ackie
previously jwehl // dogs & cats & squirrels oh my!
Hi I'm Jackie,
I live on 15 acres with 2 horses (that we don't ride aka expensive lawn ornaments), 4 dogs, 5-ish cats, an unfortunately small number of peafowl (down to 8 adults and 2 chicks), 4 juvenile squirrels that are due to be released soon, and a ridiculous number of chickens. It's probably only 50 right now, but I let mine free range so my hens tend to go broody somewhere hidden and come back 21 days later with babies. (Which I proceed to lock up with the mom because babies do dumb things like drown in puddles).
The property I'm at has had chickens in the past but wasnt really doing much of a chicken thing when I moved in. There were 2 chickens left that free ranged/ ate with the peafowl when they were fed. One was an old lady game hen (but still laying!) and the other was a game cock who was her son with (I'm told) and orpington rooster. I bought some more docile chickens a few years ago and they all got eaten by one thing or another (including 2 pretty Polish and several Cemanis) so I went back to what was hardy and brought in some game hens and now I have a ridiculous amount of chickens. I would love to sell hens but apparently no one wants game hens. (I do have a family who buys my roosters 'as pets' consistently. I think they probably told the first backyard chicken person that they were going to eat them and got turned away, so they refuse to admit it even though I dont care)
Right now the bulk of my chickens were born this year, March/April-ish, which means the hens could and should be laying but I'm overcrowded so I suspect they're stressed. They free range to compensate for that but that just means if they do lay, they're hidden. (And of course my last docile hen who was my only consistent layer got her head eaten off by... something. Maybe a weasel.)
I don't care too much about the lack of eggs except that it indicates an underlying problem. I have chickens because I enjoy raising things and caring for them - but without the consequences of messing up another human being. I also really love fixing them when they're hurt or sick.
EDIT: my chicken experience includes coccidiosis, Mereks and histomoniasis.
Other than chickens, I have a garden, take care of the farm, am off-and-on into a variety of fiber arts and other artistic things, and love the outdoors- camping, hiking, climbing.
I am currently unemployed due to the pandemic but I was in the restaurant industry. I have a chemical engineering degree.
I have a tendency to be sassy, sarcastic with a joy of dark humor, so if I offend you PLEASE tell me so we can work things out.
I found BYC by googling various chicken issues and made an account because I finally found an issue that the internet doesnt have abundant information about.
I live on 15 acres with 2 horses (that we don't ride aka expensive lawn ornaments), 4 dogs, 5-ish cats, an unfortunately small number of peafowl (down to 8 adults and 2 chicks), 4 juvenile squirrels that are due to be released soon, and a ridiculous number of chickens. It's probably only 50 right now, but I let mine free range so my hens tend to go broody somewhere hidden and come back 21 days later with babies. (Which I proceed to lock up with the mom because babies do dumb things like drown in puddles).
The property I'm at has had chickens in the past but wasnt really doing much of a chicken thing when I moved in. There were 2 chickens left that free ranged/ ate with the peafowl when they were fed. One was an old lady game hen (but still laying!) and the other was a game cock who was her son with (I'm told) and orpington rooster. I bought some more docile chickens a few years ago and they all got eaten by one thing or another (including 2 pretty Polish and several Cemanis) so I went back to what was hardy and brought in some game hens and now I have a ridiculous amount of chickens. I would love to sell hens but apparently no one wants game hens. (I do have a family who buys my roosters 'as pets' consistently. I think they probably told the first backyard chicken person that they were going to eat them and got turned away, so they refuse to admit it even though I dont care)
Right now the bulk of my chickens were born this year, March/April-ish, which means the hens could and should be laying but I'm overcrowded so I suspect they're stressed. They free range to compensate for that but that just means if they do lay, they're hidden. (And of course my last docile hen who was my only consistent layer got her head eaten off by... something. Maybe a weasel.)
I don't care too much about the lack of eggs except that it indicates an underlying problem. I have chickens because I enjoy raising things and caring for them - but without the consequences of messing up another human being. I also really love fixing them when they're hurt or sick.
EDIT: my chicken experience includes coccidiosis, Mereks and histomoniasis.
Other than chickens, I have a garden, take care of the farm, am off-and-on into a variety of fiber arts and other artistic things, and love the outdoors- camping, hiking, climbing.
I am currently unemployed due to the pandemic but I was in the restaurant industry. I have a chemical engineering degree.
I have a tendency to be sassy, sarcastic with a joy of dark humor, so if I offend you PLEASE tell me so we can work things out.
I found BYC by googling various chicken issues and made an account because I finally found an issue that the internet doesnt have abundant information about.
