** (1) Are you new to chickens / when did you first get chickens?**
I’ve been building up my flock over the last couple of years. What started as a small backyard project has grown into a serious passion for heritage breeds and self-sufficient living.
** (2) How many chickens do you have right now?**
Our current headcount is around 20 chickens in our mixed laying flock. On the duck side, we have our core breeding group and 14 Buff Orpington ducklings in the brooder that just hit the 10-day mark.
** (3) What breeds do you have?**
We are big fans of Orpingtons. We have a Buff Orpington breeding trio (one drake and two females) and also raise Blue Orpington ducks. For our chickens, we have a "mixed bag" of 20 birds that keep our egg baskets full.
** (4) What are your favorite aspects of raising backyard chickens?**
I love the balance of "farm life" and "tech life." Watching the personalities of the ducks while they forage is great, but I also enjoy the challenge of building out the infrastructure—everything from the coops to the brooders.
** (5) What are some of your other hobbies?**
When I’m not with the birds, I’m a big tech enthusiast. I’m heavily into 3D printing (running a Bambu Lab X1C and P1S) and homelab projects. I also spend time tinkering with solar power and networking gear, bringing an IT mindset to my outdoor projects.
** (6) Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share.**
We live on a nice property here in Oregon where we manage the flock along with our dogs. My professional background is in IT support and customer experience, which definitely comes in handy when I'm managing the tech side of our setup!
** (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 a "lurker" on BYC for quite a while—it’s the absolute best resource for troubleshooting duckling care and coop builds. I finally decided to join officially to connect with other Oregon keepers and find good homes for the heritage birds we hatch.
I’ve been building up my flock over the last couple of years. What started as a small backyard project has grown into a serious passion for heritage breeds and self-sufficient living.
** (2) How many chickens do you have right now?**
Our current headcount is around 20 chickens in our mixed laying flock. On the duck side, we have our core breeding group and 14 Buff Orpington ducklings in the brooder that just hit the 10-day mark.
** (3) What breeds do you have?**
We are big fans of Orpingtons. We have a Buff Orpington breeding trio (one drake and two females) and also raise Blue Orpington ducks. For our chickens, we have a "mixed bag" of 20 birds that keep our egg baskets full.
** (4) What are your favorite aspects of raising backyard chickens?**
I love the balance of "farm life" and "tech life." Watching the personalities of the ducks while they forage is great, but I also enjoy the challenge of building out the infrastructure—everything from the coops to the brooders.
** (5) What are some of your other hobbies?**
When I’m not with the birds, I’m a big tech enthusiast. I’m heavily into 3D printing (running a Bambu Lab X1C and P1S) and homelab projects. I also spend time tinkering with solar power and networking gear, bringing an IT mindset to my outdoor projects.
** (6) Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share.**
We live on a nice property here in Oregon where we manage the flock along with our dogs. My professional background is in IT support and customer experience, which definitely comes in handy when I'm managing the tech side of our setup!
** (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 a "lurker" on BYC for quite a while—it’s the absolute best resource for troubleshooting duckling care and coop builds. I finally decided to join officially to connect with other Oregon keepers and find good homes for the heritage birds we hatch.
Glad you joined.
