Need to Convince Parents to Let Me Get Chickens!

[mrsengeseth]

I don't think going over your parents heads to speak directly to the landlord yourfself would be a good idea. If my kiddos pulled that I'd feel ganged up upon and might completely nix their chicken adventure before it began.

BUT!! I might have a solution that would work. In an earlier post, you mentioned a friend that has hens. Would he or she be willing to house your birds in exchange for you helping out with the cleaning coops, providing feed and such? If that's an option, maybe you could take that idea to your parents. They wouldn;t have to worry about the landlord being upset, and the friend would get some free help out of the deal too.

Good luck whatever the resulting decision. And if you don't get to have the hens now, use the time to fine tune your research, design and research coops as to what would be best for you, etc until the day comes when you CAN have chickens yourself.

 

[annie3001]

welcome! from ct. !!!! introduce your parents to this website!!!

 

[geebs]

Here is some pluses that will make it work in the end:

Once you get the approval.. You need to think about the feeding program... The medicated chick feeds make the manure stink!!! That is a hard thing for any parent to overcome.... also the droppings are wet... There is a thread on here about feeding... Find some ppl in your area that are already doing chickens and get adults... You need to be very well educated on Cocci and illness... Do you know how youare going to combat lice and mites?

I can tell you that if you feed your birds seeds like wheat and BOSS and use Tumeric (dollar store item) and DE... you may have to find a buddy to help you find the FOOD GRADE DE... this will ELIMINATE odor and make the droppings so that you can simply pick them up. Resolution has a thread on here about feed....It is good medicine to feel well... It costs you less in the end and you will likely have no argument about the mess and smell.... Flies cannot reproduce in manure that has had DE in it (diatomacious earth).... Set yourself up ahead of time... Get the DE and the Ivermectic (pour on) and all the materials before you go chick shopping.. Then you are not only showing your parents the responsibility level you are preparing to be a fantastic example of good husbandry. If you have a BYCer close to you they may be able to help you out if they are of the same mindset.

Cranberries are good medicine and belong in food for chickens
Barley and beans of any kind are not. No potato peelings etc.

The benefit of feeding healthy seed based formula is so that your birds that make eggs for you have all the nutrition to have a healthier food product. Vinegar in the water makes your eggs taste very good... I use it occasionally for my chooks to "blow out the pipes"

You will likely use 1/4 layer food to seed and grain ration. That is a good base

I use a gloved hand to pick up chicken poo... It is solid enough to go around and pick up .... no smell. Feel free to email me with any question... I would love to help a new chicken enthusiast!!!

 

[Muscovies]

from North Carolina

 

[nodoggies]

You'd be surprised what telling folks about your chicken dreams can do for you in the cost-cutting department. You never know what random junk your friends' parents may have lying around their garages! Just by talking about it, I found that I had co-workers that had feeders and waterers, even a brooder, abandoned by previous home-owners, and I ended up with a lot of my set-up for no cost. Same with materials to build your coop. Definitely ask around!

 

[crnagora95]

I didn't ask the landlord, after thinking about it, mr sengeseth and En Plein Air Farms were right. I am just going to wait till spring and maybe ask again, just to see. And my chicken keeping friend doesn't have room for any extra birds, I have asked him before. The tips about the tumeric and DE are interesting, I could use that as a counter argument to the smell. How much turmeric and DE do you put in the feed? Also, we have a whole Foods that just opened by us, and I am sure I saw sacks of whole wheat berries in the bulk food section. I have been reading Carla Emery's Encyclopeidia of Country Living, and in her poultry section, she mentions a lot herbs that can be used as medicine for ticks and mites and fleas. I was planning on getting those to use from Whole Foods as well.

Thanks everyone for the tips and advice!