1. Tell us a bit more about yourself. And is there a story behind your member name?
I've always loved animals, my mom knew this from before I could walk, so she started taking me to a dude ranch that did trail rides when I was 3 years old. When I was a little older she got me my first horse and it was all over from there! I had horses from then until 10 years ago, life events had me move across the country and I wasn't able to take my horses with me.
We just got a broodmare two years ago, but it's not the same as having my riding horses and wide open country to ride across! In lieu of being horse crazy, my time without horses lead me to being a tad chicken crazy. It's still an expensive hobby, but I keep telling myself 80 chickens is way cheaper than even 8 horses, so really I'm being frugal!
I have accumulated a lot of hobbies over the years, various musical instruments, leather working, painting, knitting, crocheting, pinstriping, and so on, but one thing I've always done is tinker, so that turned into my moniker in the motorcycle ministry I ride in. I figured it's a suitable handle, and I'm used to being called Tink. I do my own wrenching on my bikes and other vehicles also, give me my tools and YouTube and I am unstoppable!
2. Why and when did you start keeping poultry?
I had a few chickens when I was 8 or 9 years old for a few years, I had to give them away when we moved. My husband grew up on a farm and had chickens as well and for several years we talked off and on about getting chickens. When the shutdown happened in 2020 we were at the feedstore and finally pulled the trigger on getting chicks. We wanted a mixed flock of 8 hens for eggs and planned to eat the chickens once they stopped laying. To date we've only processed one chicken and it was my whoops purchase of a Cornish X chick that the feed store had dumped in with the layers. I had been wanting a white chicken and thought my dreams were coming true.
3. Which aspects of poultry keeping do you enjoy the most?
I love just hanging out with the chickens, watching their crazy antics, and listening to their chatter. It is very relaxing to do chores and the fresh eggs are awesome!
I have also found I really enjoy hatching chicks, I set my first ever hatch of silkie eggs last summer and am working on breeding silkies to the SOP. I currently only have "fun pen" silkies laying but I have grow outs and chicks from a few silkie breeders across multiple states that will be the foundation of my breeding program coming up. I am so excited to be able to pick and choose my best silkies this summer and begin my breeding projects!
A wonderfully fluffy silkie chick from my last hatch with my own silkies!
4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why?
That's a tough one, I have a lot of favorites. My longest standing favorite is a big bossy Black Australorp named Jersey. She actually had me questioning why I got chickens that first summer, she created so much chaos in the flock it was super stressful to me. She was overly aggressive with the other chickens, it was like she was a piranha and all the other chickens were her food. She chased them, walked over the top of them, bit them, she was constantly screaming, it was horrible. I made her an isolation pen on the outside of the run, kept her in there for 3 days, magic! She's still the big boss, but she is much more respectful of the other chickens and peace was restored. Jersey still bites and flogs me, but it's just her spicy shell, she really is a sweet chicken on the inside.
Jersey trying to look big and tough
5. What was the funniest poultry related thing that has happened to you in your years as an owner?
There have been a lot of funny things over the years, but one longer running amusement last year was trying to figure out the gender of one of the four TSC silkies I bought. The one was a bit of an odd looking little chick, it didn't have much of a crest and had a bigger comb but not much for wattles. I started a "Is this a pullet of cockerel" thread and it kept us guessing for at least two months. TwoCrows helped me name it Cappy Llama, there were a few of us on there sure it was a pullet, then leaning cockerel, then sure it was a cockerel, then back to leaning pullet! I was finally pretty convinced it was a late developing cockerel, and maybe 2 days after my resignation that I had 3 cockerels out of the four silkies, there was Cappy Llama looking around the nesting box. Ok, that doesn't necessarily mean anything, but the next day, poof, a little small light colored egg! Cappy Llama started laying at 19 weeks old and has been a faithful layer ever since!
Cappy Llama the other day letting me know I should have never doubted her!
6. Beside poultry, what other pets do you keep?
We also have two cats, a dog, and a horse, although hubby is wanting to add goats, a miniature donkey, llamas, pheasants, pigs, and peacocks to the mix.
7. Anything you'd like to add?
I have really enjoyed having the BYC community for the support through the tough times, the wealth of knowlege that is shared, and the wonderful friendships I have found.
@2ndTink
For more information about the interview feature and a complete list of member interviews:
introducing-vip-member-interviews
I already knew most of it but still learned a bit more about my wonderful silkie friend. 
