Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[memphisto]

One of my friends, she's lovely, she really is, a fantastic friend all the works, couldn't ask for more from her, except maybe a little bit of common sense.

 

She rang me earlier saying 'I've got a chicken'. I didn't know she was thinking about it but each to their own and really happy she has done it. Except, she asked me to go and help set her up.

 

She's bought a tiny rabbit hutch (an ark one), the run is about 60cm long to keep the solitary chicken in and she doesn't want to let it FR as it'll 'wreck her stones and bark display'. She's bought nothing in the way of feed, bedding, so I came home, got my stuff, set it up for her, whilst she took her chicken in a box to see her Mum. She came back when it was dusk, so the poor girl wanted to go to bed. It looks like a Welsummer but I'm not 100% sure. She then wasn't happy the poor chicken wanted to go to bed, she reckons it should 'play' with her, poor mites been uprooted from god knows where, she said she was passing a place and saw chickens for sale so she bought one.

 

She then seemed completely insulted when she mentioned that the place tried to make her buy 2, saying they thought she was made of money, No, I explained, they like company. 'Oh I REALLY don't want two, they make a mess' what was she thinking getting one if that's her attitude? She knows, from seeing my set up, the girls love one another, they love being around me, the love FR.

 

She seems completely unaware what she's taken on and I reckon either she'll end up taking the poor thing back in a day or so or I'll be asked to have her, which I don't mind at all but it's just the circumstances and her attitude which have made my blood boil.

 

I left her with some harsh truths about her actions

[sandyhas3chucks]

how horribly frustrating for you. x

[jackian]

I read this thread out to my OH who loves our girls but has not quite got my passion

He was astounded We agreed that we would have been as upset as you.

What is it with these people who think it is "The in thing" to have chickens on a whim just because it is the the thing to do

I read an article the other day about a lady who got a couple of chickens and then because "everybody else sems to do it" raised her game to a bee hive instead

Keeping chickens is not something you do on a whim ,they have feelings like us. ...How sad.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Just as well she is a good friend and lovely in all other ways, as the way she's behaved here is terrible . Perhaps once she's had time to think about what you've told her, she'll realise the error of her ways. I would keep at her in a low-key, friendly manner and hopefully she'll see that what's she's doing isn't fair on this poor chicken .

 

Have you got any magazines/books you could leave lying around - perhaps she'll believe it if she sees it in print?

[memphisto]

I've given her my copy of this months Fancy Fowl and Your Chickens and sent her in the direction of Omlet but I get the impression she's not interested in the logistics, to put it crudely.

 

When I said she may not get any eggs til next year she said 'Well that's a bit pointless, isn't it?'

 

I'd rather have the girl myself than let it suffer or go back, I'll make that offer known as I don't want her to put chook through distress at any point, thank god for the bigger coop and the WIR extention OH is going to build on to it.

[memphisto]

What really hacked me off, to put it politely, is she carted chook off to her Mum's whilst I set it all up, she could have at least watched what I was doing, what I was using but no, if she thinks I'm going round to clean her chicken out for her, she's mistaken, I'll help her by all means, not do it for her though.

 

A chicken isn't a play thing you can cart round the houses

[Cheeky Chooky]

OMG poor chicken It's so hard when people don't listen or think things through, particularly when it concerns animals. From the comments your friend has made already, I wonder why on earth she thought she'd like a chicken? I hope she comes to her senses...and quickly, for the poor chook's sake

[not enough chickens]

unfortunaly i also have some one like this ,

hmm my boyfriends mother has fallen in love with my silkies and keeps saying how she wants one, but, dosnt want two as they make mess ,poo two much and is to garden proud so it wld be in a small run shared by her rabbits, (and she cant pick up poo shes very girly ), i hatched my own eggs this year and had 9 babys, she kept saying to me o0o0o the gold ones nice can i take it home, and could i steal some of your hay and food, i got really peed off vented to my boyfiend and decided too bad if we fall out over this so be it, im not giving her one of my hand reared babys and bedding and food for her t get bored of it and expect me t then take it back when it suits her told her, needless to say i didnt see her for a week or so after that as she thought i was being selfish and had enough to share , thing is she knows nothing about chickens and it wld have been miserable, so glad u lot alll have the same opion, as my boyfriend( who isnt here nor there bout my chicks ) said i was trying t pick fights grrrrrr

[memphisto]

I'm not as angry as I was earlier but not much calmer.

 

My OH is best friends with her OH, they've spoken about the chicken, I know where she bought it from now, we visited this seller a while back before we got the girls and I know he made it clear that if we were having hens, it would have to be two, unless we had more at home, he's still prefer to sell two but he couldn't force people to take two!

 

Anyway, OH said 'Look, we're not being funny, we're not judging you but this ins't the best set up for the chicken' Her OH agreed and thinks she's bonkers anyway. So, he's gently suggested to her OH that she should read up more about chickens, if she wants to keep her solitary chook, we'll lend her one of our coops as the Orpingtons will be moving home soon into big girl coop, until she gets her own. He said that really, she needs to go back and get a friend. If she decides not to keep chook, then we'll take the chicken, she can at least come and visit then.

 

I'm upset by it all at the moment, on the plus side, my appenzeller is getting a friend tomorrow morning, so hopefully she won't be so introverted and isolated, plus my beloved has bought me for Christmas, thinking of starting up a hen sitting service in the new year and this is my first acquisition for this venture.

[Cheeky Chooky]

Try not to feel too upset about it...hopefully she'll see sense Good luck with your new venture!

[House MD 221B]

(this post has been edited as I misread the date the OP made the thread, and mistook the joined date as the post date.)

 

Hi there, I must confess I very much hope the poor chook gets re-homed with more sisters, rather than being kept in isolation, I must admit if the seller knew she didn't have any others, I'd be very disappointed and would question their standards.

 

Personally I'd give her the money she paid for it, and take it. I don't blame you for being upset, she clearly has no idea how to look after a chicken, or indeed what a chicken's natural behaviour and social aptitude is. And it's unconscionably cruel to keep it as it is.

 

Also good luck with the chicken sitting service!

[Chicken shack]

When you think how we spoil our girls and the lives others have to endure. I had to go shopping yesterday and left OH to close the run doors and make sure all were in side. When I returned after dark he announced they are all locked away but 1 was in the and 8 in the . Now my 3 ex batts have never perched or been up a ladder so I dashed out to check and 1 poor ex-batt was right at the back of the run and had not used the ladder, another had made it and the 3rd was all alone in the . I had to crawl and climb my way to the back of the run while OH held the torch. I managed to get hold of her and become stuck. I wrigled on my belly and heaved my self up and popped her in the . I had intended to put her in the so she could keep the lone one company but would never had made it out holding a chicken. Because they free range all day and the runs are covered with clear tarp it was'nt so bad just a bit dusty. It could have been worse if it had been wet and smelly. I felt really guilty because I had to leave one all alone for the night and was down there at 7am to let them all out together. No harm was done but I made sure they were where they should be tonight. OH said there is never and camera about when you need one.

[memphisto]

Aww Chicken Shack, what a lovely chicken mum you are, it is amazing what lengths we'll go to for our chickens to make sure they are safe, happy and well cared for.

 

I bet your OH isn't going to let you live that one down in a hurry!

 

I can hand on heart say my girls are a huge part of my life, I'd never inadvertently let them suffer in any way, my concern in that vein is that if one gets ill, they can be so good at hiding it that I might not recognise it, but I assume recognising things such as this all comes with experience.

[Sammiboo]

things like this really annoys me. People wanting the latest 'in' thing.. I hate people who buy pets for thier selfish needs and do not research it. I have wanted chickens for years and my OH finally gave in this year. My girls are all well looked after, they cost me a fortune. And our latest dilemma is that one of the ex batts has a dodgy hip and living in the kitchen at the minute as the others are battering her. So to ensure she has a good quality of life then it may be costing me the sum of a classic and a couple of silkies to keep her company....

[memphisto]

It looks like we'll be taking it on, today takes the biscuit, she's said it's boring, just sits looking miserable. Hardly surprising, again reiterated I'll take her and she says 'Um, maybe that will be better and I can visit it', I told her to think about it, she'll let me know on Wednesday.....we may have a chicken of fate on Wednesday, good job we bought the huge coop and have just bought a second hand

[poppy ben grace]

Thank goodness this poor hen will hopefully find a good home with you. Sadly the world is full of people like this that get pets on a whim and just cant be bothered to take on the responsibility of caring for them. Hope it all works out.

[Cheeky Chooky]

This woman is unbelievable! It's boring and looks miserable?! No wonder! You must be a very patient person because I don't think I'd be able to keep my opinions to myself with someone like that, friend or not

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Didn't take her long to get bored, did it . Good thing, though, now the poor little mite can go to a good home .

[migsy]

She sounds incredibly immature and rather stupid. Sorry. I would be as mad as you - I'm sure she will hand it over. Let us know what happens.

[memphisto]

My OH has spoken to her OH about it again today, it looks almost certain we'll get little mite this week. Apparently she only wanted one because I had them.....that's not a good enough reason to get any thing,living or not IMO.

 

My OH put it across quite well to her OH, he said 'the chickens aren't just her pets,they're her life', not quite 100% true but sweet of him at least he's not jealous!

 

Mind you,if he could see, Maisy and Penny in the lounge eating apples he might not be so sweet about it!

[Cheeky Chooky]

Mind you,if he could see, Maisy and Penny in the lounge eating apples he might not be so sweet about it!

[jennydavies]

All I was waiting was for you to say she had bought one of those shoulder bags they carry designer poochies round in some people just do not live in the "real world" do they. Thankfully the little mite will have a proper home soon.

[Redwing]

When you get the hen its worth keeping it well away from the others for at least a week (many metres with no contact through wire) as its 'looking miserable' could be an illness. Try to borrow the hutch its in if you dont have anything else suitable, it wont have lots of space but it will be fine and allow you to evaluate the health of your newbie

[House MD 221B]

oh that is good news congrats, hopefully she won't repeat this stupid idea of hers again. (sorry I know she's a friend, but nevertheless a very thoughtless and irresponsible action) I hope it's looking miserable because it's on its own and not through ill health. Hopefully once she's got some sisters to scratch around with she'll perk up. even if she can just SEE them to know she's not alone.

[Egluntyne]

The story continues here.