are very easy to clean (much more easier to clean than a dog, anyway!). Chickens can easily be given quick baths if they become dirty. But these "chicke baths" aren't often required because chickens will generally clean themselves.
Another thing you may worry about keeping chickens is no one will care for them and you will be left to feed them, clean their coop, etc. This is not true! For me, cleaning a chicken coop requires little work, especially if it's a small coop for a small flock of hens, and I actually enjoy it. It just takes a little bit of raking and shoveling and all the manure (wood shavings including) can simply be added to the compost pile.

If we ever decided to get a few (4-5 maybe?) Bantam hens (as chicks to start), then what could happen is this:
1. I would fully pay for the cost to buy the chicks in the first place
2. I would work extra chores in exchange for us to get a few chickens
3. I would help pay for feed (maybe we could work out something such as me paying half and you paying half, or me paying most of it and you paying some of it...whatever works best)
4. I would help or fully pay for any medical supplies needed
5. I would help build the entire coop
6. I would be responsible for cleaning the coop, collecting eggs, etc. (or anyone could help if they wanted to)

So if you think that all the work would be dumped on you, think again. I have experience with the chickens at dad's house, so it wouldn't be a big problem for me. I could do my chores (or even extra chores) to get allowance money to then pay for the feed and any other costs.

Please consider this great opportunity. You don't have to love and enjoy raising chickens like I do in order to own a small flock. I think that even though you're not one of the type of people who would become very attached to chickens, you would enjoy having them around just as much and I believe it's a great opportunity that shouldn't be passed up.
Please think about it and if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to let me know.
Thanks!
-*my name*
April 4th, 2010


I hope it helps! I'm going to give it to her and see what happens from there.

I made sure to make it clear that I would be responsible for most of the responsibilities of owning chickens, because I think that's one of her bigger concerns.
Let me know what you think and if I should add anything to it!

Thanks!