Please Help! (Trying to convince my mom to let me keep my baby chicks)

[Flutterbee]

So to make a long story short, I forgot to collect the chicken eggs because I was house-sitting and my hen decided to go broody. We are at about 17-18 days gestation and at first, my mother was open to letting me keep the chicks but then today she pulled me aside and informed me that "I had to find them new homes". Chickens are my favorite animal and I pay for everything when it comes to them. I'm hoping once my mom sees them maybe she will grow attached to them but I don't know D: Any advice into convincing one to allow you to keep your chickens? I take care of everything for them and right now, excluding the eggs my hen is sitting on, I only have a rooster and two hens. Plenty of land, plenty of room in the coop. I don't want to give up my babies </3 I worry that someone will eat them or something.

 

[3riverschick]

Make sure your Mom knows they will not be brooded in the house. That's a big no, no. When they shed their down, they expel a lot of very fine dust that gets on everything. It's a royal pain for Moms to clean up and they view it as very unsanitary. Their home is Not a chicken coop! Show Mom you can raise the chicks in the coop. I have a hen right now that hatched out 4 peeps 2 days ago. The rooster is very very helpful raising the chicks. I put a big pile of hardwood shavings in one comer and she has made a proper nest to brood her chicks. Put a low feeder of unmedicated chick feed in there and a low waterer the chicks could reach with some Poultry Nutri-Drench in the water to help with any stress. They get water only the first 2 days. On the third day, they have finished absorbing the egg yolk and can eat food. Do not give them feed the 1st 2 days. They will get nutrition by finishing absorbing the yolk. If you give them feed, they may not finish absorbing the yolk which causes health problems later on. make sure you tell Mom this so she doesn't worry. Moms love to feed newborns and worry about them a lot. The chicks do just fine on the poultry Nutri-Drench for the 1st 2 days. Mama hen can eat out of the adult feeder the chicks can't reach. Actually, when I have chicks in the coop, I just feed everyone unmedicated chick feed. Doesn't hurt the adults. I use unmedicated because I am not sure of the effect of medicated chick feed on the adults. Plus the chicks have already been exposed to any pathogens because they were hatched in the coop. So I figure my best help for the chicks is the internal development program at the bottom of this letter.
Make sure your Mom knows you understand and accept that some chicks might not make it for one reason or another. She may be properly worried how their deaths might effect you. No Mom wants to see her kids cry or mourn. Also these chicks will grow fast. Do you have room to grow them out? .
If you have room somewhere inside ( not in the house) and need to, I go to the supermarket and get watermelon corrals . Throw a wire cloth lid over them, floor with chips, add water and feed and grit and have a fine gowing out pen when they are 4 to 12 weeks old. Each watermelon corral holds about 7 large fowl birds during the grow out stage. Just a thought.
One final thought. You need a plan. Written out is best for how you are going to manage these chicks from hatch to when you sell/keep them as adults. Write out how you will care for them, supplies needed, spaces used costs, etc. Mom wants to know she is not going to be hassled with caring for them , culling them or having them in places she doesn't want chicks. You know how you are going to do it. Now reassure your Mom.

I put Bovidr Labs Nutri-Dench in my chick's water for the 1st month to get them off to a strong start. Use Goat, Pet or Poultry formulas but use the instructions on the Poultry bottle regardless of which formula you use. I raised my chicks this year on Goat and Poultry formulas. There's a URL below to learn more about this great product. I have used it for over a decade on my collies and poultry.
I'm a Mom and raising chicks,
Karen in western PA
---------------------
This is my "internal development" regimen I wrote out for another BYCer this morning. I admit currently I am not using the yogurt as the chicks are doing fine without it. But it is a good help for them. This program builds strong chicks from the inside out. .
Using the proper size grit helps keep things flowing thru the digestive tract because the food is ground up properly in the gizzard before it get to the G.I. tract. For 18 week olds you can use adult size grit. Granit grit is best because it stays sharp and does not get rounded off by the acid in the gizzard. Proper size is important because too small grit just gets washed on thru the digestive system and eliminated. The Gran-I-Grit URL below has a feeding schedule for the right size grit at the right age.
Next you want to make sure the G.I. tract has the proper levels of favorable flora in it. That helps keep bad pathogens from getting established. Greek Yogurt is good for that. No sugar.
Next you want to make sure the birds are getting addition nutrition because the stress of adjusting to a new home and flock may cause them to not uptake all the nutrition you are supplying. Until they get adjusted to their new home and flock. I Use Bovidr Labs Nutri-Drench and Nutri-Drops emergency nutritional supplements. This is a specialist company with a great rep. . Now their products are species specific, however they also meet the scientific standards for a universal dose. This year, I raised my chicks on Goat Nutri-Drench and Poultry Nutri-Drench, using the usage and dosage instructions on the Poultry product bottle. This is great stuff because it does not need to be digested like other products ( i.e. electrolytes). It is absorbed directly into the bloodstream. Detectable within 15 minutes with 50% uptake in 30 minutes and 99% utilization. Excellent for dealing with stress which compromises the digestive systems uptake ability.
Here are cites for further info:
Bovidr Products: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/746509/how-to-deal-with-travel-stress-in-baby-chicks
https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/bovidr-labs-poultry-nutri-drench
Tractor Supply has the cheapest price. 6.99 for Poultry formula, 11.99 for Goat formula(much bigger bottle). All their products are very concentrated ad last a long time. Note the dosages are per "Gallon". so reduce for qt. waterers.
Gran-I-Grit poultry grit : After 7 weeks, feed : Layer( usually says "Developer" on the bag) (3/16"-5/16") I get mine at Tractor Supply, about 10.00 for a 50 lb. bag.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/gran-i-grit-insoluable-crushed-granite
Company product brochure PDF . Note the 20% increase in eggs.
http://www.ncgranite.com/images/gritmailer.pdf
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/891051/the-science-of-feeding-grit-to-poultry Grit is fed to develop a larger healthier gizzard for better adult production. Not for growth purposes.
Greek Yogurt : I do not have a reference for the Greek Yogurt. I only know
veteran poultry folk use it with success. It is cheaper than feeding Fastrack
Microbial Supplement by far. And very natural.
Best Success,
Karen and the Light Sussex
in western PA, USA

 

[keesmom]

Well, your mom does have the final say. However if she is willing to consider it do you have room for more chickens? You need adequate space. Also, with so few hens you should not have any other roosters. You need a plan for any cockerels you hatch no matter what your mom says about new pullets.

 

[Flutterbee]

Make sure your Mom knows they will not be brooded in the house. That's a big no, no. When they shed their down, they expel a lot of very fine dust that gets on everything. It's a royal pain for Moms to clean up and they view it as very unsanitary. Their home is Not a chicken coop! Show Mom you can raise the chicks in the coop. I have a hen right now that hatched out 4 peeps 2 days ago. The rooster is very very helpful raising the chicks. I put a big pile of hardwood shavings in one comer and she has made a proper nest to brood her chicks. Put a low feeder of unmedicated chick feed in there and a low waterer the chicks could reach with some Poultry Nutri-Drench in the water to help with any stress. They get water only the first 2 days. On the third day, they have finished absorbing the egg yolk and can eat food. They do just fine on the poultry Nutri-Drench for the 1st 2 days. Mama hen can eat out of the adult feeder the chicks can't reach. Make sure your Mom knows you understand and accept that some chicks might not make it for one reason or another. She may be properly worried how their deaths might effect you. No Mom wants to se her kids cry. or mourn. Also these chicks will grow fast. Do you have room to grow them out? .
If you have room somewhere inside ( not in the house) and need to, I go to the supermarket and get watermelon corrals . Throw a wire cloth lid over them, floor with chips, add water and feed and grit and have a fine gowing out pen when they are 4 to 12 weeks old. Each watermelon corral hold about 7 large fowl birds. Just a thought.
One final thought. You need a plan. Written out is best for how you are going to manage these chicks from hatch to when you sell/keep them as adults. Write out how you will care for them, supplies needed, spaces used costs, etc. Mom wants to know she is not going to be hassled with caring for them , culling them or having them in places she doesn't want chicks. You know how you are going to do it and how. Now reassure your Mom.

I put Nutri-Dench in my chick's water for the 1st month to get them off to a strong start. Use Goat, Pet or Poultry formulas but use the instructions on the Poultry bottle regardless of which formula you use. I raised my chicks this year on Goat and Poultry formulas. Here's a URL to learn more about this great product. I have used it for over a decade on my collies and poultry.
I'm a Mom and raising chicks,
Karen in western PA
---------------------
This is my "internal development" regimen I wrote out for another BYCer this morning. I admit currently I am not using the yogurt as the chicks are doing fine without it. But it is a good help for them. This program builds strong chicks from the inside out. .
Using the proper size grit helps keep things flowing thru the digestive tract because the food is ground up properly in the gizzard before it get to the G.I. tract. For 18 week olds you can use adult size grit. Granit grit is best because it stays sharp and does not get rounded off by the acid in the gizzard. Proper size is important because too small grit just gets washed on thru the digestive system and eliminated.
Next you want to make sure the G.I. tract has the proper levels of favorable flora in it. That helps keep bad pathogens from getting established. Greek Yogurt is good for that. No sugar.
Next you want to make sure the birds are getting addition nutrition because the stress of adjusting to a new home and flock may cause them to not uptake all the nutrition you are supplying. Until they get adjusted to their new home and flock. I Use Bovidr Labs Nutri-Drench and Nutri-Drops emergency nutritional supplements. This is a specialist company with a great rep. . Now their products are species specific, however they also meet the scientific standards for a universal dose. This year, I raised my chicks on Goat Nutri-Drench and Poultry Nutri-Drench, using the usage and dosage instructions on the Poultry product bottle. This is great stuff because it does not need to be digested like other products ( i.e. electrolytes). It is absorbed directly into the bloodstream. Detectable within 15 minutes with 50% uptake in 30 minutes and 99% utilization. Excellent for dealing with stress which compromises the digestive systems uptake ability.
Here are cites for further info:
Bovidr Products: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/746509/how-to-deal-with-travel-stress-in-baby-chicks
https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/bovidr-labs-poultry-nutri-drench
Tractor Supply has the cheapest price. 6.99 for Poultry formula, 11.99 for Goat formula(much bigger bottle). All their products are very concentrated ad last a long time. Note the dosages are per "Gallon". so reduce for qt. waterers.
Gran-I-Grit poultry grit : After 7 weeks, feed : Layer( usually says "Developer" on the bag) (3/16"-5/16") I get mine at Tractor Supply, about 10.00 for a 50 lb. bag.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/gran-i-grit-insoluable-crushed-granite
Company product brochure PDF . Note the 20% increase in eggs.
http://www.ncgranite.com/images/gritmailer.pdf
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/891051/the-science-of-feeding-grit-to-poultry Grit is fed to develop a larger healthier gizzard for better adult production. Not for growth purposes.
Greek Yogurt : I do not have a reference for the Greek Yogurt. I only know
veteran poultry folk use it with success. It is cheaper than feeding Fastrack
Microbial Supplement by far. And very natural.
Best Success,
Karen and the Light Sussex
in western PA, USA

Thank you so much for your advice, I do better explaining myself in writing than I do with words. See, we've had chicks before and never had any issues. My mom just didn't like them on the porch. I believe she is worried about my neighbor (they have been feuding for years) but I'm not going to let my chickens out of their run until maybe the winter when my neighbor doesn't have her garden. I will be seriously upset if my mom doesn't let me keep these chicks. Like, it's something I've been looking forward to since I found out. I pay for everything, food, the dishes, whatever they need. And I told her she would never have to worry about them. I already bought everything for the chicks and I'm just super upset right now. At first, she told me they were my responsibility and I could keep them but NOW she randomly informs me that I can't.

 

[3riverschick]

I think I am done editing now. I know I have a habit of editing and adding stuff to posts after I initially post them. Oh well.
Best,
Karen

 

[3riverschick]

Ask her why? Something is bothering her. It's late in the year. Maybe she is worried it will get cold
and the chicks will have to come inside? It's clear she doesn't want them on the house. What
can you say to reassure her? Last year, I had a hen hatch out 4 chicks in the deep cold of Feb.
The coop was unheated except for one 60 watt light blub. The hen did just fine keeping them warm
without any extra electricity. ( expense to Mom). These were large fowl Light Sussex.
Keesmom is right about the roosters. Don't add any more. That may be a concern of Mom's.
That the boys will bother the feuding neighbors. You can sell or give them away easily on Craigslist.
Lots of folk looking for flock guardians for their hens.
Best,
Karen

 

[cafarmgirl]

Thank you so much for your advice, I do better explaining myself in writing than I do with words. See, we've had chicks before and never had any issues. My mom just didn't like them on the porch. I believe she is worried about my neighbor (they have been feuding for years) but I'm not going to let my chickens out of their run until maybe the winter when my neighbor doesn't have her garden. I will be seriously upset if my mom doesn't let me keep these chicks. Like, it's something I've been looking forward to since I found out. I pay for everything, food, the dishes, whatever they need. And I told her she would never have to worry about them. I already bought everything for the chicks and I'm just super upset right now. At first, she told me they were my responsibility and I could keep them but NOW she randomly informs me that I can't.

If your mom and the neighbor have been feuding for years then the last thing anybody needs or wants is your chickens going into the neighbors yard. Even if it's winter and she doesn't have a garden anymore. She may not want someone else's chickens in her yard along with their poop. Put up a fence or a pen to keep your birds on your property. Good fences make good neighbors and everyone's animals should be staying in their own yard.

How many eggs is this hen sitting on? Roughly half will likely be roosters so you need a plan for what you are going to do with them. Obviously that will cut down on the number of birds left that you keep so maybe your mom will be more willing to consider it.

The most important thing to do is have a talk with your mom and find out what her reasons are for her decision. Not much you can do until you know why she made that choice.