Need to talk to someone-really upset

[duckncover]

Hi everyone. You probably don't know me because I don't post often but I'm duckncover aka Jacob. I'm 20 years old and it is my dream to have ducks, geese, and chickens and live in the country. However I am disabled and it is extremely difficult for me to work. I live with my mom right now. I'm not happy here and she is constantly fighting with my brother. I have a mood disorder and it's very easy for me to become depressed. I want to obtain my dream so bad. I have been a member of this forum since I was a kid. I've had 2 accounts. I'm so sick of getting chicks and ducklings and having to get rid of them before they are adults. I have a special bond with waterfowl. I refer to them as "pond parrots" because they are so intelligent and beautiful just like my parrots are. Except with ducks and geese you can pet them and they don't bite as hard.

I just want a small flock of a birds. I don't need a huge yard, just big enough for a big coop and a swimming pool. No close neighbors would help my situation drastically. My dream flock would be a drake and a few ducks, a few chickens(maybe a rooster but depends on my neighbors), 1 female goose that will be a pet, and maybe a pair of grey call ducks.

The main problem I have is money and not being able to find an appropriate place to me and the flock. I get a little more than $650 a month from SSI. I think my ideal situation would be to just move in with someone that already has a flock of birds and pay rent. It has to be in PA though because that's the only place I can get SSI at. Do you think that would be an impossible task? I mean I'm sure there's one person in PA that could use some help with their farm. If I can find that person then my life would be so much happier.

I wonder if anyone else on here had to struggle for a long time to get their birds? Well let's start a conversation about this. I'm not going anywhere for a couple days and like I said I'm really upset and could use someone to talk to. Thank you everyone!

 

[Trefoil]

Hi Jacob- I know nothing about mood disorders, SSI,or Pa but what it sorta sounds like your looking for is a live in caretaker position somewhere that has poultry or wouldn't mind you having poultry. The problem with that is that you would still not be in control of your circumstances.

 

[duckncover]

The mood disorder doesn't affect my life unless I let it. I can be really depressed and sleep a lot or I can be really unmotivated. But it's mostly situational. If I was even a little bit happy with my situation then I won't be so depressed. My mom is selling our house in the spring and I'm going to have to move anyways.

I have someone in mind that I could ask if I can live with for part of my check and help around the farm. She has a lot of chickens and ducks already and wouldn't mind a few more but I don't know how she would feel about me living with her. She's a really nice lady and she sold me my frizzle hen in the early fall. We've been talking ever since and I think I'm going to ask her after new years if she would mind if I came up for a couple days to see her birds, since I always see them online but never in person. That way I can talk to her. She lives kind of far from me like an hour away but she has the coolest farm and all of her birds are pets which is awesome for me.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I would check out Craigslist. Every now and then I see people looking for others to love in their houses for a small bit of rent or even no rent as long as they help care for their pets while they work. You are a perfect age to do that. You may get lucky and find a great situation! It definitely sounds frustrating to want birds and not be able to get them. I cannot have chickens at the apartment I live in now and I miss them.

 

[britlove]

Hi Jacob, my name is Brittany and I'm a teen who lives in a farming town in Maryland, although I do not live on a farm myself. Ever since I was a little girl I dreamed of living on a farm with horses and chickens. I always wanted to live on a farm and live off the land. But my father sadly crushed that dreaming refusing to let me have any animals besides dogs. Last year I finally convinced my dad to let me and my sister buy 6 chicks from Tractor Supply, but we were forced to give them away to a family friend since my dad loves to travel. This year I was able to convince him to let me order chicks offline (only 6). But only if I worked to pay for them myself and the upkeep of them by selling eggs. Maybe you could work out a deal with someone to sell the eggs theirs and your chickens lay or with your mom? You could set up a roadside stand or sell eggs at a farmers market. If you show them you could do the work of selling and taking care of the eggs and chickens with no need for assistance you may be able to convince them like I was able to. Just my two cents. I wish you luck!!

 

[oldrooster]

Jacob contact the head of the 4-H extention clubs and explain the circumstances like you have here maybe he knows a 4-h or farm family with a room or basement to rent and would have or not be opposed to you having animals like you want to raise, maybe rent could be "worked off" or lowered for helping with animal or other chores.

 

[Triple Willow]

Hi Jacob. I'm sorry you are not happy in your present circumstances. I'm sure there is somebody out there who would love to have you around to help them out. You could help them and they could help you. I hope you find the perfect place with the perfect friend. I'll be saying a prayer for you tonight.