- Jun 28, 2011
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Lewis, known to BYC members as BantyChooks or Banty, has been a member of our community since August 2015. Another of our wonderful all-rounders, she's known for her friendliness and beautiful pics.
1. Tell us a bit more about yourself.
I am a backyard hobby farm enthusiast with an interest in exhibition/pet livestock and breeding for production. That interest encompasses most common livestock species and even ornamental birds. I had budgies long before I started out with chickens of my own. Feathered creatures have been a life-long fascination of mine—chickens are one of the many birds I love.
I have a strong interest in subjects rooted in science and engineering, so I spend a good deal of my free time designing and tinkering with various structures and equipment for my animals in an effort to continually refine the quality and ease of their daily care. I have joked that the day I stop attempting to upgrade my hobby farm is the day I sell out entirely. I have no plans to do either at this current moment!
Apart from chickens, I enjoy such things as linguistics, elevators, hockey, and fine arts, though I tend to watch more than participate.
2. Why and when did you start keeping chickens?
If my memory is correct, I began caring for my first flock during the spring of 2014 or perhaps late in the winter of 2013. I started out by taking over the care of a neighbour's flock, eventually deciding I would be more than happy to own them full-time. I bought the coop off him and set up arrangements to move the 12' x 14' coop to my property, which made for an entertaining few hours with a tractor and a chainsaw. The original location we had selected as a brace point tore out, taking half of the back wall with it. After that, a small tree was cut down, wedged behind the structural supports of the coop, and used as a sturdy location to attach the tow rope.
My original motivation for acquiring my own chickens was rooted in the prospect of having fresh eggs, but that quickly morphed into a deeper fascination with poultry in general, leading me to acquire higher-quality lines and a few other species such as quail, guinea fowl, and ducks. Prior to this, my experience with chickens was limited to passive exposure to flocks owned by friends and acquaintances.
Originally, I had about forty laying hens and a few ducks. Since then, my flock numbers have fluctuated from as low as thirteen to as high as seventy-five. I have most likely owned about three hundred birds total as of 2020, though that is an extremely vague approximation. My records are spotty, and date back only to about 2015.
3. Which aspect(s) of chicken keeping do you enjoy the most?
That is a tough question. As I have already mentioned, I enjoy fiddling with bird-related infrastructure, but, if I had to pick, I would say that I enjoy incubating the most. No matter how many eggs I set, there is always some new method to try, some new idea to test out, and, of course, more chicks to hatch. I breed buff chantecler bantams to the Standard of Perfection, so the large majority of the eggs I set these days are for such a purpose.
I also enjoy just spending time with them. Birds make me happy, ducks in particular, and watching their social mannerisms and body language makes any afternoon slip away quickly.
4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why?
I have had many, many birds that stood out for some reason or another, but there are a few that hold a special place in my mind. The first would unquestionably be Chrissy, a Welsh harlequin duck. After a disaster in the winter of 2016 involving a mink and several dead birds, she was left alive, but injured. Damage to her leg resulted in her losing a foot to frostbite during the night before I discovered the attack. As I had become attached to her, and she had no companions outdoors, she lived in the house for about five months before another accident resulting in her euthanasia.
Photo: Chrissy, along with a few chickens that were temporarily inside as well. Apologies for the poor image quality, it was not intended as more than a candid snapshot.
Jace, a spangled OEGB, ranks as a fairly close second. She was a sweet, rather opinionated hen with a penchant for summer popsicles. She was one of the first birds that truly qualified as a pet of mine. Due to her size and poor down quality, she did not handle cold well and frequently came indoors during the long, frigid winters to warm up and spend some quality time with me. She was a dedicated, caring mother, going broody as often as four times in a single summer.
Photo: Jace with her first brood.
Another standout is Emma, an easter egger hen that was the flock matriarch for years. She was part of the reason I ended up with chickens in the first place. I saw her at my neighbour's house and was swayed by her colouring and gentle personality. She is the most intelligent bird I have ever owned.
Photo: Emma dustbathing on a warm summer evening.
One of my most recent favourites was Jazzy, an easter egger/sultan cross. She was unique in that she seemed to have an innate tolerance and trust for people far greater than that of almost all other chickens. She loved hanging out with people and even let kids hold her and carry her around.
Photo: Jazzy as a youngster.
5. What was the funniest (chicken related) thing(s) that happened to you in your years as chicken owner?
Enya, a cream legbar pullet I owned at one point, became fond of the notion that the best way to get my attention when she was hungry was to sit on my back and make loud noises. Crowding around my feet like the others wasn't good enough for her. As royalty, she clearly had more rights than the common folk to the best and the juiciest tidbits!
6. Beside chickens, what other pets do you keep?
At the present moment, I have two goats, Chinese painted quail, Japanese quail, call ducks, a rabbit, a guinea pig, a dog, two Gouldian finches, a chinchilla, and two budgies. I occasionally foster rescued dogs before they are adopted out, or take in other random woodland or domestic creatures as they come along. Unfortunately, finances are a limiting factor, but I would say I have managed a decent collection so far. Eventually, I intend to move up to other animals such as horses and a greater array of ornamental fowl.
7. Anything you'd like to add?
I would like to thank the many users that have been my friends, enabled my chicken addiction, educated me, and brought me back to reality when I needed it. I only hope I can pass on enough of that invaluable assistance to do some sort of justice to the wealth and kindness I have received from this community.
The same sentiments go out to the moderators and administrators here for the many, many hours they spend ensuring BYC is an informative, kind environment. I have yet to find any other place on the Internet that I truly enjoy as much as I do BYC.
And now for some more pictures, because, well, you haven't stopped reading yet, have you?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/members/bantychooks.371240/
See here for more about the interview feature and a complete list of member interviews: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/introducing-vip-member-interviews.905602/
1. Tell us a bit more about yourself.
I am a backyard hobby farm enthusiast with an interest in exhibition/pet livestock and breeding for production. That interest encompasses most common livestock species and even ornamental birds. I had budgies long before I started out with chickens of my own. Feathered creatures have been a life-long fascination of mine—chickens are one of the many birds I love.
I have a strong interest in subjects rooted in science and engineering, so I spend a good deal of my free time designing and tinkering with various structures and equipment for my animals in an effort to continually refine the quality and ease of their daily care. I have joked that the day I stop attempting to upgrade my hobby farm is the day I sell out entirely. I have no plans to do either at this current moment!
Apart from chickens, I enjoy such things as linguistics, elevators, hockey, and fine arts, though I tend to watch more than participate.
2. Why and when did you start keeping chickens?
If my memory is correct, I began caring for my first flock during the spring of 2014 or perhaps late in the winter of 2013. I started out by taking over the care of a neighbour's flock, eventually deciding I would be more than happy to own them full-time. I bought the coop off him and set up arrangements to move the 12' x 14' coop to my property, which made for an entertaining few hours with a tractor and a chainsaw. The original location we had selected as a brace point tore out, taking half of the back wall with it. After that, a small tree was cut down, wedged behind the structural supports of the coop, and used as a sturdy location to attach the tow rope.
My original motivation for acquiring my own chickens was rooted in the prospect of having fresh eggs, but that quickly morphed into a deeper fascination with poultry in general, leading me to acquire higher-quality lines and a few other species such as quail, guinea fowl, and ducks. Prior to this, my experience with chickens was limited to passive exposure to flocks owned by friends and acquaintances.
Originally, I had about forty laying hens and a few ducks. Since then, my flock numbers have fluctuated from as low as thirteen to as high as seventy-five. I have most likely owned about three hundred birds total as of 2020, though that is an extremely vague approximation. My records are spotty, and date back only to about 2015.
3. Which aspect(s) of chicken keeping do you enjoy the most?
That is a tough question. As I have already mentioned, I enjoy fiddling with bird-related infrastructure, but, if I had to pick, I would say that I enjoy incubating the most. No matter how many eggs I set, there is always some new method to try, some new idea to test out, and, of course, more chicks to hatch. I breed buff chantecler bantams to the Standard of Perfection, so the large majority of the eggs I set these days are for such a purpose.
I also enjoy just spending time with them. Birds make me happy, ducks in particular, and watching their social mannerisms and body language makes any afternoon slip away quickly.
4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why?
I have had many, many birds that stood out for some reason or another, but there are a few that hold a special place in my mind. The first would unquestionably be Chrissy, a Welsh harlequin duck. After a disaster in the winter of 2016 involving a mink and several dead birds, she was left alive, but injured. Damage to her leg resulted in her losing a foot to frostbite during the night before I discovered the attack. As I had become attached to her, and she had no companions outdoors, she lived in the house for about five months before another accident resulting in her euthanasia.
Photo: Chrissy, along with a few chickens that were temporarily inside as well. Apologies for the poor image quality, it was not intended as more than a candid snapshot.
Jace, a spangled OEGB, ranks as a fairly close second. She was a sweet, rather opinionated hen with a penchant for summer popsicles. She was one of the first birds that truly qualified as a pet of mine. Due to her size and poor down quality, she did not handle cold well and frequently came indoors during the long, frigid winters to warm up and spend some quality time with me. She was a dedicated, caring mother, going broody as often as four times in a single summer.
Photo: Jace with her first brood.
Another standout is Emma, an easter egger hen that was the flock matriarch for years. She was part of the reason I ended up with chickens in the first place. I saw her at my neighbour's house and was swayed by her colouring and gentle personality. She is the most intelligent bird I have ever owned.
Photo: Emma dustbathing on a warm summer evening.
One of my most recent favourites was Jazzy, an easter egger/sultan cross. She was unique in that she seemed to have an innate tolerance and trust for people far greater than that of almost all other chickens. She loved hanging out with people and even let kids hold her and carry her around.
Photo: Jazzy as a youngster.
5. What was the funniest (chicken related) thing(s) that happened to you in your years as chicken owner?
Enya, a cream legbar pullet I owned at one point, became fond of the notion that the best way to get my attention when she was hungry was to sit on my back and make loud noises. Crowding around my feet like the others wasn't good enough for her. As royalty, she clearly had more rights than the common folk to the best and the juiciest tidbits!
6. Beside chickens, what other pets do you keep?
At the present moment, I have two goats, Chinese painted quail, Japanese quail, call ducks, a rabbit, a guinea pig, a dog, two Gouldian finches, a chinchilla, and two budgies. I occasionally foster rescued dogs before they are adopted out, or take in other random woodland or domestic creatures as they come along. Unfortunately, finances are a limiting factor, but I would say I have managed a decent collection so far. Eventually, I intend to move up to other animals such as horses and a greater array of ornamental fowl.
7. Anything you'd like to add?
I would like to thank the many users that have been my friends, enabled my chicken addiction, educated me, and brought me back to reality when I needed it. I only hope I can pass on enough of that invaluable assistance to do some sort of justice to the wealth and kindness I have received from this community.
The same sentiments go out to the moderators and administrators here for the many, many hours they spend ensuring BYC is an informative, kind environment. I have yet to find any other place on the Internet that I truly enjoy as much as I do BYC.
And now for some more pictures, because, well, you haven't stopped reading yet, have you?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/members/bantychooks.371240/
See here for more about the interview feature and a complete list of member interviews: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/introducing-vip-member-interviews.905602/
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks for sharing your interview with us, Banty.
