Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[BDutch]

I think that's a misreading. ManueB cares for her chickens more than most people on BYC, and most people would (sensibly, in my view) put relationships with partners above a relatively minor restriction on their chickens' freedom of movement.

Thanks for putting that right Perris. I thought I probably misunderstood Shadrachs comment and didn't dare to respond.

 

[Shadrach]

I think that's a misreading.

Possibly.

ManueB cares for her chickens more than most people on BYC,

Most people on BYC don't keep chickens because they like the creature. What they care about is eggs.
If chickens didn't lay eggs this site wouldn't even exist.
The entire backyard chicken movement has very little to do with the love of chickens. it's about how to keep chickens in largely unsuitable conditions in order harvest the eggs the hens lay, and/or provide a source of meat.

As for the relationship stuff; I wouldn't know. I'm not very good at it.

 

[RoyalChick]

Possibly.

Most people on BYC don't keep chickens because they like the creature. What they care about is eggs.
If chickens didn't lay eggs this site wouldn't even exist.

Is this a statistical analysis of posts on BYC, or just a turn of phrase used to convey your disdain?
I have to say my impression is the opposite.
It seems to me that the majority of people who are active on BYC view them as cuddly pets.
I am not debating keeping conditions just my impression of why people keep chickens derived from the threads I see started on BYC.

 

[Shadrach]

Is this a statistical analysis of posts on BYC, or just a turn of phrase used to convey your disdain?

Neither.

It seems to me that the majority of people who are active on BYC view them as cuddly pets.

You have a much kinder view of people then me.
I don't think one can judge by the active members on BYC many who originally got chickens for their eggs and after found that there was rather more to the chicken than an egg laying machine. It's interesting to note that the majority of the current educators who I assume have a greater knowledge and experience of chicken keeping keep their chickens free range/ ranging.
I think one learns to appreciate the chicken from exposure to them. I can't think of anything about chickens bar their fluffy appearance that would make one think they make sweet cuddly pets.
There is a world of difference between how people perceive chickens and what chickens are in fact like. A more violent, disagreeable, none cuddly, selfish domesticated creature would be hard to imagine.

 

[Perris]

cat, anybody?

 

[ManueB]

I am not going to justify myself about whether I care or not for my chickens, or if I think they are "just" chickens. You all followed the thread for a long time so think what you think.
I am more interested in debating the question of whether or not I/we give them appropriate care, if they get what's required for their well being. And whether keeping them locked in the chicken yard for several months during spring and summer for the main part of the day will make a big impact on that.

I do want to say one thing is certain, whatever the flaws, the chicken's situation would get worse if my partner and I separated. Neither of us would remain here. I would have at best to live in suburbia, at worse in Nice, and get a part time job back. My partner would have to get a full time job and would likely not be able to keep any chickens, or only in a coop and run situation. We would have to split and re-home part of the flock ; the roosters and older hens would be in trouble.
When I say I don't want to argue, what I mean is I don't want to get to such a point of disagreement that this becomes possible. They maybe just chickens but we got close to that with the roosters issue because I insisted so much on keeping both.

I have hope that the restrictions to the chickens freedom with a fence around the chicken yard would still allow them a good amount of range time. My partner works two days a week so on these two days I could spend most of the time watching them. They would only be really confined in the chicken yard when we have full days of work. And, they do anyway spend a good amount of the day there in spring and summer because that's where they can have some shade. They would like to range maybe three hours before roosting, which are the hours when we water the garden. But last year I needed to watch them anyway at that time because of the roosters fighting, so I believe I could make myself available most days.

Still, I think fencing the garden would be a better solution. But my partner is so opposed to fencing. I will quote how much it would cost to use electrical netting around each of the three gardens. That would have the advantage of helping against the boar if it managed to get in the property 's fence. I'm afraid the price will be out of my possibilities because we will need three batteries.

 

[RoyalChick]

Neither.

You have a much kinder view of people then me.
I don't think one can judge by the active members on BYC many who originally got chickens for their eggs and after found that there was rather more to the chicken than an egg laying machine. It's interesting to note that the majority of the current educators who I assume have a greater knowledge and experience of chicken keeping keep their chickens free range/ ranging.
I think one learns to appreciate the chicken from exposure to them. I can't think of anything about chickens bar their fluffy appearance that would make one think they make sweet cuddly pets.
There is a world of difference between how people percieve chickens and what chickens are in fact like. A more violent, disagreeable, none cuddly, selfish domesticated creature would be hard to imagine.

Perris beat me to it with cat: natural born killers who interact with their human servants on their own terms.
I find many similarities between the two species.
I wasn’t questioning your assertion that free range keeping is superior to 10ft square per bird in a cage.
As you know I don’t do either of those.
What has struck me though is that if you read those interviews and new member introductions, it seems that a very high proportion of people remark on how they enjoy the ‘personalities’ of their chickens.
That says to me they see them as sentient beings, each with their own character, rather than egg laying machines.

 

[RoyalChick]

I am not going to justify myself about whether I care or not for my chickens, or if I think they are "just" chickens. You all followed the thread for a long time so think what you think.
I am more interested in debating the question of whether or not I/we give them appropriate care, if they get what's required for their well being. And whether keeping them locked in the chicken yard for several months during spring and summer for the main part of the day will make a big impact on that.

I do want to say one thing is certain, whatever the flaws, the chicken's situation would get worse if my partner and I separated. Neither of us would remain here. I would have at best to live in suburbia, at worse in Nice, and get a part time job back. My partner would have to get a full time job and would likely not be able to keep any chickens, or only in a coop and run situation. We would have to split and re-home part of the flock ; the roosters and older hens would be in trouble.
When I say I don't want to argue, what I mean is I don't want to get to such a point of disagreement that this becomes possible. They maybe just chickens but we got close to that with the roosters issue because I insisted so much on keeping both.

I have hope that the restrictions to the chickens freedom with a fence around the chicken yard would still allow them a good amount of range time. My partner works two days a week so on these two days I could spend most of the time watching them. They would only be really confined in the chicken yard when we have full days of work. And, they do anyway spend a good amount of the day there in spring and summer because that's where they can have some shade. They would like to range maybe three hours before roosting, which are the hours when we water the garden. But last year I needed to watch them anyway at that time because of the roosters fighting, so I believe I could make myself available most days.

Still, I think fencing the garden would be a better solution. But my partner is so opposed to fencing. I will quote how much it would cost to use electrical netting around each of the three gardens. That would have the advantage of helping against the boar if it managed to get in the property 's fence. I'm afraid the price will be out of my possibilities because we will need three batteries.

How big is the perimeter of the veg gardens? When I did the electric fence I bought the most basic solar charger - mainly because I wasn’t sure I would be clever enough to set it up and so I thought the experiment might fail.
That solar charger says it can do 5 miles of fence.

 

[ManueB]

How big is the perimeter of the veg gardens? When I did the electric fence I bought the most basic solar charger - mainly because I wasn’t sure I would be clever enough to set it up and so I thought the experiment might fail.
That solar charger says it can do 5 miles of fence.

That would be more than enough but the problem is going up and down the wall. I'm not sure we'd manage a way so that power would still go through- I know it doesn't work with my neighbour's netting.
Edited : I just had a look around to measure and the wall can be avoided on both sides. I think it could be doable with just one battery.

 

[RoyalChick]

That would be more than enough but the problem is going up and down the wall. I'm not sure we'd manage a way so that power would still go through- I know it doesn't work with my neighbour's netting.

Happy to share ideas over PM so as not to clutter your thread. I have become quite adept at linking bits of electric fence and wire.
Basic concept is that you can link two separate electrified areas using insulated ground wire.
That way the same charger can electrify more than one fenced area at a distance.
It is the same way I can have my fence charger at quite some distance from my fence. It is solar so it needs sun, but the chickens like to have shade so their area is under the trees. I link the two areas with a length of insulated wire designed to be buried. Mine is not buried but runs along the ground in an old garden hose so I can find it easily and move it if I want to.