Come say hello to Michelle. She has been a member since April 2016 and comes to us from the Santa Cruz Mountains, California.
1. Tell us a bit more about yourself.
I am a wife and mother to two children, a sophomore in college and a high school junior. They are my pride and joy.
I have a degree in Human Biology from the University of California at Berkeley with a minor in Spanish. I was a PCR Specialist for most of my biotech career, which simply means I optimized assays (tests) to amplify DNA for detection. Specifically, I focused on homogeneous fluorogenic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping assays, which means we were detecting very tiny genetic mutations via fluorscent probes. At both companies I worked for, I got to work on proprietary technology that involved lasers, including a high speed cell sorter and microfluidic device that amplified single molecules of DNA on the nanoliter scale. I am very passionate about science!
I gave up my science career when my second child was born. When my oldest started school, I became "volunteer extraordinaire," as the Home & School Club President and chaired multiple events. Working on various committees, including parcel tax and bond measures, led to me to apply for a position at one of the schools, and I have been in public education ever since.
While science has always interested me, I also have a creative, artsy side. I get to do graphics at work and used to be on multiple design teams for scrapbooking. I crochet and am learning how to quilt. There is something about projects that are a combination of art along with science or math that attract me. Here is my work-in-progress first quilt. Note the chicken theme!
Being active and healthy is important to me, with jogging, weight training, and bicycle riding, along with eating well, and occasionally "grounding" myself with bare feet on the earth. In high school and college, my sport was diving, and I still love the water. We live half an hour from the beach and spend time there frequently.
I also have a fun-loving, daring side. I used to drive on an all-women's racing team called Ladybug Racing. We drove in endurance races, but we were super low-key and had 15-minute driver changes. LOL.
When I received my first paycheck for my current job, I took my family to a ropes course, where we were suspended on a bit of an obstacle course high in the trees.
While I have shared my professional background and interests, to know me is to really understand what I stand for. I stand for loyalty and integrity. Some people might think of me as a "goodie goodie," but I believe in my deepest heart of hearts that we should do what is right. I don't pretend to know what is right for others, but whatever "right" means to each individual, I think it is a moral responsibility to do that right thing. For me, one of those “rights” is being a good steward of the earth and its inhabitants. Keeping chickens has alerted me to animal welfare, and I now call myself a "meat minimalist," which I think is a term I picked up on BYC!
2. Why and when did you start keeping chickens?
This is actually a sort of a funny story. Five years ago, my husband came home on my daughter's birthday with four chicks and a little pre-fab coop. I immediately started researching how to care for them, and insisted we each hold a chick every night so they would be accustomed to being handled. They grew so quickly and it became evident pretty early on that the pre-fab coop was not going to be sufficient. We converted the kids' redwood play structure they had outgrown to a coop and moved the pullets outside. I never knew how attached I would grow, nor how interesting these feathered friends would be. They became my responsibility and I have never looked back. Birds have always fascinated me since long before those chicks arrived, so it is no surprise that I have become a "crazy chicken lady." However, I don’t think my husband knew what he was getting into when he brought those little fluff balls home.
3. Which aspects of poultry keeping do you enjoy the most?
Where do I start? I just love that they bring life to the yard and excitement to my own life. Their company is wonderful, but I especially enjoy watching their social interactions with each other. Since I keep my birds confined most of the time in a run with free range time only happening with supervision from the dog and me, their behavior is likely not "natural." However, I still deeply enjoy it and am continually amazed at their intelligence and complexity. If I could start life over, I think I would be an avian vet and behaviorist.
4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why?
Oh goodness, they all have unique personalities, so all of them! However, somehow the originals tend to stand out the most.
Margo, my Brown Leghorn, was the alpha and super affectionate with me. She sounded like a trumpet, bossing the other girls around, but was the biggest, lap-sitting softie you can imagine. I have many pictures of her in my lap.
Bagheera, second in command, was a Black Australorp and was also very affectionate. She liked to press her body against mine and made the sweetest, contented sound. She was the best forager you can imagine, too! Sadly I lost them both in 2019.
The only remaining girl from my original chicks is my Barred Rock, Bridge, which is short for Bridgette. She is the current Boss Bird. She is calm and confident, and leads with just a look. She is the world's longest, slowest molter, and it goes on for several months. When she is NOT molting, she is vocal and will peck at me until I pick her up and put her in my lap. I sing a little song to her to the tune of Bicycle Built for Two.
My other Barred Rock, Ester, is also standing out right now for me, because she is a WILD THANG after being raised by a broody, but bonded with me when I recently had to care for her during a hard winter molt.
Of this year’s babies, my Easter Egger, Sunshine, is the cuddliest.
5. What was the funniest poultry related thing that has happened to you in your years as an owner?
Ok, I have two stories here. During Ester's recent crisis, she was living in the kitchen. She was really good about staying in her area, even though I had her crate wide open up until the last few days. One night we were sitting at the dinner table just a few feet from her. She suddenly had an explosive, wet poop that you could HEAR. My son, who was home from college for the holiday break, set his fork down and said, "Ok, that's it for me. I'm done!" Apparently my family was not impressed.
The other funny thing was when Ruby, one of my Buckeyes, needed to go into the avian vet for a hormone implant (to keep her from laying, since she has some sort of laying disorder). Since my work is on the way to the vet, Ruby was in my office for a bit in her carrier. Of course, everyone wanted to come see the chicken! I obliged and let her out of her carrier. A couple people exclaimed, "Oh! She's BIG!" (I’m not sure what they thought chickens are like when they are feathered and not wrapped in plastic?) Anyway, Ruby stepped out of my office and started exploring the hallway. As everyone gathered around, she dropped a turd on the carpet. I was prepared and quickly picked it up with a tissue and scrubbed the carpet with a disinfecting wipe. Not the most professional image, and thankfully this all happened before my boss arrived! LOL. Thankfully, work friends know I am a crazy chicken lady and were not phased by it. I think they also enjoy it when I bring in extra eggs.
6. Beside poultry, what other pets do you keep?
We have a wonderful Border Collie named Lexi. She was raised with the chickens and is soooo sweet around them. What's funny is that I was the only one in the family who was not sure if we were ready for a dog, but I am the one who walks and feeds her daily and she spends so much time with the chickens and me. The chickens know if they hear Lexi's tags happily jingling, that means free range time and they come running to their gate. Both of my Buckeyes boss Lexi around, and this year the pullets started chasing her, too! She is the sweetest dog ever and I 100% trust her with the chickens.
In addition to Lexi, my husband has two bunnies who live in an enclosure made from an old trampoline, plus a box turtle and leopard gecko that live in separate terrariums.
7. Anything you'd like to add?
I am honored to be able to share a little bit about myself. Thank you for the opportunity! BYC was my savior when I was first faced with Egg Yolk Peritonitis four years ago. Since then, I have developed knowledge and skills, but have also developed friendships. When I first started on BYC, I only hung out on the emergency forums, desperately trying to be prepared for any chicken illness or ailment that might come our way. I made some friends there, and still consult them today. Then I decided to focus on flock wellness and studied some old threads with solid advice on husbandry, including coop, run, feed and flock maintenance. Currently I tend to hang out on the social threads, as long as they stay focused on chickens. I just love that BYC really has something for everyone! I anticipate being active on BYC for years to come, and hope to give back all that I have gained and more.
@micstrachan
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
Great interview!
I really enjoyed reading your interview especially the parts with your chickens leaving their little deposits. Nice to meet you here.
