New member, Howdy

[Loosly]

I Read a couple of articles and decided there are people here who can share good info as well as myself, possibly... I grew up in a cattle family thru the mid 50s thru the 70s if we grew it, butchered it, hunted it, gathered it, milked and churned it then we ate. Parents would time white Cornish x Rock straight run chicks to mature enough from hatchery to the 2nd week out of school for butcher week. Every family member standing was on the assembly line for such duties. We kids prayed that mother would NOT fry chicken that day or even that week. Kids were taught ways and trusted back then and we roamed on foot w/dogs or horseback on ~3,000 acres and came home before dark to eat. I grew an affinity to chickens as a child and enjoyed when the game hens would hatch their chicks and loved all the colors. Even started college at a junior college with poultry classes but learned in the 70s careers were in owning major operations for eggs or fryer/broilers. Chose a different career in horticulture. I am now retired disabled and raise chickens for a little extra income in eggs and the chicken sells as well locally. I am in the process of turning different chicken hut/coups into split smaller pens where I can play with crossing breeds and raise pure breeds. I am a Texas Aggie , gig’em! I have currently Light Brahmas, Dark Brahmas, Black Australorps, Blue Australorps (love um), Well Summers, Buff Orpingtons, Black Sex-links, Golden Sex Links, Cuckoo Marans, Partridge Plymouth Rocks, White Plymouth Rocks, Barred Plymouth Rocks, Speckled Sussex (love them), Russian Orloffs, Cream Leggbar, Heritage Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshire Reds, and lastly but not least Easter Eggers. I’m ready to sell some varieties that eat and don’t lay as much. I do have 5-10 hens of each variety with its rooster or two. Would like to get true Ameraucana Chickens to raise of some of the different breed colorations. Have been enjoying breeding on a limited scale Easter Eggers and still learning gene patterns. They do make some beautiful breed crosses that have hybrid vigor by the way. The most beautiful to me so far is the Golden Sex Link (Rhode Island Red x Rhode Island white) rooster crossed on to Buff Orpington yielding a buff chicken with white tail feathers and that rooster crossed on to normal brown Easter Egger hens yielding a buff with white tail and back feathers complete with beautiful puffs and beards. So I am so ready for Ameraucanas for hatching or chicks. Also interested in some more rare Orpingtons and Golden Laced Wyandottes. I have had sets of hens with roosters and sold for various reasons Colombian Wyandotte, Silver Laced Wyandotte, White Laced Red Cornish, Sicilian Buttercups, and, Golden Lakenvelder. I do also raise cacti and many types of succulents, especially Gasterias and Haworthias.

Welcome to you.

 

[TwoCrows]

It has begun already and I’m overwhelmed to have found people like me but also people with open arms. I’m out on the middle of nowhere on the border of Texas and NM and antelope just don’t stick around to visit.

I'm not too awful far from you, I'm in the south central mountains of New Mexico!

 

[ValerieJ]

I can relate to this. I lost my dad 21 days before you lost your spouse and I'm losing my partner very slowly, one brain cell at a time. Relaxing with the chickens and nature helps more than most realize.

I did not know that, Tonya.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

@Aggiedusty - A late welcome on my end!

You've got alot of experience in farm life, especially with chickens! Your fellow BYC community would really enjoy hearing about your coming projects with separating your pens and working with different breeds. We are glad to have you and learn from your experiences, and share our own.

 

[ValerieJ]

Could you share a pic or more of your silvers? I am trying to learn EE and Ameraucana colors by name by appearances. Yes, it is peaceful to be with nature out here with antelope, deer and coyotes and yes rattlers. But the chickens and the cows give me the most satisfaction as well as my 2 Australian Shephards. From the beginning I used the chickens to take my mind off of the loss of my spouse of 26 years December 27,2017. I’ve had to reinvent a life.

I am so sorry for your great loss! I agree that chickens and animals can get us through the most difficult times.

 

[ValerieJ]

First I am so very sorry. The slow loss of our soul mates takes a large part of us with them. We fought for 10 years with lung cancer that had quickly moved to brain and bone. At the end , I didn’t know who I was anymore. Everything had been concentrated on the fight, on the care , on the love to share one more day, and still trying to fit a few more experiences and moments of memories of life with days passing. A few good trips to the NM mountains was great. Lake Broken Bow in Oklahoma was always on the list. I know you can relate to what I’m saying. This isn’t about me but life shared.

I just need to give you another hug.

 

[sourland]

@Aggiedusty & @DobieLover

 

[Chullicken]

 

[007Sean]

Howdy from a fellow Aggie! GIG'EM!

Welcome to Backyard Chickens. Happy to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!
You might like to check out the Texas thread, over on the "Where am I? Where are you!" section of the forum. Here's a link to the Texas thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/texas.44/unread

Thanks for joining our community!

 

[Aggiedusty]

Good morning and welcome to BYC. Sounds like quite the operation you have there. Breeding projects are fun. Looking forward to all you have to offer here. And you have my sincere condolences on being an Aggie, Go Hogs!!!!

Oh no you did not! Yep just followed y’all right into the great SEC. Thanks , I think.