How to become more dedicated to chickens?

[Jo1705]

Our family has 7 chickens ( 19 week old ) and I am really not into them as I was 10 weeks ago. They are not laying, nothing is really exciting is happening and only 2 out of 7 of the chickens actually are not standoffish. (They're buff orpingtons) Does anyone have suggestions in how to be more excited to own chickens? To me, doing things for my chickens seem like a chore now rather than a hobby.

 

[HenHouse4Life]

Don't lose the faith just yet! Chickens are work, just as any animal is. I find that our flock is quite, well, funny. I enjoy going out to the coop and watching their antics. Take them treats once in a while. My buffs are very friendly ladies and if I sit down in the coop they will get in my lap.
Give yourself the opportunity to learn more about chickens (such as here on BYC). An educated mind is a wonderful thing and the more you learn the more you may become involved, or at least want to! Don't be hard on yourself.
Thanks for your post and reaching out!

 

[N F C]

Don't lose the faith just yet! Chickens are work, just as any animal is. I find that our flock is quite, well, funny. I enjoy going out to the coop and watching their antics. Take them treats once in a while. My buffs are very friendly ladies and if I sit down in the coop they will get in my lap.
Give yourself the opportunity to learn more about chickens (such as here on BYC). An educated mind is a wonderful thing and the more you learn the more you may become involved, or at least want to! Don't be hard on yourself.
Thanks for your post and reaching out!

I agree with this response but to the OP, once you've given it a fair shot and you still don't find yourself that "into" chickens, don't feel bad. Just find them a good home and know that they just aren't the animal for you. Like with any other animal and/or hobby...everyone is different and that's ok.

 

[sourland]

I agree with the two previous posters. Chickens are not for everyone. If they don't trip your trigger, then just find them a good home.

 

[SueT]

Once they start laying, you may feel differently. Hopefully that will happen soon, and we'll look forward to your excited 'first egg!!!!!' post!

 

[townchicks]

Good for you, for honestly assessing you feelings about the chickens. Chickens can be a chore, and they are not for everyone. Do try to spend more time with the flock, outside of chores. Take a chair out there, and just sit and watch them. Offer treats (not too many) to get them comfortable with you. Not all chickens are people friendly, but if you've got a couple that are, concentrate on them, and just let the others be chickens. As you get to know their personalities, your feelings for them may grow.
Also, try to organize the "chore" side of chicken care to streamline it and make things as easy as possible. Keep supplies within easy reach, have a couple of waterers so one can cleaned while they still have fresh, keep scoops or rakes within easy reach, etc. Read up about chickens, especially those breeds that you have, so that you are prepared when things come up. If you're a crafty type, try drawing the chickens, or make feather earrings or necklaces. Hollow painted eggs, when the eggs come, can be a fun project. Write stories about them, if you like to write. Photograph them. In other words, incorporate the chickens into different aspects of your life. Certainly once they start laying, that will help.
Then if all else fails, find them a good home.

 

[Shadrach]

May I ask a you a couple of questions?

Why did you get chickens?

What did you expect to be more exciting about them?

I don’t think you are unusual in not finding chickens as entertaining as you expected.
Reading the forums one might get the impression that chicken keeping is one constant round of drama and fun, hatching eggs, cuddling chicks, eating fresh eggs for breakfast, there is even a slogan saying ‘My pet makes me breakfast’.
However, a great many posts here are from people who have discovered that chickens get sick, they need adequate housing, the correct feed and can, and in my opinion should, suck a fair chunk of time out of your day, if you are to care for them properly and get the maximum enjoyment from them
The truth is, chickens do not make great pets out of the box so to speak.
They are not like dogs and cats in this respect.

Chickens take time and patience. They’re just not the sort of creature that run up to you with their tail feathers wagging wanting a quick play-fight and a pat on the head.
It’s my belief that there are thousands of people like you who have caught the backyard chicken keeping bug only to find that the reality doesn’t match the hype.

Do not feel bad about this. At least you have had the honesty to admit to yourself that maybe chickens aren’t for you.

The important thing now is what you do about it. Try and find a good home for these chickens; a great many other people won’t when the reality of chicken keeping sinks in

 

[BGcoop]

Chickens take time and patience. They’re just not the sort of creature that run up to you with their tail feathers wagging wanting a quick play-fight and a pat on the head.

Actually, I really enjoy that my chickens do run up to me with “their tail feathers wagging”.
I have made a habit of brining them some treats daily and sit in the run with them for a few minutes handing them out. Mine never sit on my lap and don’t like to be picked up, held, or pet(but I pet them anyway at night when they are roosting) but they sure run to the door of the run when they see me coming and will occasionally follow me around the yard expecting treats and I get a chick out of this.
I agree with townchicks that you should attempt to make the chore part of keeping as easy and routine as possible. And when they start laying it becomes like an Easter egg hunt every day, hopefully you like those?

 

[Shadrach]

Actually, I really enjoy that my chickens do run up to me with “their tail feathers wagging”.
I have made a habit of brining them some treats daily and sit in the run with them for a few minutes handing them out. Mine never sit on my lap and don’t like to be picked up, held, or pet(but I pet them anyway at night when they are roosting) but they sure run to the door of the run when they see me coming and will occasionally follow me around the yard expecting treats and I get a chick out of this.
I agree with townchicks that you should attempt to make the chore part of keeping as easy and routine as possible. And when they start laying it becomes like an Easter egg hunt every day, hopefully you like those?

It would have been nice to have included the start of the paragraph before you disagreed with me and then state later it's a chore and takes time.....

 

[Chickassan]

You aren't really that far away from eggs at 19 weeks and you have two that think you're ok, you're already doing better than alot of people. Got to ask in the most respectful of ways, what made you want them in the first place? What has changed that has made them a chore instead of a joy? They are still the same birds, so what has jaded you? Anything worth having in this life is work my freind, and joy comes inbetween long periods of nothing...that is what makes it joy.