Hi From Suburban Portland OR

I'm so glad I found this site, and I can't believe I didn't discover it sooner. I was Googling around, trying to find 8+ weeks-old barred rock chicklets. I don't want to brood peeps in the house again. Anyway, I discovered this site and it looks so welcoming!

I got my first girls 5 years ago. I started out with three and we did so well until last summer. One of them died, sometime between July 4 and 5. I don't know what happened to her, but she slipped away during the night. The two remaining girls, Eggness and Granny Mae, did well and continued to lay till fall. Then in November, I had to take in an arthritic, old shepherd mix. She's 11, but still had enough juice to kill Eggness. I guess I don't need to mention what a horrible day that was. Then I worried that one chicken alone wouldn't survive. I was afraid that Granny Mae would pine away without company, so one of the Portland TV weather guys very kindly adopted her to his place in the Columbia Gorge.

Now with spring right around the corner, I'm going to rebuild the enclosure with heavier wire and a new gate to keep the shepherd out, and do some general clean-up. I also have a Great Pyr mix but she's great with chickens and cats. I'm eager to replace my flock with maybe 2 barred rocks (great little layers, and all-around fun and funny birds), and maybe a RIR. But given the dynamics of the dogs and the cat, brooding in the house would just be too hard.

I'm a writer and I work at home. We live in a subdivision but this is a development in kind of a mixed area of what used to be all berry fields. Blue Lake and Interlachen Lake are nearby.

It's good to be here!

Alexis

 

Thanks, and me too! Too much trauma and drama for one year!