NorthTexasWink
Songster
(1) Are you new to chickens / when did you first get chickens?
I had flocks in the 1970's-90's. Usually had from 25-200 at any given time. I had a rural horse boarding and training farm in the Brazos valley near Bryan-College Station on about 50 acres with two ponds. Kept several coops with fenced runs for layers, broilers, ducks, turkeys. Also had free-ranging waterfowl, peafowl, guineas, a few pheasant, dives and so on. And the usual horses, goats, feeder calves, couple milk cows, rabbits, etc. Have not had any stock of my own since then. Looking for other North Texas and especially DFW area folks.
(2) How many chickens do you have right now?
Coop and run are still under construction, as we got a late start on it. It's been a wet spring and I had several garden beds to finish building as well as about 2/3 acre to clear brush. We are planning on six to eight laying hens. We live in a quiet established neighborhood. No HOA (thank goodness!), but city ordinances limit us and prohibit roosters. I expect our chicks will be here this next week!
(3) What breeds do you have?
Probably will be choosing from Black Austrolorp, Easter Eggers, Delaware, Barred Rock, red or gold sex-linked, Gold Comet. HE (husband equivalent) thinks brown eggs taste better than white eggs. I just want hardy healthy thrifty stock suited to our conditions. And quiet as possible. And pretty, since I'll be the primary caretaker. I also will be likely to send the hens to freezer camp when they leave their egg laying rotation. These will not be pets. I mean it. Really, not pets.
(4) How did you find out about BackYardChickens.com?
Google search for current suburban chicken raising info.
(5) What are some of your other hobbies?
Gardening, online gaming, crafts, cooking, reading, sewing, pet rescues, living clean and green. I used to play and alpha/beta test MMORPGs, but am now in recovery from that. If you are a hardcore gamer, raider, or recovering one, you will understand my when I tell you my usual thumbnail profile pic is titled "Asleep at Keys, Again".
(6) Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share.
In a long term relationship with my HE for almost 10 years. Retired from Nursing after about 30 years. Grad of Texas A&M University and a proud Aggie who bleeds maroon. All our children are grown, but one of HE's sons (we got together after each of us had already sent our offspring out into the world) came back a few years ago and hasn't left again yet. He is a big strong young man and helpful if asked and supervised, but not very experienced at anything other than video games. HE is squeamish. I do all the dirty gross bloody poopy icky stuff. We have two small dogs (down from 6 big & small dogs through losses due to old age) and 7 permanent cats (we've had more and less in residence as they age or we rescue and adopt out). I'm looking to add another big dog eventually, as I'm a big dog person and our last one recently passed. I like feeling prepared for emergencies and practice self sufficiency and self reliance as much as I can. We aren't "preppers" but we do try to maintain emergency supplies and consider the possibility that we might need to protect them and ourselves at some point in time.
I had flocks in the 1970's-90's. Usually had from 25-200 at any given time. I had a rural horse boarding and training farm in the Brazos valley near Bryan-College Station on about 50 acres with two ponds. Kept several coops with fenced runs for layers, broilers, ducks, turkeys. Also had free-ranging waterfowl, peafowl, guineas, a few pheasant, dives and so on. And the usual horses, goats, feeder calves, couple milk cows, rabbits, etc. Have not had any stock of my own since then. Looking for other North Texas and especially DFW area folks.
(2) How many chickens do you have right now?
Coop and run are still under construction, as we got a late start on it. It's been a wet spring and I had several garden beds to finish building as well as about 2/3 acre to clear brush. We are planning on six to eight laying hens. We live in a quiet established neighborhood. No HOA (thank goodness!), but city ordinances limit us and prohibit roosters. I expect our chicks will be here this next week!
(3) What breeds do you have?
Probably will be choosing from Black Austrolorp, Easter Eggers, Delaware, Barred Rock, red or gold sex-linked, Gold Comet. HE (husband equivalent) thinks brown eggs taste better than white eggs. I just want hardy healthy thrifty stock suited to our conditions. And quiet as possible. And pretty, since I'll be the primary caretaker. I also will be likely to send the hens to freezer camp when they leave their egg laying rotation. These will not be pets. I mean it. Really, not pets.
(4) How did you find out about BackYardChickens.com?
Google search for current suburban chicken raising info.
(5) What are some of your other hobbies?
Gardening, online gaming, crafts, cooking, reading, sewing, pet rescues, living clean and green. I used to play and alpha/beta test MMORPGs, but am now in recovery from that. If you are a hardcore gamer, raider, or recovering one, you will understand my when I tell you my usual thumbnail profile pic is titled "Asleep at Keys, Again".
(6) Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share.
In a long term relationship with my HE for almost 10 years. Retired from Nursing after about 30 years. Grad of Texas A&M University and a proud Aggie who bleeds maroon. All our children are grown, but one of HE's sons (we got together after each of us had already sent our offspring out into the world) came back a few years ago and hasn't left again yet. He is a big strong young man and helpful if asked and supervised, but not very experienced at anything other than video games. HE is squeamish. I do all the dirty gross bloody poopy icky stuff. We have two small dogs (down from 6 big & small dogs through losses due to old age) and 7 permanent cats (we've had more and less in residence as they age or we rescue and adopt out). I'm looking to add another big dog eventually, as I'm a big dog person and our last one recently passed. I like feeling prepared for emergencies and practice self sufficiency and self reliance as much as I can. We aren't "preppers" but we do try to maintain emergency supplies and consider the possibility that we might need to protect them and ourselves at some point in time.
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It's just so hard to wait to order the new chicks.
