Hi everyone!
(1) Are you new to chickens / when did you first get chickens?
I was in Jr. High when I got my first chickens. They were RIRs adopted from a school "experiment" involving imprinting. They lived legally in our yard in the suburbs and were truly pets, and would come into the house to sit on the piano while my mom played, or take naps with us occasionally. I also worked at the Oregon Zoo in their educational animals program. We had Polish and silkie hens, and took the chickens to schools throughout the area to teach children about pet care, conservation, and the environment (along with Muscovy ducks, owls, ferrets, opossums, snakes and countless other animals!). I absolutely fell in love with silkies.
(2) How many chickens do you have right now?
None. I'm here to do a lot of research before I get back into them.
Thanks to BYC I now know it's legal to have chickens in my town, but unfortunately I now live in a strict HOA run by control freaks, heh. I am hoping to change their minds. Right now the CC&Rs say no livestock or poultry *except* for housepets; this may be a loophole. I am sure I could get away with a house chicken. However, I have an extremely nosy neighbor, so I couldn't get away with them in the backyard. He called the HOA on us building a (rather beautiful) compost bin and we got a cease and desist letter from them.
Someone in the HOA has young ducks (he doesn't know me, I just saw them once and heard them peeping another time walking past!), and another person in the HOA said they want chickens, so I may enlist their help in changing the CC&Rs.
I will never, ever live in a HOA ever again, I can tell you that! After this it's farm country for me. Yegads, I hate having no privacy.
(3) What breeds do you have?
None right now! I really want silkies or showgirls.
(4) How did you find out about BackYardChickens.com?
Searching through various places for "pet chickens"!
(5) What are some of your other hobbies?
I'm a ceramic artist and potter. Animals are a huge part of my life. I love hiking and camping and being in the woods. I also like reading, drawing, and music.
(6) Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share.
I live with my DH and DW; miniature poodle Morgan; three cats, Eew (a foster), Chainsaw and Massacre; three Betta macrostoma fish Big Fishy McMouth, Viscount Carpet and the Baroness of Fizgig; hermit crabs; and an African grey parrot who says bokbokbok, ChuChu. I also have an Arabian horse, Xandy, who is boarded at my place of work.
I teach horseback riding at a non-profit stable (dressage and therapeutic riding for the handicapped).
(1) Are you new to chickens / when did you first get chickens?
I was in Jr. High when I got my first chickens. They were RIRs adopted from a school "experiment" involving imprinting. They lived legally in our yard in the suburbs and were truly pets, and would come into the house to sit on the piano while my mom played, or take naps with us occasionally. I also worked at the Oregon Zoo in their educational animals program. We had Polish and silkie hens, and took the chickens to schools throughout the area to teach children about pet care, conservation, and the environment (along with Muscovy ducks, owls, ferrets, opossums, snakes and countless other animals!). I absolutely fell in love with silkies.
(2) How many chickens do you have right now?
None. I'm here to do a lot of research before I get back into them.
Thanks to BYC I now know it's legal to have chickens in my town, but unfortunately I now live in a strict HOA run by control freaks, heh. I am hoping to change their minds. Right now the CC&Rs say no livestock or poultry *except* for housepets; this may be a loophole. I am sure I could get away with a house chicken. However, I have an extremely nosy neighbor, so I couldn't get away with them in the backyard. He called the HOA on us building a (rather beautiful) compost bin and we got a cease and desist letter from them.
Someone in the HOA has young ducks (he doesn't know me, I just saw them once and heard them peeping another time walking past!), and another person in the HOA said they want chickens, so I may enlist their help in changing the CC&Rs.
I will never, ever live in a HOA ever again, I can tell you that! After this it's farm country for me. Yegads, I hate having no privacy.
(3) What breeds do you have?
None right now! I really want silkies or showgirls.
(4) How did you find out about BackYardChickens.com?
Searching through various places for "pet chickens"!
(5) What are some of your other hobbies?
I'm a ceramic artist and potter. Animals are a huge part of my life. I love hiking and camping and being in the woods. I also like reading, drawing, and music.
(6) Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share.
I live with my DH and DW; miniature poodle Morgan; three cats, Eew (a foster), Chainsaw and Massacre; three Betta macrostoma fish Big Fishy McMouth, Viscount Carpet and the Baroness of Fizgig; hermit crabs; and an African grey parrot who says bokbokbok, ChuChu. I also have an Arabian horse, Xandy, who is boarded at my place of work.
I teach horseback riding at a non-profit stable (dressage and therapeutic riding for the handicapped).
