Does it ever feel like work?

[stargazingmommy]

Quote:
I keep powdered alum on hand for that, and broken blood feathers

 

[JakRat]

Quote:
I keep powdered alum on hand for that, and broken blood feathers

I will have to get some of that!

I went back out to the coop and saw that it was bleeding again. SO I patched her toe up with a cotton ball and electrical tape

 

[whitehousechix]

Quote:
this is AWESOME

 

[Joycats]

I've had chickens for almost 7 years now and this year is the first time it has felt more like a chore than a fun thing. We had triple digits all summer and that was really hard on me and the birds. Needing to provide water several times a day and still losing birds to heatstroke. Now we're almost to the hardest part of winter and that is my least favorite time to have chickens. I usually have several weeks where the temps don't get above freezing so I have to run electric cords and put out heated drinkers. Then I must carry water from inside the house in buckets because the outside faucets are frozen. Also the days are so short that I can't get it all done before dark. I have a lot of chickens, close to 500, and they're not all in one place. With less birds, it would still be fun. I am trying to reduce my breeder flocks and move my layers all into one big barn. That would eliminate a lot of my work and then maybe it would be enjoyable again. I still love my birds, just not the chores that go with them.

 

[danischi24]

When you are so sick you have trouble lifting your head & you have to clean out the cage of your single house chicken, it feels like work

It's more about the weather/temp, set up, amount of time you have & if you are sick than the number of birds you have when it comes to feeling like hard work IMO.

 

[Den in Penn]

I'm going to agree with OldGuy43, to me work is what I have to do to get to the things I enjoy. Putting on shoes to walk the stony path, cooking to eat a good meal, putting up the hammock to rest in the shade. Those are the little jobs we do to get to the things we want to do. Cleaning up after the chickens is a task we to do to enjoy the chickens. But to me taking care of the animals has never seemed like work to me. Well except for pilling a cat.

 

[2overeasy]

Constantly work:
Work to keep them alive - plugging holes weasels can't through, fixing fence, dealing with ongoing mice problems, keeping my eyes out for hawks that swoop down right in front of me about once a week (but always miss!).
Then there's the thinking about them constantly, planning for future chicks,etc. Seems like I'm always trying to think of a better solution for a brooder: a low horse water trough in the bathroom with a rigged light red light in the bathroom for first few weeks, after that it's a crap shoot.
Current chicken house is makeshift, and I need to build a new one but my property is slanted, and I don't have the materials.
Let's don't forget the constant hunt I take voer 10 acres to find the hidden nests ;-)
AND I now want 1/2 doz turkeys so there's the logistics of that to think about.
So I'm always reading about, thinking about, worrying about, and working with chickens!
That having been said, however, I adore my chickie babies. And I'm sure that's why I let myself go through all of this! They are my family and you always want better for your family.
I love feeding them treats and scraps throughout the day, especially after I cook."here chick, chick, chick!" And they come running!
Yep, they make me tired but totally worth it.

 

[QualityPolish]

Yes, theres cleaning the coop, watering, feeding etc which does take alot of time and is exhausting. But then one you see your chickies and watch them, hold them etc. it's al worth it. Especially when you show and you receive a ribbon for your wonderful chicken.

 

[HaulnFetch]

Sometimes it feels like work. It's cold out but the water still needs changing, the run needs a bit of raking, the girls want to get out of the run for a bit and free range and I have to put on hat, gloves and three layers of clothes. Then I gather the eggs, see them happily digging for whatever they can find, preening in the winter sun...I forgot all about the work. I am so looking forward to spring.

 

[jpcode]

No. I just have 7 and plan to get to 11 this spring, I love to feed them and I can go sit in the lawn and they come right up to me.