I used to be at the old site but life happens and drifted off. Even remarried in 2006 at TX Chicken Stock hosted by Carla, AllenWranch(a BLAST). I don't think she comes here much though nowadays. Was Miss Amara and dubbed by the powers that be the official Henbassador, cracked me up. Guess I had the time and the site was small enough I could give everyone a hug on the way in and always tried to play peace maker.
Been raising some birds underground for a few years (silkie/cochin crosses) after losing the farm when I got sick but as life evolves it is cheaper now to have a farm again! Seems with age the birds keep me busier, or I am just more tired. Things that have changed is I am a grandma now, heehee!
I have had a couple big flocks recently again and find I am just bent to stick with my old standbys. Got some sex links on order so I will have enough eggs to donate to the church pantry come summer(not religious but inlaws are and load boxes for the food drive every week and you don't have to be religious to care, right?). Got my EE's because if you can have green eggs and ham why wouldn't you? Grew up on that story and when I saw it could be reality it was like "hell ya!". Have some Faverolles as my latest super smart youngest is in love and she made straight A's all year and this was what she wanted when I said she deserved a treat. Have a couple other breeds but just one or two of each. A dozen Red Caps but I am just not getting into them. Seem nice and awesome foragers but eggs are small and mine seem to lack personality. Maybe because once the coop is open they have to fly 50 ft or so and run 200 hundred before happy. They don't even come in for scraps. Have another meat flock of 50 coming in next week but those too seem lacking in personality too. They eat, sleep, and poo. Turning them out even seems a waste of time as they just huddle around the feeder and lay down if not eating. Have another 35 in ducks for the freezer fighting the snow to grow so slow, and an older 5 pekin flock for layers.
Hmm what else has life dealt? My eldest son graduates college in 4 months and he was JR High when I was on here last! My son I just potty trained has one more year of HS from last time I joined. My baby I had at the wedding (yes, we are nontraditional if you have not gathered) starts middle school next year and is as big as me now and steals all my clothes. And my next to eldest child gave me an awesome grandson and did the honor to make him look like me hahaha.
For the life of me I can't remember the "hippy chick's" name from Austin at my wedding/chicken stock who escorted my girl, who made me a grandma, off to play swords with watermelons. If she is here she will know it. Just thanks, I still think the best time of her life. Certainly one of her best memories.
I have certainly downsized to a 2 1/2 acres place but the up side is my neighbor owns the surrounding 400. I live on a parcel his grandma owned and sold off and have single neighbor with 5. So we own the land but they own "ALL" the land. Fun place on a scenic route. In summer loads of bikes and Winter I am always stopping for the deer.
I hope I can be of help to novice owners and underground owners. Duck owners too. Others, I will come to for advice as I expand. I think chicken raising is only as hard as you make it. I have always found it so painfully simple we should all do it. You can over complicate anything in life, I have learned to Zen it. And dang it I don't think I could accidentally kill a chicken if you follow a few basic health rules. Good food, fresh air, and room. Only ones that die here are for food after a spoiled life and a lot of gratitude. Never lost one of those before time either. Did lose a silkie/cochin cross once to bindness
heartbroken.
Been raising some birds underground for a few years (silkie/cochin crosses) after losing the farm when I got sick but as life evolves it is cheaper now to have a farm again! Seems with age the birds keep me busier, or I am just more tired. Things that have changed is I am a grandma now, heehee!
I have had a couple big flocks recently again and find I am just bent to stick with my old standbys. Got some sex links on order so I will have enough eggs to donate to the church pantry come summer(not religious but inlaws are and load boxes for the food drive every week and you don't have to be religious to care, right?). Got my EE's because if you can have green eggs and ham why wouldn't you? Grew up on that story and when I saw it could be reality it was like "hell ya!". Have some Faverolles as my latest super smart youngest is in love and she made straight A's all year and this was what she wanted when I said she deserved a treat. Have a couple other breeds but just one or two of each. A dozen Red Caps but I am just not getting into them. Seem nice and awesome foragers but eggs are small and mine seem to lack personality. Maybe because once the coop is open they have to fly 50 ft or so and run 200 hundred before happy. They don't even come in for scraps. Have another meat flock of 50 coming in next week but those too seem lacking in personality too. They eat, sleep, and poo. Turning them out even seems a waste of time as they just huddle around the feeder and lay down if not eating. Have another 35 in ducks for the freezer fighting the snow to grow so slow, and an older 5 pekin flock for layers.
Hmm what else has life dealt? My eldest son graduates college in 4 months and he was JR High when I was on here last! My son I just potty trained has one more year of HS from last time I joined. My baby I had at the wedding (yes, we are nontraditional if you have not gathered) starts middle school next year and is as big as me now and steals all my clothes. And my next to eldest child gave me an awesome grandson and did the honor to make him look like me hahaha.
For the life of me I can't remember the "hippy chick's" name from Austin at my wedding/chicken stock who escorted my girl, who made me a grandma, off to play swords with watermelons. If she is here she will know it. Just thanks, I still think the best time of her life. Certainly one of her best memories.
I have certainly downsized to a 2 1/2 acres place but the up side is my neighbor owns the surrounding 400. I live on a parcel his grandma owned and sold off and have single neighbor with 5. So we own the land but they own "ALL" the land. Fun place on a scenic route. In summer loads of bikes and Winter I am always stopping for the deer.
I hope I can be of help to novice owners and underground owners. Duck owners too. Others, I will come to for advice as I expand. I think chicken raising is only as hard as you make it. I have always found it so painfully simple we should all do it. You can over complicate anything in life, I have learned to Zen it. And dang it I don't think I could accidentally kill a chicken if you follow a few basic health rules. Good food, fresh air, and room. Only ones that die here are for food after a spoiled life and a lot of gratitude. Never lost one of those before time either. Did lose a silkie/cochin cross once to bindness
heartbroken.
