GrinningWolf24
In the Brooder
- Jun 15, 2024
- 10
- 24
- 34
Hello friends~ As the thread title says, I have been lurking on the site a while, coming snooping for answers to things as I have been navigating the world of backyard chicken keeping. It's been a few years, and I only just now decided to finally break the ice, become a member, and be social with you lovely folks. X)
I truly didn't choose to have either my chickens or my rabbits- they chose me. And that is the truth! My house rabbit adventures started back in 2019, just before the pandemic hit, with one little baby boy that needed a home, and a joke from my dad. I did not realize I was going to be taking him in, was not prepared, and had no clue what I was doing. But with a lot of research, help from lovely folks, and a ton of laughs, it all worked out. And I was hooked. Over time, that led to me adopting 3 others (with an option on a few more, haha, we shall see), and earning the local moniker of the 'crazy bunny lady'. If you ever want some cute snuggle bun pics, or have questions, please let me know!
As for chickens, nearly all of mine were given to me for free, and as such is quite the ad hock flock! Back in April of '22, an acquaintance of mine asked if I would want chickens- she had been given some from a friend who had too many, so now she had too many, and wanted to pare down the flock. I had been debating it for a while, so agreed. But she wanted them gone ASAP. So, once more que to me running around and trying to prepare for a lifestyle change on the fly. X). I brought home a group of 6 assorted hens, who lived in a rundown little hand-me-down coop and a small plot surrounded by 3' chicken fencing and green posts. (Told you it was on the fly!). But life was good as we boh adjusted to each other. Until the fall.... When she contacted me again, said she still had too many, and any extras would be meeting the butcher that weekend with the meat birds she had raised. And of course, I couldn't let that happen! So, once more I go round up another 7 hens, doing some probably questionable alterations to my tiny little coop to make it fit as many birds as I now had. But winter would come, and thankfully my family came to the rescue, with my dad designing and having everyone help build me a proper large coop. And everything was good again!
The following spring, we saw an ad in the paper- a lady had gone a tad overboard with her flock and was looking to rehome some. So, with my spacious coop, and hot on the heels of losing a pair of flock members, I decided it was time to perform some more chicken math. My dad suggested get two to replace the lost ones, I was thinking three... But I came home with another six. Because that just seems like the most reasonable number. X)
Over time, I ended up losing 2 more hens, and led to me learning one of my coworkers also kept a flock! He had acquired a few new chicks in the fall, and lo and behold, 4 of the 6 'pullets' ended up as roosters. So, this past February, I ended up adopting a pair of them from him as well, who have been doing well and taking good care of my ladies.
This, of course, led to the difficult to fight chick fever, and I purchased an incubator. I hatched out 10 little peeps of assorted colors from my varied flock, and prior to them hatching, ended up making my first ever purchase of 4 other chicks, when I found a local store had mystic onyx chicks (a breed I had heard of, but never seen available in my area before).
So, my current flock consists of 14 laying hens, 2 roosters, and 14 2-3 month old fledglings who are nothing but curious little balls of trouble. X). It has been a wild ride this far, and I wouldn't have it any other way! Despite everything I have learned, though, I know there is still a ton I have yet to experience or understand, which is partly why I decided to jump on here finally.
So, long story short: Hi! I am happy to be here, and please expect me to post a thread of pictures soon as I attempt to identify all the breeds of my flock, as well as the possible mixes and genders of my little peeps. Thanks for reading and sticking with it this long. X) I hope you have an awesome day!
I truly didn't choose to have either my chickens or my rabbits- they chose me. And that is the truth! My house rabbit adventures started back in 2019, just before the pandemic hit, with one little baby boy that needed a home, and a joke from my dad. I did not realize I was going to be taking him in, was not prepared, and had no clue what I was doing. But with a lot of research, help from lovely folks, and a ton of laughs, it all worked out. And I was hooked. Over time, that led to me adopting 3 others (with an option on a few more, haha, we shall see), and earning the local moniker of the 'crazy bunny lady'. If you ever want some cute snuggle bun pics, or have questions, please let me know!
As for chickens, nearly all of mine were given to me for free, and as such is quite the ad hock flock! Back in April of '22, an acquaintance of mine asked if I would want chickens- she had been given some from a friend who had too many, so now she had too many, and wanted to pare down the flock. I had been debating it for a while, so agreed. But she wanted them gone ASAP. So, once more que to me running around and trying to prepare for a lifestyle change on the fly. X). I brought home a group of 6 assorted hens, who lived in a rundown little hand-me-down coop and a small plot surrounded by 3' chicken fencing and green posts. (Told you it was on the fly!). But life was good as we boh adjusted to each other. Until the fall.... When she contacted me again, said she still had too many, and any extras would be meeting the butcher that weekend with the meat birds she had raised. And of course, I couldn't let that happen! So, once more I go round up another 7 hens, doing some probably questionable alterations to my tiny little coop to make it fit as many birds as I now had. But winter would come, and thankfully my family came to the rescue, with my dad designing and having everyone help build me a proper large coop. And everything was good again!
The following spring, we saw an ad in the paper- a lady had gone a tad overboard with her flock and was looking to rehome some. So, with my spacious coop, and hot on the heels of losing a pair of flock members, I decided it was time to perform some more chicken math. My dad suggested get two to replace the lost ones, I was thinking three... But I came home with another six. Because that just seems like the most reasonable number. X)
Over time, I ended up losing 2 more hens, and led to me learning one of my coworkers also kept a flock! He had acquired a few new chicks in the fall, and lo and behold, 4 of the 6 'pullets' ended up as roosters. So, this past February, I ended up adopting a pair of them from him as well, who have been doing well and taking good care of my ladies.
This, of course, led to the difficult to fight chick fever, and I purchased an incubator. I hatched out 10 little peeps of assorted colors from my varied flock, and prior to them hatching, ended up making my first ever purchase of 4 other chicks, when I found a local store had mystic onyx chicks (a breed I had heard of, but never seen available in my area before).
So, my current flock consists of 14 laying hens, 2 roosters, and 14 2-3 month old fledglings who are nothing but curious little balls of trouble. X). It has been a wild ride this far, and I wouldn't have it any other way! Despite everything I have learned, though, I know there is still a ton I have yet to experience or understand, which is partly why I decided to jump on here finally.
So, long story short: Hi! I am happy to be here, and please expect me to post a thread of pictures soon as I attempt to identify all the breeds of my flock, as well as the possible mixes and genders of my little peeps. Thanks for reading and sticking with it this long. X) I hope you have an awesome day!
Glad you joined.
to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!
