I feel like a freak- need support

[szy.cpr]

everyone thinks were nuts, we live in hertfordshire in england and i dont know anyone that owns or would think about owning chickens. my familt went on for ages about getting them and how mad we were until..... they saw how lovley they are and now we have a constant house full of people coming over to see them...

 

[Whirlwind]

No one ever said a single neg. word about my getting chicks. Everyone was like cool, I wish I could get some and I want some eggs. But even if they did WHO CARES!!

They don't know what they are missing. Their loss.

Good for you. Don't feel like you are a freak. More people should get back to nature, grow their own food. It is much better tasting and better for you.

Good luck with your flock. You will never feel like a freak here.


forgot to add, I gotta get off here now and go fix some FRESH EGGS for breakfast.

 

[jag]

I had a huge cookout yesterday with a bunch of chicken naysayers (family and friends) and I converted them all with the exception of my Mom!

Every single person (besides Mom) who told me I was crazy has now enjoyed the heck out of watching my chickens!

"Wow, who knew they could be so fascinating to watch?"

"Look at all the colors!! They are beautiful."

"I like the black one with the white stripes the best!"

"Awww, they are so cute! Such personalities."

"My favorite is this little yellow one, she's so friendly!"

"How did you learn how to take care of them?" (backyard chicken forum plug!)

"Where can I get them?" "WHAT???? They ship them in the mail???"

"Can I touch one??"

Too funny! The chickens were the main topic of conversation all day, everyone was so fascinated!

HA! Take that chicken naysayers! Apparently I am no longer crazy.

 

[catballou24]

hey jamie..

we are doing the same thing you are actually, growing organic garden, raising our chickens and our kids...heheh our dream is to have a few acres and be able to grow most to all of our own food...but that is awhile down the road. we just bought our first house here in december and are on a little over 1/3 acre, so it's big enough for us right now..

congrats on school btw!

you are definitely not a freak...

i don't know oak hill well, but we are lakeway...actually just share a zip with lakeway and are actually in the county so can have as many chickens as we want..LOL so are very close..

this is our second time with chickens, and we love it!

they are so sweet....we got our's from a local first grade class who hatched the eggs, so have no idea the types we have. i want more though...8 just doesn't seem like enough..

welcome again!

 

[lcountry]

I got a bad time from my family - "why would you want those nasty things?", "what about all the poop?", "Oh you DIDN'T!", etc. My friends...well, they knew me well enough to not be surprised. I don't think if I started digging a dolphin tank it would really surprise them.

Worse though was my husbands family, it's pretty much an "unmentionable" thing with them. Unless, it's a snide comment. Honestly, if I started selling XXX videos, I don't think it would be worse received. His family was shocked when we moved to the "country" - actually we're just north of Dallas. Chickens were just one more "slip" down the social ladder as they see it.

Hubby enjoys the chickens, but I do feel a bit guilty for any strain it puts with his brother and dad. Although their attitude does bother me worse than it does DH, I think.

You've just got to live your life. If they don't like chickens, they don't need to have them. Personally, I like chickens. So, no eggs for them!

Lisa

 

[pipermark]

Dont worry be happy. I have family in Austion and I know there are chicken people there. I can remember seeing a very nice home , along one of the busier streets, and they had their coop right in the front yard. The coop was very nice (looked like a childs play house), and their birds were in great condition. It was somewhere in South Austion, wish I could remember the street, thier setup is worth a drive by,

 

[Judymae]

Lisa-I understand about the inlaws. My father in law all but calls me stupid. Right in front of me he will talk about my pets. He thinks we moved out to the country because I wanted to move his son further out so I could get what I wanted with out there input. Like it's their life! We have 3 kids-all spaced 3 years apart. My mother in law told my husband I did it that way so I could stay home from work longer. My husband ticked her off by saying that I wasn't going back to work after the youngest started school. That I was gonna be a stay at home mom even while they were in school. She wouldn't even speak to me! I kinda liked it. I'm glad I didn't marry a momma's boy!

 

[lcountry]

Judymae, sounds almost exactly like my situation - except they were at least supportive of my staying home with the kids. The DO however, see our move out as me pulling my DH away from the best part of life and dragging him down. And, yes, my animals are referred to as "her menagerie" in front of my face - I don't even think of what is said behind my back.

My FIL is a skilled with woodworking and will make stuff for anyone/anytime. When I mentioned that I was trying to build a coop, he just walked off without comment. The same weekend, he emailed an unflattering picture of my prized mare out to the family titled - "Part of the Menagerie". Yep, after I got over being angry, my feelings were hurt.

Oh well, you take the bad with the good. But, knowing you aren't alone and moral support are help alot! Amen about not marrying momma's boys!

 

[Judymae]

Lisa-I think we married the same family! You are lucky your inlaws supported you as a stay at home mother. My MIL was horrible about it. She actually said our kids were gonna miss out on a lot of material things that they wanted because we chose to only have one income. I tried to explain time with the kids was better than material items. She couldn't understand. Her daughter only has one child and she has worked since he was 3 months old. That child is spoiled rotten but never gets his parents attention. It is so sad-but my MIL thought he was luckier than our kids. The poor child just reaches out for attention all the time. My father in law does help with the horses. I have to give him credit for that. He used to own stables in his younger days and he knows alot more than I do. But he won't pass up an insult if he can think of one. My husband is outta town 14 days at a time working so I take care of everything. Well the mower broke so I couldn't mow-my father in law came out and fixed it (surprisingly)and then he mowed about an acre. I told him he didn't need to mow and he said he did because I never did it right! Argh!!! The worst insults do come from my animals. I'm happy. His son is happy. Our kids are happy. But he has to be so ugly about the way we live because it's not the way he lives. MIL passed away a year ago--can't say that I miss her that much. I know that's horrible but you would just have to know her to understand.
I just remember that I married my husband-not them. My husband is happy with our life. He's happy with me and the kiddos. I don't have to please the inlaws. Just have to listen to them. Most of it I tune out. Makes my life easier that way!

 

[iopele]

I'm so glad there's no DH or in-laws here, LOL! (I know, horrible thing to say, but... ) My boys love our chicks and really love gathering eggs from my father's flock next door to sell. I grew up with chores of taking care of chickens, and I think it's a great thing for kids to do. It teaches them to be responsible for something else.