Welcome to my pond - Swim, wade, or sit on the bank

[WVduckchick]

Interesting just looking back on this thread.
It started with me having a rant about an Educator who as I believe many would agree gave bad advice.
I was polite and even provided a study and an alternative option. It seems she either didn't read the study, or didn't understand the implications of it. Apparently completely incapable of admitting she might be wrong.
If this had been say Chickens Really, probably the reaction would I believe have been different. However this person is one of the establishment.
Next there is the point that The Pond is according to those that post here, a safe place to come and have a rant.
I was quite careful to make clear that the rant wasn't directed at anyone here on the pond, because some here are extremely sensitive over any criticism be it well founded, or not, about BYC and the various enclaves that exist here.

A few posts further on it went from a general 'conversation' to a personal one with this.

I had in an earlier post made quite clear I think my comments were not directed at anyone here on the pond.
Now I'm a stuck between a rock and and hard place. Do I lie and keep the peace, give a few group hugs and stfu, or do I try to make my point as honestly and fairly as I can (?)
The truth is what I posted here.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-on-the-bank.1101447/page-15506#post-21460767

Debate by Internet seems to almost always have a problem with the word 'You'.
In 'proper' English this is overcome with with the use of 'one' to represent the general rather than the personal to some extent. For example,"One is less likely to cause offense if one uses the word 'one' rather than 'you' when debating contentious issues."

From here on things just deteriorated.
I made a mistake here in not taking into account the you and one communication problem I mentioned above.

Judging by this post WV has taken this as personal.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-on-the-bank.1101447/page-15508#post-21461674
and has launched a personal attack on me with 'you think your way is the only way!'

Then there is an example of what some complain about when being 'frightened' to post their opinion on BYC, the group support squad arrive and provide lots of hugs and emotional support pressing the like button.
It's incredible really, particularly given I had made it very clear at the outset that none of what I had written was directed at anyone on the pond!

And this is one of the reasons why you have an Educators badge as I have tried to point out earlier.
I won't support any system that throws half of the hatch into a grinding machine, posts day old chicks through the post. A brief read of the forums indicates that many of these chicks either die before arrival or suffer health problems later due to poor incubation practices and the trauma of transit.
And no, I don't think my way is the only way. I think there are other ways but the current practice isn't one of them.

I didn’t take it as a personal attack, I was just pointing out from my personal viewpoint (as I won’t speak for the whole group) that you seem a bit confused on the workings of an open forum such as this. I do not think the ‘Educators’ all ban together, I have seen plenty of posts that I disagree with. But that’s part of the beauty. Multiple opinions! I do think ‘you’ think your way is the only way. You chastise other members for their opinions and treatment of their birds. As I’ve told many in the incubating section — “your eggs, your choice”. We don’t all have to have the same opinion.

And you don’t have to stfu, your opinions are plenty welcome! Your way works for you, and I’m sure you help lots of folks with your ideas and experience. In my opinion, it’s your attitude (condescending) that would make me question if you will ever have an Educator badge. It’s not all about knowledge. Treatment of folks is also important. Jmho.

 

[Shadrach]

Ripples on the Pond. Good morning, Good Folks. My lily pad was rocking so that I became seasick.

Princess just woke up, and as I went into the bedroom to kiss her I had an inadvertent gaseous release. She immediately said, "You can't blame that on Dani anymore." Another reason to miss our girl.

Tonight is the last performance of her show, and tomorrow they take down the set.

Your wife will probably deal with the grief of losing Dani once the pressures of the show are over. Give her a hug from me.

 

[Shadrach]

I'm going to try to ignore your Ad_hominem. I'm not the slightest bit interested in your assessment of my character.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem
To tell you the truth I don't really want an Educators badge. I realise they are very important for some people.
I'm not quite sure why I've got a friends badge. I don't support the sites ethos.
I don't agree with the view, your eggs, your choice, your chickens, your choice. We should all just do what feels right for us. It seems to be an American thing.
There are some things that are inhumane and posting day old chicks in the mail is one of them and the hatcheries destruction of half a species is another.
Other people may think these practices are acceptable, I don't

I'm a European first and a Scott second. We speak differently to Americans. It's one of the problems centrachid has here which I have some sympathy with. The language/forum demeanor is an intractable problem in my many years of experience of posting on forums.
I'm a great believer in standards, science and rationality.
I think it's one of the reasons there are proportionally so few non Americans posting on BYC.
I joined BYC in order to acquire some objective assessment of sections of my book. For all it's faults BYC has the capability of reaching a far wider audience than any other chicken orientated site I could find on the net. I had no intentions of staying.
I found some very interesting people here who I came to like a lot and that is the main reason I stayed.
While I don't support the sites ethos I believe if I am making use of the site I should contribute to the site while I'm here. While the site is massive there are around 200 regular contributors out of the hundreds of thousands who visit and move on. While traffic is statistically important for the site, ime sites die if there is not a regular supply of 'new blood' who contribute. I'm not particularly suited to holding the hands of hysterical teenage girls and wannabe chicken mums so I respond to some of the posts I have some experience in dealing with that particular problem. More importantly, something I am better at, I write articles for the site. I've been here less than a year and have contributed 9 articles and one set of rather nice pictures even if I do say so myself.
The articles are not a completely altruistic endeavor I admit; they also help me gauge what is readable and entertaining enough for a US audience. I have written some aimed at a European readership that are slightly different.

 

[Shadrach]

I buy from the farm store a local one. The chicks are robust healthy and cared for... They are Kept separately by breed and with a heat lamp if they so choose to have one.

Their people are educated about care of chickens and if one arrives in iffy condition they go home with one of the employees that know how to care for them.

Here in the US this is a big country and in order to get the breeds we want most chicks are shipped through the mail. The only time i ever ordered from a private breeder was one from northern California. Guinea Keets Came in one container all forty of them... There was watermellon zip tied to the sides of the box... And when they got home they were poopin Pink..... All forty made it.... Lost two because they were too little.... not from shipping issues but because they were in with 38 other Jack booters.... I didnt see em in time.

Now there are local breeders that I can purchase from.... but IF I didnt like their setup or care operation I would pass em by.

deb

I'm pleased all yours survived. I would probably travel if I wanted a particular breed I couldn't find locally.

 

[bobbi-j]

@Shadrach - I'm curious. There are no hatcheries in Europe? Everyone gets chickens from private breeders? I would think even small, private breeders end up with more males than they can sell or raise. What becomes of them? Not trying to be contentious - just wondering.

 

[kwhites634]

How about a change of pace to a totally non-confrontational topic? Like, for instance, what's the best way y'all have found to keep gnats out of your face, short of generating a non-stop cloud of tobacco smoke, which they don't seem to care for?

I started smoking in about '63-'64 to keep the blasted things at bay, so wasn't much bothered by them for almost half a century. I quit cold turkey two days before my double bypass 3.25 years ago; they're driving me crazy. I about drowned myself in repellent less than an hour ago, & they've already run me away. Tried looking on the 'net for a natural repellent. 'Bout all I come up with is ads for chemicals that probably don't work any better than the "OFF" I already have.

 

[kwhites634]

I'm pleased all yours survived. I would probably travel if I wanted a particular breed I couldn't find locally.

Don't misunderstand me; I won't have birds or eggs shipped in or out.

 

[mixedUPturk]

How about a change of pace to a totally non-confrontational topic? Like, for instance, what's the best way y'all have found to keep gnats out of your face, short of generating a non-stop cloud of tobacco smoke, which they don't seem to care for?

I started smoking in about '63-'64 to keep the blasted things at bay, so wasn't much bothered by them for almost half a century. I quit cold turkey two days before my double bypass 3.25 years ago; they're driving me crazy. I about drowned myself in repellent less than an hour ago, & they've already run me away. Tried looking on the 'net for a natural repellent. 'Bout all I come up with is ads for chemicals that probably don't work any better than the "OFF" I already have.

I kill them. The flipn gnats

OFF does Nothing. Clove oil on people helps. I dont even want to consider how many ive swallowed

 

[mixedUPturk]

For awhile before i learned the hard way with 42 fowl deaths i started doing my waterers in the middle of the night. Have to spray my yard w permethrin. The guy at the feed store across the river was a Vietnam Vet and he said out there they had to soak their clothes in the chemical then let them dry n wear it that way. Something about the chemical is bad for our skin and combines w our oils doesnt work anyway.

Two and half months now ive waged war on the flipn gnats.

 

[sourland]

How about a change of pace to a totally non-confrontational topic? Like, for instance, what's the best way y'all have found to keep gnats out of your face, short of generating a non-stop cloud of tobacco smoke, which they don't seem to care for?

I started smoking in about '63-'64 to keep the blasted things at bay, so wasn't much bothered by them for almost half a century. I quit cold turkey two days before my double bypass 3.25 years ago; they're driving me crazy. I about drowned myself in repellent less than an hour ago, & they've already run me away. Tried looking on the 'net for a natural repellent. 'Bout all I come up with is ads for chemicals that probably don't work any better than the "OFF" I already have.

I spray the crap out of my ball cap and keep moving. They are horrendous here this year.