@Sally PB
Come say hello to Sally! She's been a member since August 2020 and comes to us from Michigan.
Come say hello to Sally! She's been a member since August 2020 and comes to us from Michigan.
1. Tell us a bit more about yourself. And is there a story behind your member name?
I’ve been married to the love of my life for 32 years, and we live on 25 acres. We have a dog and 7 chickens, big gardens, and lots of wild life. We moved out here 27 years ago from the big city (Grand Rapids, MI), and can’t imagine moving back.
The story behind my name is not very inventive… my name is Sally, and PB are the rest of my initials. I also love peanut butter, so the name fits!
2. Why and when did you start keeping chickens?
I always said that when I retire, I’m going to have chickens. I’ll have a rooster named Darl, and the hens will be Darl’s chickens. That bit came from the Monty Python sketch, The Bookshop. (It’s also a Spoonerism on Charles Dickens.)
Well, in March of 2020, Covid came along, and everyone where I worked was sent home for 3 weeks. That ended up lasting several months, and hubby and I decided I would retire. The next day, though, I went to Tractor Supply and got 3 Black Australorp pullets, 3 Buff Orpington straight run chicks, the biggest dog crate they had, a bag of chick feed, and all the paraphernalia that went with brooding day old chicks. I did not know that “straight run” actually meant “we don’t know if it’s a pullet, it’s probably a cockerel, so take your chances.” Yup, all 3 were cockerels.
I was in way over my head, but didn’t know it. If I’d had time to research, ie, had joined BYC and read some articles and threads, I would have known not to get straight run. Two of the cockerels were culled at 4 months. At least the 3 pullets were all pullets!
My hubby built me an adorable coop on the frame of an old trailer we found on our property.
The run was built on the frame of a greenhouse that was donated by a neighbor, who just wanted “that metal junk” out of the way.
The plan with building the coop on the trailer was to have it down by the garden in the summer, and up next to garage in the winter. After one winter of not having to walk all the way down the hill to the garden, I decided that having the coop and run next to the garage was much easier on me, and probably safer for the chickens.
I wanted to add 3 more pullets to the flock, so we added on to the coop in May of 2021. I got 2 Blue Jersey Giants, and a Jubilee Orpington on June 5th.
I added onto the run a few weeks later. The extra space let me make a “look, don’t touch” area for integrating the chicks.
3. Which aspects of poultry keeping do you enjoy the most?
I’d be lying if I didn’t say eggs were the first reason I wanted to get chickens. Now that I’ve had them, eggs are nice bonus, but their personalities are what make them special to me. The poop for the garden is another really nice bonus. I’ve had the best compost ever, since I’ve had chickens.
4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why?
Other than the two cockerels I had to cull, I still have all my birds. (Yay!) If I had to pick favorites, one of my Black Australorps, and one of the Blue Jersey Giants would probably get the nod. The BA, named Little, was the smallest of the first chicks I got, thus her name. She has the most personality, is the “brave one,” and would be a lap chicken if Darl (the roo) would allow it. Stormy, the JG, is just like Little: brave, inquisitive, and friendly.
5. What was the funniest poultry related thing that has happened to you in your years as an owner?
While I was brooding chicks inside this last June, Stormy, the brave one, was the first to get on my hand, then my leg. At three weeks, she flew up onto my shoulder. She walked back and forth, pecking at the pattern on my shirt, at my hair, at my ear, all the while making sweet little cheep-cheep noises. I called my husband over to watch. We both laughed, though I tried to hold still so I wouldn’t scare Stormy. She wasn’t scared at all; eventually I had to lift her down so she wouldn’t fly over the fence I had rigged up and escape.
6. Beside poultry, what other pets do you keep?
Over the years, we’ve had 2 Dobermans: Shadow, then Raven. Next was Mara, a Lab/Bull Terrier mix, who we adopted when she was 8. She passed away this last spring, at age 11. Now we have Freya, a year old Lab/Shepherd/Boxer mix. She is still very much a puppy!
Doesn't she have beautiful eyes?
7. Anything you'd like to add?
BYC is such a valuable resource. I would – and do! – recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about keeping chickens. Come for the information, and stay for the friendships and community.
@Sally PB
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
