Hello, I am a new member of Back Yard Chickens. I was raised on a small farm in WV and we always had chickens as I grew up. When I left the farm and married my girls were in 4-H and FFA so we raised larger livestock but no chickens. Now I am back living on the old home place with one daughter and my only grandchild who has choose chickens for her 4-H project. We have a flock of 36 chickens that include Barred Plymouth Rocks, Easter Layers, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Silkies and Polish Chickens. We also have 5 guinea fowl and 1 duck.
I enjoyed working with the chickens and find it comforting but I must admit there are a few things about the chickens I don't remember from my childhood. For example, mom always sent one of us kids to shut up the chickens before dark. The chickens we have now don't go to roost until it is dark. Another thing is I don't remember losing that many chickens to predators. Our flock free range and we have lost several to predators. This is probably due to the fact that most of the farms around are now abandoned and the brush and trees have grown up. It is no problem for predators to hide and raise their young. It wasn't like that when I was growing up. With the help of my brother, we have cleared off the meadows, but the pasture is still overgrown with brush and briers where the chickens like to forage and the Guinea's love to hide their nests. I hope we can clean up more every year now that I am retired. Other than the chickens, we are not trying to raise any other livestock at this time. I do hope to get some goats soon and I've been able to put out a garden every year since I have moved back.
I found BYC when an answer came up about a question I put out on the internet. I am hoping that someone in the community will have an answer to the many questions I have about our flock.
I enjoyed working with the chickens and find it comforting but I must admit there are a few things about the chickens I don't remember from my childhood. For example, mom always sent one of us kids to shut up the chickens before dark. The chickens we have now don't go to roost until it is dark. Another thing is I don't remember losing that many chickens to predators. Our flock free range and we have lost several to predators. This is probably due to the fact that most of the farms around are now abandoned and the brush and trees have grown up. It is no problem for predators to hide and raise their young. It wasn't like that when I was growing up. With the help of my brother, we have cleared off the meadows, but the pasture is still overgrown with brush and briers where the chickens like to forage and the Guinea's love to hide their nests. I hope we can clean up more every year now that I am retired. Other than the chickens, we are not trying to raise any other livestock at this time. I do hope to get some goats soon and I've been able to put out a garden every year since I have moved back.
I found BYC when an answer came up about a question I put out on the internet. I am hoping that someone in the community will have an answer to the many questions I have about our flock.
Glad you joined.
