Chicken Whisperer Giving Away 1,000 Chicks at Decatur Farmers Market Next Saturday
Decatur Metro | August 20, 2010From the Decatur Farmer’s Market website…
The Chicken Whisperer is coming to Decatur Farmers Market on Aug 28th, from 9 – 1pm with 1,000 chicks to give away! The event is free to the public but donations are suggested for the chicks. All donations will go to East Atlanta Kids Club.
NEXT Sat – you’ve got a week to build your coop!
D’oh! Thanks.
Anyone who mentions this “opportunity” to my daughter is dead meat!
I’ve been known to pursue a hare-brained scheme or two, but this one is reminiscent of one of my all-time favorites.
http://vodpod.com/watch/2583965-wkrp-turkey-drop
As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.
Thank you, Daren! This is really one of television’s finest moments, made all the more piquant if you know that the turkey drop episode is based on a stunt that WQXI in Atlanta tried to pull off. They tossed live turkeys from an 18 wheeler in a shopping center parking lot. WKRP series created Hugh Wilson actually spent some time at WQXI and a lot of his ideas for the TV show were drawn from his experiences here.
I love Les Nessman. “Oh, the humanity!” =)
One of the funniest sitcoms ever.
Hate to say, but I don’t like this idea. Being originally from NE Georgia, I used to go on field trips to the chicken plants. At the end of the trip, every child would receive a chick to keep as a “pet.” Well, obviously chicks aren’t pets (especially in a suburban environment) and after a few days/weeks the chick would die or have to be “sent away” to “a farm” somewhere “to live.”
I certainly have no problem with the East Atlanta Kids Club raising money, but this isn’t a good way to do it.
+1
Not sitting on the fence here; my wife won some chicks at the chicken symposium some months ago–yes, one died, but now we have a nice coop and these five ladies give us 4-5 fresh eggs every day. We haven’t bought since they started laying.
[Usual DM sign off] I’m just sayin’.
I feel a little uncomfortable with it, too. It’s fine for people such as NG who understand the long-term responsibilities of keeping chickens and have properly prepared in advance, but many of these animals may end up getting adopted on impulse by people who think of them as toys and may unintentionally mistreat them. I’m not fond of animal give-away promotions.
I’m concerned too. I grew up on a chicken farm, so I know these birds need a LOT of care and proper medical attention at times. Just because you have your own chickens in your own coop does not guarantee the safety of their eggs (or meat). Food-source animals are a big responsibility; don’t get the idea that any and all are easy sources of fun and food.
I’m curious, what does guarantee the safety of our chickens eggs? Also, who said these birds aren’t given medical care, and why can’t I get my own ideas about fun and food?
This thread was about giving away chicks–which does seem a little irresponsible–that may die and may not, may find actual homes and may not, the responsibility falls on the receivers not you or me. I was injecting a comment that it can actually be a good thing to get some chicks, build a coop, and have chickens–they’re not alpacas, ostriches, or horses.
Lots of veterinary information, attention, and expenditure are needed to raise chickens properly and to “try” to guarantee the safety of their eggs and/or meat. You can have as many chickens as you want and eat any product thereof — by all means, go for it, it can be fun and educational. I’m just reminding everyone that it is not as “easy” as some people like to think. I talked to a chicken farmer three days ago who supplies pullets (not eggs) to one wholesaler. He said he spends enormous amounts on veterinary care and associated costs. He also said that the wholesaler comes to the farm almost every week, kills about 10 chickens from each nesting building, and runs chemical analyses on the carcasses. Since he only supplies pullets, not full-grown chickens, he doesn’t have any egg worries, but the meat quality has to be guaranteed to satisfy the quality standards of the wholesale company. Whether you have hundreds of chickens or one chicken, the same standard of care prevails if you intend to do anything with the chicken other than watch it cluck and peck around its coop, and lay eggs if it is a female.
This is the second annual Chicks for Charity event! Last year we gave away 600+ baby chicks and less than 10 were returned. Yes, it clearly states in our brochure that if at anytime the baby chicks become a bigger responsibility than you expected that we will take them back no questions asked. The 8 that were returned last year were returned by parents with kids less than 5 years old. Families interested get to talk with current chicken owners about care and responsibility. They get continuing educational resources. There will be a certified avian vet on-site from the USDA. There will be an on-site store that will have all the necessary items for the new baby chick owners. Much different than getting a free chicken from a commercial hatchery after a tour! See you there!
Chicken Whisperer
How many of these chicks will die, uncared for or killed by a family pet, or worse. I guess 100%. PETA, where are you?
We got 8 last year from the Chicken Wisperer and they are all alive and well… so your sensationalism must at least stop at 99%
How badly will these chicks have to fare, to be worse off than their cousins who live their lives on factory farms? According to the NYT last week (link at end of this), 97% of all eggs produced in the U.S. are from hens confined in “battery cages” — usually six hens to a cage providing 67 sq in of floor space per bird, with no chance to roam outside the cage, much less outdoors. Of the “free-range” birds (those with the option to go outdoors) that produce 1% of our eggs, many can’t really make it out because the doors are too small for the whole flock and/or open at only limited times.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/08/15/weekinreview/15marsh-grfk.html?ref=weekinreview
This is an event for people who want backyard chickens for eggs — they are not given away as ‘gifts for visiting’. Recipients are given a brief education before accepting the generosity of those giving away their baby chickens, starter feed and coops. Many citizens of Decatur have chicken and LOVE them, I am one of them. The eggs are fabulous and my family does not have to worry about salmonella scares. Btw, East Atlanta Kids Club is the lucky recipient of the donations but is not sponsoring this event.
When I adopted a cat years back, there was a home check to ensure that the cat was entering a home prepared for her. I have a backyard coop, lots of chickens, and have taught several chicken classes, so I’m a big supporter of chickens in an urban environment. But I am uncomfortable of handing off an animal to someone without guaranteeing that the family (or individual) is ready for it. The cost of chicks to fill the coop is nominal, so I just can’t see the advantages here.
Jen and I adopted a dog a couple of years ago. We filled out a short form, and drove off with the dog about 15 minutes later. We have kept dogs all of our lives, and they are a much bigger responsibility. The new baby chick owners will get far more information at this event than anyone who adopts a dog from anywhere! If you have any doubts about this event, please contact me personally. Again, there will be a certified avian vet from the USDA overseeing this event. As the national spokesperson for the USDA-APHIS Bio-Security for Birds Program, I will also be helping educate the new baby chick owners along with over 80 members of the Atlanta Backyard Poultry Meetup Group. We are also working with the CDC regarding this event and information from the CDC will be included in the brochure. In fact, the new baby chick owners will probably get more education and access to information than a new parent having a baby! The event last year was a HUGE success with no problems reported that you claim on this forum. See you Saturday!
Hey mbabazi,
The people picking up the baby chicks at this event could easily order a few chicks from an on-line hatchery if they choose, and they would receive NONE of the advantages offered at this event. Hatcheries across the country ship millions of baby chicks each year to first time customers and they don’t get any of the information offered at this event. If you don’t see the advantage of having access to a certified vet, over 80 current chicken owners, continuing education materials from the CDC, USDA, and other resources you have blinders on. There are plenty of advantages here. In fact, a lot more resources than any cat, dog, snake, turtle, lizard, or ferret adoption.
Dude, I’m totally there. I’ve been thinking about this chicken biz all week. I’ve looked at your site. I’ve pulled up basic coop building diagrams. I think what you’re doing is fan-fricking-tastic. Naysayers be darned. From all that I’ve read, you don’t take this pursuit lightly. It’s clearly your passionate. To be such an open-minded city, we have our fair share of judgmental folk. It’s doubtful I’ll actually walk away with any chicks but I at least want to find out what all the clucking is about. But for those that do decide to adopt, I have the utmost faith in you and organization in educating and preparing them. Thanks for visiting our little hamlet.