Come say hello to Emily! She has been a member since November 2018 and comes to us from NSW Australia.
1. Tell us a bit more about yourself. And is there a story behind your member name?
Hi I’m Emily (also known as Bsbf and butter on this site). There is indeed a story behind my name but it isn’t particularly interesting, I had a NHR (New Hampshire Red) her name was butterscotch and so I was feeding them lettuce on the day I joined and she bit my finger so…yeah. Kinda boring but a story none the less.
More about me: I live in nsw Australia (so I’m a day ahead. Literally in the future.) I own 2 dogs (Wilbur, my Great Dane and Jasper my little rescue who we inherited from my grandmother). I ride horses (one horse specifically. My horse Hudson.) I have been riding since I was 4 so a while, I also have a mini pony (Peggie Sue. She’s 4 years old). I have 18 chickens, a rabbit and a guinea pig. Over the years I have been on BYC I have learned so so much so a big thanks to all you guys who have helped me (even if you don’t know it) so seriously thank you!
2. Why and when did you start keeping chickens?
I only have chickens, I’m kinda scared of ducks after I got chased by a wild male duck on my pony up the hill to my house so I can’t say I have ever been brave enough to try my hand at raising ducks. I started keeping chickens in 2014, I had just moved to 10 acres and we started off with a small flock of five, then chicken math happened and 7 years later I have 18 of them. I don’t keep silkies anymore because they weren’t as enticing for me as the D’uccles and the other chicken breeds. As the years went by (particularly 2018 when I joined this site) I began to find more interesting things such as the different breeds, variations, appearances of chickens and I really liked them. So I began to look for specific breeds and I eventually found a breeder half an hour away from me that had heaps of chickens, all different shapes and sizes and that became my go to for a few years. Then I began to back off a little, I pulled back a little and didn’t hunt for many breeds, what had once been fortnightly trips to the breeder became once a year perhaps twice. Not a bad thing, at least my parents don’t think so lol. I still loved chickens, don’t get me wrong but I wasn’t as obsessed with them as I used to be. A few months ago I looked up the chicken breeder having not been there for awhile, they had limited stock as they where closing. I felt it only right to pick another New Hampshire Red as that’s what I got when I first went there, so I picked one out and named her Buttercup, a sort of way of honouring Butterscotch the first chicken I picked out from there.
I name all my chickens and I could probably tell you every chicken I have ever owned if I could be bothered to put it in here but also it would take a long LONG time to write. I currently have two roosters, they don’t fight and one is only young and the other is super old so I kept the young one and neither attack each other.
I will probably add some pictures of the roosters:
Jed:
Harry:
Most of the rest of the flock:
3. Which aspects of poultry keeping do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy the personality’s of the chickens and you don’t realise until you own chickens just how different each and every one is. Before I had chickens of my own you kind of brush them off as being just chickens but we don’t realise what they really mean to those who own them until we actually get to experience the loss of one of our own, perhaps that’s just me but that’s what I have found.
Every chicken in my flock I can point out and say I know their name, breed and personality. People (not chicken people) look at me and shake their heads but I know you other chicken people (who name chickens) feel the same, I’m sure a lot of you can name the breeds and personalities.
Holly, Molly and Polly for example:
This ones Polly, she’s a D’uccle (I think…) and she’s the noisiest of the trio:
Holly is the darkest in colouring and Molly is the quietest:
4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why?
The original flock:
Alfi, Dorothy, Chirp, Sherbet, Roger (I may or may not have let my dad name that hen after a football player
), Shimmer and Elsa.Then the silkies who were both supposed to be female (surprise one wasn’t
)Storm (rooster) and Sandy.
The 12 (all killed by one fox in one night. Very VERY sad)
I don’t think they are all in this picture.
Bentley, Ivy, Scarlet, Lucabelle, Magic, Sky, Hannah, Butterscotch, Duchess, Ali, Squiggles and Brianna.
5. What was the funniest poultry related thing that has happened to you in your years as an owner?
Oooh this is a hard one, I have to say that having chickens come in the house and sit on my dogs cushion was one of the funniest. But another funny one was having a chicken fly onto my head. It was hilarious.
During a thunderstorm I looked outside and on my back verandah we had the 12 chickens huddled waiting to come in, I have never laughed so hard in my life.
6. Beside poultry, what other pets do you keep?
Horses, Huddie and Peggie Sue:
Dogs, Jasper (who is very old now):
And Wilbur, my 2 yearGreat Dane who has recently been diagnosed with cancer:
The guinea pig:
The rabbit:
This is my amazing flock and pets. I love them all so so much and thanks for taking the time to get to know me better.
@Butterscotchbitesfinger
For more information about the interview feature and a complete list of member interviews:
introducing-vip-member-interviews.905602
For more information about the interview feature and a complete list of member interviews:
introducing-vip-member-interviews.905602
There are others here from your future; who knows, maybe you'll meet one or two some day.
