MichelleKing
Songster
Disclosure: my chickens are my pets as well as my source of eggs so I am HIGHLY biased on how they **should** be treated.
SO here's the thing. A close relative of mine wants chickens. I've been hatching chickens, raising chickens, caring for chickens, and even breeding quail this for a couple years now. So I say ok, I have an extra coop and I have a few starter chickens for you, but I'll have to teach you everything since you've never owned chickens before. He says, ok cool. I said you'll need some supplies too before you bring them home.
Fast forward a little, and like this kid can't even text or call me back. He works thirds and sleeps during the day I find out, and can't be bothered to take the time to learn things about owning chickens apparently. I start to doubt I want him having some of MY chickens. Yesterday, at 8PM, he calls and says "well I said I would be over today to pick everything up". I said OK, no. I asked several times to confirm you STILL wanted the chickens and then if you were actually coming on Saturday. It's 8pm, and you want to just come **grab some chickens and throw em in your backyard O M G**. Did he have any supplies, for example, a waterer even? NO! Wtf.
Ok people. I am all about owning chickens as a first timer IF you put in the research. Just grabbing some chickens or chicks and hoping for the best doesn't work. First there is coop set up, nesting set up, perches, and the run or the free range area, all of which need the appropriate space so your chickens don't kill eachother. You have to take into consideration what size and style feeder/waterer you need. Then the food. How do you want them fed and with what product, and are you keeping them organic? Next, deworming/lice and mite spraying - needs to be done. After that, you need to consider the stress put on the chickens when they move, and how will that be mitigated? Flock integration and pecking order is your next thing to keep the eye on. Cleaning the coop is a whole other story. NEEDS to be done properly. If you can't even text or call someone how will you find time to properly clean a coop?
NOT TO MENTION. We live in NEOH and you need to be able to properly ventilate and winterize a coop. You need to know what to do in the case of frostbite. You need to be cognizant of the weather and be prepared to put the chickens inside if severe enough.
Lastly, what would you do if the chicken got sick? Stress from the move could easily cause something. Do you know how to handle a sick chicken?
So.....I finally say no, you cannot have MY beautiful friendly egg laying hens. Sorry. He says thats ok, can I still buy the coop from you and then I'll "just grab some chicks" from TRACTOR SUPPLY. W T F dude. I was about to give you purebred ameraucana chickens of show quality and you tell me that? So rude.
TL DR - relative wants chickens, completely unprepared to care for other living things, the end.
SO here's the thing. A close relative of mine wants chickens. I've been hatching chickens, raising chickens, caring for chickens, and even breeding quail this for a couple years now. So I say ok, I have an extra coop and I have a few starter chickens for you, but I'll have to teach you everything since you've never owned chickens before. He says, ok cool. I said you'll need some supplies too before you bring them home.
Fast forward a little, and like this kid can't even text or call me back. He works thirds and sleeps during the day I find out, and can't be bothered to take the time to learn things about owning chickens apparently. I start to doubt I want him having some of MY chickens. Yesterday, at 8PM, he calls and says "well I said I would be over today to pick everything up". I said OK, no. I asked several times to confirm you STILL wanted the chickens and then if you were actually coming on Saturday. It's 8pm, and you want to just come **grab some chickens and throw em in your backyard O M G**. Did he have any supplies, for example, a waterer even? NO! Wtf.
Ok people. I am all about owning chickens as a first timer IF you put in the research. Just grabbing some chickens or chicks and hoping for the best doesn't work. First there is coop set up, nesting set up, perches, and the run or the free range area, all of which need the appropriate space so your chickens don't kill eachother. You have to take into consideration what size and style feeder/waterer you need. Then the food. How do you want them fed and with what product, and are you keeping them organic? Next, deworming/lice and mite spraying - needs to be done. After that, you need to consider the stress put on the chickens when they move, and how will that be mitigated? Flock integration and pecking order is your next thing to keep the eye on. Cleaning the coop is a whole other story. NEEDS to be done properly. If you can't even text or call someone how will you find time to properly clean a coop?
NOT TO MENTION. We live in NEOH and you need to be able to properly ventilate and winterize a coop. You need to know what to do in the case of frostbite. You need to be cognizant of the weather and be prepared to put the chickens inside if severe enough.
Lastly, what would you do if the chicken got sick? Stress from the move could easily cause something. Do you know how to handle a sick chicken?
So.....I finally say no, you cannot have MY beautiful friendly egg laying hens. Sorry. He says thats ok, can I still buy the coop from you and then I'll "just grab some chicks" from TRACTOR SUPPLY. W T F dude. I was about to give you purebred ameraucana chickens of show quality and you tell me that? So rude.
TL DR - relative wants chickens, completely unprepared to care for other living things, the end.
