BYC Member Interview - TOMTE

[TOMTE]

Great interview Tomte. I loved the The Tomten as a kid!

I'm surprised I never heard of that book until recently. I still haven't read it! It looks so cute!

 

[ronott1]

@TOMTE


Come say hello to @TOMTE who comes to us from west Michigan and has been a member since July 2024.​

1. Tell us a bit more about yourself. And is there a story behind your member name?
I'm Tomte (tome-tuh), or you can call me Tomy (toe-me). It's an online name I use for privacy reasons. And I just like the name! I've been interested in Norse mythology and culture for years now. These days the tomte is closely associated with Christmas (elves & Santa), but way back before Christianity came to Scandinavia, a tomte (Swedish; or nisse, Norwegian) was a spirit of the land, or a homestead spirit. Legend is that if you take good care of your land and animals, and as long as you're respectful to the tomte, he will watch over your home and livestock for you! But if you offend him, he might tie your cows' tails together, or steal a goat, or make you sick.

If that doesn't tell you I'm a whimsical type of person, I don't know what will

I'm disabled, autistic, part of the LGBT community, and passionate about wildlife and animals. Ever since I was little I've preferred to spend time outside, close to nature, and with animals. I used to pretend I was Steve Irwin, catching snakes and spiders and every little critter I could get my hands on!

If I'm not asking questions and thinking out loud and learning, you can assume I'm dead LOL!

If I could go to school for anything it would be for something like wildlife biology or ecology. With a sprinkle of entomology, and a heaping pile of ethology. I'd love to do conservation stuff. Especially with prairies. Here in Michigan (and the US as a whole) there are very few prairies left but there are a couple of them nearby that are protected! Also wetlands, because they're suffering too. My favorite ecosystems to learn about and spend time in are grasslands, wetlands, and forests.


2. Why and when did you start keeping poultry?
For years now my dad and I have wanted chickens but it always came down to not having the money for it. Well, this past summer while visiting, my uncle called from a farm store and asked us out of the blue if we'd like to have chickens. Dad and I of course said "Yes!", but we thought he would do it next year. Nope. He went out again the next day and came home with chicks!
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So it was a rush to get everything ready for them. And for me personally, to research everything I possibly could, which is how I found BYC! He ended up picking up another, slightly older chick too, a day or so later. So here they are, my very first chickens!
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Sybil, the latecomer, RSL.

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Aliss, BSL.

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Esme, BSL.

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Gytha, SLW.

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Magrat, SLW.

My uncle got them for us for the eggs, strictly not as pets ("you know these won't be pets, right?" ), but I'm the one caring for them and I have really bonded with my girls. It's been a really fun experience and I'm learning so much!


3. Which aspects of poultry keeping do you enjoy the most? I can honestly tell you I love the whole thing. Mostly I love spending time with my flock, talking to them, listening to them talk to me and each other, watching them be chickens

...And all of the research I get to do


4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why? All of them! My small flock makes it easy to get to know each and every one of them more personally.
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Sybil was the first to start laying on November 28th (2024) and has laid every single day since then. She really is a little lady. She used to be timid, lagging behind the rest, letting herself be bullied. But I started spending quality time with her which gave her confidence a boost, and then once she started laying she got even better. Not top of the pecking order by any means, but Sybil stands her ground when she's being bullied while being respectful of those above her.

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Aliss is loud, bossy, and a little bit crazy, which is essential if you're going to be named after a bad witch She even cackles! Second-to-last to start laying. Very beautiful, super soft feathers, green eyes, and a sharp beak She was a wild one from the start.

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Esme is also loud and bossy, and crazy in a different way. Just 8 months old and she's already like a witty old lady! She really makes a fuss about anything and everything, whenever the mood strikes her, which is often. She likes to do jump-kicks. Incessantly, against the coop's cleaning door, from the inside, when she's about to lay an egg. And against the run's door when she wants out, which is any time she hears me talk or step or breathe or think... And she's normally the first to initiate hair-styling sessions (video below).

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Gytha acts and carries herself like a rooster. She's a big girl and she does throw her weight around sometimes. She's always been the most human avoidant, but she isn't fearful. Gytha is bold, cunning, and quick. She was the last to start laying, and has the loudest egg song.

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Little Magrat is the only one whose place in the pecking order I'm sure of. She's currently at the very bottom, the poor thing, but I'm working with her so she doesn't let the others bully her. She is the most affectionate in my flock, the only one who asks to be picked up without demanding to be put down again 5 seconds later, and sometimes falls asleep in my arms, and jumps on my shoulders any chance she gets. She'd spend 2 hours grooming my hair if only I'd let her, and she chats with me the whole time!


5. What was the funniest poultry related thing that has happened to you in your years 8 months as an owner?
I don't think I've had that happen yet! Nothing stands out, at least, because they do things every day that make me laugh.

Here are a couple things I managed to get on video:

6. Beside poultry, what other pets do you keep? Currently I have a big old tabby cat (Sasuke), a leopard gecko (Teylu), and a colony of dubia roaches that doubles as Teylu's food.

In the past I've had rats (8 total, at different times. A favorite ), dogs (another favorite ), and various species of fish.


7. Anything you'd like to add? If you recognize my chickens' names you get a hard boiled egg (GNU Terry Pratchett)

@TOMTE

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introducing-vip-member-interviews​

Thanks for the interview!