Please Do Your Research

[Poulet Mama]

Are you thinking of keeping backyard chickens? Please do your research and ask questions - this is an excellent place to do so. Please help prevent this from happening so much.

What do you all think about this article?
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/backy...hen-hipsters-cant-cope-critics-say-6C10533508

 

[sourland]

I think that this article presents a slanted position/opinion. There are some individuals who should not have animals of any sort let alone attempt to raise children.

 

[bugglesmommy]

The article is biased against chicken keeping. As sourland said, there are simply people that shouldn't own pets and abandon them. Because some people abandon dogs for example, it doesn't mean dogs shouldn't be owned. What I get from the article is that chicken keeping needs to end because a small percentage can't cope. It's a shame some birds are abandoned but to call people who want fresh eggs and meat or maybe just quirky companionship "hipsters" is narrow minded and insulting. The article doesn't bother to consider the number of birds that are well cared for and healthy.

 

[reacottingham]

Why does Ms. Coston assume most chicken owners don't know their chickens have personalities and make great pets after they aren't laying any more. She seems to prefer people get their meat and eggs from a factory they don't treat the chickens like pets at all. Her logic is flawed.

 

[jesirose]

Quote:
HUNDREDS? GOOD GOD! Out of how many? Compared to HOW many dogs, cats, and small pets? hundreds a year across the entire country? Give me a break. I've looked on petfinder for abandoned chickens in my area. I'd have to drive two states away. And I live in TEXAS. That's at least a 8 hour drive to find a chicken in a shelter.

Quote: As opposed to what happens when a huge factory farm produces eggs, magically their roosters lay eggs? Uhm, no. They still get culled. This has nothing to do with backyard chicken keeping.



Quote: Uhm, so?

Quote: Yeah cause the factory farms you just mentioned give them proper space. Oh wait, they don't. Proper food? If you consider canabalizing their cage mates proper food. Vet care? If you consider killing them when they're sick or just letting them die proper vet care. Not to mention all those skilled chicken vets out there clamoring for the chance to treat LIVESTOCK.


Quote:
Who takes a chicken to the vet? Excuse me but at that point it's a pet. If you pay hundreds of dollars to treat a chicken, it's a pet. And then the cost of the eggs no longer is a factor. I love my chickens, they're great, but if one gets sick or hurt, I'm not spending hundreds of dollars to fix it. It's livestock, and it can be replaced for $30.


Quote: Some people might not, but I didn't realize the author knows everything about everything he's ever attempted to do, before he ever did it.

Quote: Says the person writing an idiotic article with barely any research done.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:

People entranced by a “misplaced rural nostalgia” are buying chickens from the same hatcheries that supply the nation's largest poultry producers

Not quite true. The hatcheries we normally buy from, Cackle. McMurray, etc. do hatch some chickens for small commercial operations but they may hatch 80.000 to maybe 100,000 per week. The big commercial hatcheries for Tyson and such may hatch 1,000,000 a week. Those are not sold to the public.

 

[bobbi-j]

HUNDREDS? GOOD GOD! Out of how many? Compared to HOW many dogs, cats, and small pets? hundreds a year across the entire country? Give me a break. I've looked on petfinder for abandoned chickens in my area. I'd have to drive two states away. And I live in TEXAS. That's at least a 8 hour drive to find a chicken in a shelter.

As opposed to what happens when a huge factory farm produces eggs, magically their roosters lay eggs? Uhm, no. They still get culled. This has nothing to do with backyard chicken keeping.



Uhm, so?

Yeah cause the factory farms you just mentioned give them proper space. Oh wait, they don't. Proper food? If you consider canabalizing their cage mates proper food. Vet care? If you consider killing them when they're sick or just letting them die proper vet care. Not to mention all those skilled chicken vets out there clamoring for the chance to treat LIVESTOCK.



Who takes a chicken to the vet? Excuse me but at that point it's a pet. If you pay hundreds of dollars to treat a chicken, it's a pet. And then the cost of the eggs no longer is a factor. I love my chickens, they're great, but if one gets sick or hurt, I'm not spending hundreds of dollars to fix it. It's livestock, and it can be replaced for $30.


Some people might not, but I didn't realize the author knows everything about everything he's ever attempted to do, before he ever did it.

Says the person writing an idiotic article with barely any research don

Well said!