Hi everyone, I'm Angela Percival and I live in Olympia, Washington, south of Seattle. I bought a tiny little old farmhouse on an acre and a half about five years ago and lately I've been really wanting some fowl around here! I have had some experience with chickens and pigeons but it was a
very long time and not a permanent situation. My father used to take me to the county and Oregon state fairs when I was little and that may be where I caught the poultry bug--he especially loved the call ducks and I had to see every single bird in the poultry barn.
I am interested in heritage breeds and tend to do a lot of research before I make the decision to acquire any animals, partly because I am endlessly curious and a bit OCD, but also because I love animals and take their care seriously.
Right now I have two Soay sheep wethers that keep my pasture clear of blackberries and Scotch broom, and a few fancy rats that live inside and are very spoiled (they are actually rescues, but by calling them fancy, maybe they will get a little respect).
I am a salmon biologist and now work from home and telecommute, so it's perfect for the flexibility that animals sometimes require.
In a month or two I am going down to Holderread's in Oregon to pick up some Shetland Goose goslings and I'm very excited about that. I've also been researching many, many chicken breeds. Although I like several of them, I don't want to have a hodgepodge of birds. I became attracted to the Nankins through some photographs and from what I read they seem like particularly enchanting little birds with a long history, but I could not find much more information about them, which resulted in me landing here. Right now I am in the very beginning stages of planning and constructing a nice shed for the geese and a large predator-proof run. (My property is also surrounded by a solid 6' wooden fence, but it needs some repair.) I hope to build a proper coop this spring too, so I am here to read and learn what I can about Nankins, and then, if it feels right, hopefully acquire some quality birds with which to start a flock later this year or when the opportunity arises. There are some poultry shows coming up too, so perhaps I will see some in person, but they seem quite rare on the west coast.
So, that's me and thanks for allowing me to be a part of your online community.
--Angela
