My dad thinks I am in way over my head! :/

[Barbeque]

He thinks I'm going to have a rude awakening with my 7 3-week old chicks.
He says I will have to put A LOT more effort into this than what I can handle.
I get no help, and he thinks I'll explode.
Is raising 7 chicks THAT hard? What about adolescent or adult chickens?
I am a bit scared that he's right.

 

[Chicken0Boy]

If you love them it wont be alot of work to you! Just make sure you can properly take care of them!

 

[acid_chipmunk]

I have heard a lot of people say this, but in my opinion, it just gets easier. Once they are bigger and in the coop, they pretty much get by on their own. Yes, you have to feed and water them, but you have to do that wtih any animal. And once they start laying, you have to collect eggs, but that can be done once a day while feeding and watering. Cleaning the coop is just like having to clean a litter box for a car, or go on poop patrol for a dog. As they get bigger, you worry less about them being so fragile, though you will still worry because they are your babies.

Just know, if you need help, that is what the BYCers are for!!!

 

[Barbeque]

I clean their water out daily, and refill food every two days.
I'm going to clean out the brooder now.

 

[dntd]

I don't find them that hard, puppies, they are hard! Chickens big issues are housing and nutrition, no training needed

 

[Megs]

chickens are fairly easy, food, water, clean bedding (and for chicks of course heat) is about all they require. spend some time each day watching them, they will let you know how they are doing

 

[Delighted]

BBQ, I hope you can prove him wrong. I don't think of going out to feed and water or adult chickens as work at all, it's fun to me. If you take care of them as you have been doing, I don't see it as too hard for you. Do you have an outdoor coop and pen for when they are old enough?

 

[raimnel]

whats so hard about letting them out in the a.m. and feeding/watering them. yes they take work but 7 ????? I have 14, 10 month old, 13 5 week olds and 12 1 week olds and next week i'm getting 15 on wed. you'll be fine. I think taking care of a dog is harder than 7 chickens

 

[HennyJenny]

Dear BBQ -
I am 40 plus some odd years old. I have three children. I work a 60 to 80 hour week as a corporate controller - in a company of 8000 people. I am allowed to control millions of dollars everyday and my children have not yet turned out to be serial killers - guess what....

I have put vicks on a pecked chicken's butt in a blizzard and hauled water out there three times a day in 10 below weather - I built my own 8 x 12 chicken coop (and it's pretty darn cute if I do say so myself) guess what.... My Dad still thinks my chickens will be too much for me and that I am in over my head. I don't know how old you are but some things never change - when I'm 60 plus some odd years old and that old man is 80 something - we're going to be having the exact same conversation.

The upshot is you either like and take care of your chickens or you don't. Period. Doesn't matter what the old guys say. That's what old guys say to their children I guess. I tell ya - I got a family full of balloon busters - you gotta ignore those people and do your own thing and be happy doing it. Life's too short not to do things or be scared to do things because someone else thinks you are in over your head.

Oh yeah - one more thing - I just acquired my chickens in the last two years - and in the last two years I've learned more about myself in relationship to those chickens than from a lot of other things. It's all about perspective.

Enjoy your birds. (They will enjoy you too one of these days

)

Take care.
Jenny

 

[Barbeque]

Quote:
Actually, just yesterday I went out two the old couple's house that I bought my chicks from, the man said he will build me a nice chicken tractor for around $100. Labor+materials for $100? I've seen his tractors and coops, I think that's a great deal! He and his wife said they are ecstatic to see a teenager already interested in caring for chicks.