How do I convince my parents to get me baby chicks?

[ValerieJ]

I agree but the only question asked was how to get the parents to agree to allow it to happen again.

But now the questions are, is the yard big enough, how do I keep them in my yard and not the neighbors...I'm talking about those questions.

 

[ValerieJ]

3 at first, then 2.
The first time they were 3 days old (yeah, so small, I was so sad). The second time they were 3-4 months old.
They did not sneak through a fence when they used to escape, they went to the end of my row of houses (including the yards), and that would take them outside. Sometimes they would also go through a fence (an opening, the bars were wide), but when they were much older. When they went through the fence, it would take them to a sidewalk next to the road.

This is why you need an enclosed run for them. I don't think free ranging chickens works in a neighborhood. I actually don't think it works well anywhere, but some people have great success with it. I don't think you will. If the objective is to keep them in the yard, they must be corralled in some way. And to stop predators, the fences in part should be covered as well.

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

I am going to be the poster you’d rather not hear from. Most times our parents know best and we need to abide by their decisions. They are able to see the “bigger” picture where maybe you are not able to yet. IMHO I also suspect that they have picked up on clues that you are not quite yet responsible enough to singlehandedly care for living things.

I would continue to work and do things around the house, yard, etc. that show your parents you are becoming a more responsible person. Chickens do take a lot of time and money if you raise them as pets and raise them correctly. Since you do not live on a farm where farm chores are already a given, I would suggest you spend these next few years experiencing life. Like @ChickenCanoe said, you still have a long life ahead. In the meantime, if you are really serious and committed to keeping chickens, do all the research you possibly can do about chicken raising, illnesses, feeding, housing, euthanasia, and so forth. Get a little side job and save every dime you can, even if you don’t need to. There will come a time you’ll be thankful you did all the research and I suspect there will come a time when you’ll be thankful your parents said “No.”

This is definitely what I was thinking, being a parent. OP already stated chicken raising went wrong twice. Parents arent confident OP can handle it and probably afraid of making bad neighbor award.

 

[ValerieJ]

This is definitely what I was thinking, being a parent. OP already stated chicken raising went wrong twice. Parents arent confident OP can handle it and probably afraid of making bad neighbor award.

In our world today we seem to only want our kids to meet with success. Everyone gets a trophy. No one gets to make a mistake. If a child or teenager is not allowed to keep trying again to get it right, then the mistakes will happen when they are out on their own. This is how we learn responsibility. In my day, and I know that was a long time ago, my parents would have just said, "too bad. Now you know what not to do next time." It sounds to me like the mom in this situation is changing her mind and just wants to see the coop get built first. The most important thing to do to help out is to help identify weaknesses in the plan and not just throw water on all of it.

Sorry, but I'm probably too old for this age of "everyone succeeds" even when we don't. I'm still trying to figure out how to succeed, and when I do, I go on to something else to learn to succeed at. Don't plan on quitting. But, that comes with proper rearing I guess.

I'm not trying to be contrary here. I'd just like to see us all encourage this kid who wants to raise chickens instead of sitting in front of the TV or a computer all day. He/she is asking questions, and maybe not all the questions that need to be asked. It's called being naïve. So how's about us adults help him/her with the questions?

 

[AmyJane725]

If a child or teenager is not allowed to keep trying again to get it right, then the mistakes will happen when they are out on their own. This is how we learn responsibility.

Let them learn responsibility in a way that isn't going to lead to a bunch of poor little chicks suffering and dying. Just sayin...

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

In our world today we seem to only want our kids to meet with success. Everyone gets a trophy. No one gets to make a mistake. If a child or teenager is not allowed to keep trying again to get it right, then the mistakes will happen when they are out on their own. This is how we learn responsibility. In my day, and I know that was a long time ago, my parents would have just said, "too bad. Now you know what not to do next time." It sounds to me like the mom in this situation is changing her mind and just wants to see the coop get built first. The most important thing to do to help out is to help identify weaknesses in the plan and not just throw water on all of it.

Sorry, but I'm probably too old for this age of "everyone succeeds" even when we don't. I'm still trying to figure out how to succeed, and when I do, I go on to something else to learn to succeed at. Don't plan on quitting. But, that comes with proper rearing I guess.

I'm not trying to be contrary here. I'd just like to see us all encourage this kid who wants to raise chickens instead of sitting in front of the TV or a computer all day. He/she is asking questions, and maybe not all the questions that need to be asked. It's called being naïve. So how's about us adults help him/her with the questions?

I agree, but in same sense OP like everyone has suggested needs to stop asking and start showing. I'm not saying I would NEVER let my child try again, but like stated it needs to be shown that the same mistakes are not repeated a third time.

 

[aart]

So how's about us adults help him/her with the questions?

How's about the kid answers the questions we adults need to know to help them?
Honest communication is part of the maturity needed to succeed.

Curious @ValerieJ do you have kids?

 

[Cryss]

To be responsible you need to not only ask questions but to heed the advice given. Example: To deny predator existence in spite of numerous people explaining how there definitely are predators is irresponsible and immature.
You need to not only ask questions but answer questions.
A child that wants a puppy might be denied because parents know the child isn't ready to learn how to care for one. It would be cruel to give a child a puppy, the puppy dies of neglect, so give the child another so they can try again. Puppy dies of neglect. Give another puppy...
This isn't a kids science experiment. This is a life. Maybe next year the child would be ready. Chickens are no less a life. If you can't figure out the first time chickens walk several houses away and disappear that they need to be confined, and your second time around they walk several houses away and disappear, and now you want more but complain the neighbors don't put up barriers...sorry, not ready.

 

[CHICKSARETHEBEST]

After reading all the responses of no predators I am leaning toward the fact that someone didn’t want you to have chickens in the first place and made quick work of them.

My advice from this point on is, supposing your parents are going to let you have chicks again:

1) cute chicks grow up to be poopy big birds...forever. They don’t change back. That cute stage doesn’t last more than several weeks.
2) begin studying all types of chicken predators. They are there, trust me, just waiting in the wings for an unexpectant bird or bird owner.
3) your yard is very pretty and just a few chickens would find it a wonderful place to live.
4) you must build the most secure coop and run possible. It is your responsibility to make sure accidents don’t happen, or at least keep them to, uh let’s say, only one, and then prevent it from ever happening again.
5) your chickens must be kept out of your neighbor’s yard. Remember, predators can walk on two legs and have names like John and Mary. Just saying. You are young and don’t see all the bad the world has to offer...yet. I only wish it could remain that way, always.
And finally, 6) however much work and time and sweat and tears you put into your flock will you reap in rewards. That is a given. Those little birds will love you back for all of it.

I wish you the best of luck and I know you will be an awesome chicken keeper, even if it takes a few years.

Actually, lots and I mean lots of my neighbors weren't really happy with the idea of me having chicks as pets. That's why I thought that it could be a "predator that walks with 2 legs and has names like John and Mary". I could tell that they didn't want them around (at least in THEIR yard), but they didn't show their angriness.

 

[CHICKSARETHEBEST]

You don't want to hear this but you need to.
You have predators. They don't want to be seen or you would be protecting your flock. So they come out when you can't see them. If you truly believe you have no predators then I agree with your parents.you are too young and not responsible enough to raise chickens. You mentioned you live in a city. Rats. Just one example. There is no sweet spot on this earth without predators.
You have mentioned building a big coop so they are comfortable, then turn round and ask how to keep them from going into your neighbors yard if your neighbors don't have something blocking their property off. The person responsible for preventing them from going onto neighbors property is not the neighbors. It is you. You need to make the divider. You need to build a coop 4sqft for each bird. Attached to that you need to build an enclosed run, 10sqft per bird, covered with 1/2 inch hardware cloth as the fencing and roof, and a hardware cloth apron 2ft wide on the ground outside the fence. You keep your birds inside at all times. Free ranging is not an option for you.

Yeah, I do believe there's chicken predators. I'm pretty sure that at least one animal noticed the chickens and that they captured its attention. There's a coincidence, right after the chicks disappeared, guess what showed up? A whole family of rats and one mouse. And not in any neighbors yard, they came in to MY yard. I'm not sure which it could have been, either a rat, another predator, or one of my neighbors (I said in a reply above that many of my neighbors weren't happy with me having chickens as pets, especially when they went to their yards).