@MGG
Come say hello to @MGG. She has been a member since February 2020 and comes to us from the midwest.
1. Tell us a bit more about yourself.
I'm MGG, (my initials). I live in the Midwest USA. I love all animals, esp. waterfowl, horses, and dogs.
I enjoy drawing/painting, hunting, fishing, just being outside, everything horses, dog training, making feather earrings, reading, incubating/hatching eggs, spending time with all of my amazing pets, and of course, BYC.
2. Why and when did you start keeping chickens? (or any other poultry you have)
When I was 4 or 5, my parents got my younger sister and I chicks as an Easter surprise. My parents had apparently been researching chickens for a long time. They wanted the eggs/meat, plus the experience my sister and I would get from raising and caring for birds. So my parents ordered 40+ chicks from Welp Hatchery. They really jumped into it, lol! We were very surprised on Easter morning when they brought in that huge box of little peeping fuzz balls. We made a big brooder for them out of an old refrigerator box. One Barred Rock pullet was the family favorite, we named her Pepper. She knew her name, and did all sorts of fun tricks. She followed us everywhere, and always wanted cuddles.
My sister and I held the chicks all the time, and named almost all of them.
We had pretend chicken shows, bathed the chickens, collected eggs, cleaned the coop, and even helped butcher the roosters. It was a great experience. We would get a few new chicks each spring, and had quite the fun collection of breeds after a few years. We had Easter Eggers, Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks, Buff Orpingtons, Red Sexlinks, Black Sexlinks, Black Australorps, etc.
Some time later, an illness went through the flock, and killed almost half of our chickens. It was pretty sad. I have no idea what it was, I was pretty young at the time. After a few more years most of our birds had died out. We had 4 left. A Barred Rock hen, a Buff Orpington hen, a Speckled Sussex hen, and a white Easter Egger hen. My parents had been looking into moving, and when we finally found our house, we bought a prefab coop so we could bring our remaining hens. It was winter, so we didn't really have any time to build a new coop. The prefab worked ok for a little while, until while we were all gone on a trip a neighbor's dog came over and broke into the coop. It ate all 4 hens.
The next spring we built a real coop and run, and bought chicks. That is our current flock. We currently have : 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte, 1 Black Australorp, 1 Blue Laced Red Wyandotte, 1 Barred Rock, 7 mixes, and 1 Buff Brahma Bantam rooster (the daddy of all of the mixes).
3. Which aspects of poultry keeping do you enjoy the most?
I think my favorite aspects of poultry keeping would be having fresh eggs daily, and just getting to spend time with all of my birds. In the summer I mostly live outside, I love being around the birds and watching them. Going out to visit them after a tough day cheers me up so much. They always make me happy.
4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why?
Definitely my goose. He was, is, and always will be my favorite bird. I hatched him from an egg, and he was one of the first birds I had ever hatched. He was a single baby, so he became very attached to me very quickly. I spent every spare moment with him. He had such an amazing personality, and was so sweet.
I got really busy the next year, and couldn't spend as much time with him. I ended up having to give him to a friend who has geese. I miss him very much, but I have to think he's happier there.
5. What was the funniest poultry related thing that has happened to you in your years as an owner?
That would definitely have to be when my goose got his tongue stuck to a wagon in the winter.
He had always loved nibbling at it as a baby, but once I started keeping him out of the garage he never got in to play with the wagon. One day during winter, he snuck into the garage because I had forgot and left the door open. I heard a frantic honk, and went running back out there. He was standing next to the wagon with his tongue stuck to it.
I got it off and he was fine. Any time he walked past the wagon though, he hissed at it. I think he thought it bit him. I never had a problem keeping him away from the wagon again.
6. Beside poultry, what other pets do you keep?
I have : 12 Bobwhite Quail (6 pairs, they aren't all pictured)
2 hen Wood Ducks, Violet and Velvet
My Guinea hen, who is so funny. She makes me laugh every day. ❤
2 elderly ferrets, Bella and Sable (they never hold still, lol)
2 hamsters, Ginger and Honey. (They aren't ever kept together, I just put them together for the pic)
And my female yellow lab, Avery. She is a year old.
I've also kept many other types of pets, such as parakeets, pheasants, rabbits, guinea pigs, fish, turtles, insects, lizards, etc.
7. Anything you'd like to add?
I would like to just add how grateful I am for BYC, and all of my new friends here. I am proud to be a part of this wonderful community, and I have learned so much just since joining.
Thank you all for being the amazing people that you are.
@MGG
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
