What is SO WRONG with Chickens? Does YOUR family complain?

[DragonEggs]

Ok, I didn't really know where to post this but I figured it was sort of a rant so this was a good place to start. Mods feel free to move this if I put it in the wrong place.

Ok, seriously, what is SO WRONG with being in love with Chickens? What is wrong with raising chickens as a hobby? Why are making pet chickens a part of your life a bad thing?

I understand that money is tight and the economy is bad and everyone is hurting and blah blah blah but if my dad and BF can find $5 or more to spend on a pack of cigarettes PER DAY (thats MINIMUM of $150 a month spent on cigarettes EACH), if my dad can find the money to go to a casino and gamble every once in awhile, or go out to a bar and have a few drinks, if my BF can pay $15 a month to play World of Warcraft or Star Wars Galaxies (or WHATEVER game he's into this month) then why can't I buy some chicks and raise them? Why can't I buy a used incubator and some eggs and spend time hand turning them to try and hatch my own? What is SO WRONG about going outside and sitting in the grass and just watching my chickens? What is BAD about spending time outdoors, working to feed and water my chickens, clean out their cages, fix whats broken about their coops, or work on building a run? The way I see it I'm INVESTING in something, a living thing that gives back to me (and I DONT just mean eggs). I'm spending time doing something healthy, not sitting in a bar getting drunk, not sitting around playing a video game (though I confess to spending many hours on this forum), I don't smoke, I don't spend money on ANYTHING extra, If I have a spare $10 and I want to search craigslist for someone selling chicks how is that wasting money?

I just DONT UNDERSTAND why I catch so much hell about my chickens but theres nothing wrong about them spending money buying cigarettes that are going to be GONE in a day and you got NOTHING out of that! Why is paying $15 or more to play a video game for hours at a time less of a waste of time then hand turning eggs 3 or more times a day?

I am SO FRUSTRATED with the people who are suppose to love me right now that I am in tears and shaking! There have literally been several arguments over this in my household but no one seems to understand! They all keep asking each other when I'll be out of this "Chicken Phase". I am NOT a teenager, I'm not old enough for a mid life crisis, Im a young woman who owns her car and pays her bills and has every right to my choice of hobbies and I don't think I should be chastised for that! I know you're probably thinking "They're just teasing you", No they're not. They keep insisting that this is a phase that will pass, I'd like to know how many hobby phases I've had because last I checked I didn't start doing something and keep doing it if I didn't enjoy it! These are CHICKENS! They are living creatures who need my everyday love and care! This is not like some painting I started and never finished (though I confess to having a couple of those).


Please, TELL me I'm not alone on this. I could REALLY use some advice right now. My pets are quite literally the only things keeping me from going crazy in such stressful times and I refuse to get rid of them because my family thinks I'm wasting my time/money on them. I do this all by myself, none of them have ever helped me take care of them or build anything for them, I do ALL the work for them EVERYDAY so they have NO REASON to complain!

I'm done... I feel a little better now....

 

[PineappleMama]

Nope, not alone... my MIL has always thought I was "off" now I think she may actually be researching "centers" for "people like me"

But her two dogs, three cats (plus the 4 in the cathouse outside), and two canaries... all on the SAME less than $30k per year... while having a $1200 mortgage and $500+ electric bills in summer is perfectly normal... and don't even get me started on the amount of Splenda that woman goes through... several bags (packets won't do) per week JUST FOR HER TEA (which is also especially expensive)

Hmm... well that got a bit long-winded but there ya go... it's a touchy subject!

 

[ZooMummzy]

My family only complains about the dust in the house from all the chicks

I think they have just accepted the fact that all my chickens are pets and they are my passion. Same with my friends and people I interact with on a regular basis. Most of them think it's pretty cool and really enjoy learning and hearing about my chicken adventures. There are a few who raise their eyebrows and a few more who silently think I'm nuts, but none of that bothers me. I know I'm nuts

 

[Zahboo]

My mom used to complain, but once she started having fresh eggs in her fridge, she pretty much shut up.

 

[PineappleMama]

^ Unfortunately that ain't gonna help with the In Laws... SIL pulls out the 'baby chicken' from every single egg... you know, that stringy part that's in the white.

Will NOT listen when I try and explain what that is and where the hypothetical (but not really in store bought OR our all girl backyard flock) baby chicken really is.

 

[suzettex5]

Yeah, my hubby keeps askin when I'm gonna be over this chicken thing, too. Its annoying. I sooooo feel you on the $ issue too. Honestly, the way I see it, chickens are a dang cheap hobby, all in all- No huge vet bills for spay/neuter, no vet vaccinations, free ranging or scraps from dinner mean the feed bill is low (feed is cheap when you only have a few birds, anyways) You can build a coop for next to nothing off CL- AND you get eggs from the hens and meat from the roo's (should you choose) It beats collecting jewelry,or cars or fur coats!

I'm sorry they are hassling you so much. Your post was well written and shows your not some dumb kid, why are they treating you like one? I know how you feel, just because my hubby is a bit older than me, he thinks he just knows better in just about every situation.

I say , just do what makes you happy, dont take their poisoned bait when they give you cr*p. Just smile and nod, and just keep doin what you want. Sometimes it wont matter what you say, other times the best thing you can say is whatever the other person wants to hear, whether you mean it or not- just keep doing what you want, what makes you happy, and dont let them get you down!

 

[CoyoteMagic]

My Mom thinks I'm nuts, so whatelse is new, lol. She grew up on a farm and granny had chickens. My Dad loves to gather the eggs when he comes for a visit. He was just a laughing pulling out one big egg after the other. The he fussed at them when they came up 2 eggs short of 2 dozen, lol. Mom doesn't like that they get up on the porch and poop, neither do I but not a whole lot I can do about it without putting up a gate at the top of the steps and that wouldn't let the dog go in and out on her own.

My neighbors like the eggs they get so they don't say much, except for the one that the chickens flipped over all her mulch and ate her flowers, oops

 

[Attack Chicken]

Yup...My father pretty much chews me out every week and it's always about my chickens... He doesn't take care or them or anything and says crap about me not taking care of them and threatening me telling me that one day I'm going to wake up and there will no longer be any chickens at our house... Always saying he's going to kill them.....

 

[Tala]

Quote:
Well I did put up a gate on the back porch at the top of the stairs. It's a bit of a pain to let the dogs out in the morning (means I have to get dressed), but ya know what? The back door has a window and my Lab mix was always jumping up to look in it so it's actually better that he can't jump on the door if he can't get on the porch.
What's so funny though, is since the birds can't get on the porch itself they like to sun themselves on the porch STAIRS every morning and leave tons of presents for me to walk through

 

[baltimoreharps]

You're defintely not alone!

I don't have to worry about my dh and kids, but my FIL.....oy, I know he thinks I'm a nutcase for raising chickens, eggs and going to the local farmer's market for fresh, grass fed beef and local pork. He won't go near any of it because it doesn't come from Harris Teeter.

Honestly, WHERE does he think the meat or eggs come from?? A magic box that packages and wraps magic meat and eggs from?

He knows well enough to keep his comments to himself after his grandkids started refusing store bought eggs not even seeing them prepared for a meal or snack.They took one bite

and were polite enough to ask for a PB&J instead.

They don't like it? Honestly, don't even tell them to get over it. Just go on about your passion and ignore the negative comments. You're a grown woman and you have
the choice to do what you want to do, even if it's not the norm for your family.They have thier interests and you have yours and if they don't like it, tell the both of them to give up the things they love to do.
And especially challenge your BF to put that WOW account on hold for a month...

If you have to not do what you love to do, why not fair play on that??