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Sounds like you had a terrible year. You made the best decision you could in trying times. Try not to feel too badly about it...easier said than done, I know. Your property sounds lovely. No predators. Sounds like chicken paradise. I'm glad you got your hens back. I think you'll be amazed with what you can accomplish when necessity demands it...even better if you have a few friends who are willing to help out. The community here is very supportive also. Keep us updated on your progress. :)
 
Welcome to byc. Sorry to hear about the troubles in your life. But you only ask for help with one aspect of that. You don't go into depth about the extent of your chicken phobia. My mom had a phobia about snakes. Literally if she saw a picture of a snake in a book, she would scream. Little s*** that I was when I was young, I tested that a few times. When she passed at 86, she still had her phobia.
You say you have a slight phobia around Birds. I assume, since you're getting your flock back, this is something you would like to work on? How do you feel about biddies? You know, day old fuzzy fluff balls? If you get nervous or anxious around day olds, it's likely your phobia is beyond the scope of anything that could be done on this site. But in my unprofessional opinion, if you can look at pictures of day-old chicks without becoming anxious, I would suggest in the spring, you go to a farm store and look at their biddies. Or maybe to your neighbors with whom you exchanged the flock. She may have peeps at some point, and sounds like she would be most understanding. If you can look at newly hatched chicks without an anxiety attack, try touching one. If you can't do it on the first try, go home, think about it, and try again tomorrow. Depending on the depth of your phobia, I really think within a few visits, you will be able to not only touch, but hold a baby chick in your hand. But then I don't have a crystal ball, I don't know how deep your phobia is, or how dedicated you are to overcoming it. IF you reach the point that you could pick up and cuddle in your hand a baby chick, I would recommend you buy one. Just one. Oh, and maybe make it one of the saccharine cute breeds like silkies. Although I try not to treat my chickens as pets, if you get to this point, raise that chicken as a pet. Pick it up as often as you can. Treat it like a puppy or a kitten. I think chickens should never be kept in the house although a lot of people here on byc do that. So turn that one into a house chicken. If you can do all these things, come back in 4 months, and ask for information on integrating your baby into the flock, so she can hang out with chicken friends as well as you. Good luck, and God bless.
 
Xerocles said:
IF you reach the point that you could pick up and cuddle in your hand a baby chick, I would recommend you buy one. Just one. Oh, and maybe make it one of the saccharine cute breeds like silkies. Although I try not to treat my chickens as pets, if you get to this point, raise that chicken as a pet. Pick it up as often as you can. Treat it like a puppy or a kitten. I think chickens should never be kept in the house although a lot of people here on byc do that. So turn that one into a house chicken. If you can do all these things, come back in 4 months, and ask for information on integrating your baby into the flock, so she can hang out with chicken friends as well as you. Good luck, and God bless.
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I agreed with this post, until up to here.
It is never, ever a good idea to buy a lone chick. Not only will a feed store not let you by just one, but it can be considered cruel. Chickens are highly social creatures and having only one is a major stress to a chick.
I don't advocate for coddling chicks. It's a good way to get salmonella. And if, by God, that chick is a cockerel that is a really good way to create a mean cockerel. Experience has taught me that. Experience has also taught me that coddled chicks are really good at almost getting killed, because they don't pay attention to their surroundings.
House chickens are not a clever idea, imo, because chickens like to eat a lot of things they shouldn't. Especially shiny things. And if that happens it could lead to an unpleasant result.

-Cyprus
 
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Thank you for your introduction and your honesty! I think you'll find researching and reading others experiences here will help! Most of the time, you and your chickens can coexist in perfect harmony without you having to physically handle them. My girls love our company, but they're far from lap chickens.
Looking forward to your posts and helping however we can! Welcome to BYC!
 
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I understand you, and hope you find peace in all areas.
 

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