Hi there! I'm fairly new to BYC (about 2 months) and I have to ask - is there anyone out there who's family (and friends) is NOT impressed with their chickens? My DH, DS and DD want nothing to do with them. They will tolerate my chicken habit because they know it makes me happy, but it's kind of starting to bum me out. My daughter makes nasty comments about the 'stinky birds' (she's 16). My son won't make a rude comment, but doesn't say anything, and my DH glazes over and changes the subject if I even start to talk about them. I really like my chickens and when I tell them the new thing that one of the 'girls' did they just roll their eyes, halfway paying attention... *sigh*....I'm not trying to be a downer (good impression, eh?), I was just wondering if anyone is going through the same thing. ~ Karen
Karen, I know a lot of people go through this, but things are changing! I doubt showing them all the news stories on the internet will convince them, but it is becoming more and more common to raise chickens, and will continue to be a more and more "cool" thing to do. Good news: Worst case is that even if they don't come around, you have a support group of about 19,000 people here to give you all the love and help you need. Cheers!
Aw, thanks!! You are sooo sweet - I was hoping someone would understand! Big hugs to my new BYC 'family'!!
Hang in there, and keep right on enjoying your chickens...and BYC! It could be partly due to your DD's age: at 16, lots of kids don't like ANYTHING we do! Remember, we BYC'ers love hearing about your chicken escapades!
Welcome! And I agree with ChickaD. She is just being a normal 16 yr old, and while I am sure it is frustrating there must be some comfort in knowing your child is progressing normally.
I wouldn't let their lack of enthusiasm rain on my parade! If you get enjoyment from your birds then that is all thet really matters. Everyone needs something to be passionate about and I am proud to say that my thing is my chickens. I know people who find that strange but many others find it quite interesting and want to learn and interact with the birds. I have made many new friends through my chickens and will continue to do so. BYC is a great community to be a part of and just remember that we all share your love of chickens and are always here to cheer you, support you or just enjoy sharing with you! Chin up! It's all good
Welcome, I bet they enjoy their eggs though. You will find plenty of enthusiasm on here don;t worry, I hope they learn and come around, it is their loss. Jena
Hi Karen; Welcome! All is not lost. Its your thing, not theirs. You can seek comfort here and advice here among fellow enthusiasts. I recently got my young sons involved. Before, they called me, "the crazy chicken person".
I know what you're going thru. To get my kids - daughter 16, son 10 - involved, i let them each get a pet. They got ducks!!! A magpie and a cayuga!! Now they don't complain as much. Good luck.
Karen, I'm so sorry that your family isn't into your chickens! When I first decided to get chickens, my husband wasn't very enthused. Thankfully, he has come around. Now we have "His Blue Collar Chickens" and "My Prima Donna Chickens". I am so glad it has worked out that way. I would hate it if he, like, rolled his eyes when I told him about something the chickens have done. All the other posters are right. You should just tell US about your chickens. We'd love to hear about them. We're all totally fascinated by the antics of everybody's chickens! By the way, I noticed that you are in Powhatan. I'm in Buckingham, so we're neighbors. There are other BYC members who are even closer to you. You can make lots of "chicken friends" here. Come in from the coop, park your behind at the computer, and type away about the chickens. That way, your family won't be annoyed by it, and you can be giggling and laughing, having a good ole time at BYC... It's cool to have contact with other people who share your interests. You may even find that your family has just gotten into a habit of being annoyed by your chicken adventures, and if you give them a small break from it, they'll miss it. It could happen.
