NBC News Article "Backyard chickens dumped at shelters"

[Nifty-Chicken]

Well, the good news is that there's a few good quotes and a link back to BYC:

Backyard chickens dumped at shelters when hipsters can't cope, critics say

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/backy...hen-hipsters-cant-cope-critics-say-6C10533508

Feel free to comment on the article to set the record straight for those who want another point of view on the pros / cons of raising backyard chickens!

 

[Suzie]

I am livid at the bias against owners who raise their chickens that we are uncaring and irresponsible!

I hope never to eat eggs from any source other than my own flock, and, when my flock "retire" from laying eggs they will live a happy and healthy life for the rest of their time here.

Irresponsible Poultry farmers are more likely than most to treat their exhausted flock in a manner that would be abhorrent to backyard flock owners. Supermarket eggs are OK for those critics who would have us all eat processed foods, genetically modified and quite frankly possibly dangerous to our health and that of our families.

It saddens me to read that we are being victimised... I suppose the media have to have a scapegoat but there are many people who abandon what does not suit their sad lives.... how many cats, dogs and any other unfortunate animals!

Let us re-address the perspective....this wonderful website has given us a voice... so we should use it to let the critics know that we will continue to enjoy the wonderful benefits of owning our own chickens and giving them a better life than some people would give to their own kin. Maybe some who observe what "Backyardchickens" is all about will consider owning their own flock to experience how wonderful chickens are!

 

[dawg53]

I read the article. Coston and Nifty are both correct. The nations shelters are overflowing with dogs and cats, why not chickens? It was going to happen sooner or later. Responsibility, accountability, and common sense are lacking in society and it's going to get worse. No amount of laws or enforcement will work because they arnt working now as it is. If there are towns and cities debating whether or not to allow chickens, this article will add fuel to the fire. The solution is education.

 

[appps]

That was a little surprising. I may have read it wrong but it seemed like the rescue person thought chickens were better off being raised in commercial farms than in backyards? From an animal rescuer that's really surprising.

 

[dawg53]

http://www.msn.com/
MSN Homepage has a "What do you think?" poll currently going on: Urban chicken coops backfiring.
Do you like the idea of raising chickens in your backyard?
So far, it's not looking good for backyard chicken owners. BYC members need to vote NOW. This poll is only good for one day...let's get our voices heard!

 

[wsmith]

An interesting read. What was more interesting were all the comments....which is why I won't comment on the new site.

Everyone has different views regarding raising chickens.

When people come to me asking about chicken or chick availablility from our place, I talk with them for a while to find out what they actually know about chickens, and if they have a setup and truly want the responsibility of having chickens.

We put together a checklist of things to do BEFORE getting chickens. This usually ends up with us NOT selling them chicks or chickens. Bad for us financially I suppose, but good for the chickens.

Just last week an old friend out of state asked me to be her 'chicken mentor". I readily agreed and she started asking questions. She had already acquired chickens and a coop, based on an on-line ad from a gentleman that built coops local to her. As he wanted to sell a coop, he assured her that a 4 X 4 floor space coop was just fine for up to 12 hens..... She is now scrambling to get a larger coop before winter. Had the feed store and coop builder been honest, and not just trying to make a buck she wouldn't be in the situation. Had she done her research before hand, she may not have been taken by unscrupulous sellers. It goes both ways.

As was previously stated, education is key. No matter the reason you keep chickens, you should be prepared for the long term responsibility. Keep them as pets, process them, whatever you choose, but do it humaely and responsibly. If you find that it just isnt for you, take the time to find new homes for your chickens, don't just drop them off at a facility for someone else to deal with.

 

[CedarAcres]

I think one of the big problems is that any person that owns animals and is not responsible are the ones people remember. If you keep things clean, no one notices any smell. If you live in a small neighborhood and don't keep a rooster to keep the peace, no one notices any noise. But once you have the person who has 20 roosters on a quarter of an acre, who cleans out their coops and dumps the shavings on the property line.. that's the one people notice. The responsible owners don't get credit because people don't really even notice they are there. Just like no one notices the quite dogs in the neighborhood, they only notice the one that the owners leave outside all day and who barks constantly.

And I'm sure many of you have been to feed stores while they are selling chicks. They practically beg you to buy them. I once saw a little girl asking to hold one and they told her that if her mommy and daddy bought them, she could play with the chicks all day. The little girl ran off to beg her parents (who were probably there to buy dog food) to buy chicks. I saw one woman buying a bunch of chicks and buying multiple bags of 50lb layer feed for them. Why do the employees not mention anything to these people to try to better prepare them?

 

[wsmith]

And I'm sure many of you have been to feed stores while they are selling chicks. They practically beg you to buy them. I once saw a little girl asking to hold one and they told her that if her mommy and daddy bought them, she could play with the chicks all day. The little girl ran off to beg her parents (who were probably there to buy dog food) to buy chicks. I saw one woman buying a bunch of chicks and buying multiple bags of 50lb layer feed for them. Why do the employees not mention anything to these people to try to better prepare them?

Because they are there to make money, bottom line. Good customer service and education take time and effort. I was at a local feed store a few months ago and the sales person at the chicks didn't even know what a "pullet" was... Sad. We helped educate her, and she told us that all she had been instructed to do was to sell them, and sell as many as she could. She was also instructed to sell feed, feeders, and waterers along with the chicks. The more the better.

 

[wescottwomen]

I grew up on a farm and we had chickens for eggs and meat I ended up in town where I couldn't have chickens last yr we moved to 50 acres and I have chickens again we built our own coup with me telling him what would work and what wouldn't work because I remembered what was good and what was bad about the coup my parents had set up we have a pile of chicken fertilizer that we and our friends use for gardening I let a different group out every day to free range and lock them up tight at night each coup has a rain yard (a place they can be on rainy days ) if we have a problem it's that we get so much enjoyment from our birds as for buying from a feed store I get mine from a hatchery or reputed breeder my chickens make me want to get up in the morning I love getting them treats and talk to them when I interrupt a hen laying an egg I talk to her and leave her to her business the people that are responsible for throughing away those chickens have no clue most of us are responsible and love our flocks like our own kids I'm very upset about this portrait of backyard chicken farmers those people are not backyard chicken farmers!

 

[Happy Chooks]

That article is one of the most skewed articles ever. Talk about an agenda.

I'm more shocked at all the comments about the article. Especially the one that said that the animals should be treated humanely and that they will keep buying their chicken from the grocery store. How on Earth do they think those chickens are treated? Talk about burying your head in the sand.

It all comes down to people being far too removed from their food source.

Somebody better go tell my 4 1/2 year old chickens to quit laying. They are not supposed to be laying eggs, as they are past 2 years old. (and they are hatchery hens too)