Hi all. I recently joined the BYC community and I'm new to raising feather babies.
I got my first flock in August 4 2022.
I never thought I'd ever get them. Hubby and I bought our little Ranch Dec 2021. We had been in a busy city for the first 15 years of our relationship. We had plans to turn these few acres into a homestead. It already had a coop and a goat pen, they needed some work but Feb 2022 was coming and soon chicks!
Jan 2022, I got covid. The super strain. Put off getting the babies. I never felt any better and kept having awful headaches and other symptoms. In March I found out I was really sick. I went from being a culinary manager running around 60 hrs a week to someone who can barely function. There were a couple times we didn't know if I'd come back home or wake up. But I'm here. I'm getting stonger. Aug 2022. I went to tsc with hubby and they had babies. He asked if I'd be ok maybe trying 2 or 4 to see if my body could handle it. I found out their hatch day which just happened to be my birthday. I bought 14 birds. I bought. My flock.
They stayed in a spare room and of course I was home and together we grew and got stronger. There have been a couple sad moments but for the most part we are ok. They helped save me. I owe them the best.
We got Billy Joe, Bobby Sue, Nugget, Batgirl, Harley and Gemma and I had to get ducks, so we got Cheese and Crackers.
We learned quickly that they are small, fast, and unfortunately aren't faster than a Belgian Malinois. We lost Crackers. We had him not even a full day and I was already ugly crying. I went back to TSC to get another duck because they said they shouldn't
be alone.
I learned Chicken Math this day. I walked out with 4 more chicks and 3 more ducks. They were the last ones of the chicks and ducks from the day before. So home came Olive, Pimento, Sabrina and Lydia. And Cheese, got Quacker Dackers, Doodle, and Pitty.
We were a feather family. The books don't tell you how insanely different each little personality is and how chickens and ducks are the equivalent to a daycare full of terrible 2's, and troublesome 3's toddlers. But man they stole my heart.
Their personalities were really there by the time they went into their coop. I am Listing them as the breed TSC labeled but won't know for sure until they all start laying.
Harley (amaricana)- became the lookout. She will let out this horrible screech that sounded like a hawk and chase the feathers inside the safety of the run. She also rounds them up for bed.
Gemma (sapphire gem)- She is a priss. Think of Posh Spice and you have Gemma. She thinks I'm the bees knees.
Nugget-(prairie blubell)- She is the loner. She is off doing her own thing but will cause a fuss with the others for her benefit.
Batgirl (prairie bluebell) is a hardcore parkour enthusiast.
Billy Joe (easter egger)- She is a jerk lol. She is the one that's like the girl that got too drunk and is now mad but then all lovey.
Bobby Sue (easter egger) She is the one who hangs back and watches. Unless you mess with
Billy Joe, then I guess it's sister code, she's gotta jump in.
Olive(olive egger) She thinks the sun shines out of my butt and will be at my heels.
Pimento (olive egger) I thought Olive liked me, this girl is my biggest fan and demands all my attention. She will peck at me, not hard but you feel it, when she sees me not focused on her. She will do this repeatedly in the back of my knee in my knee meat until I gush over her and then she runs away.
Sabrina (mystic onyx) She is funny. She has a happy sound she does that sounds like laughter. She sneaks up on the others and then does the laugh.
Lydia Dietz (mystic onyx) She is the chick that just sings all day. And when she gets mad she looks like a 5 year old crossing there arms and stomping away.
Cheese- he is mad that he wasn't the top duck and when we lost Pitty. We got another female coming so maybe he'll settle or he has to go.
Doodle- poor girl is the only female. She imprinted on Pitty from the start and they were never far apart. She things she is the yop duck and chases the other 2 all day.
Quackers- he is so sweet and funny looking. He is very reserved when he sees you watching. He is a bit of a mess when he thinks your not.
Pitty- He was the biggest most gorgeous boy. He would chatter with the others but he really was the silent protector. He loved his Doodle.
There they are. Our First Flock.
I got my first flock in August 4 2022.
I never thought I'd ever get them. Hubby and I bought our little Ranch Dec 2021. We had been in a busy city for the first 15 years of our relationship. We had plans to turn these few acres into a homestead. It already had a coop and a goat pen, they needed some work but Feb 2022 was coming and soon chicks!
Jan 2022, I got covid. The super strain. Put off getting the babies. I never felt any better and kept having awful headaches and other symptoms. In March I found out I was really sick. I went from being a culinary manager running around 60 hrs a week to someone who can barely function. There were a couple times we didn't know if I'd come back home or wake up. But I'm here. I'm getting stonger. Aug 2022. I went to tsc with hubby and they had babies. He asked if I'd be ok maybe trying 2 or 4 to see if my body could handle it. I found out their hatch day which just happened to be my birthday. I bought 14 birds. I bought. My flock.
They stayed in a spare room and of course I was home and together we grew and got stronger. There have been a couple sad moments but for the most part we are ok. They helped save me. I owe them the best.
We got Billy Joe, Bobby Sue, Nugget, Batgirl, Harley and Gemma and I had to get ducks, so we got Cheese and Crackers.
We learned quickly that they are small, fast, and unfortunately aren't faster than a Belgian Malinois. We lost Crackers. We had him not even a full day and I was already ugly crying. I went back to TSC to get another duck because they said they shouldn't
be alone.
I learned Chicken Math this day. I walked out with 4 more chicks and 3 more ducks. They were the last ones of the chicks and ducks from the day before. So home came Olive, Pimento, Sabrina and Lydia. And Cheese, got Quacker Dackers, Doodle, and Pitty.
We were a feather family. The books don't tell you how insanely different each little personality is and how chickens and ducks are the equivalent to a daycare full of terrible 2's, and troublesome 3's toddlers. But man they stole my heart.
Their personalities were really there by the time they went into their coop. I am Listing them as the breed TSC labeled but won't know for sure until they all start laying.
Harley (amaricana)- became the lookout. She will let out this horrible screech that sounded like a hawk and chase the feathers inside the safety of the run. She also rounds them up for bed.
Gemma (sapphire gem)- She is a priss. Think of Posh Spice and you have Gemma. She thinks I'm the bees knees.
Nugget-(prairie blubell)- She is the loner. She is off doing her own thing but will cause a fuss with the others for her benefit.
Batgirl (prairie bluebell) is a hardcore parkour enthusiast.
Billy Joe (easter egger)- She is a jerk lol. She is the one that's like the girl that got too drunk and is now mad but then all lovey.
Bobby Sue (easter egger) She is the one who hangs back and watches. Unless you mess with
Billy Joe, then I guess it's sister code, she's gotta jump in.
Olive(olive egger) She thinks the sun shines out of my butt and will be at my heels.
Pimento (olive egger) I thought Olive liked me, this girl is my biggest fan and demands all my attention. She will peck at me, not hard but you feel it, when she sees me not focused on her. She will do this repeatedly in the back of my knee in my knee meat until I gush over her and then she runs away.
Sabrina (mystic onyx) She is funny. She has a happy sound she does that sounds like laughter. She sneaks up on the others and then does the laugh.
Lydia Dietz (mystic onyx) She is the chick that just sings all day. And when she gets mad she looks like a 5 year old crossing there arms and stomping away.
Cheese- he is mad that he wasn't the top duck and when we lost Pitty. We got another female coming so maybe he'll settle or he has to go.
Doodle- poor girl is the only female. She imprinted on Pitty from the start and they were never far apart. She things she is the yop duck and chases the other 2 all day.
Quackers- he is so sweet and funny looking. He is very reserved when he sees you watching. He is a bit of a mess when he thinks your not.
Pitty- He was the biggest most gorgeous boy. He would chatter with the others but he really was the silent protector. He loved his Doodle.
There they are. Our First Flock.
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