4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Mollie333]

Hi,

a person came to the house yesterday (my dad sells cars, he was buying) and he pointed out the 'mucky bums' of my chickens and the fact they was aloud to free range all over the garden. He also pointed out i have no tonics or anything in my water and no garlic in my food.. i never have, but my girls are healthy. he pointed out that the grit had been spilt on the floor of the coop (not my fault, my silkie x pekins are nutters..) and that there aloud to eat grass and get 'too fat to be chickens' and he reccomended not getting anymore because 'my gardens got big enough!'

of course this man talking to a 13 year old girl about the wrongs that im doing my dad went a little bit mad. i was so upset.. they are happy healthy birds, and i often give one a bath now and again. They have grit avalible and layers pellets, and now apprently its bad to free range your hens! but i dont put anything in the water or food. Poo isnt a problem and isn't smelly, so i didnt bother with garlic, and my breeder didnt tell us to put anything in water.. the man also said that i shouldnt be giving the girls mealworms as it stops them laying.

i've got 6 bantams and 2 hybrids! and aparently theres not enough room! but then he changes and says that i cant let them free range! ahh some people really annoy me.

am i a bad chicken mother?

[sewitall]

Please don't let this person upset you. You give them everything they need and more. Not every chicken gets to eat mealworms or gets a chance to get on a bit of grass. If your chickens are laying and they are heathy then there is no problem. He has just got a different opinion on how to keep chickens. It's a bit like allotment owners - each vegetable grower will give you a different version of the right way to grow runner beans.

[Mollie333]

Thank-you.

This really got me down.

I've had chickens since december 09, and now have 8. (owned 1O in total..)

and ready for some more. All my girls are healthy.

[Daffodill]

That man is as mad as a bag of frogs-take no notice. Just because you do things differently to him doesnt mean you are wrong and he is right -everyone is different

[Tutti Frutti]

NO you are not.

 

He's a doughnut, an interfering old busy body. Glad your dad stuck up for you. Hope he refused to sell him the car!!! Or at least refused a discount

 

Chin up Mollie, your a good girl who's doing brilliantly

 

Forget the silly old wotsit. What a waster!

[Chucky Mama]

How very rude of him He sounds like a bully. Is your dad on your side? I wasn't sure from your post - he should be as you are doing nothing wrong. My chickens get no supplements (bit of calcium a few weeks ago for softies) and free range all day. I don't add any grit as their pellets, free ranging and the grit that they pick up naturally in the garden provide a natural balanced diet. Mealworms stopping them laying if it was that easy all of those with chickens that are having expensive hormone implants to stop them laying would be feeding mealworms instead I don't know how big your set up is but everything else that he has said is nonesense

[knackered]

Some people are just rude. I have noticed that gentlemen of a certain age love telling people (especially women) how to do things. I guess he thought he was trying to help - you should feel sorry for his lack of social skills!

I live quite near you - near Alfreton *waves*

[DebC]

Ignore him! He was just rude (and if this wasn't a family forum I'd be using lots of expletives about him!) He's probably never been near a chicken before!

 

Your girls are happy and healthy, and it's great that you care for aminals so well. We all learn ways of dealing with idiots like him. You'll soon have some great "put downs" for his type Insults to hair, clothes and the car (sorry to your dad as he was looking at buying a car from him) he drives are a starting point!

 

Bet you've already thought of some great ones. Let is know what they are

[rachael_farnsworth]

I'd have told him *exactly* where to go!

 

You are doing fine. My girls don't have tonics and all that stuff - and they are happy, happy little ladies. Ignore him - I know it's hard and I would've been really upset too - you're a great chicken mum and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

[Mollie333]

my dads on my side, cause he looks after the girls too.

thanks everyone, i love Omlet, its like a secand family!

[miss_spent]

That is really mean of him. Sounds like at 13 you know more than him! Chin up and go watch your girls - that will cheer you up x

[Nicho]

as mad as a bag of frogs:

 

I agree. This is going to be my new favourite saying by the way.

 

I have spoken to so many people recently about chickens as I have only just started as an omleteer, and some people tell you so much nonsense it is untrue.

 

I tend to just play things by ear. You'll soon know if you are not doing something right but it sounds to me that you have some very well loved chicks.

[Cinnamon]

as mad as a bag of frogs:

 

I agree. This is going to be my new favourite saying by the way.

 

.

 

I prefer 'As mad as a sack of wet hens'

[Lewis]

Ignore him!

 

FRing is a luxury some hens don't get, nothing wrong with it at all.

I don't use tonics all the time, just when they need a pick me up after a moult etc.

 

Just make sure you worm them regularly and everything else should be fine!

[bethany]

Some people it makes them look clever imparting their wisdom upon others, especially younger people. I'm 21, a few years ago a man tried having a go at me for keeping a 'dangerous pitbull' on a long lead... my dog is a lurcher.... Age means nothing, some people are just thick. You sound like a very responsible and grown up 13 year old and I'm sure that your chickens are very happy and well cared for. Don't listen to stupid people who try to convince you otherwise!

[squidsin]

If you are 13 now, it won't be for a good while...but you wait until you have a baby! Random strangers think it's fine to come up to you and give you personal advice that's actually just rude. One woman came up to me in the street, gestured at my baby, and said 'I hope he's wearing suncream.' He was - but still, how rude?! Anyway, the point of this is, some people just can't resist giving you loads of unwanted advice that's unnecessary and just wrong half the time. It's because they are interfering busybodies. Ignore them!

[Plum]

Great answers for you Mollie. Don't let him get you down.

 

Hello Ilkeston and Alfreton, I'm at Belper that squares the circle

[jennydavies]

He's "Mad as a barrel of Monkeys" a good old East London saying, ignore the silly fool and carry on as you are. If you were doing something wrong - you wouldn't have 8 healthy, happy girls. Some people just love to poke their nose in where it's simply not needed, you know what you are doing and by the way, you come across as being a very responsible chicken mummy for a young lady

[Mollie333]

Thankyou Jennydavies, that means alot!

[Mollie333]

Hello, Belper, Alfreton and Ilkeston!

I live really close to Ilkeston!

Glad to know theres more Omleteers around Derby!

[the-real-tinkerbell]

dont let it worry you at all

my son is 11 and knows more abou tthe chickens than i do ,some people just feel the need to try and push bad advice on people ,it sounds like you are doinf a great job

 

oh and im the other side of ilkeston ,in sandiacre