Boris70 Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Hi, Going to be a bit of a moan here - I've signed up to Freecycle and am amazed how many people post WANTED for either hen houses, food or straw. Maybe I'm on my own here - but deciding to get hens was a big thoroughly thought threw decision on my part. I got the eglu sorted prior to getting my girls and made sure I had food, nesting material ready too. So now when I see people posting - "I'm getting a few hens soon, does anyone have a hen house I can have" or "I'm rescuing some ex battery hens so if you have any layers mash or straw as that's what they need" it makes me really mad as they don't seem to planning for the hens at all. I'm all for increasing the awareness of battery hens and the welfare of chickens, and I too have 3 rescued hens (who are great and who I got befor the hype), but it just seems like chicken keeping is turning into the "in" thing to do which is great, but I just hope that lots of hens aren't abandoned when people get bored (turtles after teenage mutant nija turtles, Rats after Ratauille(spelling???)). Do you get the same things on your local freecycle - or is it just me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Our local freecycle has had a few requests for hen houses lately, along woth requests for sheds that could be converted for hens. I'm with you - we thought long and hard about getting the chickens, ordered the eglu, and had a definate delivery date confirmed by Omlet before we thought about even contacting a breeder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisa33 Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Are you on the Letchworth Freecycle? There seems to be loads of people asking for chicken houses. Surely if you decide to get chickens you sort out the housing before you make a date to get them. Also for example the people that say 'Does any one have a telly, 28 inch flat screen plasma preferred'. If you are that concerned about a telly buy a new one. Sorry my rant over too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenlass Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Does seem totally irresponsible to me too if not a bit cheeky. As you say you shouldn't even be getting chickens if you haven't sorted out where they will live and get some food etc in before hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 So now when I see people posting - "I'm getting a few hens soon, does anyone have a hen house I can have" or "I'm rescuing some ex battery hens so if you have any layers mash or straw as that's what they need" it makes me really mad as they don't seem to planning for the hens at all. Do you get the same things on your local freecycle - or is it just me? I've never seen any 'henhouse wanted' on the Freecycle groups I belong to, but it is London afterall I don't know what the rules are on the group you belong to but on the London ones you are allowed to make a posting alerting people to your concerns e.g. people getting chickens without a clue as to how to look after them or how to house them, you just use ADMIN as the subject line instead of OFFERED or WANTED. The only downside to this is that you may get some nasty e.mails from people who will take offence. Alternatively contact a mod who may make the posting for you. Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris70 Posted February 27, 2008 Author Share Posted February 27, 2008 Are you on the Letchworth Freecycle? There seems to be loads of people asking for chicken houses. Yep - I am - maybe Thornes has something to do with it too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 And "Ooops, word censored!"ody EVER says the magic word when they are asking for something! That's the bit that gets my back up. Manners cost nothing. It's the same when i get replies to things I've offered, people email just saying. "I'll pick it up on thursday at 5pm!" and I think "You bl**dy-well won't!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Unbelieveable. People are soooo rude....and this business of leaping into hen (or any other sort of animal) keeping, without doing even the most rudimentary bit of research really gets on my pip. Ownership of any creature...a living sentient being, is a privilege that comes with responsibilities. A few fluffy cuddly ideas about "rescuing" hens are all very well, but I pesonally can't understand how anyone would not be adequately prepared before such an undertaking. I imagine some hens might go from one form of misery to another because of this careless attitude. I spent hours "lurking" on the forum, bought several books and read them till I knew them off by heart, and researched all manner of accommodation before I made my decision....and I had stuff in addition to the basic Omlet package...just in case. I suspect some people put more care into buying a car or a holiday than they do for their animals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 it beggars belief doesn't it! I got an e-mail a while ago from some loon who said they'd got the coop, food, etc and were having their chickens delivered but did I know of any land in Liverpool where they could keep them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazygal Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 (edited) I agree that people can be plain greedy/ignorant/rude on freecycle; I think there are two camps of people on the two that I use- people who genuinely care that stuff does not end up on landfill, and people who are begging It is worrying that people seem to jumping in to keeping chickens just because of a few tv programmes , as I've mentioned before we had wanted chickens for ages, I had read countless books, spoken to a lot of people with experience, and ummed and ahhed before taking the plunge as keeping any animal is NOT to be taken lightly and I wanted to make sure that it was going to be the right thing for us to do. (It was by the way!). Edited February 27, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirkwood Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 I agree i would have loved to have had battery hens first but i need to get a bit more experience under my belt before i do as i feel that they have been through enough already without me not knowing what i'm doing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louisdog Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 I am on a Freecycle in Wales and one in SW England and have seen the same thing, I agree with the OP it doesn't seem right does it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 I admit I was fairly impulsive about deciding to get chickens - but I did my research first and bought an eglu (on ebay) before I actually got my hens! (and before I told the LSH - but that's by the by ) There are always a few losers on Freecycle who are just on the scrounge for anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baby bears mum Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 I've done tons of research for the past few months into chickens and it has been a big decision as to whether or not to have any. Our eglu is here but the chickens will not be until mid to end of March. I wouldn't dream of getting another living being without putting the ground work in first. There are those who go through these fads and then abandon things - just ask the RSPCA - and it puts everyone else in a bad light when the press pick up on it too. I'm not sure that they should be called beggers - 'blaggers' is probably more accurate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 I must admit I did see the two requests on freecycle this week for chicken houses and think "That's a bit cheeky!" It didn't occur to me about the whole issue concerning how much research people have done before taking the plunge. I've always wanted chickens because we kept them for a while when I was a child living in Camden. Once I found the omlet website it took about a year for me to finally take the plunge (kept filling my omlet shopping basket with an eglu and 3 hens once a week and closing the browser!) but I don't think that means I'm any more or less committed than people who are more decisive!! I just feel happier researching everything to the nth degree (I used to work in Market Research Analysis!). You should see my impressive collection of Practical Poultry mag dating back to issue 4! I feel a bit sorry for those only just getting chickens as some people are implying they are jumping on the bandwagon and surely it doesn't matter how people get into chicken-keeping as long as they look after their animals properly. That said, when I went to a talk at Thorne's in November there were some people there who were so stupid it would have been funny but for their poor animals. Some feeding raw potato peelings, others blocking up ventilation holes so that the chickens are warmer at night and people who clearly didn't have the first clue were hatching chicks and putting them out in the garden too early (do you remember how bitterly cold November was?) Frank (Thorne's) told us last week that my 4year old daughter is more intelligent and clued-up about chickens than a lot of his customers. Sad, eh? There are a lot of stupid, irresponsible people keeping chickens and all sorts of animals (and having children for that matter) but I don't think that will ever change. Hope I haven't got up anyone's nose with my ramblings! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 We did a fair amount of research, reading up, reading this forum and visiting a colleague for a crash course in chicken keeping etc before we took the plunge some people have no common sense. I even checked on here and called the breeder before making a final decision. OK so it was the Hugh FW & Jamie O stuff that helped make the decision........I didn't even think it was possible to keep chickens in the garden until I found this site. But chickens do fit the criteria for pets for our household as we can't have anything too furry as the OH is allergic to furry pets and Little Miss Webmuppet is allergic to cats.......which does limit the choices! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Once I found the omlet website it took about a year for me to finally take the plunge (kept filling my omlet shopping basket with an eglu and 3 hens once a week and closing the browser!) but I don't think that means I'm any more or less committed than people who are more decisive!! Absolutely not. I had already discussed it with my LSH and he said we couldn't have chickens until we got an allotment, owing to the smallness of our garden and his desire to grow more veg. What he didn't realise was that I took this as a challenge! One week later I had an allotment sorted out and an eglu bought Hope I haven't got up anyone's nose with my ramblings! Not at all - I reckon we all feel much the same way about chickens, regardless of how quickly or slowly we made the final decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisa33 Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 That said, when I went to a talk at Thorne's in November there were some people there who were so stupid it would have been funny but for their poor animals. Some feeding raw potato peelings, others blocking up ventilation holes so that the chickens are warmer at night and people who clearly didn't have the first clue were hatching chicks and putting them out in the garden too early (do you remember how bitterly cold November was?) I think the looks on our faces said it all at this talk. The classic one that will always stick in my mind "When can we put the chicks we hatched outside?" "Are they with the mum or in an incubator?" " They came from eggs" I don't think I'll ever get over that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 That was the quote of the day. I liked the older gent who was asking "can I feed them .....(long list of different kitchen leftovers)?" and Frank said "Have you considered getting a pig?" (Lisa, I'm home now BTW. Pop over when you can drag yourself away from the forum!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 I get really annoyed with freecycle too, especially as people snap up things after about 3 minutes of them being put up-I bet you they don't even need it and then flog it on ebay. I haven't seen anyone saying they wanted a henhouse etc, but I wouldn't put it past some of them. I did a lot of research on chickens before we got them and the house etc. We built the house so it cost us about £100 ish and after that I got the eglu and paid for it myself. Dad buys the feed and other healthcare items and Mum gets the eggs for the kitchen. Mind you my parents were surprised that I've kept going with them for so long and I think that's why they wouldn't get an eglu from the start-as if I didn't look after them it would have been a waste of money. I have to admit the garden's a bit of a mess at the minute and we need to move the eglu so it's near the veg patch and regrow the grass-but I don't think we'd get rid of them now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisa33 Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 OK. See you in a minute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 The only thing I've put on Freecycle was a sofa-bed (too much hassle for ebay, and though I tried to sell it through work, the only person interested turned out to have pet allergies and had to turn it down). The lady who turned up to see it had recently moved into an unfurnished rented house and was very grateful to have something for her imminent guest to sleep on - she even hired a van specially to collect it - so I'm pretty sure it went to a good home Maybe I've been lucky, though - Cambridge is a very civilised place, so we don't get too many rude blaggers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 I tried to rehome a microwave but no one wanted it Its still in the cabin waiting to go to the tip I stopped being a member of mine when requests for cars and garden swings started to come in I though it was a bit much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 It's one of my rants too - people not thinking before getting animals.. we see that on our Freecycle; 'dog crate needed urgently - puppy arriving tomorrow' Sorry, but I feel like emailing back to say 'Get your act together'!!! The grabby sorts, and those without manners always get me ranting too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 I stopped being a member of mine when requests for cars and garden swings started to come in I though it was a bit much Cars! I am too doubting....I think there ar those who put stuff on Ebay after getting it for free....well my neighbour does. I am convinced that some people car boot the stuff they glean from ours! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
