Trouble convincing parents

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mattc102

mattc102

In the Brooder
5 Years
Dec 23, 2014
73
1
43
I really want chickens but my mom is halfway there and found someone to buy chickens from at her work. My dad, well I don't know he is always in a bad mood and I asked him one time before and he said that we don't have enough time and also that It would draw predators onto our little one acre property . I need some help / so ideas to convince them please help me !
 
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Well, they don't draw predators. Predators wandering through may find them and then stick around to try to get them, but predators from other areas can't just sense that there are chickens and show up :p So that's one argument down. As for time, they are time consuming, and you do need to have the time to properly care for them, such as feeding and watering them each day, cleaning the coop, collecting eggs etc so you would need to be willing to invest your time in them. You can't get sick of it and no longer do it, they are living things, so you need to be prepared to make a commitment to take care of them each day if you want them. They also cost money, which could be another reason that your parents don't want to get them. Are you able to afford to pay for their food and bedding, and to pay for a coop? If not that burden would fall on them, and they may not want to take that on, so if you can afford them, you need to assure them that you are capable of paying for all their needs and will not end up making them pay for it. I started with two ducks when I was 15, and my father didn't mind paying for the food, but once I got more birds, they were my responsibility to pay for. You also need to make sure chickens are legal to keep where you are, or you could face fines, so that is something you should research before getting them.
 
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There is no surefire way you can always convince your parents as everyone is different. Many times it's because of a lack of responsibility on the child's part. Have you taken the time to think about that? Also it could be an experience that a family member has had in the past that makes them wary of chickens. If you don't seem to have time it's important that you prioritize (what things can you drop so you can manage a small flock?) chickens offer many doors whether it'd be joining 4-H or FFA or making a small profit from meat and eggs. What history of predators do you have? Why is it bad that predator come on do you have other livestock that needs protecting? Chickens would attract the same predators that an outside rabbit hutch would attract. But a well thought out coop that can protect your chickens will solve that problem.
 
Ok thanks and I told him that they don't draw predators ... I have turtles hat I take care and have to feed everyday . Plus clean the tank every other week . I have planned that every morning as I go out for the bus I can go out early and feed them and collect eggs . Also as for water I was planning to hook up a self watering system and bury a type of hose that doesn't freeze that hooks up to their waterer . Also , I asked my mom if I could contact the township and ask them if they were aloud and she said I'm sure they are aloud because we live in a pretty rural area and are neighbors are okay with everything. She said not to draw attention to it because then I could not get them . For my coop well, I'm quite the handy man and my dad wool help and has many tools . Thinking of just covering my treehouse/playhouse in 3/4 inch plywood, painting it and then supporting with 2•4s and then finally using the "a" frame of where the swings are to put chicken wire and staple/ nail it to the wood and hen building a roost inside the coop . The playhouse is treated pine and very thick . It already has a pod roof and a base to nail everthing in please tell me what else I need to cover , and also I do not mind spending my money water is free to me and I can get good from my friend who works at age at and gets discounted prices on it and I have already got a 50 lb bag of crumbles for layers ( I won't go there lol)
 
Twistedfeather said:
There is no surefire way you can always convince your parents as everyone is different. Many times it's because of a lack of responsibility on the child's part. Have you taken the time to think about that? Also it could be an experience that a family member has had in the past that makes them wary of chickens. If you don't seem to have time it's important that you prioritize (what things can you drop so you can manage a small flock?) chickens offer many doors whether it'd be joining 4-H or FFA or making a small profit from meat and eggs. What history of predators do you have? Why is it bad that predator come on do you have other livestock that needs protecting? Chickens would attract the same predators that an outside rabbit hutch would attract. But a well thought out coop that can protect your chickens will solve that problem.
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I think my dad was just making excuses so that I plan everthing out and I have nothing but a dog that is inside as for protecting stuff. I am invoked in baseball, football, and wrestling so that takes up some time but I can set aside time for them like I can clean the coop every three weeks on Sundays (if that seems to work ) if they need cleaned more then I can do it more often . I am not afraid to clean them out infact I help my friend clean out his pig barn all the time and that's pretty nasty!
 
Twistedfeather said:
There is no surefire way you can always convince your parents as everyone is different. Many times it's because of a lack of responsibility on the child's part. Have you taken the time to think about that? Also it could be an experience that a family member has had in the past that makes them wary of chickens. If you don't seem to have time it's important that you prioritize (what things can you drop so you can manage a small flock?) chickens offer many doors whether it'd be joining 4-H or FFA or making a small profit from meat and eggs. What history of predators do you have? Why is it bad that predator come on do you have other livestock that needs protecting? Chickens would attract the same predators that an outside rabbit hutch would attract. But a well thought out coop that can protect your chickens will solve that problem.
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Not sure if this alerts u of my post just testing
 
Sounds like you have a plan, and you can try to convince your parents but they may still say no if they really don't want them. As for your coop, that sounds pretty good, but I would use hardware cloth instead of chicken wire. Chicken wire does not really do a good job of protecting chickens and most predators can tear right through it if they are determined. Raccoons just reach right through, and weasels fit through the holes.
 
Matt, I am new myself. Welcome!

It sounds as if you have taken a lot of the responsibility into account, planned your coop well, and you have a good work ethic.

The only other issue that I see is what will happen when you turn 18? Will you go off to work elsewhere or to college? Would your mom be ready to take over?
Then of course, there is the issue of what to do with a chicken when it stops laying and 'goes into retirement'. Will your parents still want her around.

welcome-byc.gif
 

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