BYC Member Interview - Jenbirdee

[swampfox440]

Beautiful setup! thanks for sharing!

 

[theoldchick]

 

[Debbie292d]

@Jenbirdee


Come say hello to @Jenbirdee who comes to us from Maryland and has been a member since August 2020.​

1. Tell us a bit more about yourself. And is there a story behind your member name?
Hey! Is it my turn? yay!

I am Jen.
what a surprise lol
I’ve been going by “Jenbird” long before I ever owned a bird. My late brother Earl-(bird ) and I just always called each other Bird!!
(Had to add ee cuz jenbird and even jenbirdy were taken)

Raised in NJ, Bible college in Canada, married and lived in California for 10 years and did some missionary work in Mexico before coming back east, and settling in rural Maryland. I love Jesus, and have 5 grown children. I ran a family day care for years and was a nanny before retiring and now I’m caring for all my birdees instead!
I have several gardens, I love to grow vegetables, fruits, and flowers, and to just spend time planting, watering and weeding. All my birds watch me carefully because they know I’ll toss them an occasional kale leaf, earth worm, or some other yummy insect. I paint, sing and play a few instruments at home and in churches. I daily read the Bible. I love that Jesus said, “Look at the birds!”
This past year I started my "duck puddle garden" youtube channel and I'm having fun making vids. My dear husband and my recently widowed sweet mother also live with me now.


2. Why and when did you start keeping poultry?
Well, it was California 1984. My Dad came to visit and I was driving him around when he suddenly shouted,
“TURN RIGHT!!”
There was a sign, “ turkey poults for sale” and to our right, a long dirt road.
Dad insisted upon buying me a dozen…a dozen Turkey poults!! Upon returning home I had to rush to build a coop!
We had 2 acres in the high desert and raised the turkeys along with our dog, cats, some chickens, ducks, a goat, a pig, and a sheep.

When I was 9 months pregnant with our first child we got in a head on collision… emergency birth… lots of broken bones… wheelchair for six months - and had to sell all our farm animals ;(

Fast Fwd 32 years ~
It wasn’t until seven years ago when I retired from daycare that I decided to get some chickens. But my children talked me into ducks instead. I said “no ducks! they are too cute! I can’t handle it. Because I will love them too much!”
-so we got 10 ducklings.

Presently I have 13 ducks, two geese and two chickens. Why that many? Why not 110 ducks, 44 geese, 21 chickens and a few cows?? Because that all we can fit comfortably on the land here. And we have neighbors. If I had more land I would very much enjoy to have more birdees.


3. Which aspects of poultry keeping do you enjoy the most?
Morning!! The Good morning everybody time!! It's a fun happy time when birds run out their coops flappy flap, quacks bwuks and honks into the fresh air green grass and soft dirt! the race is on... (hunt for bugs!)

Also "toy time" with my geese. I have a basket of baby toys that they like to chew on while I sing to them!


4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why?
Honestly, I love them all so much. Every bird is so precious and special.

But I would have to say my Pilgrim Geese, Charlie and Trudy, are a super-duper-extra-fancy-pants kind of special. We have important conversations, share snacks, and play games together.
Charlie is named after Charlie Daniels, my all time favorite musician.
Trudy is one of Charlie's songs. ( "Call up Trudy on the telephone...")


5. What was the funniest poultry related thing that has happened to you in your years as an owner?
1) when my husband bought himself a set of Armour because he knew he was going to take care of my geese for a week

2) when all birds were in my garage during a storm and the geese were hiding in a corner because they were afraid of the chickens


6. Beside poultry, what other pets do you keep?
When my kids were growing up we had all the things. Dogs Ferrets Rats Cats Snakes Lizards Fish Hermits Hamsters Iguanas etc etc .
Now? Just one dog. A rescued mountain cur. she is very good with the ducks and chickens, but the geese, well, they just want to kill her. It's OK I keep them separate. Her name is Smelly - after a dog my Dad once had named Smelly-cat.


7. Anything you'd like to add?
Yes, I am thankful to my mother for the lovely duck house she bought for them. It's an Amish children's playhouse! I just had to add lots of ventilation.

~And I would like to thank all the members who help me here when I have questions, you are the best!

~My son is a tractor trailer driver and he was disturbed by the live chickens trucks he would sometimes see on the road. Poor birds traveling to slaughter in hellish conditions! So last year he asked me if I would take in and care for (and spoil) just 2 chickens if he bought them for me.
That's how I got Henna and Stella O'Doro the chocolate Orpington hens.


And, Pictures! I will add Pictures!!
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@Jenbirdee

For more information about the interview feature and a complete list of member interviews:
introducing-vip-member-interviews​

I already knew you were a very sweet person, but now that I've read this and seen the pictures, "sweet" just doesn't cut it. Purely amazing maybe! I love, love the pictures! Thank you for sharing.

 

[Jenbirdee]

I already knew you were a very sweet person, but now that I've read this and seen the pictures, "sweet" just doesn't cut it. Purely amazing maybe! I love, love the pictures! Thank you for sharing.

Aww thank you Debbie. you makin me cry