Is it the Economy?

[train2110]

At work today, I was offered five sheep and a guard llama free of charge.

This is the second time, directly or indirectly, I have been offered free animals. Due to a 10-acre minimum for livestock in my town, I had to politely turn them down. Two weeks ago, there was an offer for free alpacas that did not sell at an auction. I heard only six people showed up for the auction and only a handful of the alpacas where sold, none going for more than $50.

How come no one offers free chickens!!!


Edit was for my lack of spelling...

 

[SillyChicken]

Wish someone would offer me some free stuff like that!

Yes the economy has alot to do with everything that's going on these days.

 

[runsw/scissors]

Oh absolutely it's the economy! It's amazing, I think it's why so many more people are getting chickens too.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

I heard on another post that the cost of hay is going up and as a result a lot of people are trying to get rid of grazers before winter. I guess that a bunch of ranchers are culling their herds too...

 

[train2110]

Quote:
I have heard that hay is costly in the south and midwest, but I did not think it was that bad in upstate New York!

 

[Oregon Blues]

They aren't giving away free chickens in your area? My local Craigslist is full of free chickens. Also a couple of free horses every week and multitudes of rabbits.

I've seen ads for free alpacas only twice. Free goats are fairly frequent, no free sheep, yet.

I have noticed that the free animals never seem to be anything I'd want for myself.

I'm watching the price of feed myself and I'm not getting rid of anything, but I'm not adding anything, either, unless it is really spectacular.

 

[LegginMF12]

I live in Yucca Valley Ca. Here people can't give away their livestock nor can the afford to feed them. Hay prices right now are $17.50 for bermuda at around an 80lb bale and Alfalfa is $19.50 a bale at around an 80lb+ bale. 4 years ago I was paying $10.50 to $12.00 for alfalfa and around $9.00 for Bermuda. This means that feed price have gone up 100%. Then add in the fact that right now gas is $3.79 a gallon and people can no longer pay to feed their livestock. They are making the choice of feeding the family and putting gas in the car or feed the horses. For awhile here it got so bad people would turn their animal loose in the desert to fend for themselves. This is a death sentence. I had a 9yr quarter/arab mare that was trained to the hilt, healthy and sound. She did trail and barrel racing. She sold at the auction for $150.00. So yes it absolutely is the economy.

 

[LegginMF12]

Also chickens give back some of what you put into them for feed in the form of meat and eggs. I have a friend who eats almost exclusively chicken that he get free from people giving them away. Also chickens will eat just about anything so if a person doesn't have the money to buy feed for a week or so the chickens can and do survive on scraps.

 

[chefchick]

Quote:
I have heard that hay is costly in the south and midwest, but I did not think it was that bad in upstate New York!

My FIL has several hundred bales for sale... $2 you pick up and it isn't selling. I

 

[artsy1]

I think it is very expensive to own chickens, first you need the coop and all the other stuff.............I have tryed to make feeders , waterers etc. they end up being a pain, cause I suck at it. Then food, bedding etc. etc. etc. ..........................BUT IT'S WORTH IT...........JOY AND HAPPINESS............I LOVE MY CHICKS AND YES A LADY AT THE GOODWILL BOOKSTORE HEARD ME ASK IF THEY HAD THE BOOK" CHICKENS FOR DUMMIES" she wanted to give me some of her chickens for free..............I have no more room.......couldn't take them.............she wanted them to go to a good home....I told her to go on craigslist and sell them, I got mine there and they were raised on a farm and are gorgeous.

prices keep going up.......expensive eggs,,,,,,,,,,,,,but yummmmmmy