Chortle Chook Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 I suppose that any wave reaches a peak and I was wondering if people think chicken keeping has reached its one It seems to me that perhaps there are fewer posts on this forum than there used to be Anyone else noticed this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HennyPenny59 Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 I havn't noticed any decline in posts on the Omlet Forum as i've only been a member since July this year, but what I have observed is a considerable number of people selling, or even giving away their coops with chickens on the free classified sites, which suggests to me they are completely giving up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackian Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 I think that what chicken keepers write on here is so entertaining , helpful, sad,inspiring etc., that maybe others read and don't write ..Maybe they feel they don't need to . The other thing about it reaching it's peak it is a bit like growing your own veg .(I have had 2 allotments for years) last year people took up allotments because it was like the fashionable thing to do but it was not for them and a magic wand was not waved and the fruit and veg did not appear ,the allotments have become overgrown and they have packed it in . The same i think for chicken keeping you either love it and get obsessed like us ...and want more or find it was a fad thing and lost interest.I know a couple of people near me that have rehomed theirs because they messed up the garden/too much poo/made a noise etc., Maybe more written in the winter when people have more time in doors. That is my view ,not sure what others think . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 You might be right Shabby Chic. I had been wondering if there were less posts on the forum, but then I thought perhaps I was spending more time on here than before so it just seemed like less posts?! (If that makes sense!) I suppose with any hobby/interest that becomes popular quite quickly, there will always be those who try it and keep going and those who try it for a while and then give up. I must admit, with all the mud this year I could quite happily have given up as the mud, mess and smell was REALLY getting me down. However I have (quite literally) ploughed on and decided to add 4 more girlies. Morehens disease indeed! In all honesty I can't imagine life without them, but nothing can prepare you for the mess and mud, the expense, the sadness of losing each hen that passes and I can quite easily see how so many people don't stick at chicken keeping. I think I'd find it a LOT easier if I had more space to keep the girls so they weren't constantly churning up the same ground, but we manage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red girl Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 I have to admit i like to read everybodys posts but don't post alot myself I love my girls and suffer from Morehens disease if only i had more space but i can understand why people give up as i have had some heartbreaking moments with my girls. I had to have 3 pts over the last year and have had to deal with bullying,feathering plucking,lice,limping and a cut on 1 girls back that took forever to heal but couldn't imagine being without them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suebee Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Hi all, I'm ashamed to say, I haven't posted since the year dot, but come on here nearly every evening, and love reading everyone else's posts! Having read this thread, I will I'm sure, contribute more. The forum is the friendliest place to meet other chicken-obsessed folk, and also to pick up some very good advice. I shouldn't take you all for granted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 I am not sure that the number of posts on here is related to the overall number of people keeping hens. A lot of people buy hens/coops for the first time in the spring, and that usually causes an increase in posting with queries, although that's guesswork on my part, I'll admit, and not based on any evidence! Anyone able to remember the 1970s will recall there was a rise in 'self sufficiency' books, and that's why the tv comedy The Good Life came into being, to reflect the growing interest in this. There was, I believe, a corresponding growth in the number of people becoming beekeepers at that time. I think we've just gone through another spike of that, and probably there are a lot of people who got excited about keeping hens/bees/growing veg, bought the kit, and then discovered that it's not always sunny (especially not this year) and that it's not really for them. I bet there's still quite a lot of that number who are hooked, however, and will carry on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Chooky Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 It seems to me that perhaps there are fewer posts on this forum than there used to be Anyone else noticed this? Well given that posts on this Forum can be accessed by anyone out there in Cyberspace (why is that?!), there are more lurkers than contributors I'm a member of 2 other Forums and you can only view posts if you're a member and therefore obviously once you've signed in. On one of them, you have to make a minimum of 3 posts a month or you lose your membership and have to re-activate your membership by posting frequently again. When I joined it I thought that was a bit dictatorial but having been an active member of that Forum for 3 years now, I know that it's that very thing that keeps the Forum alive and fresh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Well given that posts on this Forum can be accessed by anyone out there in Cyberspace (why is that?!), there are more lurkers than contributors. The forum started out as a 'private forum, ie open only to those who had bought Eglus. As chicken keeping became more fashionable, Omlet decided to open it to all comers, as it is a powerful advertising tool. Membership is still required to post. but now anyone can benefit from the knowledge base here. I reckon that because of the recession, fewer people have the money available to embark on chicken keeping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Well I'm still as keen as ever on my chooks. I still have people asking me about setting up with chicken keeping, I don't think the interest is declining. I'm sure there is some truth in your comment about the recession Egluntyne and maybe cheaper housing is being chosen. Is less posts making your job easier? We'll have to do something about that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
counturchickens Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I have only been keeping hens since 2010 but can't imagine not doing so. We also had a couple of allotments, and have now moved house to one with a big garden mainly to accommodate more hens and veg! I'm not sure whether the interest is declining, maybe for some it is a fad, but I expect not for the regular contributors to the forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LottyJ1 Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Me too I have only had chooks since 2010 and I love it and can't see my garden without their cute funny faces! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reikiranf Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I've kept chooks for 4 years and I love them and until a short while ago I couldn't imagine not having any but, I have to admit that I'm not sure I'll get more girlies when my current ones go, which I hope won't be for a long time! But circumstances do change. I used to see them as pets and the eggs were a bonus, but I don't work now so money is an issue, my DH & DS can't eat eggs and I only eat the yolks so I give most of the eggs away Also I now have a Grandson and another grandchild on the way, and I like to let the girls free range the whole garden but trying to keep my Grandson away from the poop was like mission impossible, no matter how much we poo picked he would always manage to find more! My girls are real characters, and have always kept us amused, they terrorize the cats and any wild bird that dares to land in our garden, Fifi has a habit of mugging people for their food which is hilarious and she's partial to a cup of tea But lately since Skye has been moulting Dottie and Fifi really turned on her and were ripping out the feathers that didn't fall out and poor Skye was too scared to come out of the Eglu to eat or drink. I resorted to putting bumper bits on them which has sorted out the problem, but the bullying really upset me and stressed me out, and since losing both of my parents in a short space of time I don't deal well with stress, so I may not replace them, although I don't know if I'll just have a break for a few years whilst the Grandchildren are young or whether it will be permanent. I shall always be grateful to Omlet though, as this site is fab and has helped me all the way with my girls and I've been to a couple of meets and made some great friends Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I agree that the forum seems less busy than it used to (I remember times when it seemed impossible to keep up with posts) my theory is that in its infancy, the Omlet forum was growing very quickly in terms of members as well as posts, we all knew each other and it was rather like a friendly cafe where folks dropped in for a chat. Over time, people new to chicken keeping asked lots of questions, the repository of information built up and it began (or so I think) to be browsed more as a reference library than used by regular posters for a natter. As with all things, some of the original members moved on, although not necessarily from chicken keeping, and new groups started up. The general ambience has changed, and I think the use of the forum has changed too, but looking at the way a local chicken keeping business is thriving, and going by attendance levels on chicken keeping courses, I think that it is still a growing industry as opposed to one on a decline. But then that's only my opinion... for what it's worth..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Interesting question. I always take 2 of my girls to our allotment fairs and find I am still getting a lot of interest from people wanting to keep chickens. I hand out Omlet leaflets (always explaining that other types of coop/run are available) but adding that, after much research, I bought from Omlet due to the ease of keeping things clean which saves time and money in the long run, despite a bigger initial outlay. I know personally of someone locally who gave up chicken keeping because they couldn't go away as much as they wanted to. On the other hand I also get people coming back and telling me they have now got their hens as a result of talking to me at a previous show and are really happy with them. I think the bandwagon may have slowed down, but there is still a steady stream of people new to chicken keeping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 For those of us breeding poultry I think we recognised that the peak was a couple of years ago and things have been declining since Having said that I dont think that the reduced traffic on forums is completely due to that I think its because of the rise of the Facebook group What I do think is great is that a lot of those who got chickens in the 'boom' and who have stuck with them are now looking for ways to take their hobby further and so there is definitely an increase in interest in poultry showing with people starting to show their pets or attempt to breed their own winners so thats very positive for the future of poultry keeping as so many of the pure bred poultry sold in the UK will have parents/grandparents etc that have come from a dedicated poultry breeder/exhibitor I dont think the wet summer this year has helped things in general though and I think thats stopped people taking on chickens so when you consider that some people have given up because of the weather too its not really surprising that we have seen a bit of a dip in interest overall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted November 14, 2012 Author Share Posted November 14, 2012 I dont think the wet summer this year has helped things in general though and I think thats stopped people taking on chickens so when you consider that some people have given up because of the weather too its not really surprising that we have seen a bit of a dip in interest overall I agree that the wet summer has not helped. There hasn't been the same 'sitting out with a glass of something nice in hand to watch the chickens' and that probably cuts down on both the funny stories and the number of photos we see on here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 There are also a lot of forums now. So maybe folks spread a bit thinner.??? I tend to not be bout on the summer so much as I am in the garden with my girls, I can access the forum on my phone but as anyone might have noticed posting replys gets a tad difficult resulting in some weird typos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowjedi Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 I've been keeping chickens only since May of this year and I did find that I was looking at a and posting on the forum a lot more in the beginning than I do now. Mind you, I think that it's more because I've had a lot going on for the last few months so haven't had time to get online much. I still have my chicken-keeping mojo - love them to bits. In fact, since I last posted my flock has increased from 2 to 4 - I inherited a couple when my dad died in August (and another cat). OH couldn't really say no in those circumstances! So on top of everything else I've had a busy time introducing 2 new chickens (without having the resources to accommodate them in a separate house/run). It was a case of throwing them all together and seeing what happened - despite all advice to the contrary on this forum! Luckily, all has gone far better than I expected - no fighting/pecking, just a little bullying. I do still have to give my Columbine her treats separately from the others or they barge her away, and she tends to lay her eggs in secret places that take days for us to find, but apart from that they have settled down incredibly well. I will try to be more active going forward as this is such a helpful place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 I don't post on here as much as I used too as it was usually to ask for advice if I had a problem, now I can thankfully sort things out myself. I wonder if people give up as those who got chickens because it was the latest trend have found out its not as easy as they thought it would be. It takes a lot of dedication especially when its cold and wet outside to go out every day and look after hens especially when things don't always go to plan ie, red mite, illness, rats etc etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
