Does your spouse or significant other support your chicken hobby?

[cheeperchick]

Sort of. At first it was my husband's ideas and I quickly said no but then after some thinking and remembering when I was a kid collecting eggs from my grandma's flock, I decided to give it a try. He re-designed and expanded the run & coop and I feed and water and sit & the coop with them. Sometimes he has to go and get me. ;-)

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Ugh my hubby, bless his heart, couldn't be bothered with piddly little things like chickens and their upkeep. But, he does build me coops and hutches, and he does routinely drive me sometimes hours away to pick up birds and he does at least pretend to listen to me when I go on and on about them

He actually wanted to get chickens in the first place. I said no, absolutely not. I came home from work one day and we had a new coop and 8 new chickens to go with it. I was extremely unhappy about that. Then, a week later we had 3 new turkey poults to go with them. Again, not happy. I was even less happy when his coop cleaning didn't meet my standards. I took over and they've been mine ever since. Now, I can't imagine what life would be like without them. They bring me alot of peace and joy, and I even find it semi relaxing to do my daily chicken chores.

I guess I have my wonderful, hard headed husband to thank for that

 

[dblankin]

My wife said "I never thought you'd actually get any" and was disturbingly upset with my 5 Dom chicks. They are a week old and she still doesn't like them. She is supportive in offering money saving tips for my coop project so I think there is hope.

 

[bobbi-j]

My husband is fantastic! He built me one coop, and helped me convert my former tack shed into another. Almost too helpful. I wanted a project, but being mechanically impaired, I struggled so he helped - to the point of taking over. It's all good, though. The runs are far more sturdy than they would be if I had done them myself (And straighter - I tend to eyeball things. He measures.) A couple of years ago, I got a job at our local school district. He works here on our farm, so he's home most of the day. When I'm at school he feeds, waters and picks eggs. We butcher together as a team, and encourages me to incubate or set broodies. He keeps an eye on the feed supply and runs to town to pick it up when we need it. Yeah, he's supportive. He's more than supportive. The only trouble we have is when I'm trying to explain to him how I want something built. He doesn't see things like I do, so I usually have to take him down there and physically show him which way I want a door to swing or how I want something placed.

 

[3KillerBs]

My DH built my coop and run for me and helped with food and water this winter when he was working from home while I was out from pre-dawn to after dusk. He finds them amusing and has high hopes for them keeping the backyard free of bugs once we put up more fence. He is WILLING to put up fence -- even though it means moving a wood rack and a stack of concrete blocks.

Of course he's enjoying the eggs. And he likes the idea of self-sufficiency and prepping so there's that aspect. He doesn't even object to the accidental rooster though he was not willing to assist with putting the other 5 roosters in the freezer.

They're mine and he's indulging my longstanding desire to have chickens but he enjoys them too.

 

[lazy gardener]

The poultry is strictly my project. I built the tractor by myself, and built the coop with very little help from him. He will listen when I tell him what this or that one did, and tolerates my plans to expand this summer. I think I can plan on some help with designing and building a new coop this summer. He has great design skills, and is way better at putting a wood working project together than I am. He can bull through a project in a couple of hours while it would take me a couple of days. When it comes to butchering, he will wield the axe, while I do all the rest. For all of this, I am extremely grateful. This is MY hobby, so, I should own it.

 

[annav410]

The animals are definitely more my idea. He built the chicken coop and run for me so I was very lucky he is very handy. He tends to roll his eyes and make fun of me as a “crazy chicken lady” but I also think he enjoys having chickens. He likes the notoriety at his job when he mentions we have horses and chickens and I personally think he likes living a “rural life”! LOL He also made me promise not to utilize Vets with the chickens and that I would need to treat illnesses, etc. myself. He felt we couldn’t treat our chickens like our other pets and wanted to make sure I understand how cost prohibitive that would be. I agreed and knock on wood, I have learned a lot from books, blogs, and BYC and managed to handle the illnesses that have come up so far.

When I discuss expanding, he becomes more reluctant and worries about the issues we may face finding someone to care for all of the animals during vacations and getting in over our heads. A valid point that makes me pause and rethink adding more chickens or ducks (it still sounds like such fun idea!) next year. Overall, he is supportive…to a point!

 

[bobbi-j]

One thing that I think definitely helps is taking an active interest in HIS hobbies.

Absolutely! Mine buys old tractors, junks them out and sells the parts. They all look the same to me, except that some are red, some green, some orange and some yellow - er, Prairie Gold. Over the years I have learned the difference between a magneto and a carburetor, but I still can't tell you what the difference between a "styled" and "unstyled" tractor are. I think it has something to do with the grille, but can't say for sure... All this to say, I've gone to auctions and swap meets and tractor shows for years and smiled and nodded as he tells me about this tractor or that one. As a result, he hauled my horses and me from parade to parade for several summers when I rode with a local drill team and now indulges me in my chicken hobby. Sometimes we even argue over who gets to go collect eggs...

 

[donrae]

One thing that I think definitely helps is taking an active interest in HIS hobbies.

Oh yeah! He has his hobbies I support, I have mine he supports. Do I sometimes think it would be so much easier just to do things myself, or hire it done? Absolutely! Does it strengthen our marriage to work on projects together and have that sense of mutual accomplishment? You bet.

 

[bobbi-j]

Oh yeah! He has his hobbies I support, I have mine he supports. Do I sometimes think it would be so much easier just to do things myself, or hire it done? Absolutely! Does it strengthen our marriage to work on projects together and have that sense of mutual accomplishment? You bet.

Amen!