PoultryTalk.com

Is enough being done within the hobby to generate more interest & to encourage the younger generation?

If not, what else could be done to promote it & improve this?

until the Hobie is willing to learn new things it is just going to be the same old same old there are books that give the same advice as a hundred years ago people think they have to buy 15% chicken feed and pay twice the price for bag of chicken feed when the difference between 14 and 15 % protein in a 50 lbs bag is half a pound here I buy two bags of a 14% creep to 1 bag of 15%

What is the hobby though? Is it show birds, or keeping a few garden chickens for pets and/or eggs? Youngsters might be drawn to different aspects than older keepers, preferring pet and/or show birds. I think that, for most people, keeping poultry comes a little later, either when they have young children to feed, or when they discover the joys of producing their own food, or when they're a even older and have more time on their hands to enjoy having birds around. And I'm sure that many consider keeping hens because they can remember collecting eggs with Gran in the good old days. And thinking of that, perhaps one of the best things we can do is just to get children enjoying being around poultry, so they have those memories too. The look on a child's face when they lift a nest box lid and find a few eggs is a great reward for those of us who have the opportunity to see it, and being allowed to stroke a bird if they've behaved well (not chasing, being gentle, etc) is a good reward for the child, and an incentive, too - a good way to teach respect for animals.

I have found that a lot of young children and teenagers are interested in keeping and showing chickens, I have kept chickens for around 9 years now, first as a hobby and now I breed and sell, poultry and hatchings eggs as my business. A lot of my customers bring their children along with them when they buy and the children are fasinated by all the different breeds and love the idea of collecting eggs.
I also run a poultry auction, we have nearly 300 members and a lot of them are teenagers.

Michelle

i live in thurrock and chickens has caught on.
i know at least 8 schools that have chickens as school pets both seinor and junior school and another school has just ordered a coop and chickens from eglo with a grant they got i hink its been offerd to a lot of local schools
iv been to a couple chicken auctions and children were gettng there own chickens out of pocket money.

I started the hoby not by influence by parents advertising but from work. For my birthday few years back my boss gave me 6 bog standard chickens. Since then the breed poultry type has expanded now i have 60+ quite litterally taking over my life :L

I've always kept a lot of animals at home so my kids have always been around pets that i have decided to rescue and bring home.My hens how ever have proved to be their favorite even in the cold and rain.I love nothing more when i have young kiddies visit, than to let them stroke the guinea pigs or handle the cockatiels or to take them to meet the hens.I find it really sad that kids are scared by animals...a lot are.I think petting zoo's are brilliant (as long as they are well managed).A few hens in a garden make for wonderfull pets plus you get an egg or two.

I am rather worried regarding new folk coming into chickens thinking that you can earn a fast buck or two ~ This is not helping the deadicated poultry breeders who have been into chickens, bred and shown them and also own some of the best in the country.
These new folk are selling what they consider to be a good specimen and charging a high rate of cash for a poor specimen of the actual breed they claim it is.
Came across this lovely example just recently, -I blame both parties concerned on this one - but feel sorry for the hobbist and deadicated breeder.
Example and very true
Last week a friend of mine wanted to know what her mate had purchased as she was told that she had certainly purchased what she wanted by the seller, to be genuine large buff orpingtons. When they were described to me they were not buff orpingtons at all, they apparently had 5 toes and black in the tail and wing feathers, over the phone I said they were not orpingtons but sounded similar to the Lincolnshire buffs. They were obviously cheap as the person had purchased 14 of them and was hoping to sell them on. This is what is worrying me so so much - that I am not selling nor breeding many birds as I do not want to get drawn into the frame of folk such as that. Please please go to a proper dealer and don't be fobbed off with mongrel chickens, and please also know what you want in the breed that you are buying, look up pictures of the bird you intend to buy, if not up to your expectations- please do not buy unless you want a pet for your garden.
Sandy

At our East of England Club, we are going to do a hands on to the children that come to the shows with their parents just to have a look at the birds. We are going to get these children to become aquainted with the birds and be able to handle them. We are obviously allowing the children to hold or handle the bantams. Do not expect an eight year old to hold a large black orpington. Sandy

I agree Orpy Lady. I am passionate about pure breeds and am a little dismayed at the 'takeover' of the hybrid. Of course they are cheap! I know they are also hardy, lay lots of eggs and are docile and easy to tame. But the same can be said for many pure breeds, plus there is so much more variety of colour and personality in a pure breed. I worry we will lose so many wonderful breeds because people simply don't know about them and are put off when told "Oh they are not a beginners bird"

It seems so many backyard breeder sell fertile eggs of what they call pure breeds but there is no regulation as to what the parent birds they are using look like so its pot luck what comes out of the egg. If you are going to breed your chickens you have a resposibility to breed to standard and you should make yourself aware of what that is.

We provide a scheme called 'Rent-a-hen' for schools. Everything needed to care for chickens at school is provided, hens, house, food, equipment and advice on care and worksheets for education. This allows many schools to enrich their curriculum with animal care without the worry around the school holidays as they can opt to send them back to us for that time.

Many children go home and persuade their family to have chickens at home after this experince!

We provide a scheme called 'Rent-a-hen' for schools. Everything needed to care for chickens at school is provided, hens, house, food, equipment and advice on care and worksheets for education. This allows many schools to enrich their curriculum with animal care without the worry around the school holidays as they can opt to send them back to us for that time.

Many children go home and persuade their family to have chickens at home after this experince!

I have 4 schools that I'm providing incubator's, eggs & all equipment for them the hatch themselves & look after until the summer hols.
I started this last year & have now heard that there is a company? who do this for £250.00 per scool.
I think this is distastful, as schools have limited money & are always asking for donations. I do this for free.

I also encourage young people to keep chicken's - yes they usually start off with a hybred's but the ones I've spoken to, are keen to show & upgrade.
I would never put off a younger person, I would rather they be looking after chickens than hanging around the street
As for new folk coming in & buying up the top stock. Well I would only buy & pay for quaility stock from a breeder that I knew. A reputation speaks volumes - don't you think.

Sorry Click cluck but I'm not sure what is distasteful about it. Can you provide chickens and housing to all the schools in your area for free? £250 would barely cover the cost of the house let alone the equipment and chickens.
I agree that hybrids are good to get interest going, that is how I started in the hobby too. I would hope that others like you seek a good reputable breeder once they begin to look for pure breeds.

I got chickens when I was 14 and have been hooked ever since! I had to nag my parents to let me have them, then build the WIR and pay for everything ... 5 years later they love the chickens (although I still have to pay for everything ).