I feel so upset now, regarding neighbors.

[jmofaustin]

Quote:
Stand up for your roosters against those neighbors! I did.

 

[MarkR]

Quote:
You might say something like, "Let me know when you need more." when you gift her with the eggs. If she never let's you know, you kind of have your answer. There's no point in continuing to do it if she doesn't want them.

Good luck, and have fun with your chickens.

Mark

 

[Subirdban Farm]

I feel your pain. I went threw the exact same thing with my neighbors when I got my chickens too. I found out that once you educate people they tend to be less afraid. It also makes them feel better to know that I have my flock tested three times a year. It puts there minds at ease.

I still have people that walk down my ally and ask me questions about my chickens when they see me in the yard. I answer all there questions and after a while you can see that they kind of start to get into it.

I have also found that the cleaner you keep your birds the less "diseased" people will think they are. I am a clean freak and make sure my birds never smell. I think that REALLY helps.

I think you just need to talk to your neighbor and answer all her questions.

 

[AccidentalFarm]

I'm going to admit it.
I don't even know what 'diseases' people can catch from chickens. And I currently have 25 of 'em. I, and my kids, go into the coop everyday. My daughter is on a mission to make every bird her best friend. She goes out there several times a day and lets the birds climb all over her. I've yet to find myself concerned about her health due to this. I have her wash her hands every time she has handled the birds and that's it.
I don't scrub her down with disinfectant.
We keep a clean coop with DE and SweetPDZ mixed with the bedding, to help it stay dry, thus preventing much of the disease/bacteria/mites/whatever from being able to survive in it.
That said, maybe gathering info on what the possible health risks to humans are and ways to prevent transfer of illness to humans from chickens would be good info to arm yourself with prior to the 'chat'. I think that it may ease your neighbors mind to know how utterly easy it is to keep a flock healthy. Also, pointing out that much of what is in the media regards commercial chicken farms, not the typical backyard flock, could be helpful. I think the diseases and crap we hear about in the media are attributable to overcrowding and poor management practices, commercially. Aside from that- another hugely beneficial thing about chickens is the poo for the compost bin!

 

[SpottedCrow]

My Hermaphrodite Hen, Slifer was one of those "diseased animals". She had crooked feet, a birth defect, and crowed...One of the neighbours thought she was diseased...Her son has Cerebral Palsy, another birth defect, but I never considered him "diseased"...

Education.Education
Education.

 

[SkeeredChicken]

Quote:
One thing you could do to make her feel a little better would be to educate her on egg quality. There's a nice site that explains this: http://recipehut.homestead.com/FreshEggTest.html


Basically this is the concept: In a fresh laid egg, the yolk and white are more firm and stand up better. As the egg gets older, the cohesion starts to break down. So a fresh egg stands a bit higher, whereas a store bought egg is alot more runny.

Another thing would be, that home grown eggs have darker yolks and better taste (by general opinion) than supermarket bought. Big farm, mass produced eggs use cheaper, more "cost effective" feed. They're generally not free ranged, either. You can't quite be sure what the hens there were fed. Not sure if they do it now, but as gross as it is, some farms even fed their poultry composted cow manure. How's that for store bought eggs?!?!

 

[chickaddicted]

I always wonder if the folks that think chickens are diseases and nasty have other pets? (I have all of them....)

Dogs can bring you infections from hookworms...just walking barefoot where they've pooped in the past few years.

Cats all carry the parasites that cause toxoplasmosis...it might not kill you, but studies show the bugs can influence brain activity in those infected and is linked to neurotic bahaviour.

Reptiles commonly carry salmonella and other bacteria that can sicken humans.

Even aquarium fish can give you fungal infections when you work to maintain their tanks.

Our overt concern with cleanliness...al those antibacterial soaps and cleaners, children who never 'play in the dirt', and live sterile lives are the ones most likely to suffer from allergies and asthma. Studies think it is because the immune system that should be fighting off the nasty bugs malfunctions and attacks things that are not bad for the body.

Your neighbor should thank their lucky stars to have a responsible person who loves animals living next to them that their kids can visit and be healtheir because of.

 

[chickbea]

The filthiest creature a child can play with is another child!
Look at how many illnesses get transmitted at schools and daycares!

 

[Wolf]

I brought my girls into the pet shop where I work and a lady called up and complained to the manager...She thought that she was gonna get Psittacosis from them

(((((Crow))))) The first time I heard about Psittacosis infections in people was when I was a kid... and it was contracted from parrots. LOL! I haven't seen any pet shop get bashed for selling parrots! The young handyman who fell off Cuddy's roof on "House" got it from the rooster-fights he was helping at part-time was because of the conditions of the site. Birds kept confined but not cleaned up after properly + dry dusty conditions = old bird droppings growing the fungus that causes this ailment.

The "diseases" that mother's concerned about happens when commercial chicken-raisers grow their birds in a concentration-camp setting. Find info and show her what that's like - then compare it to how you're keeping yours... in a much healtier and enjoyable environment! Ask her if there's any way she would not get sick trapped in an elevator with 19 other people, being fed and watered - but with no bathroom facilities - for 4 months! That's what store-bought eggs and chicken-meat comes from! The natural, fresh-air environment yours are in - promotes good health!

Chickens aren't the only carriers of "bird flu" - wild birds can fly overhead and poop that mess in the neighbor-lady's yard, too. And there's not much she can do to control that - is there... other than keep her kids as Bubble-Children! I think being over-protective in this matter is a road to exhaustion. Live Life and whatever happens happens.

I say: tell the mother next door about me, Dear! I live in a house full of critters... and the only time I catch an illness is when I'm around humans!
When my kids were still at home, they'd go to school and bring infections back that I'd catch... from the other kids they were around! Same when I was still able to work... catch sickness from co-workers and clients! Now that I'm gimpy, and don't go out in the World much... I catch a lot less colds, flu, etc... despite being a member of my own zoo!​

 

[AccidentalFarm]

I wholeheartedly agree with you, Wolf. Is it not logical that if we are never exposed to certain germs or 'bugs', we will never have the opportunity to naturally build up a defense for them? This is the way the body and immune system work!!! We are designed for such things. I personally believe we do our children a disservice when we overprotect them from the very things that will help to ensure they lead healthy lives.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think we ought to let our kids play in cesspools, but more power to them if they want to eat mud-pies and share the dog-food. I certainly did. In fact, my mother asked our family doctor about it because she worried we'd get sick. He told her we'd be fine and all it could do is make us stronger and give us shiny hair!