Dilemma and Question?

[Seldomblues]

Well, I have decided to post this short story and question because I need some advise.

I few years back I ment a breeder who raised the same species of bird that I did. We entered into a partnership of kinds where we jointly puschased some birds from other breeeders as a outcross to our lines.

I moved my inqubator over to there house and for the first year we jointly hatched and raised some birds with my incubators and they paid the electricity. as they had many more breeds than I did.

So, the next year rolled around and they where going away to a new job so they split up there birds between my place and another friends up the road. Well, I collected eggs from both sites and hatched and raised quite a few chicks. As the season went on they grew and turned out to be some nice birds. Come fall I sent them back over to there house with a relative to take care of because I had limited space. I do have a few coops and pens at my place which belong to them which I have offered to return.

OK now the punchline, this past week I went to another breeder and purchased a beautiful rooster which I want to breed so I went to there house and requested 5 hens to breed to this rooster. (there are about 22 hens and six roosters total at there property). They had a fit saying that I wanted all the good birds and that they owe me nothing.

OK, now there are always two sides to a story right? I hatched raised, fed, all of these birds. The parents came from stock from both locations. They may not like the fact I purchased the rooster from another breeder. I fail to think of another reason why?

My questions, from my account above to should I have rights to the five hens? Should I just go buy more birds somewhere else and forget these? Should I continue to pursue a few of the hens which I raised back from them?

I know this is long but I am truefully stumped.

 

[patandchickens]

On the one hand, it seems to me that you certainly are owed something for all the time, attention, electricity, and feed you spent hatching the eggs and raising the chicks. Also, if you put money into the purchase of the original breeding birds and these are descendents, I guess there is some mild claim in that too. Without a written contract, unfortunately, the point is pretty much moot.

OTOH, the other person obviously sees things differently. Is it possible that you *did* pick out the 5 best hens to ask for? Even if you did not, if the person is ticked off at you in general (for getting a rooster elsewhere, or for any other reason) and you still have some of their pens/coops at home, I can see where some people would just get annoyed and dig in their heels. I am not saying they are in any way JUSTIFIED in doing so, I am just saying, people do that kind of thing

If you really want hens, I'd go back, APOLOGIZE even if you did not do anything wrong (figure out what the other person might want you to apologize for, and then find something in it that you can sincerely apologize for), take the pens/coops out of the back of your truck right then and there and hand 'em back, and politely ask for, like 3-4 of the 'middle of the pack' hens. (Since it sounds like that is all you are possibly going to get anyhow, other than an ulcer).

Frankly though, it sounds to me like it might be better to just write this off to experience, RETURN THE PENS/COOPS NOW, and go your separate ways. They're only chickens, you can find other decent hens somewhere else, do you really want to start a giant feud about it. Especially if you are involved in a smallish breed where everyone knows everyone... you know?

Good luck,

Pat

 

[poopcoop]

This could be a long forum once it get's started.

Could they be thinking that you are wanting the best production hens?

Did you ask to borrow them for a little while?

Could you possibly let them borrow the rooster and split the eggs?

If there is a friendship here I would try different avenues of approach. If there is no relationship that would be lost, then I would probably find some other hens. You may even find some one on here that is close to you that would like to do something.

Ray

 

[Seldomblues]

Well,

They have the birds split into three coops. One is the best, one is ok the third is mostly culls. Maybe my thinking is wrong but if it was not for me none of the birds would even be there. I intended to let them pick them out. My only request was for a couple of the good hens as there are 8 in the pen of top hens.

To me if we where really being fair we would split them evenly as we both had a even stake in them to start with? and I did all the work over the last year or more

 

[Nichole77]

DO you want to keep the hens. It sounds like you want to breed them. So if you just want them to get busy and get eggs from them to hatch whats the big deal? They get to keep the hens you use them for a few weeks to get good eggs. But these types of things are why I don't like partnerships. Good luck.

 

[fullhouse]

You need to get a written agreement.

 

[Ericasl]

I am sorry somtimes it is so hard to understand some people. It is vey hard to know what is wrong with them. Maybe you should just ask them if they are mad or have a problem, how can it be fixed without knowing what it is?