How do visitors react to your poultry?

[longranger]

People think it is cool that I have turkeys and chickens. Then they check around and ask HOW MANY??? After I tell them they think I am crazy. Don't have the heart to tell them how many are future feasts.

 

[chickenannie]

Yeah, its so true -- the birds come running up to visitors, looking for TREATS, and the scared visitors are like, "oh it's attacking me". But the poor bird is just giving the cold hard stare, with feet alert and ready to pounce on a goodie, like, 'WHERE is my food, huh?!'

 

[Vince]

Yes I too have always said "its going to be some good eating" all while thinking I love these guys and could never find it in my heart to butcher any of them. Maybe next years batch might not be pets. Some of the lenghts I go to just to mack them comfy, friends and family think I'm nuts. Maybe I am. But I got me some fine looking pets.

 

[Lu King]

My visitors think my turkeys are funny and beautiful especially when they strut. Some of my turkeys even danced in a circle for some friends. Their kids thought that was great. The two children wanted to pet the turkeys.....adults didn't.

The chickens don't get as much attention as the turkeys, but they still like them.

 

[chickenzoo]

Most people enjoy the chickens and turkeys from a distance,( which is hard to do because mine love people) some really enjoy them and want to touch them, others just want to stay back because they are unsure. I guess all these different types of critters all coming at you can be a bit over whelming, he he. I think most people are so afraid of the Emu that a turkey is the least of their worries, LOL ! I try to educate everyone that comes by, especially the kids. When they find out you can gobble to a turkey Tom and they gobble back, they think it's cool. They think it's neat that you can get an Emu to lay down, or that they love the water. They find out not all llama spit at everyone, that not all roosters are mean, that chickens come in all shapes and sizes. It's really fun.

 

[sparkles2307]

Visitors crack a beer and sit down in front of the run to watch the chickens and ducks. They usually forget why they came over in the first place because they have so much fun hanging out at the coop.

 

[chickenannie]

Quote:
You just reminded me of one day when an artsy-fartsy musician friend of my neighbors drove up in her little car and when she stopped ALL of the 40 plus birds (and 7 barn cats) came up to her car because it was FEEDING TIME. She did sound in AWE but overwhelmed at the same time, like she had stepped into Noah's ark, or a zoo or a safari or something. It was the one time I was like, yeah, ok, I can see how this might seem weird to a newbie!!

 

[Kev]

When I was living in a mountain community with a high number of summer time visitors from the flat lands (this is Southern California), every summer there would be "weekenders" and visitors out walking around.

Every time I let the chickens, one turkey and a few ducks and geese out, there would be at least one person frantically running up the driveway and steps to bang on the door to let me know "your birds are OUT!!!!!!". Yes.. thank you, I let them out.... Every. Single. Time.

A lot of them would be genuinely shocked that I let them out. A few even got somewhat indignant.. "but chickens belong in a coop!" like I was a total moron who was somehow massively clueless about that solid iron ball of fact.

Sometimes I'll see the same person or family either walking back later or on another day they'll pause in front of the yard, slowly shake their heads and walk on..

There were some who were amused.. but strangely some of them were Insta-Experts, telling me facts such as "turkeys are so stupid, when it rains they look up with their mouths open and drown! Bwa ha ha! They are massive retards! Oh mannnnnnnnn.. Ha ha ha!"

Out here, it's no longer rural, more like semi rural with a huge influx of city and suburban people who came out to buy cheap land or affordable housing yet still drive into the cities for their jobs. Animals other than dogs, cats, horses are not very common. A common perception is that people with chickens, especially chickens allowed to roam loose in the yard are somehow "low class". A lot of redneck jokes etc. (funnily, most of my chickens are turkens...)

I also have peafowl, often have a few turned out loose. It's very surprising how few people recognize a peacock when they see one. A lot of "what's that bird?" while pointing at a peacock.

 

[wombat]

Our kids bring their school friends over to see the chickens. Those kids bring their parents. The parents bring Grandma. I'm gonna have to build a separate run for little old ladies.

 

[kezabel]

Lol I'm in suberbia and I think I'm the only person with chickens within 10 kms radius. Everyone I tell That I have chickens looks at me funny and asks am I going to eat them(of Course not) and I tell them my pet makes me breakfast and they go "aww that would be cool" One of my friends is scared of my 4 little bantams, she says their eyes freak her out and she won't touch them but her kids love them, I'm always saying to the kids don't chase the chickens to much. My Mum and Dad think I'm loopy lol even though they had chickens when they were kids and dad actually got 2 bantams as a wedding present in his first marrage. I asked why they think I'm loopy and they said "the world was different back when they had them, why don't I just buy eggs at the shop." Nope I like my fresh lil bantam eggs and thats the way its gunna stay

I've only had one person say" oh cool I've always wanted chickens"
I rent my house and my landlord is great she said "bring on the eggs" she thinks its great that the little bit of land that used to just have a cloths line stuck in the middle of it is now a little farm(she calls it that not me) with vege patches and fruit trees and chickens. She's the best landlord ever