Hello BYC world!

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mermaids

mermaids

Songster
6 Years
Mar 29, 2015
117
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Frederick County MD
Long-time forum lurker, I've been enjoying learning about fowl and soon bringing home my first chicks, so decided it was time to create an account. I'm a city-born girl, believed to have been switched at birth, as I have always preferred the great outdoors over city conveniences.

Avid vegetable gardener, long-time animal caretaker, first-time chicken owner [to be]. I majored in biology and love putting it to use--chicken and egg color genetics, anyone?! I'm waiting on pins and needles for my first flock--I ordered late February, hatch date is slated for April 13th. How does anyone wait that long??

Currently I also have one dog, an un-terrier-like westie and one horse, TB-X gelding. Former aquarist.

So excited to chat with all of you!
 
Welcome to BYC!
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What breed(s) are you getting to start your flock? It is hard to wait for them but once they get here, you're going to be so busy (if doing nothing else, chicken tv is the best show around).

What's your Westie's name? I used to have one and she was the best dog I've ever had. Had her for almost 15 years, great dog. Of course, I lived in town and didn't have chickens back then. You'll want to really watch how she acts around the chickens, unfortunately, there have been a lot of bird losses from family dogs.

Good luck to you with your new flock and if you have questions, feel free to ask.
 
Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided join our flock. A lot of us were lurkers before joining. :eek:) Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Since you are interested in genetics, are you getting any sex linked chicks in your order?
 
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So glad you have joined us.

It seems some of us take awhile to decide to get our own flock and once the decision is made, we want them now..

If you haven't already done so, get prepared for the little ones. Get your brooder stuff ready and plan and start the coop. Start picking out names..lol.. but likely you'll change your mind and the baby chicks will name theirselves.

Enjoy the forums.

Would love to see pics when they arrive.

Good luck with your upcoming new adventure.
 
I chose Dominiques based on the following criteria:
1) Healthy birds that do well in my climate; sometimes it's in the 90s F in the summer and we had some subzero days plus 35 MPH winds in the winter
2) Prolific egg-layers, not broody all the time
3) Bug eaters! We have a horrible problem with Asian tiger mosquitos, some ticks too
4) Aware of predators and not inclined to go totally wild; as in, they will return to the coop in the evening if I show them a few times, not roost in trees
So please let me know if Dominiques do not fit my criteria :)

I'm already thinking though... If I happen upon Buff Orpingtons the same age as my chicks, I might get two of those too. My teenaged sister has a sort of attachment to big gold hens. Chicken-keeping is an addiction, I know it already. But I am easily amused, so once they're here, I'm sure all of my free time will be tied up staring at the little fluffy butts hopping around.

Her name is Dorothy. I say un-terrier-like because she is the laziest dog around and almost totally silent. I had to peel her out of bed this morning. She is like a little sister--cute as a button, but a total brat. She used to be perfectly obedient, a glowing example of my training skills, but she doesn't listen to me so much anymore because she has decided now that she is my boyfriend's dog, not mine. And since she is a puppy mill rescue, we have a lot of behavioral issues, especially potty training. She is crated when no one's home and gated or leashed in the house. I've been called paranoid for this, but really, she was abused the first 3 years of her life, and I'm sick of trying to shampoo out carpet stains. She will probably be afraid of full-grown chickens, but she's also under a supervision order, so I feel confident I'll keep the chicks safe.

Thanks for the welcome!
 
No but I just finished reading https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/261208/sex-linked-information! I took notes and just had to grasp the genetics behind it for my own edification, just totally geeking out. It's funny, back in college one of my part-time jobs was product demonstrator for a pet food company. I'd be sent to retailers, including TSC, during chick days no less. Everything was labelled straight run, but there were black sex links and red sex links, and not a staff member or customer knew what that meant. Oh just imagine if I'd read that article back then... LOL
I ordered my Dominiques all pullets because I can't keep roosters where I am. But I read up on head spots and legs, just in case!
 

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