- Jun 28, 2011
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Debra, known to BYC members as CapricornFarm, has been a member of our community since May, 2017. She will often be found in the Random Ramblings forum section, hanging out with friends.
1. Tell us a bit more about yourself.
I was born and raised in upstate NY. At 17 I moved to Nova Scotia to attend University, and met my future husband. We married in 1978 and had 2 children, one in 1985 and another in 1988. In 1992 I got tired of snow and ice! We moved to FL during the storm of the century.
About 10 years ago we moved to TN. We both enjoyed going there on vacation, and were tired of the heat, humidity and traffic in FL. We found a lovely place with 10 acres in Finger, TN. That is where Chicken Math set in and I was keeping over 200 chickens! As well as up to 100 goats, 40 rabbits and 3 little pigs. It was heavenly!
But after about 7 years my parents were having health issues and sadly we had to sell everything and all the critters and move back to FL. Eventually the issues were resolved and we were free to retire in VA where we live today. We live in a log cabin, with 13 acres on the Pigg River. It is our version of Heaven and we enjoy working to improve it.
2. Why and when did you start keeping chickens?
I never had chicks or chickens as a child, and was not in a place to keep them until we moved to TN. Hubby agreed to a flock of female chicks for egg laying. Once he agreed to a couple of roosters, chicken math hit! I built more than 20 coops plus chicken tractors and pens in the barns so I could separate my breeds and sell hatching eggs. It was great fun!
3. Which aspect(s) of chicken keeping do you enjoy the most?
Chicks are my favourite! Fuzzy little balls of potential. And I love building coops!
4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why?
My Silver Sussex roo was just amazing, so beautiful and huge. Very good to his hens and nice to be around. Also my Polish were favorites due to personality and appearance. Sadly my very favorite polish pullet was carried off by a hawk as I watched helplessly.
5. What was the funniest (chicken related) thing(s) that happened to you in your years as chicken owner?
I think people might get a laugh out of my snake enounter. I went out to the garage to check on my cabinet incubator since I had chicks due to hatch. I started getting chicks off the shelves, and once I did that I got down low to look and be sure no chicks fell down to the bottom, or hiding in the very back of the incubator. Laying on the floor, I found myself face to face with a large snake!!! It had a chick sticking out of its mouth! Instinct kicked in, and I grabbed the snake by its neck. Then I wrestled it out of the incubator and extracted the chick from its mouth. The chick was alive and miraculously unharmed. Several other chicks and eggs were missing. The snake had obviously been busy. But it was too fat to escape out the air hole it entered the bator in!
6. Beside chickens, what other pets do you keep?
I have a 14 year old Papillon and a young German Shepherd, two Siamese cats, 14 guineas, and 11 rabbits. I will be getting Nigerian Dwarf goats, probably this Spring.
7. Anything you'd like to add?
I have really enjoyed BYC since joining. To me the joy in life is learning new things and meeting new people. I do both on a daily basis here!
Bubbles my Moluccan Cockatoo and i in FL.
The baby Graceful Chameleons I raised. At one point I had pairs of 4 species.
The 8x10 coop I built while hubby was on vacation.
The hoop coop I built with a bit of help from hubby installing the cattle panels.
Our log cabin on 13 acres in Virginia. It is on the Pigg River.
Gingerbread hoop coop I built. Hubby helped eat it
End view of Gingerbread coop. Note the waterers and chickens on their Graham cracker nest box.
My woodburned Welcome sign.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/members/capricornfarm.477822/
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. Tell us a bit more about yourself.
I was born and raised in upstate NY. At 17 I moved to Nova Scotia to attend University, and met my future husband. We married in 1978 and had 2 children, one in 1985 and another in 1988. In 1992 I got tired of snow and ice! We moved to FL during the storm of the century.
About 10 years ago we moved to TN. We both enjoyed going there on vacation, and were tired of the heat, humidity and traffic in FL. We found a lovely place with 10 acres in Finger, TN. That is where Chicken Math set in and I was keeping over 200 chickens! As well as up to 100 goats, 40 rabbits and 3 little pigs. It was heavenly!
But after about 7 years my parents were having health issues and sadly we had to sell everything and all the critters and move back to FL. Eventually the issues were resolved and we were free to retire in VA where we live today. We live in a log cabin, with 13 acres on the Pigg River. It is our version of Heaven and we enjoy working to improve it.
2. Why and when did you start keeping chickens?
I never had chicks or chickens as a child, and was not in a place to keep them until we moved to TN. Hubby agreed to a flock of female chicks for egg laying. Once he agreed to a couple of roosters, chicken math hit! I built more than 20 coops plus chicken tractors and pens in the barns so I could separate my breeds and sell hatching eggs. It was great fun!
3. Which aspect(s) of chicken keeping do you enjoy the most?
Chicks are my favourite! Fuzzy little balls of potential. And I love building coops!
4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why?
My Silver Sussex roo was just amazing, so beautiful and huge. Very good to his hens and nice to be around. Also my Polish were favorites due to personality and appearance. Sadly my very favorite polish pullet was carried off by a hawk as I watched helplessly.
5. What was the funniest (chicken related) thing(s) that happened to you in your years as chicken owner?
I think people might get a laugh out of my snake enounter. I went out to the garage to check on my cabinet incubator since I had chicks due to hatch. I started getting chicks off the shelves, and once I did that I got down low to look and be sure no chicks fell down to the bottom, or hiding in the very back of the incubator. Laying on the floor, I found myself face to face with a large snake!!! It had a chick sticking out of its mouth! Instinct kicked in, and I grabbed the snake by its neck. Then I wrestled it out of the incubator and extracted the chick from its mouth. The chick was alive and miraculously unharmed. Several other chicks and eggs were missing. The snake had obviously been busy. But it was too fat to escape out the air hole it entered the bator in!
6. Beside chickens, what other pets do you keep?
I have a 14 year old Papillon and a young German Shepherd, two Siamese cats, 14 guineas, and 11 rabbits. I will be getting Nigerian Dwarf goats, probably this Spring.
7. Anything you'd like to add?
I have really enjoyed BYC since joining. To me the joy in life is learning new things and meeting new people. I do both on a daily basis here!
Bubbles my Moluccan Cockatoo and i in FL.
The baby Graceful Chameleons I raised. At one point I had pairs of 4 species.
The 8x10 coop I built while hubby was on vacation.
The hoop coop I built with a bit of help from hubby installing the cattle panels.
Our log cabin on 13 acres in Virginia. It is on the Pigg River.
Gingerbread hoop coop I built. Hubby helped eat it
End view of Gingerbread coop. Note the waterers and chickens on their Graham cracker nest box.
My woodburned Welcome sign.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/members/capricornfarm.477822/
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
Thanks for sharing. 
thanks for sharing
for little goats in the spring! I know you've missed them.
