Joined today after spending the last two days reading through some incredible threads here. I was web searching info on the latest chicken husbandry methods. A google search repeatedly sent me to this forum.
I was raised on a working beef cattle farm with a herd of pack horses, cow ponies, and assortment of cats and dogs. It was a valuable childhood. Our farm was next door to a chicken rancher. He raised leghorn layers and then later during my teen years he raised replacement pullets. Many thousands of chickens were farmed in our neighborhood and the stench and noise was abominable. My parents didn't want anything to do with chickens because of that so it wasn't until my adult life with children of my own did I finally fulfill my childhood dream. Raise, breed, and show chickens. Many, many, varieties of rare breeds. Both Bantam and Large Fowl.
After my kids moved away and started families of their own I quit raising poultry.
It's been a dozen or more years until now that a chook has graced my yard and company.
A special RIR roo named Johnny. Short for John the Red. A rescue bird dumped on the fair grounds with two other cockerels during a Renaissance festival in Washington State. The reason he is special? I caught him and kept him for three weekends while working that faire. You see, I am a reenactment actress that portrays a humble chicken monger from the 16th century.
The two Barred Rock cockerels were taken to a working farm and I kept, tamed, and trained Johnny to perform at that fair. He took to it immediately. A very smart roo.
This is the beginning of our story together. He is about a year and a half old now. He was still feathering out and growing when he came into my possession. His spurs were barely visible little nubs.
At this time he is an only chicken. That is a sad prospect for him. He has developed many strange and weird idiosyncrasies as a result. Somedays I'm sure he does not know that he is a chicken.
A lot has changed since I raised poultry in the 90's. I no longer believe in the old ways of doing things with a barn cabinet full of medicines and poisons. If they work for others I have no problems with it. Those old methods are not working for me and that is why I am here. This is a vast and wealthy forum with every kind and type of advice. I love that!
So anyhoo...Didn't want to type a blog for my introduction but here is a little glimpse of me and my chicken.
I'm happy to be here. I see a lot of reading in my future!
With all warm regard
Mumsy
I was raised on a working beef cattle farm with a herd of pack horses, cow ponies, and assortment of cats and dogs. It was a valuable childhood. Our farm was next door to a chicken rancher. He raised leghorn layers and then later during my teen years he raised replacement pullets. Many thousands of chickens were farmed in our neighborhood and the stench and noise was abominable. My parents didn't want anything to do with chickens because of that so it wasn't until my adult life with children of my own did I finally fulfill my childhood dream. Raise, breed, and show chickens. Many, many, varieties of rare breeds. Both Bantam and Large Fowl.
After my kids moved away and started families of their own I quit raising poultry.
It's been a dozen or more years until now that a chook has graced my yard and company.
A special RIR roo named Johnny. Short for John the Red. A rescue bird dumped on the fair grounds with two other cockerels during a Renaissance festival in Washington State. The reason he is special? I caught him and kept him for three weekends while working that faire. You see, I am a reenactment actress that portrays a humble chicken monger from the 16th century.
The two Barred Rock cockerels were taken to a working farm and I kept, tamed, and trained Johnny to perform at that fair. He took to it immediately. A very smart roo.
This is the beginning of our story together. He is about a year and a half old now. He was still feathering out and growing when he came into my possession. His spurs were barely visible little nubs.
At this time he is an only chicken. That is a sad prospect for him. He has developed many strange and weird idiosyncrasies as a result. Somedays I'm sure he does not know that he is a chicken.
A lot has changed since I raised poultry in the 90's. I no longer believe in the old ways of doing things with a barn cabinet full of medicines and poisons. If they work for others I have no problems with it. Those old methods are not working for me and that is why I am here. This is a vast and wealthy forum with every kind and type of advice. I love that!
So anyhoo...Didn't want to type a blog for my introduction but here is a little glimpse of me and my chicken.
I'm happy to be here. I see a lot of reading in my future!
With all warm regard
Mumsy