Cruel to rehome chickens?

[Bauermeister.farm]

Hello all,
We have a very loved flock of ten hens that we were thinking about rehoming. We have a new baby on the way and we feel like it would be better for them to go to a home that can give them proper love and care instead of the subpar care that they would get with us since we would have a newborn that will be getting most of our time and attention. However, when we put an add out on Craigslist we got an extremely nasty response from a person saying that we were horrible people for trying to sell them, that we didn’t deserve to reproduce, that they didn’t need that much care, etc. We care about our chickens a lot and want to do the best by them, so I am just curious what you all think and if it is truly cruel to rehome our chickens. We can definitely keep them if we really thought it was going to be a bad situation, I just want the best for them.
Thanks!

 

[BantyChooks]

Hello all,
We have a very loved flock of ten hens that we were thinking about rehoming. We have a new baby on the way and we feel like it would be better for them to go to a home that can give them proper love and care instead of the subpar care that they would get with us since we would have a newborn that will be getting most of our time and attention. However, when we put an add out on Craigslist we got an extremely nasty response from a person saying that we were horrible people for trying to sell them, that we didn’t deserve to reproduce, that they didn’t need that much care, etc. We care about our chickens a lot and want to do the best by them, so I am just curious what you all think and if it is truly cruel to rehome our chickens. We can definitely keep them if we really thought it was going to be a bad situation, I just want the best for them.
Thanks!

What! They're just off their rocker. Honestly? Knowing your limits makes you a far cut above many, many owners I see that just don't know when to quit and end up neglecting their birds because of it. It's your own decision, but personally? I applaud you for not letting your own attachment to them cloud your view entirely of what may be in their best interest. Good luck with finding a solution—and with your new baby. How exciting.

 

[Bauermeister.farm]

Thank you everyone for the encouragement. This has been a hard decision for us since we do care for our animals a lot, and I don’t want to bore you with the details of our situation, but this pregnancy has been complicated and I will be on bed rest for several months. We have been falling behind on even what I would consider minimum care like cleaning the coop or letting them out first thing in the morning, so I truly think it will be best for them overall. We have been trying to look for a home that will take them all and have already turned down a few people that don’t seem to be a good fit. Thank you again for all the advice and encouragement!

 

[ValerieJ]

People ought to mind their own business. These are your chickens and this is your home situation. Your decision. Period.

That being said, if they are able to go as a group to someone, they will probably do well after the initial upset over the move itself. Chickens don't like change, but they do adjust. Just building a new coop and run in their current home does this too. The adjustment usually only last a few days.

Like many of us, you probably spend a considerable amount of time with your chickens, and think it is necessary. It really isn't. They need their coop to be clean and fresh food and water. If you have time for that, they might not take up so much time that you have to give up your fresh eggs. I do spend time with my chickens, but I don't sit with them on my lap or anything like that. My chickens act like the happiest chickens in the world to me. They have each other and plenty of space, all they need.

Whatever you decide, I wish the best for your family and for your chickens. Congrats on the new baby!!!

 

[Bauermeister.farm]

Just wanted to give an update: we have found an amazing family that was able to take all of our hens as their starter flock. They will be able to free range and be loved and kept as pets, and they even gave us their address and number so that we can visit them whenever we want! I could not have asked for a better situation, and I am so relieved that we kept our standards high, because there are good people out there.

 

[FortCluck]

I think that too many people put human emotions on their animals and don't realize that if you feel like you are unable to care for your chickens like you used to, it is best to rehome them. A human baby is more important than a flock of chickens... I applaud you for rehoming them especially if you feel like all your time and energy is going to go towards your baby... Because believe me it is! Don't worry about what others say on your decision because the only thing that matters is what your family thinks not some stranger off of craigslist.

Congratulations on the baby!!!!

 

[TwoShepherds]

Congratulations on your new baby! Rehome your chickens without guilt if caring for them would be a burden. If you wanted, you could try keeping them for a while after the baby is born and see how you feel then. I have two young children, and haven't found the chickens to be terribly time-consuming.

 

[ValerieJ]

We are located near Corvallis, Oregon. You have all been so sweet, thank you!

I'm in Washington, 3 hours away. I would have to see if DH could find time to make another quick coop for me. I have space pen space, just not coop space. I'll let you know.

 

[CCUK]

Hello all,
We have a very loved flock of ten hens that we were thinking about rehoming. We have a new baby on the way and we feel like it would be better for them to go to a home that can give them proper love and care instead of the subpar care that they would get with us since we would have a newborn that will be getting most of our time and attention. However, when we put an add out on Craigslist we got an extremely nasty response from a person saying that we were horrible people for trying to sell them, that we didn’t deserve to reproduce, that they didn’t need that much care, etc. We care about our chickens a lot and want to do the best by them, so I am just curious what you all think and if it is truly cruel to rehome our chickens. We can definitely keep them if we really thought it was going to be a bad situation, I just want the best for them.
Thanks!

Congratulations on your expected new arrival! Sorry to hear about the post on CL. It sounds like some nut just trolled you. If they were that concerned then perhaps they would be willing to rehome them. Personally I think you should keep them, it will give you an excuse to jump ship and have a breather! Seriously though, if you want to rehome them then there will be people that will take them on CL but try to make sure there reasons are honest. Have you tried posting on your state thread on here?

 

[Henry&Friends]

Sounds like you cheesed off your local vegan, lol. It’s not abusive to rehome your birds, especially if you’re rehoming them because you feel you can’t give them antiquate attention after having a baby. I’d say that’s the opposite of abuse. If they really cared that much, they would’ve been the first to take them. My sister (local vegan) told me that by taking eggs from our hens, we were abusing and killing them. Whatever they say is going to be 15 times more dramatic than what’s actually happening. I’m sure a fellow BYC member will take them off your hands, there’s a buy/swap forum page you could visit, or a free rehoming page here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/animals-in-need-of-free-re-homing.16182/