"Discussion" with husband about owning chickens

[snewman]

My husband and I are going on our second year in a small farmette. Both town kids originally, but I've always wanted to live on a farm. He's a little less sure. I want to raise lots of critters, including chickens, but when I mentioned the idea last night, he blew a gasket. He mentioned "horror stories" he's heard from friends about how filthy and stinky chickens are, and what a lot of work (sources for these horror stories were not specified) and he is worried about lawsuits if free range chickens wander into the road and cause an accident. He's giving me a hard time about every aspect of having chickens. I feel like I've been doing pretty careful research, and these "horror stories" are not anything I've come across. Any input on this from those of you who are in favor of having chickens around would be useful in helping me convince my husband. What's a farm without a few feathered friends?

 

[HenHappy]

Yes they can be some work, but for most it is a joy> Any animal or pet is work as well as love. You need to consider how much time you have and what you want to do with your farm. Are you trying to turn a profit? That can be done. If it's just for funsies staying small is the way to go. That's what I do. I give away all my extra eggs to family and friends and they really apreciate it. I only have four little feathered girls (for now)...and of course it is addictive. Specially if you hang out on this site. There are several methods out there (deep litter etc.) but I clean them out regularly and the smell is nothing. No prob. My girls stay in a coop and my hubbie built a moveable pen for them in the summer. They stay in those unless I am outside with them. I supervise any ranging they do, and come summer that is every day(they love worm hunting). The manure makes excellent compost and my gardens grow better than ever! I hope you can convince him. Invite him to explore this site, and hopefully he will be reasured! good luck!

 

[Napalongtail]

Messy... That is all on the keeper of chickens. I myself ENJOY cleaning my pens once week it is called therapy.
Smelly.... Not if you keep their space clean (DUH)
Lawsuits.. Heck last year I noticed my ducks wandering over to the neighbors and went running to get them his comment "I have bugs too"
Why did the chicken cross the road? It didn't cause it was a CHCKEN!!
Decide on how many chickens you want, build a coop, w/a yard for them and start eating fresh eggs every sunday with that thar hubby of yours.

Happy Keeper of over 100 chickens,ducks,guineas,turkeys,and pheasant!!!

 

[CarriBrown]

Hit him over the head with a frying pan. Maybe that will straighten him out!

 

[pegbo]

Hi there. Maybe if you started with just a few chickens, your hubby would see that they aren't really that messy. As long as you keep their coop clean it shouldn't be smelly either. they're actually pretty easy to take care of and if you keep them in their pen the first couple of weeks, when they free range they shouldn't wander to far. My hubby isn't a chicken lover but he loves the fresh eggs and wouldn't eat a store egg ever again!

 

[Hotwings]

I think the only way chickens can be truly really smelly if you were to say keep alot like 50-100 or more in one huge barn. If you have just a few I don't think it would be a problem. Believe it or not in my opinion chickens are the cheapest to raise compare to other livestock and they give it back in eggs in a short time. Free ranging can even cut down your cost in feed in the warmer months. I think it is cool they stick close to their coops. I mean most dogs won't stay around if you didn't confine them to a yard. I have never seen a dead chicken in the road and I have seen them forage next to roads. If you don't want that, you can confine your birds to a spacious run. I wish your luck in your new little farm and I hope you can get your chickens, there are so many different beautiful breeds to choose from.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Sort of sounds like my DH...but I have House Chickens...
If you only have a few and keep up with the Ploop Patrol, there will be no smell.
As for crossing the road and causing an accident, chickens will run away from something larger than themselves...usually. The only time my Jerry met a car, he sat on top of it...
I've had a really good lawn and garden since I've gotten them and fewer skeeters too.
In my town, I have to keep my birds in a fenced yard so they don't wander. You could also try a chicken tractor. It keeps the birds in a specific area so that they can graze and ploop and then you move the tractor to a new area.
Carri, I like the Frying pan idea too.

 

[Mr.Dad]

Quote:
Use cast iron

......

 

[chickbea]

You could just do what I do to my poor husband - which is that I just bring home whatever I want! He ends up loving the critters as much as I do.
Like any animal, the amount of smell and mess is directly related to the input of the owner. None of my birds are stinky. When you walk into the coop and it smells, it's time to clean!

 

[snewman]

Thanks for the input everybody! I feel better already, and things have smoothed out at home. We have this agreement (or at least my one-sided agreement), for every vehicle he buys, I get an animal, and I think in the case of chickens, one vehicle is worth several birds. I think I'll be able to make this happen.