Katiegeez
Chirping
Are you new to chickens / when did you first get chickens?
I had chickens growing up -- Rhode Island Reds! They were the sweetest, and goofiest, girls, and I loved them to death. Now that I have my own home and family, I thought I would get chickens of my own.
How many chickens do you have right now?
Four Silkie White chicks (fingers crossed for hens) from MPC. Very excited to raise them and watch their fluffiness develop! I know their reviews are mixed, but they should be fun regardless. Knowing my personality, I am sure the chicken math will hit hard and other types will join...
A picture of the chicks! The... unpredictability is on display here with the Silkie Whites -- three of the four are grey/blue skinned/beaked with feathers on their feet, while one is pink skinned/beaked with no feathers on her feet. All four have five toes, however. Not sure what that says as far as consistency, but it'll be nice having chickens that don't look identical! The pinkish-skinned one was not doing well at all when they arrived today, so I syringe-fed her some electrolyte-water. After an hour or two, she perked up and was keeping up with the other three (in case anyone else searches for "Silky Whites" like I was while I was waiting for them to arrive!).
What are your favorite aspects of raising backyard chickens?
Being involved in their lives from chicks, planning and building their run, and simply watching their personalities develop and interact. I am also excited to make memories with my son with our chicken-keeping, which I hope, one day, he will look back on and smile -- just as I look back on my own childhood-chicken-memories fondly.
What are some of your other hobbies?
Vegetable gardening, PC gaming, and writing! My backyard is currently one giant pumpkin patch, and my tomato plants are still eking out fruits. The fall garden is planted, and I am fighting back cabbage moths regularly.
Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share.
My husband, son, and I live in Baltimore City, Maryland. We have a smallish urban garden (compared to other city-folk, it is pretty big, but it certainly isn't large by homestead-level standards), and I have dreams of one day full-size homesteading. We are also a plant-based family, so our chicks will be more for pet purposes, but I am looking forward to having homegrown eggs every now and then as a rare treat.
In addition to our new chicks, we have two dogs (a Sheltie and a senior Chihuahua-mix), one cat, one cornsnake, several fish tanks, and a giant hermit-crab tank!
Bonus: How did you find BYC, how long have you known about BYC, and what made you finally join our awesome community?
I've been lurking on BYC for a while now! I researched chickens quite a bit to relearn chicken-keeping, and this site has been a great resource. Now that I finally got my chicks, I feel like I can be part of the BYC-family and contribute to the forums (maybe!). In slightly less happy news, if, on the off chance any of the hens I ordered turn out to be roos, I will need to rehome him/them. I feel far more comfortable using BYC to potentially find a new home for any chicken far more than Craigslist, etc.
Anyway, hello everyone! Your forums are such a great resource, and the members here always come off as so kind and supportive. I am excited to join such a group!
I had chickens growing up -- Rhode Island Reds! They were the sweetest, and goofiest, girls, and I loved them to death. Now that I have my own home and family, I thought I would get chickens of my own.
How many chickens do you have right now?
Four Silkie White chicks (fingers crossed for hens) from MPC. Very excited to raise them and watch their fluffiness develop! I know their reviews are mixed, but they should be fun regardless. Knowing my personality, I am sure the chicken math will hit hard and other types will join...
A picture of the chicks! The... unpredictability is on display here with the Silkie Whites -- three of the four are grey/blue skinned/beaked with feathers on their feet, while one is pink skinned/beaked with no feathers on her feet. All four have five toes, however. Not sure what that says as far as consistency, but it'll be nice having chickens that don't look identical! The pinkish-skinned one was not doing well at all when they arrived today, so I syringe-fed her some electrolyte-water. After an hour or two, she perked up and was keeping up with the other three (in case anyone else searches for "Silky Whites" like I was while I was waiting for them to arrive!).
What are your favorite aspects of raising backyard chickens?
Being involved in their lives from chicks, planning and building their run, and simply watching their personalities develop and interact. I am also excited to make memories with my son with our chicken-keeping, which I hope, one day, he will look back on and smile -- just as I look back on my own childhood-chicken-memories fondly.
What are some of your other hobbies?
Vegetable gardening, PC gaming, and writing! My backyard is currently one giant pumpkin patch, and my tomato plants are still eking out fruits. The fall garden is planted, and I am fighting back cabbage moths regularly.
Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share.
My husband, son, and I live in Baltimore City, Maryland. We have a smallish urban garden (compared to other city-folk, it is pretty big, but it certainly isn't large by homestead-level standards), and I have dreams of one day full-size homesteading. We are also a plant-based family, so our chicks will be more for pet purposes, but I am looking forward to having homegrown eggs every now and then as a rare treat.
In addition to our new chicks, we have two dogs (a Sheltie and a senior Chihuahua-mix), one cat, one cornsnake, several fish tanks, and a giant hermit-crab tank!
Bonus: How did you find BYC, how long have you known about BYC, and what made you finally join our awesome community?
I've been lurking on BYC for a while now! I researched chickens quite a bit to relearn chicken-keeping, and this site has been a great resource. Now that I finally got my chicks, I feel like I can be part of the BYC-family and contribute to the forums (maybe!). In slightly less happy news, if, on the off chance any of the hens I ordered turn out to be roos, I will need to rehome him/them. I feel far more comfortable using BYC to potentially find a new home for any chicken far more than Craigslist, etc.
Anyway, hello everyone! Your forums are such a great resource, and the members here always come off as so kind and supportive. I am excited to join such a group!
Glad you joined.
Hello Katie and welcome to BYC, You found an Amazing Poultry Community to be a part of with many great knowledgeable members, who are more then willing to jump in and help you along your journey with any questions you may have. 
