Thanks for stopping by to learn more about the hosts of Twin Beaks; A Chicken Fanatics Podcast. Have a peek below to learn more about who we are!
Shannon:
I was preoccupied with chickens clear back into early childhood. My grandmother had chickens, and I always looked forward to visiting them. Her Polish hens were the highlight of the visit, and I’d spend hours playing with and taking care of them. These early experiences led me to begin raising my own as a teenager. Again, with the Polish breeds. But, It wasn’t long after that I began working on my own hatchling, and college, and I had to shelve my poultry pursuits until my 30’s.
And again, with the Polish. What can I say, I love their fuzzy heads! And they’re such peaceful birds….Anyway, this time I went big, and at the height of my chicken insanity, I had 100 birds; 80 chickens, and 20 Turkeys. It sounds like a lot of birds, but when you have a lot of land, it doesn’t seem like so many.
Finally, I had to move to the city. Initially, I lived in an Art collective, working as a metalsmith, but it wasn’t long before I met Amber. One of the only people I’ve met in life like myself that let her chickens into her house. We were birds of a feather and recognized it right away. We started sharing a nest a month after we met, and have been together ever since.
Amber:
I grew up in the great wilds of Northwest Washington and had an endless stream of chicken friends scattered about the remote farmlands. As a child I knew no greater joy than befriending these charming birds. Of course I gave them all special names, and even made them custom outfits, which they were quite proud of when I took them for rides in strollers and wagons!
Fortunately, I never grew out of this.
Many years later I had the joy of choosing my own special 3 day old chick to keep as a pet. Thanks to the wiles of a renegade free range hen who secretly hatched a huge clutch of chicks, I got to choose my favorite from the hatchlings! My little friend was raised indoors much like a cat. Around 4 months old my chick “Grettel” started crowing! Undeterred by the infernal racket I developed many tricks to make life with a rooster a joyful experience. In fact, few roosters ever had it so good; he regularly got his spurs and nails painted, had baths, a sound and light proof box for sleeping in and many other luxuries. He went on many outings such as grocery shopping and trips to the park on a harness. People were amazed when I would call “Grettel!” and he would come running. He even went on a bike trip and had his own mini coop strapped to the front from which he could enjoy the scenery.
Currently I have 6 hens; A Blue Andalusian, Golden Campine, Light Brown Leghorn, Barnevelder and two Partridge Cochins. They stay outside but are still spoiled and are the highlight of our back yard. One of the many awesome things about meeting Shannon was our mutual enthusiasm about these birds and excitement about discovering more about them. We quickly decided to embark on our journey of chicken discovery and share with the world! So here we are and hope you enjoy being part of the adventure!