Need to Convince Parents to Let Me Get Chickens!

Status
Not open for further replies.
Date sort Score sort
I'm a parent now, but I was also the "Can-I-have-a- [mouse/bird/cat/fish/rat/pony]" kid, and the posters above have nailed it pretty well. You seem very responsible, but your folks remember back when you weren't and I guarantee it seems a lot less long ago to them than it does to you.
smile.png
Showing them you can handle your current responsibilities without being reminded is the best start. Good luck to you!
 
Thanks everyone
smile.png

@Alertbay: Thanks for your post, it's very informative! Definitely going to use these on my parents.
big_smile.png

@Annaraven: I thought about 4-H for a while. I'll talk to my parents about it and see if any of my chicken keeping friends would want to join too.
@RoeDylanda: I cleaned my room, the kitchen and the family room last night, I'm going to keep doing stuff like that for a bit before I ask my parents.
 
I used to live in San Jose (GO SPARTANS) and all of my neighbors had chickens (We lived off of Snell Rd near Santa Teresa)

They kept very small flocks of 2-3 tops but seriously everyone had them and the cutest of cute coops for them. My neighbor Glenda had a pink coop that was relatively small but she let her girls wander her back yard when she was home in the evenings and in the mornings.

I think you might approach them with a plan. How you will care for them, how often you will clean after them (weekly) Then bring in the benefits of chicken poop composted into the soil for plants. Also have a plan for the initial start up and where you will raise the chicks or if you are getting grown girls. (heat lamps, pine litter, feed) Don't get a rooster. My girls did eat every green thing in their run so keep that in mind too.

A couple of chickens are not stinky if you keep their houses clean. Daily water changes - benefits that they will eat the left overs of foods and be like little garbage disposals and produce eggs. Growing up, we were part of the Mission 4-H club. I did not have chickens but all my friends did.

At the time, my Mom would not go for it but now that I am all grown up with my own kids, I have chickens, my mom thinks they are great.

Good luck
Caroline
 
I'm 59 and I'm excited for this young person
smile.png

The fact that you have some building skills and a peer to share and enjoy the project will go a long way in keeping you interested.
Everyone should have a few chickens, that would make the world right...

all the best!
 
Bad news- my mom mentioned the idea briefly to my dad, and he said that in fact, he was wrong. He thought outside animals were ok, but no animals are allowed at all. Unless we pay extra deposit for each animal. To pay for any damage they could do to the house. Really? The chicks stay inside a brooder for 4-6 weeks, and then go into their coop in the side yard. The only damage I can think of is manure, but those can be picked up. This is a huge setback. Would it be wise to maybe email the landlord and see if I can persuade him that chickens won't damage the house?
 
His renter rule probably has a good reasoning behind it.
I was in real estate for years and to sell or rent a house it's 'curb appeal' is paramount.
So the environment the home sits in has to be factored into his ability to rent the house at a profit, and do it again when the next person moves in.

You can only begin to image the damage dogs can do to a yard, not to mention...boa constrictors lost under the floors or in the walls, cute little white mice all over. canary feathers and seed everywhere
smile.png
. and lots of people here keep house chickens

If you only intended to keep your hens in a pen, it will in a very short time be rockhard dirt. It takes an incredible amount of food to allow a hen to produce an egg every day, and healthy long lived chickens really should be able to free range. They scratch for bugs and worms and very shortly a small yard could become a visual wasteland.

It sounds like you should save your passion for your own first home; keep hens in mind when you start looking. It's funny how that self-same curb appeal can make people forget their needs list and switch on the I Want It regardless list... just saying
smile.png
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom