- Jun 28, 2011
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Kathryn, known to BYC members as NanaKat, has been a member of our community since January 2009. Another of our wonderful all-rounders, she is know for her friendliness, good advice and beautiful flock of chickens.
1. Tell us a bit more about yourself.
First let me say, I am honored by the invitation to participate in the interview process!!
My husband Roger and I met in an older singles/newly single class at church. We have been married since blending our families in 1987. This photo is shorlly after we were married.
We bought our farm in 1998 and run a 100 cow Angus herd. We are both now retired...he from the OKC Police Department and me from art teacher to school administration.
Our three daughters Sarah Beth, Melissa and Sarah Diane, are married and have blessed us with 8 beautiful grandchildren. Now they all live close enough to visit often to enjoy the outdoors of the farm, the chickens, the cows, garden and fishing.
Strong women dominate my family history from both my grandmothers to my mother who raised me and my siblings working full time while attending college to become a science teacher. We learned early to dive into projects with confidence whether it was our education, our jobs or our hobbies...or simply building a chicken coop. Roger's family was the same way, They farmed while working off the farm careers. His mother even had a 1500 hen layer flock and sold eggs to grocery stores.
Today I enjoy sewing, quilting, crochet, cooking and canning from our large garden and orchard and making soaps. Researching family genealogy has become a passion. Some day, I will get out the potter's wheel and make pottery again.
Roger in the garden last spring and part of our herd.
2. Why and when did you start keeping chickens?
An uncle in Missouri offered me a trio of Hulsey in 1995 for laying eggs for our family. The first run and coop were made of pvc pipe and chicken wire in our north OKC backyard before chickens were allowed… guess we were pioneers back then. Now on the farm, we have a nice layer flock and Buckeye, Cochin and Wyandotte as well as Bantam Delaware. We have OEGB, Rosecomb and d"Anvers as well…. lots of yard ornaments freeranging around the house, barn and pastures.
3. Which aspect(s) of chicken keeping do you enjoy the most?
Columbian Wyandotte is my favorite breed and seeing advancement in the flock development towards the SOP by selective breeding is my favorite endeavour. While cleaning coops is not my favorite choice, I enjoy the satisfaction of getting it done. I also enjoy sharing eggs with my family and friends, seeing healthy vigorous chicks hatch in the incubator or under a fluffy broody hen and watching the free rangers run from the coops in the morning and returning each evening to swarm me for treats.
4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why?
Several special birds stand out for me. First is Beauregard, my first Columbian Wyandotte cockerel. Beau became a beautiful flock master who was attentive to his hens… even sitting on eggs so broody hen could take a break. He was a gentle giant and has left his genetics in my breeders.
Mary was one of my hatchery layers, but had a sensitive gentle soul. She kept a premature calf company for a week this spring until the calf died. We had to put feed and water near the barn stall because she would not go back to the hen house that whole time. Even the mother cow was tolerant of her presence. Mary died a month later.
This is a photo of Mary, my hen, with the premature calf.
Samson and Delilah were my first Cochins. I now have 15 and love every one of them. These two have added their genetics to my growing flock. Both were aloof parents, but lovely personalities that followed me around the pens.
Onyx is one of my Black Wyandotte hens. She is a wonderful mother and is currently raising her second brood of chicks this year.
5. What was the funniest (chicken related) thing(s) that happened to you in your years as chicken owner?
One of the funniest situations resulted in a hatchery hen getting a reputation and earning an extended name. From the time Nellie would go broody, you dared not put your hand near her nest. Even when moved to a deep water trough with her chicks she would defend those chicks with stink eye and shrieks. A few years ago, a friend had a single chick hatch and needed a hen with chicks to help raise up her baby. Nellie took the chick immediately as if it was her own. When the chick was old enough to go home with the young couple, the hubby tried to reach in to pick up their chick from the tank. Nellie flew straight up from a nestled position towards his hand and barely missed his face. From then on, Nasty Nesty Nellie or NNN became her name. We all enjoyed stories of her escapades with her chicks. Without chicks, she was Nellie again.
6. Beside chickens, what other pets do you keep?
Our other pets include two dogs… Red, 8, a Catahoula Lab mix and Gracie, 11, an Australian Shepard. Murdock, an aging barn cat that brings me "presents" even though is blind in one eye. And a 10 year old Orange-Faced Lovebird named Naranjo. We also have a pair of wild Canadian geese that have returned to the farm the past 15 years to raise their gaggle of babies.
7. Anything you'd like to add?
I am blessed by the many friendships developed over the years in my home state, across the country and even around the world here on BYC. BYC is a fabulous site made so by the willingness of so many to share knowledge, encouragement and kindness.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/u/23941/nanakat
See here for more about the interview feature and a complete list of member interviews: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/905602/introducing-vip-member-interviews/0_30
1. Tell us a bit more about yourself.
First let me say, I am honored by the invitation to participate in the interview process!!
My husband Roger and I met in an older singles/newly single class at church. We have been married since blending our families in 1987. This photo is shorlly after we were married.
We bought our farm in 1998 and run a 100 cow Angus herd. We are both now retired...he from the OKC Police Department and me from art teacher to school administration.
Our three daughters Sarah Beth, Melissa and Sarah Diane, are married and have blessed us with 8 beautiful grandchildren. Now they all live close enough to visit often to enjoy the outdoors of the farm, the chickens, the cows, garden and fishing.
Strong women dominate my family history from both my grandmothers to my mother who raised me and my siblings working full time while attending college to become a science teacher. We learned early to dive into projects with confidence whether it was our education, our jobs or our hobbies...or simply building a chicken coop. Roger's family was the same way, They farmed while working off the farm careers. His mother even had a 1500 hen layer flock and sold eggs to grocery stores.
Today I enjoy sewing, quilting, crochet, cooking and canning from our large garden and orchard and making soaps. Researching family genealogy has become a passion. Some day, I will get out the potter's wheel and make pottery again.
Roger in the garden last spring and part of our herd.
2. Why and when did you start keeping chickens?
An uncle in Missouri offered me a trio of Hulsey in 1995 for laying eggs for our family. The first run and coop were made of pvc pipe and chicken wire in our north OKC backyard before chickens were allowed… guess we were pioneers back then. Now on the farm, we have a nice layer flock and Buckeye, Cochin and Wyandotte as well as Bantam Delaware. We have OEGB, Rosecomb and d"Anvers as well…. lots of yard ornaments freeranging around the house, barn and pastures.
3. Which aspect(s) of chicken keeping do you enjoy the most?
Columbian Wyandotte is my favorite breed and seeing advancement in the flock development towards the SOP by selective breeding is my favorite endeavour. While cleaning coops is not my favorite choice, I enjoy the satisfaction of getting it done. I also enjoy sharing eggs with my family and friends, seeing healthy vigorous chicks hatch in the incubator or under a fluffy broody hen and watching the free rangers run from the coops in the morning and returning each evening to swarm me for treats.
4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why?
Several special birds stand out for me. First is Beauregard, my first Columbian Wyandotte cockerel. Beau became a beautiful flock master who was attentive to his hens… even sitting on eggs so broody hen could take a break. He was a gentle giant and has left his genetics in my breeders.
Mary was one of my hatchery layers, but had a sensitive gentle soul. She kept a premature calf company for a week this spring until the calf died. We had to put feed and water near the barn stall because she would not go back to the hen house that whole time. Even the mother cow was tolerant of her presence. Mary died a month later.
This is a photo of Mary, my hen, with the premature calf.
Samson and Delilah were my first Cochins. I now have 15 and love every one of them. These two have added their genetics to my growing flock. Both were aloof parents, but lovely personalities that followed me around the pens.
Onyx is one of my Black Wyandotte hens. She is a wonderful mother and is currently raising her second brood of chicks this year.
5. What was the funniest (chicken related) thing(s) that happened to you in your years as chicken owner?
One of the funniest situations resulted in a hatchery hen getting a reputation and earning an extended name. From the time Nellie would go broody, you dared not put your hand near her nest. Even when moved to a deep water trough with her chicks she would defend those chicks with stink eye and shrieks. A few years ago, a friend had a single chick hatch and needed a hen with chicks to help raise up her baby. Nellie took the chick immediately as if it was her own. When the chick was old enough to go home with the young couple, the hubby tried to reach in to pick up their chick from the tank. Nellie flew straight up from a nestled position towards his hand and barely missed his face. From then on, Nasty Nesty Nellie or NNN became her name. We all enjoyed stories of her escapades with her chicks. Without chicks, she was Nellie again.
6. Beside chickens, what other pets do you keep?
Our other pets include two dogs… Red, 8, a Catahoula Lab mix and Gracie, 11, an Australian Shepard. Murdock, an aging barn cat that brings me "presents" even though is blind in one eye. And a 10 year old Orange-Faced Lovebird named Naranjo. We also have a pair of wild Canadian geese that have returned to the farm the past 15 years to raise their gaggle of babies.
7. Anything you'd like to add?
I am blessed by the many friendships developed over the years in my home state, across the country and even around the world here on BYC. BYC is a fabulous site made so by the willingness of so many to share knowledge, encouragement and kindness.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/u/23941/nanakat
See here for more about the interview feature and a complete list of member interviews: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/905602/introducing-vip-member-interviews/0_30
