AshlyMommaWard
Chirping
Back story:
I grew up with chickens on my grandma's farm and loved them. When my husband and I bought our first home (2013) it came with an established chicken coop and run, there was much to do on the property and home, so it was the spring of 2015 by the time I began my first (as an adult) chicken adventure. I relied heavily on this site for guidance and advise as I bumbled through raising 42 chicks. I read and read and read anything and everything I could on here, and built myself a large chicken knowledge base. I had an astounding 95+% accuracy on sexing my original chicks and determined that I must have a gift for it. I've also taken animal behavior, animal husbandry, and animal nutrition in college when I was on my way to a veterinary technician degree (which I never completed, children came along).
My goal in raising chickens was to have a beautiful, diverse and peaceful flock to spend time with, study and personify, and enjoy fresh eggs from. I sold and acquired birds almost constantly for the first year, until I had the group that met my standards. No two identical birds, colorful egg basket and sweet, wonderful harmony amongst my flock.
Then the time came to move on to a larger home, and new job opportunities for my husband. We sold our tiny home and four acres and purchased a big home on 1/3 acre in town.. wow, huge change!
In anticipation of this move I invited my mother (she and I live about 2 hours apart, but are very close and talk daily) to join in this wonderful hobby. When she agreed I built an A frame chicken tractor and selected 3 hens for her and delivered the lot to her as a gift. She dove in head first, quickly expanding and eventually building a new coop and run all together. She's now got 12 mature birds and room to add more.
My town didn't allow chickens when we bought this house, but as of January of this year, they do. There are many stipulations and rules I must follow, but I can have chickens again! I started a thread when I first found out, asking for advise from folks who have kept chickens in town, and got some great helpful information and now, the journey begins!
There will be a couple posts today, as I catch this thread up with my current progress and then I will update as things get accomplished, as the chicks grow and when anything interesting happens.
I will always try to respond to posts/questions in a timely manner, but I have three children 4years old and under, so my time on the internet is usually limited, except today.. they're sleeping in after being up all night terrorizing me and I'm in an excitement/sleep deprivation/ caffeine induced haze.
Also, there will be typos.
I grew up with chickens on my grandma's farm and loved them. When my husband and I bought our first home (2013) it came with an established chicken coop and run, there was much to do on the property and home, so it was the spring of 2015 by the time I began my first (as an adult) chicken adventure. I relied heavily on this site for guidance and advise as I bumbled through raising 42 chicks. I read and read and read anything and everything I could on here, and built myself a large chicken knowledge base. I had an astounding 95+% accuracy on sexing my original chicks and determined that I must have a gift for it. I've also taken animal behavior, animal husbandry, and animal nutrition in college when I was on my way to a veterinary technician degree (which I never completed, children came along).
My goal in raising chickens was to have a beautiful, diverse and peaceful flock to spend time with, study and personify, and enjoy fresh eggs from. I sold and acquired birds almost constantly for the first year, until I had the group that met my standards. No two identical birds, colorful egg basket and sweet, wonderful harmony amongst my flock.
Then the time came to move on to a larger home, and new job opportunities for my husband. We sold our tiny home and four acres and purchased a big home on 1/3 acre in town.. wow, huge change!
In anticipation of this move I invited my mother (she and I live about 2 hours apart, but are very close and talk daily) to join in this wonderful hobby. When she agreed I built an A frame chicken tractor and selected 3 hens for her and delivered the lot to her as a gift. She dove in head first, quickly expanding and eventually building a new coop and run all together. She's now got 12 mature birds and room to add more.
My town didn't allow chickens when we bought this house, but as of January of this year, they do. There are many stipulations and rules I must follow, but I can have chickens again! I started a thread when I first found out, asking for advise from folks who have kept chickens in town, and got some great helpful information and now, the journey begins!
There will be a couple posts today, as I catch this thread up with my current progress and then I will update as things get accomplished, as the chicks grow and when anything interesting happens.
I will always try to respond to posts/questions in a timely manner, but I have three children 4years old and under, so my time on the internet is usually limited, except today.. they're sleeping in after being up all night terrorizing me and I'm in an excitement/sleep deprivation/ caffeine induced haze.
Also, there will be typos.
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