My girlfriend dumped me because of my chickens..

[drumstick diva]

It's not like you were rushing home to meet with with a hot chick)human version). She was just a drama queen. I bet she was really ticked to be second fiddle to chickens. You don't have to date women who have chicken coops but, I think they have to care about animals (any kind) to understand and not be jealous of the involvement required.And as somone else put it, to allow you to have different interests without being threatened by it.

When you meet someone new I would mention the chickens right off, someone that likes animals will instantly ask what kind, etc. The ones that don't respond are not animal people. It's good to get that into right from the start.

 

[msgenie516]

Hi,

I'm married 44 years so I know a relationship needs give and take. Unfortunately, you're better off finding someone else who is more understanding. Good luck!

Genie

 

[BarkerChickens]

I agree with Mahonri and Lurky! You can find better! You'll find one who will want to be a chicken addict (or a hatch-a-holic) instead of being jealous. Trust me...you're probably better off!

Regarding age...they will taper off after the first couple to few years, but will still usually lay into old age (even if it isn't at peak production rates). They can live about as long as dogs.

 

[hcammack]

Quote:
WELCOME!!!!
Thats to bad she really doesn't sound great girlfriends should always be compatable with my animals if my GF doesn't like farm animals or isn't open minded enough to deal with them I would probably never have been with her in the first place

my last girlfriend and I spent a lot of time helping ewes with Lambing where we were going to school and bonded over that

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Ya Know, I come back to the farm and close up the nursery, the little wild hen and her chicks house and the big barn at dusk, NO EXCEPTIONS.

Next time you find a nice lady friend explain to them that this is your priority at dusk (and of course at near dawn) and to realize this is your responsibility to your animals, NO EXCEPTIONS.

I would think that the 20 minutes it takes to do this would be nothing in a relationship. Heck , just this evening I was at a tack sale and it was getting dusk. The wife turns and says, guess you are on your way, come on back. It took 20 minutes, big deal. She bought me something on top of it.

 

[wombat]

Some people just aren't cut out for the responsibility that comes with caring for animals. Sometimes they're just too young to want to be tied down, but I would say that in most cases they probably aren't cut out for the responsibilities of raising children either.

For your part, if might not hurt to find someone who can put up your chickens once in a while so that you can enjoy a night out. On the other hand, if that's rarely been an issue, and your GF just doesn't want the bother of caring for animals, I'd give some thought to what your future would be like with her. I had to toss a few back before I found the one I wanted to keep. I can think of a few where I got to the point of being honest with myself and deciding that there was just no way I could raise a family with the person I was seeing, and that was a deal breaker for me.

It's tough to split up with someone, especially at a young age. I was heartbroken over splitting up with the one my friends referred to as "the pyscho beech from hell" ... which should have been a sign, in hindsight. Splitting up with her was probably one of the better things that happened to me, at least in that segment of my life.

Doesn't sound like your case is quite that bad, but think things through and figure out if there's a future to this relationship. If not, you can't move on without letting go.

Of course, I have no idea how old you are ... if you're a teenager, kids break up for the craziest reasons. One girl once dumped me because I wouldn't race across town to try to get to the mall in the 10 mins before it closed to buy her a squirt gun. Can't say I cried over that one at all. If you're that age, find someone who shares your interests. Heck, if you're any age, find someone who shares your interests.

 

[loralei]

Honey she’s just not the right girl for you. Your caring nature and love of animals would appeal to a lot of women. Perhaps your sense of responsibility and connection to home scared her and presented her with something she just wasn’t prepared for. Whether you are looking for a casual relationship or a life partner do things you enjoy and you will meet others that share your interests and your country values. I bet there are even some single young gals here on this site.

Cutivate some new friendships and who knows! I met my husband at country western dance lessons. It’s something that brought us together and we still enjoy. If you’re interested in meeting a nice country girl you could try mycountrymatch.com. I met several nice men with shared interests that had great portential but the lord had someone special for me and when the time was right he brought us together. Have faith. The right girl is out there for you!

Godspeed,
Laura

 

[Chicksdigit]

I agree with everyone that said "Jet her" "Get a new One"............you can get a timer and an Automatic Door closer for the next one eh?

 

[SpringChicken2010]

You are better off without her then!

Maybe you can find a new girlfriend on BYC! They could start a dating service for chicken lovers!

Good luck to you! Your someone is out there just waiting for you!

 

[Akane]

I'll be one of the first to dump someone that can't handle my animals. I've done it. However it might take some effort to find someone willing to be that friendly with your chickens. I've had chickens run around my house in diapers but I'd find having the flock wander in the door, hang around inside, and beg for treats from my fridge a bit extreme. It also does get annoying when you have a time limit to go close the coop every night. There was more than one evening while my husband and I were dating that I called my mom or neighbor to close the door for me. I wouldn't mind if my date tried to find someone else to take care of the animals and then had to return because they couldn't or if they planned dates to happen a little earlier or later than preferred so that it wouldn't overlap. I'd go help them in those cases and shake my head at anyone too intolerant to understand the animals would suffer or possibly even die otherwise. On the other hand if my date consistently failed to plan around when such things would happen so that our dates get interrupted and my needs, including emotional, are being placed below chickens I'd be breaking up with them as well. If that's what keeps happening then I would not consider this girl to be at all bad but not the right one for you. Your animals should be taken care of but your partner doesn't want to feel inferior to them. Mine at least ranks equal to the puppies even if he hasn't attained standing above my akita yet.

To find someone that is willing to always let the animals be first you pretty much have to let yourself be written off as the crazy chicken guy and go look for someone equally crazy. Otherwise even if you do find someone who likes and tolerates animals you still have to learn how to juggle your animals' care and a relationship with another human. Occasionally when we have big plans for the day and no one can close the coop for us the chickens get to stay inside so we can devote the day to each other without risk of them getting eaten. The animals are important but call it selfishness if you want I'm not giving up my happiness for them to be ecstatic all the time. They can deal with a day spent indoors so I can spend it away from home or on my partner and our relationship.