My Husband is an Enabler who Deserves a Gold Medal.

[FloridaChickenChick]

You know, one of the reasons I married my hubby is that he's so grounded. When I go off on a wild tangent, he calms me down and slowly reels me back to something like reality.

When I told him I was thinking about chickens, he sort of laughed. When I brought home an armload of library books, he raised an eyebrow and when I bought the book "KEEP CHICKENS!" I think he may have been a little alarmed but when I showed him pictures he'd look at them and make an appropriate comment. I won $100 in a contest and went directly to Lowes to get the stuff to build what I thought would be a good home for my chickens. When I got stuck at one point, he came out and helped me finish it.

When I told him -- after three days of trying to find the words -- that I was getting SIX chickens instead of three, he just said, "Okay." Two days later I worked up the nerve to tell him the thing we built would work for a day run but not for a permanent home, he offered to help me enclose half of the shed (really a small pole barn).

When I told him I'd really rather have a freestanding henhouse on the OTHER side of the back yard, he said "okay" again. Then when I found plans I liked, he offered to look them over and help me make a materials list. He never made any snide remarks about me tumbling right off the deep end...

When I went back to Lowes for the first load of stuff, he helped unload the truck for me and then helped me cut the first 2X4s...they were 12' and I couldn't handle them and the saw at the same time. Then the plywood was too big for me to press down and push forward at the same time (I'm learning to use a table saw). When I started getting frustrated, he fixed me a glass of tea and cut the wood for me. He never laughed while I was learning to "toe in" the nails. He never complained that the race was on and golly, he'd really rather be watching the race than teaching me how to build a small building. And at the end of the day said he was proud of what I had accomplished (ha ha ha ha like I really did it!).

You know, he wouldn't have picked chickens as something to add to our lives but he's going to be as good a dad to these chickens as he's been to our daughter. What a lucky flock they are.

I think, after reading many of the stories here and looking at all the pictures, that there's something special about chicken people. We have beautiful and talented children, our spouses are not only tolerant but in many cases supportive beyond all expectations, our dogs are all amazing and wow...no WONDER this is an addictive forum!

So here's to all the understanding spouses in the world -- how does your spouse enable your poultry habit?

 

[suenrob]

What a beautiful story!!!!!!!!!!! Sounds like you got one of the good ones!!!!! Fortunatly, I did too.....

Enjoy your new addiction, ah, I mean additions!!

 

[lurky]

My story is almost exact, except my husband did all the work building. I have a bad shoulder and felt helpless. I do all the work caring for them. I too had a dream of 3 hens and i refuse to put in writing how many i have now

I was amazed by all he did to give them a predator proof home with electricity, lights..... and insulation...... i too am very lucky. He has been so very supportive

 

[bangor777]

you know it's funny...my whole life I have gotten these 'ideas' and I become completely obsessed with them, they might be decorating ideas (for a while I was a stenciling fool!) or pet ideas, whatever it is my husband has always been my 'brakes'. I don't mean that in a bad way, it's just that I throw myself head over heels into everything I do and he is the constant (and yes, sometimes annoying) voice of reason that slows me down. This time, however, he's been different. I started out with "gee, I think I want to get three or four chickens for eggs" but that's rapidly escalated into a flock of 24 birds, three brooders, a huge hen house, an incubator (full of pheasant eggs!) and a round the clock obsession with all things chicken and my husband has been nothing but supportive, helpful and a complete enabler!

I actually sit around and wonder...hmmm, why is he being like this? I think he appreciates the back to basics aspects of it, loves the way our kids (6 of them!) have been completely involved, and finds this obsession of mine to have a lot of merits. By the way, the pheasant eggs and incubator were his idea!

The whole family is so enjoying this venture! I'm so glad we got started, loving every minute of it. I'm amazed at how addictive and rewarding it is.

 

[cluckychick]

We had to have our dog put to sleep and my DH said no more dogs outside. I said ok then I'm getting chickens. He said I could have 5 so off we ran to the Family Center just to look around one Saturday morn. Low and behold the had 5 tubs full of different breeds. I called a gentleman over and informed him I wanted 5 chicks and he said "I can't sell just five, you have to purchase 12" I preceeded to pick out 12 and when it was all said and done I had 17. We then purchased all the things a chick needs for survival and headed home. Set them up in a rubbermaid tub in the laundry room with my chihuahua's. They didn't much appreciate sharing their bedroom with a bunch of chirpers, lol.

The next day HE determined they needed a bigger brooder box so off to Lowes we go. He just needed some wire and some L-brackets, everything else we had. He thought he could have it all done before the race came on but he missed the race and finally got it done about dusk that evening. It weighed about 150 lbs and he and my son lugged that thing in the house and deposited it in the living room and for the next 6 weeks that's were it stayed.

We bought a prefab'd outbuilding from Sutherlands that you put together yourself. Well it's almost done, still working on it. He cut out a hole and intalled a fan/exhaust for them. Yesterday he put up roost. We have dug and installed 1 fence and now need to put up the 4 foot chicken wire around the outside and backfill.

He never relized, nor did I, how time consuming chickens really are but we wouldn't change anything. My son says "Dad y didn't you just let her get a dog" We love our chickens and go out every evening and spend good quality time with them. They have every luxury a chicken could want/need.

I'm so addicted to this sight that when I'm not outside i'm in here reading BYC, lol.

CHICKENS ARE THE GREATEST!!

 

[Coop-a-kick]

Just so you know, when your DSIL saw KEEP CHICKENS! on the passenger seat he was... Audibly alarmed. Further proof that your husband is ten kinds of cool.

 

[dacjohns]

My wife is my helper. When I yell for help she stops what she is doing and gives me a hand. Couldn't do it without her.

 

[apbgv]

Where do you order these wonderful spouses from?

Kohl's, Home Depot, some other place>

I missed that page in my catalog oh me so funny tonight.

 

[Alaska animal lover]

I got a good one too!
I think it is so funny how I said, "I want to get about three chickens for eggs."

Now I have 12 and two ducks!
My DH spent over a week building my coop and run, and never complained once. He got sunburnt, smashed his thumb and missed all sorts of races=)
He may not understand why I'm obsessed, but as long as he dosen't have to clean up poop, he dosen't care.
I love him!

 

[ZykloniaDark-GothikRanchr]

lol mine essentially told me, as long as I take care of the animals he doesn't mind what I get...every once in a while he will ask me "so how many (insert animal type here) do we have now?"