@K0k0shka
Come say hello to @K0k0shka who comes to us from Massachusetts and has been a member since July 2019.
Come say hello to @K0k0shka who comes to us from Massachusetts and has been a member since July 2019.
1. Tell us a bit more about yourself. And is there a story behind your member name?
I grew up in Europe (my member name means "hen") and spent a large part of my life there on the family farm. Us kids were expected to help from a young age, so I took an active part in farm life - from working the land to caring for the various animals. The chickens were always a special favorite of mine, and among my chores. I left that life to go to college in the US, and have been living an urban/suburban life since, but my heart has always been in the country. So when I got married and got a house, priority #1 was to have a back yard big enough for a vegetable garden and chickens! Now I have recreated what I can from my happy childhood, so I can share it with my own kids, and chickens are a big part of that. I have really enjoyed rediscovering them now in the age of technology and modern conveniences - auto doors, coop cams, etc. If only grandma could see how much easier life is now!
2. Why and when did you start keeping poultry?
I started my current flock a little before COVID in a bout of nostalgia for my rural past. I really miss the farm, the animals, and the connection with nature, and the chickens have been helping satisfy that longing. I enjoy the eggs and meat, but it's mostly their presence and caring for them that brings me peace and restores my sanity in my busy life.
3. Which aspects of poultry keeping do you enjoy the most?
I most enjoy building relationships with my chickens, getting to know them as individuals, and spending time with them. Earning the trust of an animal that's not trusting by nature is especially satisfying and enjoyable.
4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why?
I had a cockerel a few years ago that was by far my most memorable chicken. He had a really unique personality that quickly made him the family favorite. He was very outgoing, inquisitive, sociable, and comical. We couldn't keep him after he grew up, sadly, because we can't have roosters where we live, but we found him a great home with a friend who had a farm that worked with schools and disadvantaged communities. Our guy was the only human-friendly chicken they had, especially a rooster, so he became an ambassador for chickens and the first chicken many of those visitors had ever touched or held. He even made it into the local paper! When he passed away, I built him a little casket and my kids and I had a funeral for him at the farm. My BYC avatar is a portrait of his younger self that I drew in his honor.
5. What was the funniest poultry related thing that has happened to you in your years as an owner?
That time when my chickens almost ate me alive! I was sitting in the run hanging out with them, as they crowded around me, and I was vaguely aware of one of them pecking my bare shin. I guess the skin there isn't very sensitive, as it didn't really hurt so I ignored it for a while. At some point I looked down to see blood running down my leg, and one chicken with blood all over her beak, digging a hole in my flesh! I'd had a tiny scab there, which she must have investigated and accidentally bloodied, and when chickens see blood... they turn into monsters! It was funny because of the disconnect between this adorable fluffy thing, and her brutal, vicious, and mercilessly stupid inner nature.
6. Beside poultry, what other pets do you keep?
I have an ancient 17-year-old cat, and a bunch of fish. I really want goats and a donkey, as I miss those most from my childhood friends, but I'm afraid it's not going to happen in this lifetime.
7. Anything you'd like to add?
I really appreciate this site. Against the backdrop of misinformation, bots, and user drama on the various social media chicken groups and blogs, BYC is like an oasis of knowledge, wisdom, civility and good will. I'm very happy and thankful to be part of this wonderful community!
@K0k0shka
For more information about the interview feature and a complete list of member interviews:
introducing-vip-member-interviews
For more information about the interview feature and a complete list of member interviews:
introducing-vip-member-interviews
Thanks for sharing yourself with us! 
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