[compostqueen]

My old man never goes near my plot either 

[RichardA]

Go all out to get some pigs and then plead that all it needs is some chickens to have home grown bacon and eggs. When he objects to the pigs ask if you can still have the chucks then.
R

[PaulineM]

Hi
My husband said "There's definitely no hens coming here" "Not fair on the two Jack Russells etc" 
I bought the Haynes chicken manual, left it lying around, he was soon looking at the different breeds.
I talked a lot about coops and foxes etc.
He soon started to accept that we were going to get some.
He went with me and helped me pick them and he now loves them and talks to them when he comes home every night and calls them 'the girls' 

[Tigerwren]

Hi Lottie Mary, I sympathise with you - it took me 6 yrs to get my husband to agree and actually I wish I had just gone and gotten them.  My husband loves them now (we have  had them since late Oct) and I often find him having a cuddle with the youngest girl.  I know how much he loves  the eggs and I think that had a bit to do with it too!  If you have room, choose the breed carefully and you are prepared to be the only one to look after them while your hubby comes around, then I think you should have another chat with him and then get some   As a mother of two and owner of two Jack russells too, it's all been very smooth and I love my girls more every day!! Lots of luck!!

[Lindeggs]

My Hubby wasn't very keen at first but  knew I would get them anyway Now I think he nearly cares about them as much as I do   He automatically lets them out when he is working early and regularly poo picks and sweeps up the mess they make.  He is working near London this week and the first thing he says is "how are the Girls".  AND he loves the freshest ever eggs for breakfast     

Jinty, my hubby also works out of town at least 3 days a week, which is one of the reasons I insisted on the chickens for company! 

I have been trying very hard not to go on about the chickens all the time as I know he's been getting bored with the topic.  But the other night he phoned home and asked, "how are the chickens?"  I with-held my squeal of delight and managed to answer very calmly! 

Here are some more ways in which I used logic and emotion to manipulate encourage my hubby to agree to chickens.

Some things that put him off were:

• The idea of poo on the deck. [Is that why they call it a poop deck?]
  My solution: I have promised not to encourage them onto the deck.  I will also wash off any poo right away.
• He worked with a woman who was often late to work because "the chickens escaped again" and she had spent all morning chasing them around the neighbourhood.
  My solution: choosing docile breeds, putting effort into keeping them calm and manageable, pointing out to hubby that this woman's children are also little monsters so it might have something to do with the way she's bringing them up!
• The thought that we can never go away because we have to care for the chickens.
  My solution:  A dear old Aunt who is positively keen to look after them when we're away, and building relationships with neighbours who might be able to step in if there's an emergency.
  

My hubby is also a bit of a greenie, so I armed myself with information about the role of backyard poultry in sustanable food production, the wonderful benefits for our vege garden, and the parallels between heritage poultry breeds and heritage seeds vs modern hybrids and industrialisation of our food supply.   :blink:

I also pointed out how we can provide fresh eggs for my lovely Aunt and his Dear Old Ma who's in her 80s and loves baking for her grand-kids.  I told him how eggs fresh from our garden will be wonderful for her health and how he will be her favourite son for providing them! 

For someone who has children it might be worth tracking down research that shows how pets can help children to learn empathy and responsibility, and give them skills that they can use in later life.

Poor hubbies.  They really don't stand a chance do they? 

[Lottie Mary]

Hubby came home from work tonight and I gave him a big hug. He smiled and laughed and said "no chickens" hee hee

[GrannieAnnie]

keep working on him, but don't make it too obvious!   

[Pol]

Keep working on him, my OH was'nt keen at first it took me over a year to say yes and now we have 6 and he thinks they are great

[Paul Plots]

Try just one (on loan from your friend but no need to discuss that at home....is there) and see how it goes. 

[penninehillbilly]

tell him -
all children should have the chance to be involved with pet care, it teaches them how to care for smaller things, responsibility and patience (? )
I was brought up with animals about, so I 'need' feathered and 4 legged friends, OH's family never had a pet, and it shows! He is very good, and helps when needed, but there is no real feeling there, he seems to think everything should be in battery cages (or he could be just winding me up  )

[Lindeggs]

tell him -
all children should have the chance to be involved with pet care, it teaches them how to care for smaller things, responsibility and patience (? )
I was brought up with animals about, so I 'need' feathered and 4 legged friends, OH's family never had a pet, and it shows! He is very good, and helps when needed, but there is no real feeling there, he seems to think everything should be in battery cages (or he could be just winding me up  )

I've been trying to work that one out.  In my case it's easy - my first pet was a bantam named Snowy when I was about 4 years old.  Of course I was programmed from that moment to want chickens!  But my OH had pets too yet he seems to have a real dislike of animals around the house.    

In adulthood he has never had a pet and his daughter was never allowed one.  That's still a sore point and she's just turned 31! 

[rachelr]

My OH was not too keen he felt they would be an encumbrance and ruin his garden lol

We have now said we are sorry we did not find out how good it was to have chickens when our little ones were younger. They are far easier to keep than rabbits or guinea pigs and you get something back from them. They respond to you when you go to the garden just in case you give them treats lol.

I got a 'cheap' coop from ebay by mistake ish. then it took another week for me to convince him to buy some hens. I found some 'cheap' hens and fetched three home. he rarely cleans them out but regularly sneaks out with left overs for them.

[penninehillbilly]

In adulthood he has never had a pet and his daughter was never allowed one.  That's still a sore point and she's just turned 31! 

out of curiosity - does she want or keep anything now?

[Lindeggs]

In adulthood he has never had a pet and his daughter was never allowed one.  That's still a sore point and she's just turned 31! 

out of curiosity - does she want or keep anything now?

No, she has still never had a pet.  She has recently returned from working in London (as Kiwi youngsters often do in their 20s) and is in the process of settling down with a lovely lad from Leeds, so it will be interesting to see if they get pets once they have settled.

In her last flat (in NZ) one of her flatmates got a pet pig!  :blink:  Turns out pigs aren't really suited to life in the central city.  Who would have guessed?!    So piggy got re-homed after about a month.

[themagicaltoad1]

It was the other way round in my house, my wife was adamant we weren't getting chickens but I went ahead anyway. I just started with 3 so it didn't seem too overwhelming. I think it helped that her mother was quite keen on the idea, what about his mother? can you get her on side? It didn't take long for me to catch her out in the garden talking to them, and now she admits they are the best "pets" we've ever had, even when they're being naughty and wrecking her garden plants!