Does anybody get FLACK from Family and Friends for having Chickens?

[Cetawin]

Quote:
Oh yeah. I have thrown a neighbor out of my house for calling my girls nasty little cannibals who will attack small pets and children.

I have no time for someone's stupidity. I love my little girls, my 4 week old SLW is sleeping in my lap as I am typing this.

Do not let stupid people get to you. Whenever they speak just laugh at them. When they ask why you are laughing...simply tell them you cannot explain it to them because they would not comprehend...you will explain it to your chickens when you get home. *smirk*

 

[Sharisr32]

well my husbands ex-wife tried to use it court
that I have chickens - and that before a show i actually bring them in and wash them in laundry room wash tub/sink-


Our mediator has Guineas Thank God and wasn't the least bit interested in my chickens --


Work - won't even go there - I use my chickens alot but there are some that are just rude
lots of wives tales etc...

If i get pushed I will tell why I started raising Chickens and take on the other fight - My oldest better known on the board as my "Evil Son" went to Iraq you can get a new hobby to occupy your time or go crazy with worry - but since if they aren't chicken people bringing up the War gets a whole new fight one I am way more happy in doing.
Then i get to hear I was crazy to let my "kids" join the service - like us parents just sit and say yes I'd like my two boys to be Marines and go to a war zone --
You just can't expalin things to some people
but doing a Self - Check can put things in perspective - What do they do all day -
have they recently set a goal and met it--
buying a chick is a start to the goal of producing your own food -- or in my case a whole new world heck I drove to TN this weekend 12 chickens and me met 20 or 30 new people got to chill with Showgirl Katelyn and Pam - What did they do -- I won RB with a bird I bought the parents got an egg from hatched and took to a show to be rewared for my work - what did they do ? Ya gotta love people -- stick with the chickens much nicer most of the time !

 

[country freedom]

Do you want to know one thing? Most of these people are the same people who will buy and eat the chickens/eggs from those large chicken factories that keep chickens in horrendous conditions-diseased, sick, dying, in cramped quarters-and will do so BECAUSE ---ignorance about these chickens inside these factories is (out of sight/out of mind mentality)! Some of these same people don't care, as long as they do not know anything, they don't care! They just keep buying their store chickens and store eggs! Ignorance is bliss for these people!

You have FRESH eggs/possibly chicken (if you eat them). You are WAY,WAY ahead of these people!!

Remember, they may think they in some way are better than you, but in reality, you come out WAY,WAY ahead of them!! Don't forget that!!

 

[plucky]

Right on country freedom! I'm constantly amazed at the general public and that "out of sight, out of mind" mentality.

I haven't been razzed about my chickens (I think mostly because we're in a rural area...I went to the post office yesterday and heard crowing in the near distance), and lots of people around here raise a few pigs or cattle for butcher if they are not already larger-scale farmers.

Howeer, I've encountered the occasional import from that far away place of "off" who has expressed disgust at the practice of keeping anything you might later eat or (in the case of egg chickens) eat anything that comes out of it.

There are really people out there who think eggs, meat, and milk all magically come from the supermarket!

Hang in there Cheeptrick, and everyone else who's getting teased or worse. They just don't know what they're missing, and sometimes you just can't fix blithering ignorance...

 

[Guitartists]

Don't cha know it!!

Not only do I get flack from friends and family, but occassionaly still have to argue it with my DH. Most days he is fine, but every now and again he gets geared up about the fact that I made the decision to bring them home without asking first. One of his big arguements is the comment "Don't you see the way people raise their eyebrows at you when you tell them that you're keeping chickens in the house?" MAN! Gggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Sorry to rant, but we just revisited this topic last night.

My answer to him. "Are you kidding me? A bird is a bird. They all make messes and they ALL poop! Mine are no bigger than a macaw, which your friend has 2 of and you used to have a parrot as well. And Gilbert isn't even that big! They don;t bite kids fingers off and they don't make noise like a parrot. If anything, they're a better bird to have in captivity!" Not to mention, a lot of parrots are still smuggled wild caught birds, at least my chickens are actually a domesticated bird.

"And, besides, when do you buy in to stereotypes!?! People raise their eyebrows to me ALL THE TIME! Whether it's because of my religous beliefs, my opinions, the things I say, the things I believe, the things I do for fun, the breed of dog I have, my kids' names..... why the heck am I gonna care if they raise an eyebrow about my choice to keep 2 small little chickens in my house in a nice little cage?!!!!"

He rolled over and went to bed. He was fine this morning, I think it was just one of those things. He came from a home of animal hoarders kinda... they lived in a spot where everyone and their brother dropped off unwanted animals, so they always had no less than 6 or so dogs and 10 or so cats, and upkeep was minimal. I come from a line of animal rescuers.... my mom brings home every stray she runs into regardless of species

So, I know he worries that one leads to the other. But, I have been sooooooo good. I occassionaly have gotten pets for the kids. We had a hamster and then a rat. They both lived the good life. Daphne had to be put to sleep when she was 2 because she had huge tumors and the darn hamster lived for almost 5 years before he finally passed away. He would get loose all the time... it's a wonder he kept showing back up! But then I got Bridget... a pit/akita mix that we ended up having put to sleep when she was 2. I think that was what has made him the angriest. We loved her so much, but she hated the rest of the world and was a really bad thing waiting to happen. I know it is a HIGHLY controversial thing, but I agonized over it for a year before deciding to let her go. It wasn't easy, but I know I made the right choice. Now we have Halo.... who still needs some training and needs to be reminded that he is NOT Alpha! DH wants a laid back mindful and happy go lucky dog... Halo takes work and sometimes acts like an idiot. But he's not aggressive, though, he doesn't like my uncle... but the man is NOT good with dogs, so I can't really fault the dog. He does everything you're NOT sposed to do. :: sigh :: DH thinks the dog is the problem, but he loves everyone else. He jumps on people and we are working on that... but no matter how many times I tell friends and family.. "DON'T pet him until he calms down!" they all talk to him, bend over and pet and rough him.... gee, I wonder why he gets excited and jumps

IDIOTS!

So now my DH has deemed me the one who brings home cruddy pets. And by default, no animal I bring home will ever stack up. What can you do? I know a lot of it is stuff he just hasn't let go of. And some of it was the fact that I did bring home 2 chickens without asking. But with 1 dog, 2 small chickens and 3 hermit crabs... I still think we are FAR from having a zoo. And I firmly stand by the fact that since I care for all the kids, pets and things for the home and yard, including mowing... I should be able to bring home a small animal if I want to. There's things he gets proxy power with... I feel this is mine. I'm the animal lover, I'm going to have animals around. I think it's good for the kids and good for me. They help make me feel better when humans are being stupid. They remind me of the small things that are so important, and how to just be happy with living. Not needing so much more.

He asked me last night... and remember folks, he was angry...so you have to take it with a grain of salt..... "You knew I don't like having a bunch of animals...why did you stay with me?"

and I replied.... "You knew I was an animal lover and was going to have pets... so then why diod YOU stay with ME?"

He couldn't answer. I know the answer though..... because we sometimes encounter things in our life together where we have a severe difference of opinion. We get over it. We move forward. No one is going to agree 100% of the time, and we're gonna make each other mad once in awhile, if not more often

But it boils down to the fact that for his flaws, I still love him and could not imagine being anywhere else or with anyone else..... and I know he feels exactly the same way... he just has a harder time "accepting" my flaws

Sorry for the LONG post...... had to vent. Yup, I catch flack!!!! Can we get a little "I catch FLACK" smilie ????

 

[Guitartists]

Maybe something like..... "When Life Gives You FLACK...make FLACK-jacks!!!"

Sorry, it was the best I could come up with!

 

[Justino]

my familly dont care but they dont like the poop in the bckyard

and my friends dont care...well, the ones that actully know because i dont go around school yelling "I HAVE CHICKENS!!!!"

 

[thechickenchick]

What I find funny is when people find out I/we have chickens, then they look directly at my husband with that "how did you let her talk you into that look?". When really the truth is I asked last year when we got married and I moved to the country with him. At first he said no, but a few months ago he said I've been thinking about "you" having chickens, lets go get some. Sinse then he has given up office space for chicks, built an awsome coop, incorperated it into the front yard along with a new privacy fence and today is finishing the chicken run. All along the way asking me how I wanted things. His Dad thinks I am crazy (he doesnt understand my love for animals) and thinks I make my hubby do these things. Other people just feel sorry for him because he is married to a woman that has way to many cats, 3 dogs and now she wants chickens! OMG! How terrible am I!! Just yesterday hubby said to me, I'm glad you got chickens! So it doesnt sound like I forced him in to anything, and hes the one that has had to do most of the work to get things ready! Im a lucky girl!!! So heres to all the "crazy chicken women" and their understanding significant others!

And heres to those that just don't get it!

 

[Harley's girl]

Oh my! I know just what you all are saying!!!!

I am SO SICK OF IT!!!!

People look at me and say ewwwwwww, chickens are so gross!!! I can't believe you have so many of them, and how can you stand the smell of them!!!! why do you have little ones in your house, aren't you afraid you will get lice from them, eww you actually eat the eggs, don't they poop a lot, and so on and so on!!!!!!

Here is how I see it, I LOVE MY CHICKENS!!!! End of discussion! I don't knock other peoples hobbies! So why do they feel that they can say crap about my girls??? un Some people just really don't know when to stop! Thankfully I have a very supportive hubby

and when people get to going he says hey she likes them big deal! They make us money. Do your wives hobbies bring in money?? I love that one

So heres to you my fellow chicken crazy friends!!! Blessings and good luck!!

:aww

 

[Josie]

I guess I have been lucky. Since I have gotten chickens and quail, some of my friends have gotten chickens, one has acquired quail (wanted chickens, but live in the city), and two more have expressed interest in getting some. I even got some friends to go to the Fresno Poultry show with me.