Did others think you were crazy?

[JenniferJoIN]

Everybody said the same thing to me, but you can't stop love!

hee hee.

Thanks to this forum, I've found ways to prevent the smell (DE and Lime) and what to expect as my chickens get older.

I agree that older people seem to think 1000 chickens is the same as 5.

Goodluck and let us know what happens!

 

[schmoo]

I would have to say most of the negativity stems from ignorance. Now that sounds mean unless you read the definition.
ig·no·rance=
n. The condition of being uneducated, unaware, or uninformed.

I say ignore the ignorant

It's so strange when I hear about people saying YUCK chickens - guess I'm just lucky. Everyone I know just says "you've got chickens, COOL when can we get some farm fresh eggs"?!

You just need to educate them and maybe they will understand. I say live your life happy, not caring about what other people think. Chickens are awesome and pretty easy to raise. Shoot........ my spoiled cats are more work than my chickens and they don't even lay eggs.:|

 

[debashan]

Next time you go thru Oquawka, you should stop by and show your husband my coop and chix and he'll see it's really no big deal to have them, they fit in really well. I was born and raised in Chicago, so having the chickens is one of my greatest thrills, with that said most people may think I'm crazy, really not that interested in what they think anyway. Have planning and shopping for them, you'll love it! Debbie

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Stinky coops are mismanaged or neglected coops. Check out some of the cute coops on this page.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/coopdesigns.html

Some roosters can be aggressive to humans. Some are not. It's their job to protect their flock. However, you don't need a rooster to get eggs. There are also a LOT of different chicken breeds and many of them are downright friendly and sociable with their humans! Here's a great chart with all kinds of information on different chicken breeds.
http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

This site has a lot of pictures of chickens, along with information on the breeds you might be interested in.
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKPoultryPage.html#Chickens

I originally wanted chickens because I enjoyed visiting chickens at other people's homes. Nice chickens, that lived in clean coops that didn't smell and followed their humans around, making pleasant little noises as they foraged around. Having my own is even better.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I think I'm being called "The Chicken Lady" in my small town I'm close too...I guess thats better than some other names they could be calling me

..

And yes, I've heard it all on why would you want chickens...but when I have company thats the first thing they want to go out and see....I keep a neat henhouse and run....lol...so they are not dirty birdies.....Plus I get people here all the time wanting chickens, eggs or hatching eggs....

 

[rooster-red]

I've never really been one to give a rip what people think of me, so it wasn't really an issue.

I try to research and be informed before I make up my mind to do something, and since I know the people with negative veiws toward what i'm doing are not as informed, they just don't count.

 

[chickbea]

You may notice that many of us on this board just do whatever we want, and THEN we tell our spouses or significant others about it.

"So, honey, on Wednesday I'm getting a batch of new chicks..."
Hee, hee! Just do it, that's my advice!

 

[chickengirlnm]

when I decided to get a few chickens my hubby was not to thrilled about the idea , his family thinks I have lost my mind - they think chickens are nasty,smelly waste of time and waste of money etc.... my family thinks they are wonderful my mom calls everyday for a chicken update - who is laying eggs , how are they etc...
well I now have 17 hens and 1 roo and 3 ducks - they are easier to care for than my 3 boxers and my two mixed breed dogs, make less noise than my parrot in the house, and are very clean - smell better than my hubby when he comes home from working on cars all day LOL

we just finished our first coop and now my hubby loves our chickens - he calls everyday for an egg update - wants to know if Peaches laid today or not ( she is the only one old enough to lay right now )

no-one that has been around my birds has ever gotten sick from holding them - we always make a habit of washing our hands after playing with them or cleaning out the yard, coop.

as far as being mean I did have a roo that got very mean and would attack me every time I went in the chicken yard, I rehomed him and now have a wonderful little banty roo whom I just love.

So my advice to you - GO GET YOUR CHICKENS !! and have a great time watching them grow and enjoy gathering them eggs !!
they are a wonderful new addition to our family I even have a 72 year old friend who saves day old bread and comes over to feed the chickens and ducks and loves every minute of it. they see her coming and they all run over to her.
and just think while you are eating your fresh eggs -you dont have to share with everyone who told you not to get them !!

Julie

 

[SpottedCrow]

I live in a suburb of Boston...the only thing I knew about chickens was that they can be made any number of ways for supper.
I got my first pair from a school hatching project and that was that.
I was hooked.
My whole neighbourhood thinks I'm a nut. DH tolerates them barely. Having chickens makes my DS seem a bit more off than any normal teenager.
I'll be darn if I let someone tell me what kind of pet that I can have.
Crazy is relative...

I've learned that they have their own personalities, can show emotions, like to watch TV with their owners...they're more like a cat than a dog though.
I'll be lost without them.

 

[patandchickens]

Hi Chickadee28,

Wow, your post sounds almost exactly like my story. That's so funny!

Me, I just stuck to my guns, wore my husband down and ignored everyone else, and now we have three nice lil' chickens and will get more next year

People who have had negative chicken-farm experiences are probably not going to be converted until/unless they actually see your setup, so I'd suggest just avoiding the subject with them. Talk about religion or politics instead <g>.

But the other people, who are just horrified on general principle, might be swayed by things such as

www.madcitychickens.com

www.seattletilth.org/resources/articles/citychickensfaqs

or Barbara Kilarski's book "Keep Chickens" (which is specifically aimed at exactly your situation)

Stick to your guns

For what it's worth, my husband (who was pretty well against the chicken concept originally, for all sorts of reasons) now actually LIKES them. Hee hee hee.

Best of luck,

Pat