- Feb 1, 2014
- 7
- 33
- 77
(1) Are you new to chickens / when did you first get chickens?
We are retired grandparents from a large city living our dream in the country. We have been raising chickens and ducks for about 8 years.
(2) How many chickens do you have right now?
At present we only have about 20 chickens and about the same number of ducks. We reduced the size of our flock (100 birds) to make it more manageable so we could focus on remodeling our 100 year old farmhouse.
(3) What breeds do you have?
White Muscovy ducks, Wheaton Ameraucana, Delaware and Speckled Sussex chickens. We also have one Dark Cornish hen who has been an excellent mother.
(4) What are your favorite aspects of raising backyard chickens?
Flock psychology. I've always heard the term "pecking order" but I didn't fully grasp its meaning until I saw it displayed in my flock. It's also entertaining to watch them chasing grasshoppers and crickets in the yard. I guess we're easily entertained. And having our own meat and eggs is a real bonus.
(5) What are some of your other hobbies?
Working in the garden.
Working on the house to remodel it.
Working on quilts.
Working to build a future retirement destination for our kids and grandkids.
Stepping back and beholding the fruits of your labor is so gratifying. It's the best self esteem builder I've ever experienced.
(6) Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share.
We also have 3 wonderful "found" dogs (Curly, Susie, and Mattie) who work diligently to protect us and our flocks from predators.
(7) Bonus: How did you find BYC, how long have you known about BYC, and what made you finally join our awesome community?
Found BYC via websearch. I appreciate learning from those who have "been there and done that." Why reinvent the wheel? Learn from others' experience and avoid costly mistakes. Thank you BYC for being an invaluable resource.
We are retired grandparents from a large city living our dream in the country. We have been raising chickens and ducks for about 8 years.
(2) How many chickens do you have right now?
At present we only have about 20 chickens and about the same number of ducks. We reduced the size of our flock (100 birds) to make it more manageable so we could focus on remodeling our 100 year old farmhouse.
(3) What breeds do you have?
White Muscovy ducks, Wheaton Ameraucana, Delaware and Speckled Sussex chickens. We also have one Dark Cornish hen who has been an excellent mother.
(4) What are your favorite aspects of raising backyard chickens?
Flock psychology. I've always heard the term "pecking order" but I didn't fully grasp its meaning until I saw it displayed in my flock. It's also entertaining to watch them chasing grasshoppers and crickets in the yard. I guess we're easily entertained. And having our own meat and eggs is a real bonus.
(5) What are some of your other hobbies?
Working in the garden.
Working on the house to remodel it.
Working on quilts.
Working to build a future retirement destination for our kids and grandkids.
Stepping back and beholding the fruits of your labor is so gratifying. It's the best self esteem builder I've ever experienced.
(6) Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share.
We also have 3 wonderful "found" dogs (Curly, Susie, and Mattie) who work diligently to protect us and our flocks from predators.
(7) Bonus: How did you find BYC, how long have you known about BYC, and what made you finally join our awesome community?
Found BYC via websearch. I appreciate learning from those who have "been there and done that." Why reinvent the wheel? Learn from others' experience and avoid costly mistakes. Thank you BYC for being an invaluable resource.
Glad you joined.
...how many do you want?
Thanks for joining us!
