probably wrong place to ask but people wanting to bring kids to see our farm

[Gomes Bantams]

 I would say no.It is a working farm and you are working this weekend.Postpone to another time.It will be hard enough keeping the kids under control .You might lose the sale,but shoot they can go to an educational farm for a farm experience.That is what I do...take the kids to a edu farm.Most people do not let strangers on the farm for bio security reasons.

So I vote no to this weekend visit.That or you get them in and out FAST. Box up the chicks and all before she comes.Sounds like she wants a tour though.Just say your farm is not a touring farm.That it simply would not be safe for children. Many people sell chicks, and touring the farm is NOT an option.Buyers are OK with that,Shoot,soome people refuse to even disclose their location,and instead meet up somewhere.It is not just bio security you need to worry about.

Best wishes whatever you decide and healings for dad.

U always know just what to say... U deserve an award.

 

[herfrds]

Annoys me when people think they can just invite themselves out to your place. I have had the happen. I just never comment when people do that. They should wait for an invitation from you!

 

[chickenreferee]

Annoys me when people think they can just invite themselves out to your place. I have had the happen. I just never comment when people do that. They should wait for an invitation from you!

I agree. I was taught from a very young age that inviting yourself is rude, plain and simple. Working farms aren't tourist attractions anyway. The lady who inquired was a bit presumptive in my opinion.

 

[Texokie1]

OK, as someone who only as an adult got to move out into the country, I can completely understand their desire to come onto the farm. Plus, if they have purchased purebred dogs/cats in the past, they are probably used to being able to tour the facility to see the conditions the animals are kept, look at the sire/dam, etc. HOWEVER, I have found that some folks WILL try to treat your place as a tourist attraction, with no regards for safety/your or your animals schedules/etc. (This is especially true with our horses...) I think you should offer them a TRUE farm experience - if they REALLY want to come out this weekend, give them a safety briefing, some hay hooks, and PUT THEM TO WORK!

I have found that 90% of the people that come out to the farm will NOT return if they are 1.) required to sit through a safety briefing (which sorry, I think is imperative for the well-being of both the people and the animals), 2.) have to actually learn about the animals (again, with the horses, I teach them all the tack and quiz them before riding), and 3.) have to put in some real work (we make folks groom the horses they want to ride, help throw grain/feed, assist with hosing the horses down). It may sound a little mean, but I want folks to really understand what it takes to keep these animals, so that a couple of fun hours out here doesn't turn into unwanted livestock later...and the kids/parents that are committed really learn a lot...

 

[Gomes Bantams]

OK, as someone who only as an adult got to move out into the country, I can completely understand their desire to come onto the farm.  Plus, if they have purchased purebred dogs/cats in the past, they are probably used to being able to tour the facility to see the conditions the animals are kept, look at the sire/dam, etc.  HOWEVER, I have found that some folks WILL try to treat your place as a tourist attraction, with no regards for safety/your or your animals schedules/etc.  (This is especially true with our horses...)  I think you should offer them a TRUE farm experience - if they REALLY want to come out this weekend, give them a safety briefing, some hay hooks, and PUT THEM TO WORK!   

I have found that 90% of the people that come out to the farm will NOT return if they are 1.) required to sit through a safety briefing (which sorry, I think is imperative for the well-being of both the people and the animals), 2.) have to actually learn about the animals (again, with the horses, I teach them all the tack and quiz them before riding), and 3.) have to put in some real work (we make folks groom the horses they want to ride, help throw grain/feed, assist with hosing the horses down).  It may sound a little mean, but I want folks to really understand what it takes to keep these animals, so that a couple of fun hours out here doesn't turn into unwanted livestock later...and the kids/parents that are committed really learn a lot...

I couldnt agree more. We no longer accept people as tourists because of bio-security reasons and some think they know more than u do. For Example, A women of about her mid 40s saw me petting my silkie and said to me," Do you relize that chickens contain thousands of diseases and you could possibly get sick!?!?" as she rambled on about my saftey i picked him up kissed his head and put him in his pen. She about had a heart attack. I just showed her my farmers ID and told her about our situation on our farm. She still rambled. Some people are hopeless.

 

[chickened]

I suggested a different time. No more emails incoming. Thinking it didn't work into the father day weekend they planned. Oh well. The upside between cleaning coops, feeding, putting up hay, laundry and cleaning the house I managed to pick myself up a 2 day old baby goat whose mom had died. Now I am even busier lol. Minka Starflower is my new excuse as to why I am just way too busy.

Don't feel bad, I felt bad the few first times I told people no. After a while and a few bad experiences you will be glad to meet them at the local market parking lot.

Bio-security is a big deal to me and you never know what kind of animal rights wacko you are letting on your farm and the problems they can cause.

When people get pushy I just tell them firmly that I do not allow any visitors to the farm and that is usually all I feel I need say. Most usually pick up on the vibe.

 

[SarahBeth9394]

You should have an area on the farm where you make your business transactions. They tell you what they want and you bring it to the area. Now this may not work for large livestock but for selling chicks it wouldn't be hard at all. When they tell you they want the "farm experience' you just tell them that all business is done in the sales area, you don't offer tours due to bio-security and insurance reasons, but they are welcome to see what they can of the farming area from the sales area (if you can see it from there). If you are advertising selling chicks you should make yourself available and having the sales area will keep the visit short. If there's a bad weekend or day for sales then take the add down for the day or put closed on such and such day in the ad. If you don't want anyone coming to the farm then advertise that you will be selling while at the local flea market or farmers market on the dates you will be there.

 

[reveriereptile]

This thread got me thinking of a story my FIL told me. He use to have deer that he thought would be fun to raise and planned on eating some. Well one day he said a guy stopped by and told him one of the deer had a tiny string wrapped around its antler and that it was animal cruelty. My FIL already knew about it and it was on there for a couple weeks with no problem and was small enough that it wouldn't catch on anything.

A couple days later that guy came back again and was threatening to get the animal control or police. He got complaining that it was animal cruelty and that he better get out there and do something about it. Well my FIL was fed up with the guy and got his gun out and the guy was asking what he was doing. He told him he was going to take care of the deer with the gun since it wasn't a tame deer and he went out and shot it. The guy couldn't believe he did that and drove off. My FIL had planned on butchering it anyway was one reason he wasn't worried about it.

My FIL doesn't like Peta and other animal rights groups like that. He said that some stuff you do on a farm might be offensive for someone to see and they will think it is animal cruelty when it is the most humane way to do things. Pretty much would be like someone going out and beheading a chicken to eat and someone else claiming that it is animal cruelty.

My FIL had camels and with them being an exotic animal people would stop by and ask if they could see them which my FIL would let them if he wasn't busy or told them to come back later. He loves to chat with people so he doesn't mind. Usually during the summer they would be out in a field with a chain link fence around and people would just pull up beside it and look or pick some grass next to the fence and stick it through. We didn't find anything wrong with that. Not to many people would ask if they could pet them.

I've had people pull up when I was out petting my silkies and they would ask if they could let their kids see them. I had no problem since not everyone gets to go up and see chickens up close or even pet them. It is fun to watch the kids faces light up when touching their first chicken especially a silkie.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I don't allow people and their kids "tours" or any kind of roaming around on our place for two reasons: Biosecurity and liability. Plain and simple.

 

[Ashdoes]

Why do people think it is appropriate to "tour" some one else's home? Next time they get pushy say, "ok, but afterwards I want to come over and view all your nicknacks"