Grieving

[Vanta Lilies]

I don't know if this post belongs in this thread, but;
In November of last year my 5 chickens were sent away by my dad to be killed. My dad didn't like them, but I loved them and even 6 months later I have not moved on. A deep melancholy has lodged itself in my heart and it will not go. I have been pleading with myself to have avian friends. I've looked into chickens, ducks, quail, turkeys, budgies, etc. My dad doesn't want birds nor pets of any kinds and I just don't know what to do. I don't even know if I want to move on and settle with what I have or if I should push for my affinity with animals. I'm confounded and I need help with my feelings. Unfortunately, professional help isn't available to me so I turn to the chicken forums and hope others have any suggestions for me.
Thanks.

 

[chickentrains]

Any farms near you where you can hang out with chickens? Shelters where you can volunteer and work with birds? friends with birds who will let you visit?

 

[cavemanrich]

In time you will grow up and move on to your own life. You then can get whatever pets you desire.
Your family structure with dad not wanting pets cant be changed.
By hanging on this BYC forum, you can share your feelings with chicken and other pet minded individuals.
I do not have any suggestions on replacement pets. Can you convince any of your extended family members to get some chicken pets that you can care for, and visit. (aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins,,)
My daughter is the one that got me started in chickens. She was in middle school at that time. She also had other pets, like gerbils, sugar gliders, and hamsters. She is an adult, living in her own home, and still keeps pets. 2 dogs, and 3 parrots.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,

 

[LateBirdFarms]

I'm sorry your coping with the loss of your beloved birds! The awful thing about being young and relying on parents is that your wishes may not always jive with that of the ones providing the necessities of life. The amazing thing about being young is that you have the time to plan and prepare yourself for the life you want to live once you've reached a few of your goals! Its terribly hard to deal with the fact you can't always get what you want when you want without a ton of work, but that's not going to change regardless of age, but don't look at that as a reason to despair. I still get mopey when I've decided I NEED something but have to wait and plan and prepare. What didn't your father like about your chickens? Is it something that you have the means to fix with a little patience and gumption? A smaller flock? A summer job to offset the cost? Or is there a rescue organization close by that might accept a volunteer?
I actually read an article recently about a woman in a city near me who posted an ad looking for someone with the room for chickens who might be willing to allow her to raise a flock on their property in return for fresh eggs if she did most of the work and provided them with the coop and hens. Now I wouldn't suggest jumping on to a kijiji/craigslist and running out to meet strangers, but if you can think of a family member or friend close by you can always try for a similar deal! Hang in there, try to remember to dream instead of falling into a dark place, your future is yours to shape!

 

[Vanta Lilies]

You have lots of great suggestions in here. Thanks and I will try some out

 

[Vanta Lilies]

Any farms near you where you can hang out with chickens? Shelters where you can volunteer and work with birds? friends with birds who will let you visit?

I will look into this in my area, thank you.