What to do during college????!!??!??!?

[pipthepeep]

I agree that you could probably find a place to "board" your chickens close to where you are going to school... find a farm and see if you would be able to set something up there! People board horses...why not chickens?

In fact, i am actually in a similar situation right now where I can't have my chickens where I live so I board them where I keep my horse....works well enough even if you can't get out there every single day. Just offer to give them some eggs! Maybe you could even find someone on BYC who would be willing to help you out, close to where your school is...I am sure you can find a way

 

[JustAChickenLittle&More]

Hey Drumstick, where do you get those diapers, and the duck diapers? Also, how do you put them on? Thanks

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Please don't try to sneak in illegal "dorm pets". They are most often found out, and it tends to result in you having to get rid of the animal on, like, *hours* notice. Which does NOT tend to lead to good things for the animal

There can also be repercussions for you personally. Like if you try this in an apartment, the landlord may cancel your lease and require you to vacate at the end of the month.


Pat, who between college and grad school and two postdoctoral fellowships and then some years as a university professor has seen a LOT of pets get turfed out of dorms

 

[Rivers]

Just because you are going to college doesnt mean you have to stay in a dorm room. If you choose a college which isnt in a big city it is likely that you will find affordable accomodation like a shared house in suburb with a garden. You can keep some chickens there.

 

[patandchickens]

IME it is usually more expensive to rent a room in a shared house than to live in a (basic) dorm, at most schools; and even if you can afford to live off-campus (which requires a bit more responsibility in the way of not doing too much of things that will torpedo your GPA and waste your tuition money, btw) you would still wanna be in a town that allows chickens AND have a landlord that allows them. WHich is not going to be all that easy to find. Not impossible, but by no means falling offa log.

Pat

 

[sotelomary]

With the big interest in backyard chickens, there may be someone in your current area that has chickens. Try looking for chicken groups on the internet to see if you can find such a person. Maybe this person would be willing to take care of your chickens? You can make a feeder out of a 5 gallon bucket and set up one of those self-watering dog dishes. Your mom or sister would then only have to let the chickens out each morning, lock them up at night, and collect the eggs. The person that you found on the net would only have to clean the coop weekly and refill the feeder. They would only have to do this 3 times a month since you would be able to do it once a month. Of course you would have to pay them. Perhaps this would help?

Mary

 

[buckeyejerseygiants]

I think the costs is very dependent on what school/city you are in. I am currently in college and it's $850 cheaper every quarter for me to live off-campus in a much nicer one-bedroom (with my own bath, kitchen, and living room) than it is to share a 15x12 ft dorm room with a corridor bath. We are required to live on-campus in a dorm for our first year, and soon everyone will have to live on-campus for two years. Those who live on-campus are also not allowed cars. Here it would be very difficult to find a place off-campus that would allow chickens. I would have to sacrifice the convenience of being able to walk to class and work/live near my friends in order to move to a more rural area and commute every single day. Most landlords in the very immediate area surrounding universities often won't allow any pets at all because students have a hard enough time just taking care of themselves. IMO it wasn't worth it to me because I will only live here for the 4 years I'm in college. And even if I still did it, I'd have to worry about transporting them or finding someone to care for them during the periods I spent elsewhere (internships, study abroad, and holiday breaks).

I raised Black and White Jersey Giants for 10 years in 4-H, and I sold everything but 15 of my nicest birds when I left for college. I came home for winter break and found out my dad had given away 10 of those birds to some random because they were laying too many eggs.

It really sucked to see all that work go away but I have enjoyed my college experience and I figure when I settle down I will be able to have chickens for the rest of my life. What about finding someone in 4-H that might be able to care for them for you in exchange for a few birds or a lease to exhibit them at the fair?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Can you share a house with fellow college students? Living off campus may make it possible to keep your chickens with you.

Otherwise, I see your only option of getting someone else in the family to care for them in your absense.

 

[Rivers]

Quote:
Im not sur what its like i America, but here in the UK university dorm type accomodation is almost always more expensive than living in a shared house.

For example, in my city the universities charge around £85 per week for their accomodation in dorm's where you get a tiny tiny tiny room cramped in a tiny hall with shared bathrooms. But a place in a shared house with backyard would only cost you £50 per week. It would also be much nicer.

 

[HogbackMtnChickns]

GrandpaRooster - When looking at colleges, consider an "Ag" school. As an example, Colorado State University - GO RAMS! - has a fantastic veterinary program, lots of animals on campus, and even an "Ag" fraternity. Many universities and colleges have their roots in agricultural sciences, and are more animal oriented. You could certainly find an work study job working with the animals on campus - maybe even chickens! I'm sure a prof or 2 had a home flock. You could endear yourself by helping keep the coop clean! CSU was known for its vet and horticultural programs, but the vast majority of the students did not know anything about the ag school - so you wouldn't be confined to an ag related degree - unless that is what you are looking for. I guarantee you will be able to find some "chicken people" wherever you go.

College is a great experience. Use your chicken knowledge to make some friends in your new home!

Good luck!