How to convince parents? Please help!

[hopingforchickens]

i was in the same situation with my parents! but for me the deal breaker was the coop cost. like i made a presentation, and researched till midnight but my dad still would not cave. so i just made a 'deal' to work off the spent money. also this is the coop i got
link; https://www.omlet.us/shop/chicken_keeping/large_chicken_coop_eglu_cube/
its a little expensive but it has good reviews, good for winter and summer, and is VERY easy to clean. also it can bre moved to make sure you dont ruin the lawn. this and its predator proof. this moving around thing makes their food bill less and that you dont have to let them free range to get eaten by overhead hunters.
hope this helps!

Wow, I thought I had looked at every single chicken coop that you could buy online! This one looks great! I think that I am kind of stuck with the other one for now, but I'll try to make the best of it and hopefully be able to find a better solution once I have proved chicken awesomeness. I'll try to let them out and sit with them (school's out!) as much as I can so that they can have some more space. Hopefully I'll be able to improve the situation in the future.

 

[Skyleen13]

One thing you could try is to retro fit a small storage shed. You can get them for anywhere from $20-50. You can then get some fencing, some posts, & attach it together with zip ties & screws. If you get 6-7 pieces of lumber that are 2x2x8 you can use them to frame up the run. Then attach it to the garden shed on one side. Simply cut a hole on the run side like a doggy door. Cut & hang up more of that wood for roosts. then you can get a couple small plastic bins & turn them into nesting boxes. should cost you no more then $100 total to put together.
You can give these plans to your parents & see if that would work for them. The rent a coops can cost you more in the long run.

 

[RiverOtter]

Trust me, one of the best things you can learn in life is;
Use your words. Ask directly.

You won't know why they're dead set on this exact coop unless you ask them why they want that one. Once you have their real, actual, possibly-perfectly-good-reason, then you have something you can actually work with, instead of taking shots in the dark.

If it really is "they sell it so they must know", you can point them to this forum.

But maybe it's more like they want to rent so they can see if it's something they want to do and if you'll really still be doing all the work in 3 months, in which case that's perfectly rational and you'll just have to live with it, still be doing all the work in 3 months and maybe build a coop in the meantime.

 

[Tamdog]

I've stopped asking them about it and showing them alternatives because I know it won't work. I was under the impression that chickens can get lonely if you only have one, and I was worried that if a predator got to one it would be hard to get another. This has made me feel better.......hopefully it will all work out. I'll make the best of it

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If you only have one it does not make the possibility of a predator getting it any higher or lower. If you do not secure your coop a predator can kill 5 chickens in one night. - BUT I see what you are saying, if the only one you have gets killed the parents may not swing for another chick- BUT I bet they would if you already had invested in the coop. As far as lonely, I dunno, I would not think so. I have had only one chicken and it seemed to bond with me better. You decorate that little coop up really cute, and enjoy that one little chicken- it will be so sweet!- Also, the first egg should be a "gift" to your mom and dad. Wrap it up- *with a thank you note* and maybe that nice delicious organic egg will encourage them to get you another chicken. Perhaps a chicken that lays blue eggs, or dark chocolate colored eggs. Be thankful to your parents, that is the most healthy way to build relationships that are mutually responsive. You will feel better- and they will see that their child is growing into someone that appreciates their efforts. It is a win -win.

 

[Tamdog]

also- one of the best "coops" I had was an old 10' x 10' dog pen that my husband put a wire cover on top and a dog house was where the chickens slept. You might can find one of those at Tractor Supply cheaper than anything!https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZI6TAI?tag=duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1

 

[Pghelp]

I have gone the whole 9 yards with this. I've done my research, I put together a presentation for why we should get chickens. They agreed, but things went downhill from there: the problem is the coop that they want. I convinced them to get three chickens (can't do one, if you have two and one dies there's a problem), aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand then we came to the coop. They want a coop sold by a local farm: 3 by 3 coop with a three by three run.This won't work, which I am well aware of. I've explained to them why it's not good, showed them other options, offered to do *literally all the work* building a coop. I don't have a credit card or anything like that, so any purchases would have to go through parents first. I have about $70 for spending money and $1,700 in my savings account (that I'm not supposed to spend from) What should I do? I've explained and explained, but if I keep going they'll just call off the chickens entirely. Help!

How about compromising on the run? We've done chickens on a tight budget and actually put together a pretty secure run by repurposing welded wire dog crates that people were discarding or selling super cheap. We ended up with kind of a tunnel run but it was plenty of room for 4 hens and extended out from the coop. I even used one of the wire doors on the top of the run to create easy access for giving them greens and treats. Think of creative inexpensive ways to make it work and you might convince them!

 

[LaFleche]

...I have a friend who's dad has big building tools (he built their coop)...

Here is another option if your friend lives nearby:

How about asking your friend with the already built coop if there is possibility for you to add your desired two or three chickens to their flock for a start?
In this case there is no need for three, two will do just fine.

Do you already have your mind made up on what kind of chicken breed you would like to have?

 

[bruceha2000]

I would definitely get at least 2, chickens are flock animals. If the free sheds you found are in good shape you should be able to add a couple of windows and some hardware cloth covered ventilation pretty cheap. Check for used windows on Craigs List or a Habitat store if you have one. Chickens don't need fancy

That Eglu is indeed expensive.

 

[hopingforchickens]

Here is another option if your friend lives nearby:

How about asking your friend with the already built coop if there is possibility for you to add your desired two or three chickens to their flock for a start?
In this case there is no need for three, two will do just fine.

Do you already have your mind made up on what kind of chicken breed you would like to have?

I might try that, but they got 4 chicks about a month ago and are starting to figure out how to integrate them with their hens. I don't want to cause them any hassle. We decided to start with three barred rock hens (already adults, from the farm) because I honestly don't care as long as there's chickens and they are my parents' favorite breed. My ideal setup would be keeping those hens and later adding an easter egger, a lavender orpington, and a silver laced cochin.

 

[BantyChooks]

May I suggest looking into other birds, if you are unable to make headway on locating a larger coop? Quail make engaging pets and they require far less space.