Hi, I'm Debbie and I'm chicken obsessed.
Which rather sounds like I'm introducing myself to an organised group which will help me rid myself of my chicken keeping addiction.... which could not be further from the truth
I started off with 3 bantams and now have 20 super friendly big fowl and 7 pretty bantams, plus numerous corturnix and button quail living with finches and canaries. I always incubate my quail eggs from various breeders because these skittish little birds get used to me from hatching. It means when I walk into their aviary to hunt for eggs, their is no fearful fluttering; rather they climb across my boots and wait for treats.
All my flocks live in large enclosures and the big fowl and bantams have their own secure gardens attached to their aviary type runs. A divided up 18 foot shed acts as their sleeping quarters and egg depository. My joy at finding multi-coloured eggs has not diminished from day 1 to day 1460+. And neither has my disappointment on the occasional day when I find no eggs.
This is still me when there is not even a beautiful speckled quail egg to be found
I'm lucky to own a hair salon with it's own back garden, where our clients can sit out in the warm weather. For the many that are interested in my home obsession, I recently started up a small flock of watermael in the salon garden. I don't know a lot about these gorgeous slow-growing little birds yet, but I'm learning bits and pieces all the time. As well as providing high entertainment value to our clients both young and old, I like to think I am educating them about the importance of good animal husbandry.
[UPDATE: I'm not sure, after all the helpful replies I've received to my 'what colour are these' question in BYC, what I actually have now - formal identification is going to be a work in progress. What fun though!]
Now that I'm a member of backyardchickens, I'm really looking forward to reading posts and hopefully exchanging knowledge, particularly with people who also have discovered the pleasure of keeping watermael.
Which rather sounds like I'm introducing myself to an organised group which will help me rid myself of my chicken keeping addiction.... which could not be further from the truth
I started off with 3 bantams and now have 20 super friendly big fowl and 7 pretty bantams, plus numerous corturnix and button quail living with finches and canaries. I always incubate my quail eggs from various breeders because these skittish little birds get used to me from hatching. It means when I walk into their aviary to hunt for eggs, their is no fearful fluttering; rather they climb across my boots and wait for treats.
All my flocks live in large enclosures and the big fowl and bantams have their own secure gardens attached to their aviary type runs. A divided up 18 foot shed acts as their sleeping quarters and egg depository. My joy at finding multi-coloured eggs has not diminished from day 1 to day 1460+. And neither has my disappointment on the occasional day when I find no eggs.
This is still me when there is not even a beautiful speckled quail egg to be found
I'm lucky to own a hair salon with it's own back garden, where our clients can sit out in the warm weather. For the many that are interested in my home obsession, I recently started up a small flock of watermael in the salon garden. I don't know a lot about these gorgeous slow-growing little birds yet, but I'm learning bits and pieces all the time. As well as providing high entertainment value to our clients both young and old, I like to think I am educating them about the importance of good animal husbandry.
[UPDATE: I'm not sure, after all the helpful replies I've received to my 'what colour are these' question in BYC, what I actually have now - formal identification is going to be a work in progress. What fun though!]
Now that I'm a member of backyardchickens, I'm really looking forward to reading posts and hopefully exchanging knowledge, particularly with people who also have discovered the pleasure of keeping watermael.
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Glad you joined.
), nice to have you here! Thanks for such a great intro. I also had to look up Watermael chickens, they're lovely!
We are glad you joined our flock!
