Come say hello to @FortCluck!
FortCluck has been a member since September 2019 and comes to us from Virginia.
1. Tell us a bit more about yourself.
I grew up in the country and moved to the city and realized that city life was not for me. I love farms or anything to do with farming except for planting because most who know me know that I have a black thumb (that may be turning green thanks to BYC and Youtube). This year is the first year I have successfully grown anything in the garden.
I have always had animals all my life like dogs and cats, but as I grew older I wanted a farm of my own. My father comes from a farming background and his stories always made me want to start a livestock farm. Right now I am starting small because nothing is built overnight, it takes time. For about 6 years I have been working towards what we have now with the help of my family.
This all started with the Hatch-a-Long threads (thanks guys). Now I cannot stop breeding to create new colors. I have been breeding my purebreds to create crosses that are always interesting with their colors. Plus these crosses are creating a sustainable flock that can lay eggs that we hatch and use for meat, new additions to our flock, and new additions to our friends flocks.
2. Why and when did you start keeping chickens? (or any other poultry you have)
As a child my grandfather incubated ostrich eggs and raised them for meat and eggs. It was what started all this poultry addiction, I think. At the time, I did not live in an area where we could have chickens and I do not think my parents would allow me to anyways. Every weekend I would go to my grandfathers to visit him, he would either show me new ostrich additions or candle eggs with me. It was probably one of the best memories I have of him.
When we moved to the country 6 years ago, we were told we needed chickens to get rid of the bugs (mostly ticks) plus for their delicious eggs. It all started right then and there, it brought back all the memories of my grandfather and his ostriches. The seed was planted into my head and I wanted to let it grow. It took us about 4 years to actually start our flock that we have now. We had some ups and downs, but for the most part it has been amazing.
We started quail about 3 months ago because I stumbled on the quail hatching thread and I couldn't resist the temptation. Now I am addicted to them too and cannot get enough of them. We have been hatching for friends and ourselves. We just started getting quail eggs the past month and some are in the incubator already (the addiction is real). We are hoping that we will have a sustainable covey that can give us eggs and meat. We are already off to a good start with this.
3. Which aspects of poultry keeping do you enjoy the most?
This is the hardest question I think to answer because there is just so much that poultry offers. I think the best part of them is the entertainment, I could get lost watching my chickens all day long or any of our birds all day long and I would never get bored. It is natures t.v. I could get lost for hours just hanging out with them until farm chores need to be done.
4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why?
The Polish Deathlayers that I hatched a few months ago have to be the best looking in the flock. They have the funniest attitude and love to follow me everywhere I go. They are always right under my feet at all times. Their mother (Blue Footed Booby- Bantam Gold Laced Polish) was actually attacked by a hawk and got away miraculously. She is quite the fighter and her offspring have the same fight in them.
Ol' Red (Rhode Island Red) came to our farm from another household because her flock had not been killed once, but twice by a raccoon. She didn't lay an egg in about 6 months and we were told she probably would never lay one again. After about a week and some TLC, she started laying eggs. Her egg song is one that brought me to tears because her story is just jaw dropping.
Chicken Little (White Cochin) is another one who has quite the story. She was attacked by a hawk about a year ago and I thought she wasn't going to make it. Her whole underside of her wing had been torn right down to the meat from a talon. Overnight she was a new chicken. She had healed and was singing up a storm that morning. She was thrilled to be back with the flock a week later. Just last month she hatched her first chick and is one of the best broodies I have had.
Coco (Muscovy) is probably one of the most remembered in our flock when we have people who visit. She is like having a dog, but in duck form. She is so curious over everything and she will ask for scraps if you are eating anything outside. Our friends and family have been known to give her a fry or two so now she thinks she deserves a fry anytime we have them.
5. What was the funniest poultry related thing that has happened to you in your years as an owner?
My husband forgot something inside the house and left his SUV door open. When he went back there was a chicken in there that looked like it wanted to go for a ride or wanted to learn to drive. It was our chicken we called Funny Foot because it had a weird foot.
Coco loves to mess with our dogs and she flies over them all the time when they are outside on their walks. It freaks them out every time. She also was seen last month chasing a wild bunny out of my garden, I think she knows how hard I have worked on it this year to actually have something growing. No bunny will be messing with my garden this year not with my guard duck on duty.
Dolly is probably the oddest chicken in our flock. She used to love to roost on the hose and swing on it. She likes to clean all the chickens beaks before they go into the coop at night, she is like the house maid of the flock. She is always making sure that our chickens look good at all time because you never know what the next day might bring.
6. Beside poultry, what other pets do you keep?
I have 4 dogs (Puggle, Jack Russell Mix, Red Nose Pit Mix, Beagle), 2 lizards (Bearded Dragon, Leopard Gecko), Cat (formally feral Tabby), 9 Fish (we had more but the cat thought they were his dinner), and 2 Bunnies.
Future animals I want to add would be; goats, pigs, ostriches, and llamas.
7. Anything you'd like to add?
Poultry keeping is not always easy. There will be blood, sweat, and tears. One thing that I have learned is that everything comes with time. If you are not successful today, there is always tomorrow. Never give up especially if keeping poultry is what you want to do. There is so much knowledge out there that can help you achieve anything you can dream of, you just need to have the patience and willingness to learn.
@FortCluck
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
I’ve actually never travelled to your area, but we want to.
