Mary in Herndon
In the Brooder
My name is Mary, and I live in Herndon, Va.
(1) Are you new to chickens / when did you first get chickens?
I first had chickens when I dated into the hobby. My ex had several breeds of chickens, and then we raised Thanksgiving turkeys (broad-breasted bronze) as well as ducks (Cayugas). When things went south with my relationship, a big hole was left in my heart... a bird-shaped hole. I wish I could have taken my golden laced polish hen with me, but at the time, I was renting a condo, and I could not care for her, nor did I want to separate her from her flockmates. I recently bought a house in a chick-friendly town, and last week I received my Meyer Hatchery chicks in the mail. My girls are happy and healthy. I also splurged and bought an amazingly constructed chicken coop from the Amish outlet in Leesburg, so I won't be scrambling to build or buy something when my girls start jumping out of their brooder box in a few weeks.
(2) How many chickens do you have right now?
Four...
(3) What breeds do you have?
Buff Orpington (Katy and Suzi), Lavender Orpington (Princess), Easter Egger (Bunny)...
(4) What are your favorite aspects of raising backyard chickens?
I love to eat eggs, and even more, I love fresh eggs. When I had to go back to store eggs, it was rough. But also, I love the companionship of the birds. They are pets and a member of the family!
(5) What are some of your other hobbies?
I love music! I go to concerts regularly in D.C. and Baltimore (mostly punk and ska bands nobody has ever heard of). I attend a music festival called Riot Fest in Chicago every year. I also volunteer at our local outdoor family-friendly summer concert series called Friday Night Live (www.herndonrocks.com).
I like to garden. Having just upgraded my living space from a rental condo to a house of my own with a large yard, I am really looking forward to gardening in the earth and not pots this summer.
I am also a big fan of jigsaw puzzles, and I hate to admit I watch a lot of TV.
(6) Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share.
At the moment it's me, three zebra danios, an aquarium snail, and the baby chickens at home, but my parents live nearby with my furbrother Bernie (yellow lab), and I look forward to expanding my family later this year with a lab of my own. The chicks met Bernie last night, and it all went really well!
I work a typical 9-5 desk job, and my coworkers generally think my hobbies are nuts (except for Suzi and Katy, who I named my buffs after).
(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 using BYC as a resource for tips and advice since I first met my ex's chickens about 2.5 years ago, but now that I am raising my own chicks on my own, I decided it was time to become part of the flock!
(1) Are you new to chickens / when did you first get chickens?
I first had chickens when I dated into the hobby. My ex had several breeds of chickens, and then we raised Thanksgiving turkeys (broad-breasted bronze) as well as ducks (Cayugas). When things went south with my relationship, a big hole was left in my heart... a bird-shaped hole. I wish I could have taken my golden laced polish hen with me, but at the time, I was renting a condo, and I could not care for her, nor did I want to separate her from her flockmates. I recently bought a house in a chick-friendly town, and last week I received my Meyer Hatchery chicks in the mail. My girls are happy and healthy. I also splurged and bought an amazingly constructed chicken coop from the Amish outlet in Leesburg, so I won't be scrambling to build or buy something when my girls start jumping out of their brooder box in a few weeks.
(2) How many chickens do you have right now?
Four...
(3) What breeds do you have?
Buff Orpington (Katy and Suzi), Lavender Orpington (Princess), Easter Egger (Bunny)...
(4) What are your favorite aspects of raising backyard chickens?
I love to eat eggs, and even more, I love fresh eggs. When I had to go back to store eggs, it was rough. But also, I love the companionship of the birds. They are pets and a member of the family!
(5) What are some of your other hobbies?
I love music! I go to concerts regularly in D.C. and Baltimore (mostly punk and ska bands nobody has ever heard of). I attend a music festival called Riot Fest in Chicago every year. I also volunteer at our local outdoor family-friendly summer concert series called Friday Night Live (www.herndonrocks.com).
I like to garden. Having just upgraded my living space from a rental condo to a house of my own with a large yard, I am really looking forward to gardening in the earth and not pots this summer.
I am also a big fan of jigsaw puzzles, and I hate to admit I watch a lot of TV.
(6) Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share.
At the moment it's me, three zebra danios, an aquarium snail, and the baby chickens at home, but my parents live nearby with my furbrother Bernie (yellow lab), and I look forward to expanding my family later this year with a lab of my own. The chicks met Bernie last night, and it all went really well!
I work a typical 9-5 desk job, and my coworkers generally think my hobbies are nuts (except for Suzi and Katy, who I named my buffs after).
(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 using BYC as a resource for tips and advice since I first met my ex's chickens about 2.5 years ago, but now that I am raising my own chicks on my own, I decided it was time to become part of the flock!
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We are glad you joined this flock!
ever been to Warped Tour? Sad it ended 
I’ve always wanted to go to Riot Fest! Maybe eventually lol that and Slam Dunk but that one will probably never happen cause it’s all the way in the UK 
Glad you joined.
