The Old Folks Home

[dsqard]

SCG I know we talked a little about this yesterday on FB but I am with Latestarter, I honestly cannot believe someone would be so presumptuous. I never even assumed my relatives would watch my children let alone neighbors. I always asked first. I don't know about not saying anything now but I would definitely say no to her if she ever brought it up again. She is the one who is not being neighborly IMO. Just because you live next to her does not mean you owe her free child care. JUST SAY NO!!!

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: ChickenCanoe:
Well, this building used to be my tool shed. Now it's the brooder house. This has forced me to move the generator, compressor, riding mower and other large equipment outside. I'm making a box for each of them since I'll probably never be able to get them into the brooder house again. I'm making some mouse proof boxes I can drive them into and lock up. (no more mice nests in the engines).
I still store all the non mechanized garden tools in there. I just ignore the dust.


We have three sheds out back but they are all full of DH's stuff from the last 20+ years. He does not want to share with chickens.. He said that is why we are building the pens. lol
I guess we are going to set a live trap in the new pens before we put the roof over them to catch what ever was attacking our chicks. But really with our dogs that close they go crazy when something is out there so we can go take care of it. Even out at the coop which is abt. a 1/4 ac from the house. These pens will also be 1/4 ac from the house in the pasture.

 

[chickadoodles]

SCG if she brings it up again just laugh it off and tell her "ya right like I have any extra time" and let it be. She is way out of line and she needs to contact a church in your area to try to find help if she needs it. You could suggest that to her.

I never let anyone but family babysit my children, I never trusted any one to watch my children.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

I have an ethical question and am welcoming opinions.

My next door neighbor is around my age (give or take 5 years). She's a stay at home, very religious, mother of two young kids. We don't have much in common, but I know she's lonely, her husband is a bit of a jerk sometimes so I am nice to her in a neighborly kind of way when I can be. I have had to set some boundaries with her because she has verbal incontinence and tends to elevate my status in her life if I am too available to her. She is nice enough, but I stress that we are not close and I do not wish to become close with her, just neighborly.

She called me up today to tell me she was pregnant (on purpose) with twins due in November. I congratulated her, and made a small joke about being in trouble now that she was going to be significantly outnumbered by children. She then proceeded to tell me that everyone wants to help with the babies, so she'll have plenty of help there, but she will need help with her other two kids and that I would be taking them once a week for a few hours for the next year or so to help her out. I was speechless. I honestly had no idea what to say to that. It seemed like she was telling me, not asking.

Please don't vilify me. I do not like kids. If I wanted to hang out with kids I would have had some myself. I am just not a kid kind of person. Sometimes I wish I was, because it would make life a lot easier, but I'm not. I can pretend for short periods of time and while I've always been polite to her kids, I don't like them. I have told her on multiple occasions that I do not like kids (she is always trying to convince me that I should reproduce). I think she thinks because I don't have kids that I have all this free time, but I have my farm and a bunch of hobbies, plus my job which is more than full time during the weekday with the addition of nights, weekends, holidays and some overnights on call each month. I don't have a lot of extra "downtime" - my downtime is the farm and my hobbies. I don't even watch TV.

I know she probably got a bit of a shock finding out she was having twins, and is trying to get her ducks in a row, so to speak. But here's my question - how do I handle this? Do I assume she's just being silly and don't ever mention it again and hope she doesn't? Should I tell her I'd rather get a colonoscopy than hang out with her kids on a weekly basis? Do I just pack up and move (kidding)? Or do I have some ethical obligation to suck it up and try to watch her kids for her a few times (certainly not weekly) in the ruse of being neighborly?

I'd appreciate your thoughts or opinions. I know most of you have kids, so I need a different perspective.

umm no one should expect someone to watch there kids. I have 2 young ones and expect nothing from anyone. Sure hopeful sometimes but never expecting .

 

[Hangtown Farms]

last week I hatched 10 of 14 shipped Black Penedesenca along with 6 of my own white empordanesa,
My friend Deb set some crele olive eggers and crele penedesenca for me while my two incubators where running
and I should be picking them up today.
I also have Partridge Penedesenca and Crele Penedesenca in my R-Com from Ron and Brown Red Ameraucana and White Empordanesa and Crele Penedesenca in my Genesis. The Brown Reds are developing , can't see into the Pene eggs well enough yet.
so basically I need a bigger Brooder and need to get busy on a larger grow out run

 

[Hangtown Farms]

ohh and Happy Mothers day

 

[ChickenCanoe]

...
AWESOME coop CC...beautiful addition to the property AND functional. What are the dimensions...guessing maybe eight feet by?? Love the colour scheme--I'm a sucker for use of white trim! Never say us old folks don't know how to work it! LOL

It's 8'X12. Just a hair under the legal limit of 100 sq. ft.. There's a scale model right next to it that is 6'X8' and not quite as tall built on legs about 20" off the ground, same color scheme.

What is your turner mechanism?
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I use a coupla different setups but never anything that was made originally for that purpose!

Same here

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So out of necessity, I looked at the green grocery store shopping bins and thought, those would work rather handy dandy. Good shape for economic shelf use, good shape for food/water one end, heat the other, not too large, cheap cheep (five buck?), easy to clean, can stack together for storage...yuppers...I was sold on so many levels!

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Those remind me of the recycle bins that I've repurposed to use for mucking out the coops. About 3 full of manure/shavings will fill the garden cart and off to the compost pile.

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Oooooooh I love your set up! Can the adult chickens get in there too, or is it sectioned off from them? Is that metal that you use for the sides? Love it!

There's another smaller replica of that building just about 15' away and another long narrow building as well as a breeder complex of 5 units.

One needs a permit here to build any permanent structure over 100 sq. ft. which is one of the reasons I have several buildings just under that threshold. It also adds a lot of flexibility in housing.

I'd appreciate your thoughts or opinions. I know most of you have kids, so I need a different perspective.

I can certainly imagine your inability to speak.
I like kids, from a distance. But would never consider watching a neighbor's on a regular basis. I raised my own, now it's the new parent's turn.

I like to patrol my property partially nude shooting guns. My neighbors know im there when they need me...but they keep a pretty good distance. U would be surprised what nudity and a shotgun will do for a neighbor. Just saying

There's nothing like answering the door with that look to keep those soliciting for a bible study session at bay for years to come.

IMHO, you should be straight up and direct ASAP with her & put the kabosh on that idea of hers post haste! It was very rude, very UN-neighborly, and completely inconsiderate of her to do what she did. SHE is the one who CHOSE to have additional children. She is the one who now has to deal with that choice. If you don't, you are just opening the door to being taken advantage of. WOW...

X2

Thank you guys for the support and great answers. I like the defend and deflect position while offering up things I would be willing to do (which isn't a lot and does not include watching videos with her other kids which is part of what she suggested earlier because I have no parenting skills).

I was hoping the right answer wasn't suck it up and watch her kids for her.

I wouldn't even offer up other things. That's a slippery slope, especially with someone so presumptuous.

Unless she wants to come over weekly and help you farm.

This is easy. Just say...no! Well, maybe a ... No Thanks, with your cute little smile. I'm with oz..wait a bit, see what happens. When/if she brings it up again, remind her how busy your life is. I can't believe she asked this of you. I like kids, but I can't do too much watching them now..and I don't have a problem saying ..sorry, can't do it right from the get go. Either you were being a sweetheart, and didn't say anything, or she left you with you mouth still dropped to the floor when she was done talking. Very interesting lady.

That was going to be my suggestion. Though I wouldn't wait. She may be off enough to think that just because she mentioned it once, it's a done deal. Then she'll show up one day with kids in tow.

SCG if she brings it up again just laugh it off and tell her "ya right like I have any extra time" and let it be. ...

That could work

 

[ChickenCanoe]

last week I hatched 10 of 14 shipped Black Penedesenca along with 6 of my own white empordanesa,
My friend Deb set some crele olive eggers and crele penedesenca for me while my two incubators where running
and I should be picking them up today.
I also have Partridge Penedesenca and Crele Penedesenca in my R-Com from Ron and Brown Red Ameraucana and White Empordanesa and Crele Penedesenca in my Genesis. The Brown Reds are developing , can't see into the Pene eggs well enough yet.
so basically I need a bigger Brooder and need to get busy on a larger grow out run

Where did you get your black eggs?
I need to get another line established here.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

basically I need a bigger Brooder and need to get busy on a larger grow out run

I have some nice wooden brooders, 4x4 and 2x4s. Very easy to make. Not sure if you've seen the pictures, but these might inspire.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Where did you get your black eggs?
I need to get another line established here.

Joshua at Dirty Ankle Acres. We traded eggs. My own Black from My Rooster and hens have been looking good too so I may put my guy over these girls from this hatch and keep a few roosters and use the best from my existing girls