Fugly Farm

[Molpet]

You know how the Universe likes to throw you a curve ball every now and then? Well, we caught a doozy...I've been layed off, my last day at work is 2/28. I'm terrified of course, and angry and hurt. I've been there 16 years.

I'm also relieved in a way. I hated my job. I'm not at all pro corporation and people are horrific. When you don't have to look a person in the eye you can say or write whatever you want. The interwebs are the worst, but working a phone is a very close second.

As a result I'm downsizing my flock. I've decided to keep only the 2 Nn pullets from my last hatch and process the rest of those chicks at 16 to 20 weeks. Jr will have 6 girls and the whole flock will be Nn to some degree.

I'm stepping back from processing our birds for meat. If we get a broody we'll hatch and process or keep pullets for eggs but I'm not working to produce larger birds as a project.

I'd already been considering these changes. Having this many birds is a LOT of work. Coop chores, yard cleanup, feed costs. I can't go anywhere without finding a sitter and it's getting old. I'm not enjoying my chickens so it's time to cut back. Also, my diet is already heavily plant based and I'm gradually moving Igor in that direction with meat as a side. This is both for cost and health reasons really. I have nothing against eating meat. Killing something to eat it has had an impact on this decision too. I can do it, I will do it if necessary, but I don't like it.

The chickens will help with weed control and they're wonderful for helping with the compost pile. Maybe I'll finally get an automatic pop door from all that savings on feed and we won't be quite so tied down. Maybe I'll expand my gardens and put a bunny in the mini coop. We'll see where life takes us...

Sorry for the layoff
Has to stink after all those years, even if it was a stinky job

 

[RUNuts]

Best wishes and plan on landing on your feet! If you so desire, apply for unemployment as soon as possible. Another painful experience, but the sooner the ball is rolling...

I was laid off after 18 months with relocation. Very mixed blessing that humbled me. It got me to where I am today, 15 years later. Painful path, but here none the less.

Count your blessings, play with the puppies and ponder chickens.
Thinking the back 2 are pullets and Fuzzy in front is the only cockerel.

 

[igorsMistress]

Thanks all. It was a shock, and my feelings were so mixed I didn't really react for a while.

@N F C I'm going to look for something outside of insurance. I'm seriously considering applying at a garden center or local nursery, maybe have a work at home side hustle I can do online when it's convenient. No more phone.

@Molpet it's a weird situation for sure.

@RUNuts. I agree with your assessment on those chicks. They're so darn cute! Life is full of surprises and changes, roll with it right? I get a severance package, don't know what that looks like yet. As I recall it may require I don't file for unemployment so I'm waiting to see what they offer.

I feel particularly bad for some of the others that lost their jobs. My department and several others with similar responsibilities were downsized, but I have a friend who has been with the company 40 years and her job went to India. Pretty darn nasty imo.

 

[RUNuts]

I feel particularly bad for some of the others that lost their jobs. My department and several others with similar responsibilities were downsized, but I have a friend who has been with the company 40 years and her job went to India. Pretty darn nasty imo.

I talked with some of my former coworkers a month afterwards, moral dropped and work loads increased as they figure out what they didn't really need and can't do everything. I landed quick because family - was not an improvement.

A garden center sounds great! Low stress. If you don't like the retail side of it, nurseries can be less retail oriented. DD#1 is looking at biology internships to get experience (recently graduated) and it sounds nice. Low pay, dirty work, manual labor but I'm proud that she wants field experience and has shown she will get dirty. I'm tempted to go back to college. Funny how plans change, huh? I wanted a double major with biology being the one that dropped.

 

[igorsMistress]

I talked with some of my former coworkers a month afterwards, moral dropped and work loads increased as they figure out what they didn't really need and can't do everything. I landed quick because family - was not an improvement.

A garden center sounds great! Low stress. If you don't like the retail side of it, nurseries can be less retail oriented. DD#1 is looking at biology internships to get experience (recently graduated) and it sounds nice. Low pay, dirty work, manual labor but I'm proud that she wants field experience and has shown she will get dirty. I'm tempted to go back to college. Funny how plans change, huh? I wanted a double major with biology being the one that dropped.

We've landed with family before, it wasn't a great experience.
Congratulations to your daughter! It's good she's willing to get out there and work hard. Sometimes that hands on experience is the best teacher.
Is the Biology degree a gial or would you put it to use in some way?(sometimes I just like to learn something for the sake of knowledge itself)

 

[N F C]

Thanks all. It was a shock, and my feelings were so mixed I didn't really react for a while.

@N F C I'm going to look for something outside of insurance. I'm seriously considering applying at a garden center or local nursery, maybe have a work at home side hustle I can do online when it's convenient. No more phone.

@Molpet it's a weird situation for sure.

@RUNuts. I agree with your assessment on those chicks. They're so darn cute! Life is full of surprises and changes, roll with it right? I get a severance package, don't know what that looks like yet. As I recall it may require I don't file for unemployment so I'm waiting to see what they offer.

I feel particularly bad for some of the others that lost their jobs. My department and several others with similar responsibilities were downsized, but I have a friend who has been with the company 40 years and her job went to India. Pretty darn nasty imo.

No more phones sounds like a really good idea! When I took early retirement from an insurance job, I looked for anything other than working in an office. Found out I actually enjoyed working retail in smaller, gift-type shops. Explore everything and check out what most most sparks your curiosity...here's a chance to do what you'd find interesting!

Ugh, that poor person that had been here 40 years. That's harsh, I sincerely hope things work out for her too.

 

[BlueBaby]

You know how the Universe likes to throw you a curve ball every now and then? Well, we caught a doozy...I've been layed off, my last day at work is 2/28. I'm terrified of course, and angry and hurt. I've been there 16 years.

I'm also relieved in a way. I hated my job. I'm not at all pro corporation and people are horrific. When you don't have to look a person in the eye you can say or write whatever you want. The interwebs are the worst, but working a phone is a very close second.

As a result I'm downsizing my flock. I've decided to keep only the 2 Nn pullets from my last hatch and process the rest of those chicks at 16 to 20 weeks. Jr will have 6 girls and the whole flock will be Nn to some degree.

I'm stepping back from processing our birds for meat. If we get a broody we'll hatch and process or keep pullets for eggs but I'm not working to produce larger birds as a project.

I'd already been considering these changes. Having this many birds is a LOT of work. Coop chores, yard cleanup, feed costs. I can't go anywhere without finding a sitter and it's getting old. I'm not enjoying my chickens so it's time to cut back. Also, my diet is already heavily plant based and I'm gradually moving Igor in that direction with meat as a side. This is both for cost and health reasons really. I have nothing against eating meat. Killing something to eat it has had an impact on this decision too. I can do it, I will do it if necessary, but I don't like it.

The chickens will help with weed control and they're wonderful for helping with the compost pile. Maybe I'll finally get an automatic pop door from all that savings on feed and we won't be quite so tied down. Maybe I'll expand my gardens and put a bunny in the mini coop. We'll see where life takes us...

Sorry that happened to you. Is there a way that you can find something that you can do to work for yourself instead of for someone else? It doesn't seem to be a good thing to work for other people these day's especially when you are older. Those companies will get rid of you so that they won't have to pay you retirement.

 

[igorsMistress]

Sorry that happened to you. Is there a way that you can find something that you can do to work for yourself instead of for someone else? It doesn't seem to be a good thing to work for other people these day's especially when you are older. Those companies will get rid of you so that they won't have to pay you retirement.

I'm still in the exploratory phase. We need to have medical insurance, not sure what to do about that; I have to consider things carefully and look at my options.

 

[BlueBaby]

I'm still in the exploratory phase. We need to have medical insurance, not sure what to do about that; I have to consider things carefully and look at my options.

I'm sure that you will figure out something that will best fit your need's.

 

[igorsMistress]

I'm sure that you will figure out something that will best fit your need's.

Thank you!