Come say hello to Jaki. She has been a member since March 2014 and comes to us from California.
1. Tell us a bit more about yourself.
I'm Jaki, a homemaker from California. Married to my best friend for 6yrs, we have 3 boys; each from a previous relationship and one together; and a teenage niece who lives with us.
My life and future dreams revolve around my oldest son who has a genetic disorder; a chromosome microdeletion on 15q13.3.
I have a small obsession with cows, and coffee. I enjoy cleaning house, doing paper crafts, doodling, going to the beach, hiking, reading articles, and singing in the car when no one's around.
2. Why and when did you start keeping chickens?
My mom's side migrated here to the US in the late 70's. They lived/worked on dairy farms for many years. I'm from the city but we spent a lot of time with family. My 2nd cousin had a mixed flock, for meat. I would guess at least 20+ with a few roosters. Every so often she'd brood a couple chicks inside the house and let me and my cousin play with them when we'd visit.
When I was 10, my parents let me take 3 baby chicks home (two black and one yellow chick) and they helped me raise them. The two black ones ended up dying but the yellow one survived and grew up to be a Rhode Island Red with a couple names, "Big Mama", "Big Bertha" or just "Bertha". She was mainly brought up with only our 2 dogs and a cat so it was funny to watch her following our two dogs around, laying with them in the sun (I wondered if she thought she was a dog). My cat avoided her and neighborhood cats never set foot in our yard. We had her two years until she started having issues with her legs and my parents said it was time to give her back to my cousin.
My cousin kept her for awhile but she kinda drove her nuts. She said Bertha was not like the others; she was the only one who greeted guests, hung out with the dogs, and kept getting into the garage to escape the rain and... pooped everywhere.
Forever, she would be a staple of my love for chickens and the strong desire to one day have/raise more chickens.
I have bugged my mom about getting more chickens over the years. I almost convinced her in 2014, when I initially joined BYC but soon after (month after) I met my now husband
so life, took me down another path. Sooo then I've been bugging my husband for chickens since we moved into my childhood home 3 years ago. He would say "you can have chickens when I can have a snake." 
When the pandemic happened, I said next year but my impulsive and impatient side jumped the gun in June and got 6 chicks, and DH got his first snake in July.I made a lot of mistakes, learned a little more, and after some subtraction in chicken math, I went from 6 chickens (1 cockerel, 1 hen, & 4 pullets) to 3 hens.
Courtney/Rhode Island Red, Jessica/Barred-Rock, and Rey/Easter Egger.
3. Which aspects of poultry keeping do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy watching them. I love how silly the can be, and the abundance of eggs. My Easter Egger gave me green eggs and me & the kids thought it was the coolest thing, ever. My oldest son was convinced it was going to be green inside, and that we needed ham to go with it.
I've got a weakness for the baby chicks. Watching a mama hen with her chicks is one of the most rewarding aspect for me.
Genetics are very fascinating. If I ever get the chance to live in the country, I would love to focus on unique and/or my favorite breeds.
4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why?
Currently, Jessica is my favorite. She's friendly, the leader of the girls, first to adventure out of the flock's comfort-zone, and she's so curious about everything I'm doing. If she can't be right at my feet while I'm working in the yard, she's usually standing by the nearest gate, plotting how to fly over.
5. Beside poultry, what other pets do you keep?
We have two huskies, "Shadow" (we think he's mix with Alaskin malamute) and "Stella" our beautiful tripawd.
My DH has three baby ball-python snakes, 1 other type of baby snake (I forget the type), and my niece has 3 goldfish, and a leopard gecko.
Aaaaand now, I'm raising 2 silkie chicks because the silkie-fever caught me.
6. Anything you'd like to add?
Thank you Debby for doing this interview! I have enjoyed reading other interviews and it was fun to do one.
BYC has been a wonderful place to be part of. Not only have I enjoyed learning so much about my chickens, it's been a pleasure to socialize with all of you.
My 2nd cousin (who gave me chicks years ago) recently lost her battle to cancer. Sometimes it's crazy to think about. I probably wouldn't have the experience with chickens that I did, if it wasn't for her. She was a wonderful woman, truly missed.
@Madhouse Pullet
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
). Thank you for taking the time to do one! 
