Tell us about YOU

[Chick_a_dee]

..

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
Too much!!! You'll make me pee my pants!!!

I was raised by freakin' Belgians!

 

[brownfarms]

Degree in Bioengineering at the U of Washington and will be pursuing a PhD in molecular and cellular biology

You go!

 

[sunnydee]

Okay..my turn I guess. I have lived in Maine almost all of my short 37 yrs of life except for one. I grew up on a farm, we were self efficient, cows, chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, pigs and a HUGE vetable garden and culivated strawberries. This all happened before I was 13; after that my dad was diagnosed with MS and everything went down hill then. I rebelled in high school but graduated with a D average. Then wanting to get out of Maine, I moved with my Aunt who lived in CT. I lasted about one year and practically ran back to Maine. Went to cosmetology school, met the man of my dreams (so I thought at the young age of 19) got married, had two children and was divorced at 25. (My father passed away 1 year after my first born.)

Needless to say, I've held down a long term job (almost 14 yrs now) and worked many side jobs to keep up with living. Kids and I lived in apartment after apartment never able to have animals (which I still longed for but never had the money to afford any). Bought my son a guinea pig and it has blossomed since.

When I bought my house with 4 acres of land about 5 yrs ago, within 2 weeks, I had rescued two maine coon cat kittens and a 1 yr old yellow lab from the kennel and now had two guinea pigs along with a tankful of various fresh water fish and 3 turtles (who now live in the pond out back).

And now..Im a proud chicken owner of 6 chicks.

My 17 yr old son loves to hunt (got his first moose last year). My daughter and I rather "shoot" with our cameras. We feed any stray animal that comes across our path! This spring we ordered some type of tropical tree frogs as tadpoles and they are now living happily ever after in our pond!

I am thoroughly enjoying the BYC forums...makes me wish I could go back 30 years and listen to all the tips my father used to tell me! I can still hear the pigs squealing as he casterates them himself and can remember the nights on end I cried because it was slaughter time.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to sum up the life of a very happy, satisfied Maine girl!

 

[dacjohns]

Quote:
Thank you. I suppose I participated because of my respect for you.

I used to subscribe to Mother, she is now bookmarked.

 

[seismic wonder2]

Beekissed...with the cow lick avitar...
COW LICK get it!!! wah ha ha ha ha!

"The apparatus wel call a 'laser' developed by Dr parson. We'll call it the Allan Parson's Project"

"I'm sure operation 'bananna rama' will be a hit..."

 

[JessicaGrant]

Quote:
Hey, you sound a bit like me (though I'm guessing you're about 20 yrs younger!) I got a degree in math at the U-dub, work in a molecular biology lab at Smith college & I'm working toward a Master's degree in bioinformatics. I loved living in Seattle but I'm from the north east and I was really ready to come back here when I finished college. Where are you going for your PhD?

Other than that, I just got my first chicks...we are allowed to have three in my town so I am starting there. I grew up on a little hippy farm and have a bit of the self -sufficient bug in me. The chicks will live in my backyard in a coop I built once they are old enough. My first real building project. I'm a single mom and trying to figure out how to do all the things I want to do without any assistance!

All that and I'm now addicted to BYC.

 

[LinckHillPoultry]

Oh wow. My story.

You shouldn't have asked

.

Well, I have raised chickens and ducks off and on in the past. I moved about 5 years ago, and raised birds at my old house, but I had woods all around me, so I lost many to predators.
Last year I decided I wanted to raise birds again, chickens. So my neighbor whom I know very well has chickens, and I just so happened to have an incubator. I asked him if he'd be willing to give me a few chicken eggs to hatch, he said go right ahead. He had already gathered eggs, so there hadn't been very many, only 3, and I wanted more.
So my other neighbor had a coop with RIR's. I asked them if they'd be willing to donate some for me, and I payed them. I took about 9.
So there I was, with 12 eggs, and by golly about 10 hatched!

So at the moment I was satisfied. Until my friend told me they had some ducklings, and I could have a few. So off I went, figuring I'd start with one... well... it didn't end up that way. She had 7 ducklings, and guess how many I brought home, 7!
So I raised them and they all turned out being muscovies.
Well, then I remembered my friend about a half hour away, who sold all types of poultry. I made a stop there and brought home a bunch of ducks.

Well, then I went to Tractor Supply to get bird food and other things. I happened to wander into the book and magazine aisle and came upon a book of all the possible poultry breeds... not good.
I flipped through that and found so many breeds of birds, that I was in heaven.

I ended up getting a goose. Then I wanted sebastopols. So I bought 5 and had them shipped in from Kansas.
Then I wanted turkeys. So I bought 4. One died. The male bred my one female. I hatched 5 and sold 4. Then I bought 2 more.
Then I wanted more chickens. Hatched a few. Then bought my first bunch from ideal, the order was short a few and I had paid full. So I had more sent out and bought extras with the order. So I had 42 chicks. Lost a bunch, long story. So I bought another batch from McMurray, 27, which I recieved last Monday.
Then I wanted pheasants, bought 5, 3 escaped. Then I hatched 4, one died.
Then I wanted peacocks, I bought 5, and was given 3 eggs that are currently in the incubator.


Overall, I have been doing very well and I am very happy with my birds and my "project".

 

[Mom 2em All]

I have one permanent pullet, Carmen, and several younger, and even more still in egg-stage. Most are fosters that I am hatching out for my brother-in-laws farm. I decided to keep some of these chickens because the city made me give my three hens away a few years ago. It is illegal to keep chickens in my suburb, however it is perfectly legal to crank up your stereo, work on a hot-rod, own barking dogs, and make as much noise as you want- until 10 p.m. (Probably later, actually.)

I will skip my childhood here and fast forward to adult.

I am 39 years old and on my second life. My first life was married to a very abusive drug-addicted man who suppressed my soul, my hopes, my self-worth, etc. however because of him I have three beautiful healthy children. And because of them, I would go through every thing all over again, if that was the only way for me to be blessed with them. (DacJohns, I know that is a run-on sentence however I cannot seem to fix it.

)

When I turned 30, I realized that I would have to somehow change my life if I ever expected my children to do better than I had. And I knew deep in my heart that I would probably not survive to see them grow up if I didn't change something. So with the kindness of strangers and strength from my God, I broke free-and filed for divorce. I lost everything material, but I kept my kids, my dog, my life, and found my sanity.
Somehow, I managed to keep food in my childrens bellies. I wouldn't go to a shelter because they refused to realize that my dog was family. They wouldn't let me bring her, and I refused to lose her. She had been my salvation for almost a decade and was my rock. She knew everything, and she loved me anyhow. Too many times she was all I had to hold on to, to kiss away my tears, and I had spent countless hours crying into her fur- where the children couldnt hear me. To give her up was not an option. The women's shelter refused to see this. I also learned then that welfare wouldn't really help you. I had a worker tell me if my situation was really as bad as I described, perhaps my children would be better off away from me for awhile- and I walked out. And never looked back at them, either.

At that point of rock bottom, I met my second husband(and two wonderful stepdaughters). Somehow the man saw behind the pain in my eyes, and the pitifulness of my situation, and saw ME. Who I was inside. He helped me pick myself up, and gave my children and I a place to live. (And my dog). It took a while for me to stop apologizing for everything, stop having panic attacks, and gain my self esteem. However, I went back to school and became a licensed veterinary technician- and certified in wildlife rehab. I still have baggage, for sure- but I am a completely different person now than I was a decade ago.

From there came all my animals. Each one is part of what I do, and who I am. I hate that I am not on a farm- as I would own more. I am fortunate in that my brother-in-law has a farm. He raises the beef and pork that feeds my family. I could never slaughter, however I do know where food comes from. I also know that my beef in my freezer tastes much better than that which is at the store. I also know that any chickens that I give him may end up in his freezer. I like to pretend they don't, however.

My husband is a hunter. I do wildlife rehab. We joke that we cancel each other out. He doesn't share hunting details with me, except when the animal wins. And I, in turn, do not preach anti-hunting sermons on him. He is a better, more careful, shot now than he was when he met me. I knew he was a hunter when I met him, and I made sure I could accept that before our relationship continued.

That is the readers digest version of me, myself, and I.

 

[Bren1222]

I'm actually quite boring....

Pretty new to the chicken thing but my parents raised chicken when they were young so between this site and my parents I am doing ok, I think. Have 80 meat birds, 17 laying hens, and 34 baby hens that are 9 weeks old. All in different coops.

We have three dogs, 4 cats, and 3 bucket calves.

I have 2 children, a daughter soon to be 10 and a son who is 4.

My childhood was pretty boring. Normal family with parents that have been happily married for 54 years and are my best friends. I also have two brothers that I am not real close with but we tolerate each other.

I have been married for almost 11 years to a wondeful husband who owns and operates his own semi. He is gone mon-fri but we occasionally will see him throughout the week. He only travels the surrounding states of Iowa so he does get through here and there. He is always home on the weekends. He loves to hunt and be outside.

I am a Ceritfied Head Dental Assistant and also the office manager at the dental office here in town for the last 12 years. My true passion is to become an elementary teacher and was enrolled to go back to college this fall but with the prices of everything (fuel in the semi) I have to hold off. It just isn't my time yet.

I am also the treasurer of your preschool here in town.

I love to quilt, read, trying to learn how to knit but that isn't going so well. LOL We also love to have company and always seem to be entertaining friends. For some reason they just love to be here and sit out on the deck and watch the chickens.

We live 2 miles outside of our little town on around 8 acres of land. This is the house we have worked so hard to get. It was 5 years old when we bought it 2 years ago and it fits us perfectly. Nothing too fancy but a wonderful place to call home!

That is it. Told you I was boring but sometimes boring is good!