- Jun 28, 2011
- 39,160
- 27,380
- 1,302
Now here's a lady that needs no introduction. Known for her wonderful hatching advice, her informative articles, her sense of fun, her mini contests and hard work during our annual Easter Hatchalong, she has become a wonderful and much valued part of many members' BYC experience. Brace yourselves for the one and only...
1.Sally, tell us a bit more about yourself.
Who is this woman? Dude’tt, Myth or Mega Mother?
Call me Sally, SallyAnn or Sally Sunshine (but I’ll answer to Sal too).
First off, I was born.
60’s babe.
I’m 5’3″ and loosing daily.
I had an imaginary horse when I was 10 and her name was Star.
My Dad almost lost me as a child while we were hunting, but he didn't take me far enough into the woods and then that time we were fishing, and that time mom forgot me at the mall and then there was that time at the beach.
Ever stop to think, and forget to start again? Yeah that’s me, coffee helps.
I have a B.S. in Sociology and half a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy.
I am a mom and a wife with a really cool day job….
I'm the Chief Adventurist and Co-Founder of Sally Sunshine Poultry and Little Swatara English Springer Spaniels, both non-profitadding ventures, shows how much my husbands loves me.
Nothing about me is original... I am the combined effort of everyone I've known...
I love high-heels, reading, running, knitting, sushi, handbags, long walks on the beach…
wait, WHAT? High-heels, bags, sand?
Nah Bare feet and a fishing rod works for me!
I don’t eat fish. I really won’t eat it.
I don't pretend to be someone I'm not...
I tried to be a vegetarian but I love animal crackers and yea, eggs.
I usually order a chicken sandwich when I go out to eat. No guilt there.
I gained 40 pounds when I was pregnant. All 5 times. But I'm not overweight.
I used to bite my nails. Now I only bite the skin around them.
God grants me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the weaponry to make the difference.
I am a people pleaser.
I like people to like me, I am working on this issue.
I will do what I can to help anyone.
I love my kids but I sometimes use the TV as a babysitter. I admit it.
I annoy people when they ask me if I saw this movie or that movie, I don’t watch TV.
Sometimes I just sit and think, and sometimes I just sit, more with the chickens than not.
I am an internet surfing ninja with most excellent marketing skills.
I bring smiles on the faces of everyone, it is I that has waved to you without even knowing you.
I enjoy renovating, creating beauty, but working with lumber is my fav thing to do besides fishing!
I am cheap (not by choice) it’s a challenge to create cool stuff out of reused or cheap stuffs a challenge I accept.
I know giving up is always an option, but it's never MY CHOICE.
I intend to live forever - so far, so good, but when I die I want to die in my sleep like my grandmom... not screaming and yelling like the passengers in her car.
A few LIFE tips from what I have already learned…
Basic research is what to do, when you don't know what you’re doing.
Think it see it do it, gender doesn’t matter!
Always think things through and have alternatives waiting.
Get plenty of sleep. Be kind to your mind. You'll miss it when it's gone. Trust me I know!
Be kind to your body, I learned what anorexia and can do to it.
Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much. You're not that good.
If a stranger offers you a piece of candy, take two and give one away.
2. Why and when did you start keeping chickens?
We had chickens since I was a kid, I can remember how scared I was to gather eggs for my mom n dad, we had the nastiest nesting hens of all time. I think it was that generation because mine are nice. <Giggles> I remember when we processed as a kid, I hugged them mean old hens, hugged and hugged them. I used to hug them in the kitchen sink, there are pictures somewhere. I had no issue eating supper that week after “the talk” I got from my dad about life cycles. When my hubs and I finally purchased property near the mountains, we had plenty of land and we jumped at the chance to buy some from the local mill! Its been an addiction ever since!
3. Which aspect(s) of chicken keeping do you enjoy the most?
I love incubating their eggs; I guess you all figured that out by now by all my research into the subject!
A few pages of notes on incubation I kept to share with everyone should they need help...
Hatching 101 ~ Guide to ASSISTED Hatching ~ CABINET COOLER INCUBATOR ~ CoolerBATOR ~
4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why?
I would have to say big blue, one of our Blue Partridge Brahma boys. He stood out because he was a great friendly gorgeous rooster, but with breeding he had faults and we decided if we are going to breed we need to take the steps to be true chicken keepers, he was the first step into the processing of chickens for me, not an easy time for sure, but with the help of BYC and a great informative/supportive BYC thread I was able to move on my chicken ventures, you should check out the processing thread and our journeys!…. Thank you to everyone who helped bring us back to reality on that thread!
5. What was the funniest (chicken related) thing(s) that happened to you in your years as chicken owner?
I had a friend over, I met him through BYC. Thanks again BYC! I hatched some quail for him, he decided to try to determine their sex and of course they got loose in my lower level rec room. It wouldn’t have been so funny had he not been such a manly man, almost 7 foot tall crawling on my floor chasing around a bunch of quail. I had a fantastic laugh at the scene.
And then there was that time, our splash partridge brahma rooster jumped the fence after being scared by the lawn mower and my husband decided to try to catch him, if its one thing I learned, its easier to NOT CATCH A CHICKEN! I let my husband run after him up and down the neighbors drive like a hundred times, I was in tears, he was furious, oh the words from his mouth! When I couldn’t take anymore I opened the gate to the run and did my “chicky chicky chicky” call and that big roo took flight straight into my legs to get away from my husband! I was all but rolling on the ground and poor Mr. Manly Splash shook himself up a storm to try to forget the incident, my husband took a shower.
6. Beside chickens, what other pets do you keep?
We breed English Springer Spaniels my true love.
7. Anything you'd like to add?
I would like to add, that I understand that Scissors can beat Paper, and I get how Rock can beat Scissors, but there's no way Paper can beat Rock. Paper is supposed to magically wrap around Rock leaving it immobile? Why can't paper do this to scissors? So why can't paper do this to people? Why isn't notebook paper suffocating students while they take notes in class? (Joking!)
See here for more about the interview feature and a complete list of member interviews: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/905602/introducing-vip-member-interviews/0_30
1.Sally, tell us a bit more about yourself.
Who is this woman? Dude’tt, Myth or Mega Mother?
Call me Sally, SallyAnn or Sally Sunshine (but I’ll answer to Sal too).
First off, I was born.
60’s babe.
I’m 5’3″ and loosing daily.
I had an imaginary horse when I was 10 and her name was Star.
My Dad almost lost me as a child while we were hunting, but he didn't take me far enough into the woods and then that time we were fishing, and that time mom forgot me at the mall and then there was that time at the beach.
Ever stop to think, and forget to start again? Yeah that’s me, coffee helps.
I have a B.S. in Sociology and half a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy.
I am a mom and a wife with a really cool day job….
I'm the Chief Adventurist and Co-Founder of Sally Sunshine Poultry and Little Swatara English Springer Spaniels, both non-profitadding ventures, shows how much my husbands loves me.
Nothing about me is original... I am the combined effort of everyone I've known...
I love high-heels, reading, running, knitting, sushi, handbags, long walks on the beach…
wait, WHAT? High-heels, bags, sand?
Nah Bare feet and a fishing rod works for me!
I don’t eat fish. I really won’t eat it.
I don't pretend to be someone I'm not...
I tried to be a vegetarian but I love animal crackers and yea, eggs.
I usually order a chicken sandwich when I go out to eat. No guilt there.
I gained 40 pounds when I was pregnant. All 5 times. But I'm not overweight.
I used to bite my nails. Now I only bite the skin around them.
God grants me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the weaponry to make the difference.
I am a people pleaser.
I like people to like me, I am working on this issue.
I will do what I can to help anyone.
I love my kids but I sometimes use the TV as a babysitter. I admit it.
I annoy people when they ask me if I saw this movie or that movie, I don’t watch TV.
Sometimes I just sit and think, and sometimes I just sit, more with the chickens than not.
I am an internet surfing ninja with most excellent marketing skills.
I bring smiles on the faces of everyone, it is I that has waved to you without even knowing you.
I enjoy renovating, creating beauty, but working with lumber is my fav thing to do besides fishing!
I am cheap (not by choice) it’s a challenge to create cool stuff out of reused or cheap stuffs a challenge I accept.
I know giving up is always an option, but it's never MY CHOICE.
I intend to live forever - so far, so good, but when I die I want to die in my sleep like my grandmom... not screaming and yelling like the passengers in her car.
A few LIFE tips from what I have already learned…
Basic research is what to do, when you don't know what you’re doing.
Think it see it do it, gender doesn’t matter!
Always think things through and have alternatives waiting.
Get plenty of sleep. Be kind to your mind. You'll miss it when it's gone. Trust me I know!
Be kind to your body, I learned what anorexia and can do to it.
Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much. You're not that good.
If a stranger offers you a piece of candy, take two and give one away.
2. Why and when did you start keeping chickens?
We had chickens since I was a kid, I can remember how scared I was to gather eggs for my mom n dad, we had the nastiest nesting hens of all time. I think it was that generation because mine are nice. <Giggles> I remember when we processed as a kid, I hugged them mean old hens, hugged and hugged them. I used to hug them in the kitchen sink, there are pictures somewhere. I had no issue eating supper that week after “the talk” I got from my dad about life cycles. When my hubs and I finally purchased property near the mountains, we had plenty of land and we jumped at the chance to buy some from the local mill! Its been an addiction ever since!
3. Which aspect(s) of chicken keeping do you enjoy the most?
I love incubating their eggs; I guess you all figured that out by now by all my research into the subject!
A few pages of notes on incubation I kept to share with everyone should they need help...
Hatching 101 ~ Guide to ASSISTED Hatching ~ CABINET COOLER INCUBATOR ~ CoolerBATOR ~
Mushy Chick Disease
4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why?
I would have to say big blue, one of our Blue Partridge Brahma boys. He stood out because he was a great friendly gorgeous rooster, but with breeding he had faults and we decided if we are going to breed we need to take the steps to be true chicken keepers, he was the first step into the processing of chickens for me, not an easy time for sure, but with the help of BYC and a great informative/supportive BYC thread I was able to move on my chicken ventures, you should check out the processing thread and our journeys!…. Thank you to everyone who helped bring us back to reality on that thread!
join us anytime!
5. What was the funniest (chicken related) thing(s) that happened to you in your years as chicken owner?
I had a friend over, I met him through BYC. Thanks again BYC! I hatched some quail for him, he decided to try to determine their sex and of course they got loose in my lower level rec room. It wouldn’t have been so funny had he not been such a manly man, almost 7 foot tall crawling on my floor chasing around a bunch of quail. I had a fantastic laugh at the scene.
And then there was that time, our splash partridge brahma rooster jumped the fence after being scared by the lawn mower and my husband decided to try to catch him, if its one thing I learned, its easier to NOT CATCH A CHICKEN! I let my husband run after him up and down the neighbors drive like a hundred times, I was in tears, he was furious, oh the words from his mouth! When I couldn’t take anymore I opened the gate to the run and did my “chicky chicky chicky” call and that big roo took flight straight into my legs to get away from my husband! I was all but rolling on the ground and poor Mr. Manly Splash shook himself up a storm to try to forget the incident, my husband took a shower.
6. Beside chickens, what other pets do you keep?
We breed English Springer Spaniels my true love.
7. Anything you'd like to add?
I would like to add, that I understand that Scissors can beat Paper, and I get how Rock can beat Scissors, but there's no way Paper can beat Rock. Paper is supposed to magically wrap around Rock leaving it immobile? Why can't paper do this to scissors? So why can't paper do this to people? Why isn't notebook paper suffocating students while they take notes in class? (Joking!)
See here for more about the interview feature and a complete list of member interviews: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/905602/introducing-vip-member-interviews/0_30
Last edited:
Never stop being awesome and unique!!! 
