Hi all!
I just joined the site so I thought I'd introduce myself really quick. Looking forward to meeting everyone and learning a lot!
(1) Are you new to chickens / when did you first get chickens?
Yes and no. I grew up with chickens and other fowl, since my dad raised them all the time. It's been years, though, since I've lived at home and this is my first time doing it on my own. I've had my girls since Thanksgiving, so most are roughly 20-22 weeks old as of today, February 27 (some were 8 weeks when I got them, others 10 weeks), but 2 are 8 weeks and another 2 are a little bit older.
(2) How many chickens do you have right now?
I have 11 hens right now. I had 10, but found out my snowy egger, cuckoo marans, and naked neck were all roosters when they started crowing and fighting this week. Since I can't have roosters due to city ordinance, I found them a good home yesterday. Two are going to someone who will breed them, the other guards a flock. Yesterday, the lady I originally got my 10 "pullets" from gave me another 2 more pullets (an Easter Egger and Rhode Island Red) to make up for part of the roosters, while someone else who heard about my rooster problem dropped off the 2 Red Sexlinked.
(3) What breeds do you have?
3 Easter Egger, 3 Rhode Island Red, 2 White Leghorn, 1 Sapphire Gem, 2 Red Sexlink (Rhode Island Red/Leghorn cross)
(4) What are your favorite aspects of raising backyard chickens?
Honestly, I love the whole thing! I find the chickens themselves to be fun to take care of. Their personalities can be hilarious. Growing up, I loved feeding them and collecting the eggs. My girls aren't laying yet (with the possible exception of the 2 red sexlinked, who I'm told are old enough to lay), but I'm looking forward to collecting eggs again! Really, though, I just enjoy them all around.
(5) What are some of your other hobbies?
I'm a writer in my spare time (was recently interviewed on HorrorTree.com as a female author in horror). I also play the violin and enjoy cooking and video games. I tried starting a vegetable garden last year, which failed miserably, but really want to try again this year. I also act as a slush reader and a staff review writer for two speculative fiction magazines.
(6) Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share.
No one else in my family lives here in Texas. I was born and raised in Michigan, but moved to New Mexico in 2009 to finish my Bachelor's degree in Archaeology and took a permanent position as a park ranger with the National Park Service. In 2017, I transferred to a park in Texas, where I've been ever since. So, it's just me and my gaggle of chihuahuas...and now chickens---although I do appear to have been adopted by two black tomcats who have decided that my back deck is home. I finished my Master's of Fine Arts in Creative Writing in 2019 and am working on my debut novel.
(7) Bonus: How did you find BYC, how long have you known about BYC, and what made you finally join our awesome community?
I've been wanting to get chickens for years. When I first started looking into it seriously last spring, BYC was one of the first sites I came across on Google. It's been a huge help in figuring everything out. I decided to join the community because I am new and I've already run into a few issues with my chickens that have stumped me. For example, I thought I had three hens vying for dominance because I was promised up and down by the lady that sold them to me that they were females. Turns out, they were boys. Lovely boys---the snowy egger was such a sweet thing, running up to me, sitting on my lap, following me like a puppy, and the naked neck was so friendly---but boys I'm not allowed to have in the city, nonetheless. Today, I've run into another snafu with the 2 Red Sexlinked girls, so am looking for advice again. So, basically, I'm hoping to learn a lot from all of you!
I just joined the site so I thought I'd introduce myself really quick. Looking forward to meeting everyone and learning a lot!
(1) Are you new to chickens / when did you first get chickens?
Yes and no. I grew up with chickens and other fowl, since my dad raised them all the time. It's been years, though, since I've lived at home and this is my first time doing it on my own. I've had my girls since Thanksgiving, so most are roughly 20-22 weeks old as of today, February 27 (some were 8 weeks when I got them, others 10 weeks), but 2 are 8 weeks and another 2 are a little bit older.
(2) How many chickens do you have right now?
I have 11 hens right now. I had 10, but found out my snowy egger, cuckoo marans, and naked neck were all roosters when they started crowing and fighting this week. Since I can't have roosters due to city ordinance, I found them a good home yesterday. Two are going to someone who will breed them, the other guards a flock. Yesterday, the lady I originally got my 10 "pullets" from gave me another 2 more pullets (an Easter Egger and Rhode Island Red) to make up for part of the roosters, while someone else who heard about my rooster problem dropped off the 2 Red Sexlinked.
(3) What breeds do you have?
3 Easter Egger, 3 Rhode Island Red, 2 White Leghorn, 1 Sapphire Gem, 2 Red Sexlink (Rhode Island Red/Leghorn cross)
(4) What are your favorite aspects of raising backyard chickens?
Honestly, I love the whole thing! I find the chickens themselves to be fun to take care of. Their personalities can be hilarious. Growing up, I loved feeding them and collecting the eggs. My girls aren't laying yet (with the possible exception of the 2 red sexlinked, who I'm told are old enough to lay), but I'm looking forward to collecting eggs again! Really, though, I just enjoy them all around.
(5) What are some of your other hobbies?
I'm a writer in my spare time (was recently interviewed on HorrorTree.com as a female author in horror). I also play the violin and enjoy cooking and video games. I tried starting a vegetable garden last year, which failed miserably, but really want to try again this year. I also act as a slush reader and a staff review writer for two speculative fiction magazines.
(6) Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share.
No one else in my family lives here in Texas. I was born and raised in Michigan, but moved to New Mexico in 2009 to finish my Bachelor's degree in Archaeology and took a permanent position as a park ranger with the National Park Service. In 2017, I transferred to a park in Texas, where I've been ever since. So, it's just me and my gaggle of chihuahuas...and now chickens---although I do appear to have been adopted by two black tomcats who have decided that my back deck is home. I finished my Master's of Fine Arts in Creative Writing in 2019 and am working on my debut novel.
(7) Bonus: How did you find BYC, how long have you known about BYC, and what made you finally join our awesome community?
I've been wanting to get chickens for years. When I first started looking into it seriously last spring, BYC was one of the first sites I came across on Google. It's been a huge help in figuring everything out. I decided to join the community because I am new and I've already run into a few issues with my chickens that have stumped me. For example, I thought I had three hens vying for dominance because I was promised up and down by the lady that sold them to me that they were females. Turns out, they were boys. Lovely boys---the snowy egger was such a sweet thing, running up to me, sitting on my lap, following me like a puppy, and the naked neck was so friendly---but boys I'm not allowed to have in the city, nonetheless. Today, I've run into another snafu with the 2 Red Sexlinked girls, so am looking for advice again. So, basically, I'm hoping to learn a lot from all of you!
Glad you joined.
Hello and welcome to BYC, You found an Awesome poultry Forum to be a part of with many great knowledgeable members who are more then willing to jump in and help you with any questions you may have. 
