About Us
We are a very full family of six people, five dogs, three cats, two guinea pigs and countless ducks and chickens! Nick (Dad) and Rachelle (Mom) are the leaders of this fearless pack, though we don't always feel very in charge of things around here. Life is crazy and we often have bumps and bruises, ups and downs, highs and lows like everyone else. We are not your cookie-cutter fashionable family and we never will be! We are real, we are raw, and we make a lot of mistakes like everyone else. Our house is a mess and our bills are overdue, but we make it somehow as a family. Since we are imperfect, I (Mom) decided it was about time to share our adventures with the world and since I am better with writing than videoing, this website has thus been born.
Our family is the Shepherds and we currently live in the Pacific Northwest as urban farmers. Kayla is our oldest and she just started high school, so there's a lot that goes with that. Konner is our boy and is about to start high school next year. He keeps us on our toes. Daphne is our middle daughter and she is in first grade now but she's running for President of America this next term, stay tuned. Lily is our baby and she sucks up every second of it! She is in Kindergarten now and it has been a ride.
Before we got into chickens and ducks, we had American Bulldogs that we now raise. This is a lifelong dream for Rachelle that is finally seeing its way into reality. Daisy is our matriarch, BullDozer is our stud and momma's boy, Buffy is their daughter, Rockstar is our new blood from out of state, Laramie is our keeper from Dozer and Rocks and Walker is also out of them and is staying with us until we move across country to be reunited with our besties in Florida where we are buying a house together shortly. They have a girl out of Daisy and Dozer also, Kaeda, and we will be really ramping up our bulldog lives out there where the breed hails from and where you find more events and shows for them.
We also will be taking off a small poultry hatchery once we are in Florida and will be offering select breeds to the public. At this point, we plan on offering Breese, Polish, Silkies, and Marans as well as "rainbow" eggs from our mixed flock. We do hope to add true Ameraucanas as a specialized breed also one day!
Because we have been trying to move back east for the last year, we have thinned the flock out a few times. As such, a lot of our favorites have been sold. We are getting close to finally taking off, so whoever is too big to travel will unfortunately be rehomed. The ducks will not be traveling with us, unfortunately. They are just too smelly and need access to water too much and since we are literally traveling from one end of America to the other, it just doesn't seem conducive to bring them with us. However, our friends out there have a couple ducks and a goose and we will be expanding into both once we get settled. I would like Pilgrims or African Guard Geese I think, but not certain yet. Duck breeds are to be determined because everyone else has a lot more input in them! I, personally, would love to try out some Runners, but I know Nick really wants to try Mallards or Rouens also, which I believe is what they already have.
With this move will come the addition of many new people to the Poultry house! Brea is Auntie and will be a big contributor both on the site and in the coop. Scott is Uncle and he is already hooked on the ducks and goose! Zandin is their oldest and is quite interested in getting involved, though he is a young adult now and will probably create his own nest soon. Korbin is in middle school and he is excited to have Aunt Rachelle (Shelly) teach him about chicks! Xaevian is the youngest boy and he will be a big helper with Lily and Daphne.
All of these new helpers and new additions will mean a lot of big changes for us all, so we hope that you will come and grow with us! I am sure we will have a lot of hilarious (and informative!) articles to treat you with. So enjoy!
Animals We have Kept & have Knowledge On
American Bulldogs
2004 - current
It all started with Bosco! We have had many American Bulldogs over the years and consider ourselves experts at this point. Check out our other website on our kennel, Bossy's Bulldogs.
Chickens
2021 - current
My mom and sisters have been keeping chickens for a lot of my life, though we didn't have them growing up! They have been urging me to try them for years and we have finally been able to and never will give it up again.
Ducks
2022 - current
Daphne has been a big ducks fan her whole life so it is just natural we would someday acquire our own. They have become the family favorite pet, though I still prefer my chickens!
Pigs
2022
Our stint with pigs was short but very sweet! Rachelle bought Nick a Kunekune pig, Bruno, for Valentine's Day one year, which he had always told her he wanted a pet pig and had almost brought them home on many occasions. We quickly got another, Mars, and while we loved our pigs, we found out our neighbors did not. We vow to have them again someday!
Guinea Pigs
2018 - current
Daphne insisted on bringing home guinea pigs because her favorite Youtuber, Adley, has guinea pigs. Of course, Dad must oblige! We have now been through a few "little piggies" as we call them, and we are no stranger to their needs or wants!
Rabbits
2001 - 2022 (on and off)
Rachelle started her primary animal passions with her love of rabbits when she started with Holland Lop rabbits in 4-H as a kid. She quickly moved up to big shows and competed in the main shows in both Youth and Open rings. She has kept Hollands, American Fuzzy Lops, English Lops, Netherland Dwarfs, Lionheads, Mini Rex and more. Somewhere around 2017, we got our first family bunnies and have had numerous breeds of pets. We will get back into bunnies someday when we get to bigger property!
Reptiles & Amphibians
1990s - 2022 (on and off)
We have kept a variety of reptiles over the years, especially Bearded Dragons, which seem to find a way to us. Box turtles, alligator lizards, Tegu geckos, blue-tongued skinks and more have all been our pets before. We love our frogs and toads also and never a summer goes by that the kids don't bring home tadpoles or frogs to raise. Fire-bellied salamanders have been our pets on and off through life, too, as we catch them at our local fishing spots and drag them home. Don't be surprised if you see a related article some day!
Birds
1990s - 2022 (on and off)
One animal that I definitely recall my parents always having was different kinds of domesticated house birds as pets, starting with an angry cockatiel that always bit me! My mom got an African Gray and she yelled at me all the time, so I vowed to never own a bird... I guess the joke was on me! Nick, on the other hand, loves birds and has always been fascinated by them. He is an avid bird watcher and thus, he has brought home quite a few parakeets over the years which has now made us very knowledgeable bird owners.
Horses
2000s (on and off)
While none of us have owned our own horses, we have leased horses, taken riding and horsemanship classes, and been around and ridden horses for most of our lives. A family, life-long dream is to get a couple horses to share. Some day!
Rats
Late 1990s-early 2000s
A pet that both Nick and I have had separately but somehow we haven't added to the family yet is rats! Yes, you heard it - rats! Don't get me wrong - I HATE wild rats, sewer rats, rats in my chicken coop or yard or house! However, domesticated rats are actually quite cool and I could see us adding these to our zoo someday.
Gerbils
Late 1990s
One of the very few pets that I will not have again is gerbils. Sorry to the gerbil fans out there, but me and my sister had a terrible time with these guys growing up! Thanks, but we will pass.
Hamsters
1990s
It was the 90s and hamsters were all the rage! No, but really, hamsters were pretty popular then and still are today. They are cute, fat, fuzzy and love to eat - what's not to love? The kids have been asking for a hamster, so it is a possibility in the future.
Ferrets
2004-2010
I have had two different sets of ferrets so far and Nick had one of his own growing up also, so they are another pet we have in common! My first two were rescues that I saved and were my babies - Laki and Loki. They were great! My second two were also rescues, but not as friendly so I did not have them for as long. I really love ferrets and will definitely have them again someday!
Mice
2003
A friend of mine had a couple mice that I got from her when she moved and they were fun little critters to keep. They were friendly and liked attention well enough. They also were a lot of fun to sit back and watch play!
Chinchillas
2001
Chinchillas can make wonderful pets if you socialize them well enough and preferably get them young enough. If you can't, make sure you get some that have been handled a lot. If they aren't handled much, they are difficult to hold. Their fur is so soft though - like velvet! And they are very adorable. They are exotic animals though and do have special needs. It sounds like I should write an article... (ha!)
Goats
2001 - 2006
While the goats were not personally mine, they were my sisters and I helped her set up and prepare to bring them home, pick them up, introduce them to their new home, and care for them and clean them once she had them. I also was there when they had their babies and helped care for them as well, so I have a lot of hands on experience with goats.
Prairie Dogs
1990s
The Prairie Dogs were not my personal pets, but both of my older sisters had them as pets while I was growing up so I spent a lot of time with them. They are not common outside of the high-desert/plateau area states, but our Dad is from Kansas, so we saw a lot of them when we were young. As such, both of my sisters wanted them for pets and had them! They are really funny little guys.
Fish
Life
Yes, I have had fish for basically my whole life. I have kept bettas, guppies, swordtails, mollies, plattyes, goldfish, placatemus, tetras, oscars, koi, and a million more! The kids have also kept fish most of their lives, usually bettas or goldfish. A room is always brightened with a pretty fish tank, but it is definitely a good amount of upkeep.
Possum
Early 1990s
No, I am not lying, we truly had a pet possum when I was a kid! My sister was an animal rescuer/rehabilitator and got baby possums throughout the year that she rehabbed and released. My mom always thought they were cute and wanted a black colored one, so when my sister got one in a group, my Mom adopted her. Her name was Snuggles, and she makes for quite the interesting family story.
Dogs (other breeds)
Early 1990s - 2018
Both Nick and I grew up with lots of different dog breeds over the years. He had Shepherds and Akitas, I had black labs and Dachshunds. When we got married after Bosco died, we decided to try a different breed than a Bulldog so we got a Kangal which is a Turkish sheep dog. BIG mistake for us! Next, we tried a Chiweenie. We loved her, but she loved to eat our house. Then we visited shelters, messaged rescues, and met craigslist people rehoming dogs but none worked. We finally made our way back to American Bulldogs and while we might add different breeds to our pack someday, we will probably never be without one again.
