@Ted Brown
Come say hello to Ted! He's been a member since December 2018 and comes to us from Quebec, Canada.
Come say hello to Ted! He's been a member since December 2018 and comes to us from Quebec, Canada.
1. Tell us a bit more about yourself. And is there a story behind your member name?
I am old as dirt and live alone in a rural area on a lake. My home has large front windows that face south which, given five months of winter, is very welcome. The house was originally built by my father as a summer cottage but was completely renovated and expanded by a BIL and I over a several year period starting in 1989. In 2012, shortly after I moved here on a full time basis, I added a large workshop/garage where I do various build projects for myself and others. This allows me to keep busy and productive which I believe is critical as we get older. I have a 100 year plan but realize that my existence to date has been a consequence of luck and a lifetime of good mental/physical health; no certainty that will continue.
My career was in the information technology industry. I started as a programmer but soon realized that project managers made more money so focused there; towards the end of that career I was the lead manager for several very large multi-year projects ($100 Million+). Like most people in the industry my skills and knowledge aged and I found it increasingly difficult to find work so decided to change up, move from the city and find a different way to live. The IT industry is characterized by long periods where tangible accomplishments are few and failures plentiful; I decided to only do things that give short term pleasure and tangible result on a frequent basis.
2. Why and when did you start keeping chickens?
I try to eat only healthy foods and keep physically busy. In 2018 I realized that I needed to be responsible for something, particularly during the winter months when it is far to easy to plant one’s butt on the couch and watch the snow come down. Keeping a flock of chickens fit these goals so I started searching and found BYC.
As I knew nothing about keeping chickens I was not interested in trying to invent on my own. I spent the better part of a year researching coops and predators/pests. Along that path I discovered the core group of BYC members who consistently provide sound advice and knowledge; to this day I rely on them whenever I have a problem or questions.
My research led me to the Woods book on Fresh Air Poultry Houses. His designs and concepts fit perfectly with my living style, interests and the climate that I live in. In 2019 I started assembling materials and building a 10’ by 16’ KD coop; I completed the build in September of that year. I ordered 7 ISA Browns as ready to lays and my sister brought 16 fertilized eggs from birds that lay coloured shells. We hatched them in a cheap off-shore incubator and then watched them develop until late Spring when they started giving eggs. I found that experience to be very satisfying.
3. Which aspects of poultry keeping do you enjoy the most?
I think it is the endless journey of discovery and learning.
Anyone who thinks they only give eggs while creating a stinky mess is missing what can be a process of great satisfaction.
I was lucky to stumble onto the merits of drop boards, deep bedding and DLM early on and had the good sense to incorporate these into my maintenance regime. These methods reduce the effort to have a clean and healthy environment allowing a focus on the positives of collecting eggs and enjoying their endless antics.
4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why?
Perhaps because the flock is mostly hens the roosters that I have had stand out. My favourite was the first, a barnyard mix of blacks and golds and iridescent greens. He was a large bird with a tendency to attack if one turned their back too long inside the coop. This characteristic and a desire to develop a Chantecler sub flock led me to cull him but I have learned from my subsequent roosters that dominance, strength and fearlessness are characteristics to be valued.
5. What was the funniest poultry related thing that has happened to you in your years as an owner?
Hmmmmm...
Perhaps I am too focused on the practicalities of chicken keeping to take the time to sit and watch or too serious in life. The realities - pests like mites and lice, predators, building and maintaining the coop and run, building the flock to better suit my climate and temperament occupy the great majority of time that I devote to them.
6. Beside poultry, what other pets do you keep?
I have a female tabby cat, she has been in my life for a bit more than 11 years. I got her at the encouragement of my oldest daughter who thought I needed some companionship and because she needed a home.
Fair to say she suits me. She is independent and seems to delight in asking to be let outside then changing her mind just about the time my butt clears the cushion to do so.
7. Anything you'd like to add?
I greatly enjoy BYC and many of the expert members with endless patience who answer the stream of questions that pop up everyday.
Rarely does a cross word appear and when it does other members are quick to intervene and get the thread back on track. I put this down to the large percentage of female members present although there may be other factors from the early forum days that I am not aware of.
@Ted Brown
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
