What to do with an unsupportive husband... chicken tractor plans

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

I had help with my hubby, I have to admit! I had been talking about getting a few hens for THREE YEARS. Last year I decided THIS was the summer to do it. My hubby was super reluctant, but finally agreed to two. Well, one morning I spent an hour talking him into three, in case they didn't all make it. He went to work (construction but his bosses are farmers), and when he got home he told me that, according to his bosses, we needed 12 chickens and a rooster and that he had bought an old coop from his boss for $50! He brought it home and poor guy, I made him modify the thing so that it is twice as big

. He complained about our chicks when we had them in the house, but once they were in the brooder in the garage, he would take his coffee out every morning and sit with them! And for some reason it took him forever to finish the coop so we could move the guys out there and he could have the garage back.. hmm.. I hear him talking to them and he honestly likes them. On the weekends, he's the one who lets them out in the mornings and he always tells me about it.

When I told him I wanted guineas he said, "whatever you want honey." LOL! I think he's a convert!

-Meghan

 

[unlikelyfarmers]

My husband likes the chickens because they eat bugs..especially the mosquitos. He was a harder sell when I wanted bunnies, but now we have 15 and he loves them all as much if not more than I do. When we lost the bunny he originally didn't want to get, he was really sad. He had become very attached. Now we are thinking of breeding two of our bunnies (his idea). They seem to come around after a while!

 

[Judymae]

My hubby is gone at work alot! So I end up making alot of the animal decisions while he is out. I always tell him about it before I do it and all he ever says is 'whatever you want'. I don't think he realized how much work he got himself into with the chickens though. Last time home he built the coop. Next time home he is gonna start the run. He won't be able to finish it due to all the holes he has to dig. I want the whole thing set in kwikrete. So he wants to get holes dug and the posts set. Hopefully he can get it finished the next time home. He does do a lot for the chickens. He never complains. He kinda goes with the flow. I'm so happy to have him!

 

[Jezebelle]

me and my mom had asked dad about bringing home chicks, he said NO....no more animals. I talked my mom into bringing them home. Daddy came home from work that day. Dad wasnt too happy, but i made him sit in the floor and the babies climbed all over him, one even climbed on his head!! Quickly he started liking the chickens...like he had a choice?

 

[justusnak]

When we got our first Roo, he was in bad shape. He was wet, cold and limping. I made a make shift place for him, and he quickly mended. My DH was like....NO MORE! This is a rescue farm, NOT a chicken farm. Well...poor little Ollie was so lonely. Standing out there in his pen, crowing, all alone.

I finally talked DH into letting me get 3 hens for Ollie. Just to keep him company. Well.....here we are a year later...Ollie has since past....there are 13 RIR in one pen...17 Buff Orps, 1 Dom hen, 5 Ameracauna Hens,2 white Langshans, 2 Black Langshans, 2 Marans, 2 Silver Pheonix, in the SECOND coop, 2 Royal Palm turkeys in the 3rd coop, and 11 Banty Cochin Frizzles in the 4th coop, and a Polish Roo in the 5th coop. DH is in the process of building a new coop 10 x 14 ( or larger) will have 4 pens and runs..for the Marans, Frizzles, Langshans, and Pheonix. I guess you could say...he is likeing chickens now!

 

[JackieK318]

Your hubby sounds receptive - that's great! My parents and I were in MY backyard (not their home, mind you) this weekend building my chicken coop. Hubby said he is not in any way, shape, or form helping. Especially not now that we put the chicken coop/garden shed in a different part of the yard than he wanted it. He did do house chores and take care of dinner yesterday after I got overheated though. He'll also hold a chicken and ask about them from time to time. He'll also feed them if I'm dead tired. He's warming up - so, give your hubby some time and he'll be fine with it. Just don't push the subject, that'll just make him upset with the topic in general. Good luck!

 

[kansas_twister]

i guess i have to be on your husband side for this..... i roll my eyes every time he wants to get some thing new for the farm.......a calf...talked him out of that....a goat....no way.... get my point.....i have 2 horses and 18 chicks (still no coop) 8 cat's and 3 dog's......guess who takes care of them ALL? MMMMMMMMMMeeeeeee!....i'm LD (my parents where told i'd never make it out of grade school) and also adopted (best thing my birth mother did for me) i know own my own farm, have a great husband and 2 great kids...my i ask what speacil ed back round in teaching you have?

 

[AK-Bird-brain]

I figured if you cant beat them..... join them. My DW had her hens for about a year before I got in on the action. can you imagine I got in trouble for bringing home Turkeys (they have their own home w/run).

 

[rrrsmom]

The best marital advise I ever received was from my pastor and he said, "Don't nag. Win him with love." You are absolutely right to go with whatever dh says. My life has been changed since I realized the best gift I could ever give my kids is a good marriage to their dad. Mmy life is 100% better since my pastor said that to me. keep up the good work.

 

[JillsChicks]

Dear Kansas-Twister,

Your post is an interesting one to me. I would have thought you would have the most interest in more animals since some folks with learning disabilities prefer hands-on activities more than pencil and paper tasks. This may actually be true for you too, but I can certainly understand that "enough is enough" in taking care of more animals than you'd like. If your husband wants more critters then he should be helping out - I agree!

I actually don't have a background in special education. I have a bachelors and masters degree in education and was a teacher in public, private, and college settings for years. Then I home schooled my kids and still home school Jill of "JillsChicks." Jill's birth mother drank alcohol during her pregnancy afflicting Jill with fetal alcohol syndrome a malady causing irreversible brain damage and some physical (morphological) problems. Jill's condition is "mild" but that would still place her in a special ed. class in public school. She's a great kid who just needs a lot of love, guidance and patience. She might never earn a real high school diploma, but God's granting us the grace to raise her in a loving home and teaching her the skills she'll need to be happy and to find her place in the world. The special ed stuff I've learned has all been on my own; I sure have grown because of adopting this little girl.

I'm hoping that raising chickens and maybe selling eggs will be a step in the right direction for Jill. When we babysat two Dekalb hens last summer, Jill carried them about like babies and swung on her swings with them. The chickens LOVED it and would get rocked to sleep! We'll be using a chicken tractor and letting the flock out for romps now and again. I'd love to hear from other parents who have found that the care and love of a chicken have helped their kids. (Maybe a new topic...)

A photo of Jill and my son after helping to birth one of our crias