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We have raised a few hens at our hobby farm over the years. The eggs are nice and all, but they're actually quite fragile animals, and then you go and get attac
by cmrdporcupine 2y ago
We have raised a few hens at our hobby farm over the years. The eggs are nice and all, but they're actually quite fragile animals, and then you go and get attached to them and they get suddenly sick and slowly die on you in horrible ways. And veterinary care for backyard chickens is seriously problematic and difficult to get and expensive.
My wife fell seriously in love with keeping chickens and it kind of emotionally broke her. Always tried so hard to do things right, and something has always gone wrong.
I wouldn't advise it, personally, to most people.
Ducks are apparently a bit more resilient though. And duck eggs are great.
- colechristensen 2y agoYes, raising animals requires the mindset of… raising animals. They’re not pets and life happens to them which most people are very disconnected from these days.
- cmrdporcupine 2y agoIt requires a level of detachment not everyone can accomplish. I brought them home, thinking that's how it would be. My wife fell in love with them, and basically stole them from me. And then it's been years of tears.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- s1artibartfast 2y agowhat are they dying of? I assume it isn't weather. I was shocked when my Wisconsin coworkers said their chickens handle -10F weather no problem in the winter.
- cmrdporcupine 2y agothere's just a pile of things. usually reproductive -- becoming egg bound, etc. there's parasites, viruses, bacterial infections. and being flock animals, they hide it, too. yeah some varieties of chicken are remarkably tough around cold which is crazy considering their original tropical origin.
- jessekv 2y agoFeathers are incredible technology.
- xaldir 2y agoDucks are noisy. And stinky unless you have a medium/large pond. On the plus side they are indeed resilient and can forage a good portion of their food.