A slightly belated Hello

[citricprincess]

I logged on here to ask some questions recently, but I realized I never properly introduced myself, so I figure I should go ahead and do so. (Not only because I’m bored at work or anything). So, Hi, I’m Citrus! I’m usually lurking, will likely pop in with the occassional question or id help.

I got my first reptile, a female harlequin crested gecko named Mana, who is alas no longer with me, in 2012 when I left home for college with naught but my few betta fish, and made it a few months before I realized I had never before in my 18 years gone more than 2 weeks without an animal I could actually touch and interact with, and wasn’t mentally doing so without one. But my school allowed ‘small, cage-bound, non-furred pets with approval’ in student housing, and my roommates wouldn’t let me get the snake I’d wanted since my friend showed off his ball pythons in 5th grade, so after much research, a Crestie came home with me. A couple years later I got a second, and not long after that I was moved into my own place, got myself a couple snakes, hatched a few gecko eggs, and things just kinda keep going from there.

I currently have corn snakes, ball pythons, a crested gecko, along with my non-reptilian critters consisting of two dogs, three cats, a skunk, and a flock of chickens. I have successfully bred corn snakes previously, and produced one clutch of ball python eggs that I lost to incubator failure. But now I have managed to build an incubator that has been testing good for a week, so I’m hopeful for the future. I tend to be obsessed with color genetics (of any species, really) and figuring out how they work together and what they can create.

And since I’ve babbled enough, I’ll appease with some pics of critters:

Laral, bamboo calico, shows off her freshly shed beauty

Wolverine (black) tries to enjoy his box while pesky little sister Yuffie tries to play

Dalinar, my beloved Genetic Stripe who had a bit too long a journey before he made it to my hands

Wyrm, female lemonblast, was one of my first snakes, and it’s difficult to recognise her as the same 60g worm I picked up for $20 bucks at a petco sale over half a decade ago

Rifter, female anery cornsnake. My first snake. Was purchased as a male. Took ‘him’ to the vet for possible RI, came home after finding I had a very healthy female snake who happned to be shedding. Learned much.

Bird flock sorts themselves by color to sunbathe.

Renji (shiba) is king of the house, while Taliesin (Doberman) prefers the smaller, cozy bed

Kelsier has learned that the empty shelf on the snake racks makes for a very nice place to take a winter nap.

That is hardly everyone, but I can’t well post my whole gallery I suppose. Can always give more pics if y’all want. That being said, hello everyone, I look foward to learning much from your knowledge and perhaps making some friends :3

[logar]

Welcome! You have a great variety of animals! That buff Brahma is gorgeous . What breeds of chicken do you keep?

I would love to see more of all of them! There is no such thing as too many pictures here.

[citricprincess]

I’d define most my chickens as ‘barnyard mix’, though I do have some pure bred that are first gen to my flock, or obtained because pretty: Two buff brahmas, a couple oegb and d’uccle, a cuckoo marans, a silkie, a couple japanese bantam. My flock stands at 2 large roosters, two banty roosters, and like… 30ish? hens rn. Need to downsize a touch, but need to figure out who’s laying what color eggs first. To give myself direction of which to keep, I’m kinda working towards and unofficial breed. Dark olive eggers with gold or silver quail coloration, with hens prone to broodiness and roosters with especially impressive tails, with pea or walnut combs. So far I’m doing pretty good in the brooder category, and have one laying the perfect olive eggs, but I’m still trying to figure out exactly who it is XD. My current main rooster is 1/4 buff orpington, 1/4 oegb, and 1/2 atwoods olive egger, but he looks nearly identical to his buff orpinigton grandfather who was my first rooster.

And since you like all the pics:

Olive egg. The sunlight has the color a bit washed out.

Moa, current main rooster. Beautiful, and large, you can’t even tell his grandmother was a banty. Said grandmother was my favorite bird, and my first broody hen. Sadly she is no longer with me. She was a Splash oegb named Banshee. Moa has oddly curly tail feathers that is no where else in his line or my flock, I’m eager to see this year if his children inherit that trait. I do have two banty hens on 5 eggs each rn, but their first timers and I’m not sure they’ve figured it out well yet.

Belle, a blue silver wheaten hen, I believe, is the full sister of Moa, and she is absolutely gorgeous.

The colors never get old.

The flock demands food.

[deanaii]

Nice zoo!

[caron]

So where to start! First, welcome to the forum! Your introduction is just pure fun to read. That bamboo calico is absolutely gorgeous! Your fur babies are true to form, little dog in big dog’s body (Taliesin. Small couch), and big dog in little dog’s body (Renji, Big couch). . And the “Cat in the Box” is a hoot! And “Skunk on the Shelf” (Elf)?

But the chickens and the eggs are a “Cackling Cacophony” of cuteness and colors. My favorite part is the “chow line” waiting at the door. But of course ALL of your are noteworthy! I love your “Animal Farm”. Thank you for sharing…….do hope you stick around and with more pictures of course……

[citricprincess]

:3 I’m glad my menagerie can entertain~ They’re all a grand unique brand of fun.

Laral is beautiful, is she not? I’m hopeful she’ll be to size next year, I’m planning to put her with Larsoner, my super blade clown boy, and am optimistic the results will be lovely.

He’s quite the looker, himself.

The dogs are true to form

Renji is 12 years old, and slowing down a bit, but he’s always been 20lbs of muscle and teeth ans knows how to use every bit of it. Major blow to him when he learned he could no longer win against Tally, but on the plus side he stopped being so eager to pick fights over toys. He still stares Tally down till the toys are given, because while Tally would win, he hates to fight and would rather just hand it over
So Ren is normally guarding a pile of dog toys while Tally moles pitifully.

Tally is 112lbs of velcro and hugs that communicates mostly by pitiful whining, but has a big voice he uses to bark at passing cars, wild turkeys, strange shadows, and his reflection in a dark window. He wants to be friends with all humans and dogs. Even the strange neighbor dogs with hooves that moo or neigh, but the feeling isn’t mutual there.

Rosswelle (white/orange Japanese bobtail) is my weird cat. Known for clawing at legs of strangers just to see a reaction, but also for finding the lap of the only person in the room not used to cats and settling in to purr and cuddle. He’s gotten old and pudgy and so has toned the antics down some, but he still thinks the best way to make me get up and ceesthim is to lay on my back and purr. Wolverine is shy as heck, and could hide in an empty white room if he doesn’t want to be found, but he’ll be anyone’s friend if it’s dinner time. And he drools when he purrs, which he does lots and easily.

Yuffie’s official title is the Harbinger of Chaos, and she wields it with pride. She’s also the youngest and only female of the house pets, and is an especially gorgeous cat. These things she knows, and rightfully claims her role as princess of the house.

And I have admittedly few good pics of Kel that he isn’t asleep cause he never stops moving. Always scavenging for food, screaming at Renji, or dragging trash to his den under the bed. He’s the reason I had to put a slidelock on my pantry.

[caron]

You obviously love your animals. It’s so heartwarming to read such stories as yours. The fur baby pictures are precious. The little skunk is just icing on the cake. And btw Larsoner and Laral are going to make some outstanding babes, I just know it.

Thank you for sharing the pics and descriptions of your wonderful family. Animals, whether furred, feathered, finned or scaled, are such blessings in a world full of strife. Just looking at Tally and Yuffie’s picture laying butt to butt on that couch put a big smile on my face and who couldn’t love little Ren’s sweet little face! But that little skunk is over the top! What a delight your home must be!

Thank you again for sharing!!!