oddest questions

[LadyA]

I'm sure you've all noticed the huge upsurge in new chicken keepers since covid? In one way it's great. In other ways, not so much. Seems so many just jump in, with no research and not much thought. One chicken group I'm in, a woman got some hens and then asked us what she needed for them! What did they eat? What kind of house would she need? etc.!
But my favourite was a new chicken owner who had a hen under the weather. Someone, they said, had told them to give a tonic. "Will any brand do, or is there a particular one I should use? How much should I give, and should I dilute it or just give it plain to them in their drinker? ..............(wait for it!).....Should I let it go flat first, or just give it straight out of the bottle?" They thought it was Tonic Water they should give the hens!

Everyone was extremely kind and polite in answering. But the person hasn't been back to the group, after apologising, and saying how very dumb they felt.

 

[dianefairhall]

Oh, Lady A - thank you for a *real* LOL! I needed that!

 

[bigyetiman]

We had someone ask us if the hens would be happy with tap water or should they buy Perrier water for them

 

[Marigold]

What puzzles me a bit is that several people over the last year or so have joined the forum, asked all the right questions, posted long threads with photos of the very hard work they’ve done overcoming problems, making runs and choosing coops and getting chickens, and had a lot of friendly advice and encouragement from us all. A few of them stay on, keep in touch, and join in discussions - but others just stop posting once they’re basically up and running. Do they feel they know it all and no more help is needed?
I’d love to know how some of them are getting on, especially the person last year who did all of the above, got to the stage of successfully getting some nice pullets, and then abruptly posted to say he was selling his expensive and lovely new run and rehoming his chickens. I did send him a private message but he never responded.

 

[Tweetypie]

I've been having several run-ins with people on an other forum who only join so they can get rid of the unwanted cockerels they bred. Every time I see the 'new home needed' or similar stating neighbours complaining, already bred 1 and they're fighting, or that it is seriously aggressive, I feel compelled to type "stop breeding them'. I am then met with nasty face icons and a message from admin asking me to refrain from 'being harsh'. It beggars belief.

Today, I looked at the profile of one of the idiots trying to get rid of an aggressive cockerel and saw that she was a serial seller of rabbits, puppies, lizards and chickens she had bred, not to mention the three kids she had 'bred' which I am sure would be up for sale if she could.

 

[LadyA]

Thankfully, the group I'm on tell people in no uncertain terms that they shouldn't hatch chick's unless they have a clear plan for all the cockerels they will have, because they won't find homes for them. The ones that get me are the ones who won't do the right thing for a hen thats very ill and suffering, trying to nurse them along, when it's patently obvious from the pics they post that the hen is past saving.
And every single time someone posts to ask about a hen that clearly has respiratory problems, some will pipe in saying "it's probably gapeworm. Dose her with ivermectin. "
Or, the ones who post about those general "unwell chicken" symptoms - tail down, neck pulled in - and every time, they're told "she's egg bound. Give her an Epson salt bath. "

Sometimes, I think I should say something. But mostly, I think "what's the point?"

Sent from my SM-A415F using Tapatalk

 

[Tweetypie]

OMG thats soooo true. Epsom salt baths...tylan etc etc.

One guy recommended "HOT bath, push finger in vent to see if there's an egg stuck". I am thinking to myself, I am relieved he isn't my gynaecologist

 

[Icemaiden]

07

 

[rick]

Oh dear! Would that be with ice and a slice?! FB drives me insane with all the diagnosis and opinion based on almost no information. I mean, we all know how subtle it can be when you are standing right next to a chicken that you know well to spot that they are behaving oddly and then trying to work out what might be wrong will take a good bit of observation and inspection. A line of text, a fuzzy photo and rising creepy crawly hysteria is enough to form a posse and go out with the torches!
But, to be fair, chicken keeping is a steep learning curve (at about 6 months in) and most have no idea of what is needed or what is a problem when setting out - otherwise when going out to buy a first coop and run you wouldn't be faced with woefully tiny set ups that are hugely over specified... and if you do do lots of homework before setting out then where did the info come from - FB probably. You kind of see that from the most canny ones who have been trawling for months to try to find a balanced take on it - and then still had to wrap it up after experiencing the reality and deciding that its not for them.

 

[Icemaiden]

I've got to say that one of the most useful posts that I've ever seen was the pinned post on this forum as to what "normal " chicken poos can look like!

 

[bigyetiman]

How about this for an odd question, not chicken related.

A much younger friend of ours on asked what her boyfriend did for a living replied "firefighter"
to which the person replied, " does he do that full time, or has he got a proper job, when he is not putting fires out"

 

[Margaid]

In an area like this that isn't such an odd question as the firefighters are all "retained" so are otherwise employed when not putting out fires. Shrewsbury (40 minutes away) and Hereford (50 minutes away) are the nearest, and only fire stations with full time crews.

 

[bigyetiman]

Round here they are all full time Can't think of any fire station locally where they are retained

 

[Margaid]

It's one of the downsides of living in a fairly rural area although I'm only half a mile from the A49. We have a fire station here but they are all retained. Ambulances have to travel for a minimum of 30 minutes to get here which is why I support the Air Ambulance!

 

[Hen-Gen]

All retained here to. That’s two ferrymen and the RSPB warden. Need one more though then we’ll have Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew and Grub.

 

[bigyetiman]

The news today brought back a memory of an American couple asking me " why on earth did the Royal family build Windsor castle right next to the airport with all that noise" I explained it was built many years before the aeroplane had been designed. To which they said "are you sure buddy, it looks kinda new"

 

[Icemaiden]

That'll be because of the huge indoor bbq that they had in 1993 or thereabouts... My husband flew over it on his way back from a work trip. He said it looked very dramatic...

 

[bigyetiman]

That was long before the BBQ.
I bet it looked impressive, I was on a rail replacement bus job at Greenwich when the Cutty Sark went up in flames, that was impressive. OH saw York Minster on fire