Nice to meet you! Feels like I've known you forever!

MrsEarthern

Songster
Aug 15, 2022
106
311
143
Clermont co., Ohio
Hello, I'm Meg and I think I've been reading as a background lurker since at least 2010 on and off. A friend and I have found this or similarly named community many times over the years as we dreamed about our future flock, and here I am, finally with birds of my own! :yesss: I grew up around chickens at a distance, always chasing down the neighbors birds or a relatives, I love the fluffy dinosaurs. We adopted a rooster that was dumped or blew in on a storm shortly after moving into our house, and he was a terror but he was my buddy.
I'm an organic gardener and landscaper by trade, native plant enthusiast, interested in self-sufficiency, Indigenous Land Management, Permaculture, and certified in waterway restoration; SAHM of three currently focusing turning our acre into food forest and native habitat prairie and thicket savanna with emphasis on beneficials and edibles. My youngest just turned three so I figured I had the time for chickens and convinced my partner. Found a local who had crossed Blue Australorp and Buff Orpington with some 16 week old birds for sale and brought home six. It was supposed to be 1 rooster : 5 hens, but I think we ended up with two roos. Good thing we have an extra coop, excuse to get a few pullets? (I do understand I will have to get more ladies or rehome a roo if they get too active with the ladies and/or aggressive)
They just reached 21 weeks, and I'm 99.9% the buff brown (Chimichanga) is a roo and about 80% sure the black (Nightshade) one is also.
If the photos show up in order, meet Lacy (Top left), Lavender (Center left), Chimichanga (Bottom left), Lady (Top center), Darkwing (Bottom center), And Nightshade (Right).
So far, the dog and one of the cats are wary of the chickens, but the other cat has been sneaking out to watch them and he's snuck into the run twice now and just plopped down when I'm locking them into the coop for the night.
About 4 years ago, he and my rooster used to nap together and sometimes the rooster would groom the cat and the cat would 'pet' the rooster with biscuits. I think he misses his buddy too. His proximity and affection towards me really helped warm the chickens up to physical contact with me. They were hen brooded and reared, then free ranged and thrown scrape and scraps. I had no problem hand feeding them, though they are not gentle, but pets took about a month. Now 4 of 6 line up at the coop door at dusk for pets, tonight they cooed at me.
I love their little thrills at night, and call me crazy, but I love the crowing and the excited squawking in the morning.
Right now the roos are friendly-ish, and are sleeping in a prefab coop but the plan is to frame out the 300+ foot run and build out the coop with another handful of nest boxes and roosts, and a fold away bench for evening snuggles. I picked these birds because the breeds are supposed to be friendly and sociable, and that has been true so far. They are very intelligent, have learned to drink from a drip waterer and somehow unscrewed the bell from the bottom of a toy and were playing attack. I post A LOT of photos and videos on FB for my Grandma and aunt, they love 'chicken TV.'
I look forward to interacting with you all.
 

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