Boppo
Crossing the Road
Hi, I am Boppo. I ordered day old chicks from Meyer's Hatchery to be delivered in late April. I live actually just outside Boston, so my chicks are not actually all that urban. I have about a 1/8 acre yard that has a 5 1/2 foot tall wood fence all around it. I (hope!) to complete a pen for the chicks and a hen house before they arrive. I have never had chickens myself before, though I adored visiting and helping on farms near where I grew up.
I expect to receive 3 Buckeye hens and 2 Golden Buff hens, and one chicken to be named later. Meyer has solved the chick as packing peanuts issue by "giving" an extra chick in an order and promising it will be a hen and another egg layer. We will see. So, 6 chicks to start. I am trying to keep my expectations realistic.
I like messing around with all sorts of animals. I currently have 2 dogs, which I (HOPE< HOPE!!!) will be able to get along with the chickens. One dog is a Shih Tzu, about 2 years old. She has very little prey drive and is not likely to be a problem, I think. But the other is a Coton de Tulear. This dog is supposed to be a lap dog, like the Shih Tzu. But no, he is an adventure dog, a Houdini dog, and a pick pocket. I THINK he is herding squirrels up trees, rather than chasing them, but I am not sure the squirrels can tell the difference. I am working hard on SIT, LEAVE IT, and STAY with both dogs. Say a little chicken prayer for me, please!
I like learning new things, and expect to keep learning A LOT with chickens. I have been trolling around the Internet, and have a Dummies guide for chickens already. More suggestions would be welcome. I also love to garden. I do not keep neat, tidy gardens, which I guess is a blessing, because, CHICKENS.
But I do hope to be able to combine my gardening and chickens through compost, bug eating, and feeding the ladies greens and veggies. I have an interest in gardening for wildlife, so the yard already has a lot of plants with seeds, berries and shelter, so I think the chickens will have a good time in their free range times. I am retired, and plan to let the chickens out in the afternoons to run around the yard, but spend their mornings in the pen.
Aside from my 2 dogs, I have a husband who had to be placed in a memory ward this past fall, for Alzheimers. My life for the 2 years before that was just wild! But things have quieted down. Jim is in a safe place where he is content and cared for, and close enough to visit easily. I have 2 grown children, and no grandchildren.
Back Yard Chickens is one of the websites I have stumbled across in my searches of the Internet. I was always struck by the collegiality and helpfulness of the answers. The tone seems so friendly, and so often, questions get really useful answers. Thank you! I look forward to meeting folks. I will add pictures when chicks arrive!!
I expect to receive 3 Buckeye hens and 2 Golden Buff hens, and one chicken to be named later. Meyer has solved the chick as packing peanuts issue by "giving" an extra chick in an order and promising it will be a hen and another egg layer. We will see. So, 6 chicks to start. I am trying to keep my expectations realistic.
I like messing around with all sorts of animals. I currently have 2 dogs, which I (HOPE< HOPE!!!) will be able to get along with the chickens. One dog is a Shih Tzu, about 2 years old. She has very little prey drive and is not likely to be a problem, I think. But the other is a Coton de Tulear. This dog is supposed to be a lap dog, like the Shih Tzu. But no, he is an adventure dog, a Houdini dog, and a pick pocket. I THINK he is herding squirrels up trees, rather than chasing them, but I am not sure the squirrels can tell the difference. I am working hard on SIT, LEAVE IT, and STAY with both dogs. Say a little chicken prayer for me, please!
I like learning new things, and expect to keep learning A LOT with chickens. I have been trolling around the Internet, and have a Dummies guide for chickens already. More suggestions would be welcome. I also love to garden. I do not keep neat, tidy gardens, which I guess is a blessing, because, CHICKENS.
But I do hope to be able to combine my gardening and chickens through compost, bug eating, and feeding the ladies greens and veggies. I have an interest in gardening for wildlife, so the yard already has a lot of plants with seeds, berries and shelter, so I think the chickens will have a good time in their free range times. I am retired, and plan to let the chickens out in the afternoons to run around the yard, but spend their mornings in the pen.
Aside from my 2 dogs, I have a husband who had to be placed in a memory ward this past fall, for Alzheimers. My life for the 2 years before that was just wild! But things have quieted down. Jim is in a safe place where he is content and cared for, and close enough to visit easily. I have 2 grown children, and no grandchildren.
Back Yard Chickens is one of the websites I have stumbled across in my searches of the Internet. I was always struck by the collegiality and helpfulness of the answers. The tone seems so friendly, and so often, questions get really useful answers. Thank you! I look forward to meeting folks. I will add pictures when chicks arrive!!
Glad you joined.
. I'm a quail herder myself. I have two coturnix hens and coturnix eggs in the incubator. Funky stuff!
