Raising chickens on weekends

[2mnypets]

I don't think he has any thoughts of neglect. I think his question was innocent and pure. It sounds like he lives in the city with all the hustle and bustle and on the weekends he wants to be able to come back down from the hub bub and re-connect with nature in its purest forms. I just don't think it's feesable. I still stick with the potential problems I stated in the earlier post. Now if someone can show me how to do that without human intervention, I say go for it. I just know how devastated I would be if there was a problem and I had to find it on the weekend. The guilt would kill me. That's me personally though. If he wants to work with a local, I say go for it. That's just one more person that can enjoy what nature has given us. See we're all enablers in one form or another. I just don't see how you could avoid the medical or predator issues.

 

[davidott]

Thanks for all of your concerned answers. I assure you, my motives are innocent and pure. Having raised dogs my whole life, (both in the city and the country) I am not interested in a career in animal abuse, depite the rather outlandish insinuations made by some of these posts. i do appreciate the passion for these animals tho, and read all of the posts through that lens...

let me assure everyone that IF i do this, I would involve local friends and relatives in the care of the birds in our absence as much as possible. the question really referred to systems that would ensure, in the event that no one was around for a given (brief) period, that the birds could have a reliable supply of food and water.

thanks again for the concerned replies

 

[2mnypets]

Then I say go for it davidott. And may I say Welcome to BYC and we're happy to have you as part of the family. Although after reading this thread, I'm not sure what you're thinking of the whole lot of us. Empassioned is an understatement, but everyone means well. I hope this thread and question you asked does not run you off. I think everyone in their own way was trying to help. I'm glad to see that you responded though. Hope to see you here and continue to enjoy the chickens.

 

[MayberrySaint]

Quote:
Regardless of the negative posts on this thread...the ultimate decision is yours to make and I would support you entering this wonderful hobby. Any advice or suggestions you may need, feel free to email me at any time. BEST OF LUCK!!!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

You can set up chickens to only be cared for once a week pretty easily. I think it's actually pretty easy to build a predator proof coop and run. It's just expensive. Sick dogs and cats can stay at the vet and so could a sick or injured chicken, if you make arrangements.

I agree that it would be important to have a couple of dependable people in the area, that you could count on. Ideally, someone that would like to collect eggs and just make sure everything was ok. At the very least, someone you could call if an emergency came up and you couldn't get there that week or the weather looked bad. If I couldn't get someone to check on them regularly, I, personally, would set up a web cam, so I could see that everything was fine in the coop.

Once you got attached to them, you might like being able to watch them and listen to all their little noises during the week, when you're back in the city.

Would I do this? No, but I have a totally different lifestyle. I've made different choices in where I want to live and how I want to live. Some people put more time into their chickens than others and some people put more money into their chickens than others. A lot of people on this forum make different choices than I do about how they care for their chickens and how they deal with predators. To me, this is just a more extreme version.

If you're willing to invest the money and effort into creating an environment that is safe and meets their needs, I say, go for it. Keeping chickens doesn't have to be expensive, but with an absentee owner, I think you'll have to make a greater investment to ensure their safety. You may decide the extra effort and money is worth it or you may not. You'll just have to think about it and make your own decision.

 

[Southern28Chick]

I have a question about whether it's possible to raise a flock of healthy chickens while only tending them on weekends.

I'm going to step in here one more time and then if y'all want to continue to say that I was being negative towards davidott then that's just your opinion and your entitled to it.

The above quote is from the orgininal question. This question lead myself and a few others to believe that he was asking if he could keep chickens "while only tending them on the weekends". He said nothing on his first post that he would have friends and family caring for them during the week.

So now that I know that he will have people looking after them then yes I believe that he can keep chickens at his "country place" just fine. BUT if he was only "tending them on weekends" then that is neglect. That's the point I was trying to make.

MayberrySaint wrote: Regardless of the negative posts on this thread

I believe this is the most negative post on this thread:

MayberrySaint wrote: BTW...I have to participate in at least 1 locked thread monthly to stay happy

I would also like to welcome you to BYC davidott! Other than the occasional POINTLESS agruments this is a great forum.​

 

[MayberrySaint]

Quote:
I'm going to step in here one more time and then if y'all want to continue to say that I was being negative towards davidott then that's just your opinion and your entitled to it.

The above quote is from the orgininal question. This question lead myself and a few others to believe that he was asking if he could keep chickens "while only tending them on the weekends". He said nothing on his first post that he would have friends and family caring for them during the week.

So now that I know that he will have people looking after them then yes I believe that he can keep chickens at his "country place" just fine. BUT if he was only "tending them on weekends" then that is neglect. That's the point I was trying to make.

MayberrySaint wrote: Regardless of the negative posts on this thread

I believe this is the most negative post on this thread:

MayberrySaint wrote: BTW...I have to participate in at least 1 locked thread monthly to stay happy

I would also like to welcome you to BYC davidott! Other than the occasional POINTLESS agruments this is a great forum.​

My feelings are hurt...

 

[Southern28Chick]

Quote:
I'm going to step in here one more time and then if y'all want to continue to say that I was being negative towards davidott then that's just your opinion and your entitled to it.

The above quote is from the orgininal question. This question lead myself and a few others to believe that he was asking if he could keep chickens "while only tending them on the weekends". He said nothing on his first post that he would have friends and family caring for them during the week.

So now that I know that he will have people looking after them then yes I believe that he can keep chickens at his "country place" just fine. BUT if he was only "tending them on weekends" then that is neglect. That's the point I was trying to make.

MayberrySaint wrote: Regardless of the negative posts on this thread

I believe this is the most negative post on this thread:

MayberrySaint wrote: BTW...I have to participate in at least 1 locked thread monthly to stay happy

I would also like to welcome you to BYC davidott! Other than the occasional POINTLESS agruments this is a great forum.​

My feelings are hurt...

You just love to get a rise out of people...that's how I know your not a true North Carolinian...we're not like that.

And you hurt my feelings yesterday.

 

[eggcetra_farms]

Southern, Mayberry...get in your corners or I'll take a switch to your behinds! lol

You guys are both great...quit fighting, ok? We all love our chickens and we all love the two of you.

 

[Southern28Chick]

Quote:
Oh I'm done. I was never really fighting to begin with. I have a right to state my opinion on any thread that I want. And I was not even the first person to say the word "neglect" on this thread (ok maybe I was but the same thing had already been mentioned). Mayberry must just be sitting at home thinking "hum I haven't ticked anyone off yet today, Southern28Chick looks like a good target". Isn't that called a TROLL.