@PippinTheChicken
Come say hello to Pippin! She's been a member since March 2021 and comes to us from the UK.
Come say hello to Pippin! She's been a member since March 2021 and comes to us from the UK.
1. Tell us a bit more about yourself.
Hello!
I’m Pippin! As some of you know, Pippin is the name of my first hen.
I’m usually known as that “crazy, nerdy person” in my class who’s obsessed with chickens. Since I was small, I always loved animals, specifically birds and dinosaurs. And what’s between a bird and a dinosaur? A chicken!
My dream is to become a vet and live in the countryside, where I can have plenty of poultry and different animals. I love to learn, that's why I'm "the nerd" in my class. I love to do graphic design, photography, and digital drawing. I also collect houseplants.
2. Why and when did you start keeping chickens?
I started keeping chickens in September 2020, it was lockdown, and I read an article about a woman who hatched ducks from supermarket eggs. I thought: “wouldn’t it be fun to hatch my own chickens?!”. The more I researched, the more I fell in love. Myself and my family started thinking about getting chickens, but in lockdown we couldn’t get eggs. We ended up buying 2 adult silkie hens from some breeders. We named them Pippin and Fries. After that, I couldn’t stop myself from getting more chickens! Below are Fries and Pippin:
3. Which aspects of poultry keeping do you enjoy the most?
My favourite parts of keeping chickens… Can I say everything?
Keeping chickens has made my life better than I could ever imagine. It is so rewarding and fun. It’s hard not to get addicted.
I love hatching and raising chicks, it’s so amazing to watch them grow from a tiny, fragile little chick, all the way up to a big, strong hen or rooster. I love to think that I am giving them their best life, that’s what gets me up in the morning.
The best thing has got to be chicken cuddles! It’s adorable to see them happily fall asleep on your lap. It just gives me the best feeling!
Each flock member has a unique personality- and it’s an honour to be the one who gets to watch it grow.
And, as I said before, I’m a big nerd. Keeping chickens helps me learn about birds, and it stops me from getting stressed.
4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why?
Every flock member is special, but if I had to pick, I’d choose Kiwi and Blue. Kiwi and Blue were both from my 1st hatch- silver silkies!
Kiwi and I had a bond from the beginning. Even when he was in the egg. He’d always wiggle when I talked to him and read him stories, and he pipped right in front of my eyes. I remember trying to put him in the brooder- he didn't get off my hand! I felt a connection with him that moment. I held Kiwi at least 10 times a day. We played, napped, cuddled, and hugged. He liked to take dust baths on my lap sometimes. I even trained him (at around under a week old) to jump onto my leg. We played dress up too! One time, he was so excited to see me, he casually jumped out of the brooder and ran to me... "Time for a brooder change!"
He grew up into a handsome rooster, I tried to hold on to him, but after a few months, I realised he and his brother wouldn’t be happy with the number of hens I had. I had to rehome them. I was crushed when they left, but I was glad that he could have a happy life in his new home.
Blue was the Miracle Chick. Pickles and Kiwi had already moved to the brooder the day before, but Blue was still in the same state as she was before; partly zipped. We were getting worried. Hours passed, she was wriggling and wriggling, but she was just not strong enough. My dad suddenly opened the incubator, and carefully pried the shell open. When he closed it, it took a few minutes, but little blue managed to break free. Inside I wasn't sure she'd survive.
She could barely walk, and she had Splayed leg, curled toes, and pasty butt. She was too weak, we tried everything: we took her to the vet, gave her extra protein, gave her a shoe. And, spectacularly, she managed to overcome all of her struggles, and she survived.
She laid her first egg, and now she is trying to hatch her own chicks. You wouldn’t even be able to know how much she had to overcome, and I tell her how proud I am of her every day.
How could I forget, Peanut, my newest arrival! She certainly stands out for me!
A few weeks ago (October 22nd 2021) she was born, but she is so special already! Blue was a helped hatch, but my dad helped her, not me. So Peanut is the first chick I ever helped by myself, and it just so happened that she needed more help than Blue did.
She couldn't finish her zip because her legs were over her head, so I had to fully get her out.
I honestly didn't expect her to survive, she was so weak, and couldn't even lift her head.
After a few hours in the incubator, she managed to get up, and did a very wobbly stroll around the incubator.
When I took her out, she was weak, but I could tell that she had a will to live.
I scrubbed away all the gunk, massaged her feet, and gave her lots of cuddles.
She is now a sassy little drama queen who loves cuddles, and she has a team (#TeamPocketPeanut) cheering her on!
5. What was the funniest poultry related thing that has happened to you in your years as an owner?
Well, chickens are hilarious pets, I can count at least 5 funny things that happened in the last week! But the funniest thing was when I saw Kiwi and Pippin mating for the first time. It was a normal day, and I was sitting on the ground with them, and then all of a sudden… they start doing it! I get so surprised, I fall backwards, and run away!
I know that I shouldn’t have been that shocked, but it was my baby boy!
After that, Kiwi knew I didn’t want to see it, so guess what they did?
Every time I was with them, they’d start doing it, ugh.
6. Beside poultry, what other pets do you keep?
I have a Beagle, called Boomer, and 2 Russian tortoises called sherlock and Watson.
7. Anything you'd like to add?
Well, I just want to thank all the BYC members and staff who make this forum so fun, BYC is a great escape for me. I feel so welcome here, and never expected to be classed as a "VIP".
So.. THANKS BYC!
@PippinTheChicken
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
