Making this whole chicken thing harder than it has to be

[DuckLady]

Sometimes I will see something "not quite right" with a hen or a duck and be my usual fusspot self until I figure it out. I can almost see the ducks' eyes rolling and hear the Mo-o-o-ommmm!!!"
And I will ask myself "What are you DOING?"

And I do it anyway because I can.

 

[valmom]

Kstaven- excellent reply! The old timers who took care of their livestock had healthier livestock. Cleaning, good food and clean water isn't a modern ideal, and I think many farmers who were successful took good care of their animals.

Of course, our chickies are spoiled because they are pets

 

[stilwellchick]

Remember in the old days that farmers didn't neuter their dogs or worm or vaccinate either. They didn't spend any money or time on any animals that they didn't have to. All farm animals had a purpose and there was not the emotional investment in the animals that many of us have. BTW, on most farms in most of the world chicken keeping is considered woman's chore.

 

[Southernbelle]

Quote:
Oddly enough, I did have a rabbit that used to follow me around. A big old Lop-eared rabbit named Bigwig (from Watership Down). He used to scratch on his cage when I came out to feed them and as soon as I squatted down and opened it, he'd jump in my lap then follow me around as I fed my 20+ other rabbits. My parents used to watch me from their bedroom window and thought it was the funniest thing they'd ever seen. He even "waited" for me when he died. He got pretty old and one day he was hunched in his cage, I reached in to pet him and suddenly he laid down - I got worried and picked him up and he took his last breaths in my arms.

I've had hundreds of rabbits over the years, but never had one this companionable before or since Bigwig.

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I agree that these formally utilitarian animals like chickens or rabbits can make the most amazing, if unconventional, pets!

 

[ncgnance]

My father was a farmer, as was his father. Our animals were important to us-if they didn't produce, we didn't eat. So, Daddy took good care of our animals. And he enjoyed interacting with them, but he didn't really play with them, or make pets of them. If an animal was sick, it was doctored. If it couldn't be cured or helped, it was dispatched of, quickly and efficiently. Didn't matter if it was a chicken or a dog. I think our parents and grandparents realized what animals were put here for. They also realized that we have a responsibility to care for our animals. Sorry, I didn't mean to rattle on, and, by the way, I care for my animals the same way my Daddy did.

 

[MissPrissy]

I grew up on a farm. Most times the animals got treated better than most people. They were cared for before anything thing else, then the feilds, then us. It is the animals and what grew in the feild that provided for us and those things had to come first.

Sick, dirty animals, be it dogs or chickens or starving horses says more about a person than anything else in the world. Talk all you want about what you do and have but if your barns are filthy and the ground where the animals live is sour and your animals look shabby you aren't worth a hill of beans in my book.

 

[2dream]

Quote:
Well said Miss Prissy. All my animals are cared for
first. I strongly believe that if I have an animal caged and in my care its needs must come first.
Before I can sit down and enjoy a meal I have to know they have all been fed and watered. I could not sleep on clean sheets at night if I knew my animals did not have a clean comfortable place to sleep. I really don't fret the small stuff most of the times. But if I have sick hen it just make sense to me to put a little extra care into her and isolate her to protect the rest of the flock. With isolation comes automatic extra care.
Unfortunately we do not live in the proverbial "good ole days". We live in an age were the smallest cut must be tended and polluted water is the norm. The air is full of pollution and diseases are running rampant.
I don't think I go overboard but I do know I put more time into cleaning and good housekeeping for the animals than was probablly necessary even 50 years ago.
For those who keep chickens as pets I figure they go the extra 5 miles and worry about their chicks like most people worry about the kitty or puppy.
Nothing wrong with that.

 

[TundraChick]

I am not sure the OP father was talking about keeping animals is substandard conditions. I think she is talking about providing the for the basic need of the animals. IMHO everything is about moderation. Some choose to provide what they need only, some provide more...as long as the basic necessities are met use your judgement and go with it and be comfortable with it.

of course some provide less but again I dont think that was the OP intention with this thread, feel free to correct me OP if I am reading it wrong

 

[NS2A]

Quote:
It's the nature of any "hobby". Read any internet forum and you will see that. I've had so many hobbies over the years and the best way to ruin (for me), is to be "too into it". I purpously don't read everything because I then overthink things.

I think your grandpa is right!!

Whenever I start to do overthink things, I think to myself: "what would grandpa do".

But, I'm glad there's people more into it than me because their knowledge is greatly appreciated!

 

[dlhunicorn]

What I have noticed is that there are two different perspectives on keeping chickens (as has been noted in other posts on this thread) .... you have the farmers/breeders whose main concern is for the health of the flock as a whole (so all weakness/weak breeding stlck should be culled) ... and those who have as pets (so the viewpoint here is with the individual animal and this can extend to expenditure of funds as one would with a cat or dog or an expensive parrot to treat any illness or accomdate physical handicaps).
Often heated discussions occur because of these differing viewpoints (or one forgets them) and I just want to point out that I feel it is important respect each others differing viewpoints and acknowledge respect for the choices made within them.