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February 11, 2024 58 mins

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*We did have a slight audio problem this week. But it was still a fantastic episode!

Have you ever felt outnumbered in your own backyard? That's the story of how Joelle's flock grew from a reasonable six to an uproarious eighteen, thanks to the all-too-real phenomenon of "chicken math." This episode takes you on a whimsical journey with Joelle from Chickenhappyhour, tracing her steps from a child with a menagerie of pets in Miami to the proud owner of a clucking chorus in Franklin, Tennessee. If you're pecking around for advice on urban chicken keeping or just love a hearty hen tale, you've roosted at the right podcast.

Caring for a flock brings a basketful of challenges, but also a coop full of joy. This heartwarming chat dives into the nitty-gritty of integrating new birds and maintaining the pecking order, sharing nuggets of wisdom from our personal escapades. We shed light on the art of constructing a predator-proof coop, underscoring the significance of stress-free havens for our egg-laying companions. Plus, Joelle and I compare notes on the camaraderie and support found within the chicken-keeping community, from online forums to overcoming the dreaded coop lice crisis with a little help from our feathered friends.

Listen in for a flock of laughs and insights!

Support Wilma's podcast by purchasing merch here https://sassy-heifer-creations.creator-spring.com

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“Where education fuels compassion.”

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Melissa (00:00):
Hey, hey, friends, welcome back.
I'm Mel and this is one of theWonderHands podcast.
We are so grateful that you'vetuned in for this week's episode
.
This week's guest is Joelle ofChicken Happy Hour.
She is graciously spending theday with us and we are

(00:20):
chit-chatting about everythingfrom chickens to social media
and the good and the bad.
So y'all tune in and let's goand a heads up.
If you hear screaming in thebackground, it is not a child
screaming, it is nugs.
While I do my podcast Irecorded out in my she-shed,

(00:41):
which happens to be next to nugs, is PN and nugs can hear me in
there, and when nugs hear me,hears me, he starts screaming,
or she.
We're not really sure yet.
We are gonna do a big revealonce we find out what nugs
really is.
Hey y'all, I'm Mel and you arelistening to Wilma the

(01:03):
WonderHand.
Are you a Chicken Math 11, mamaor daddy?
Together we'll dive into thelatest poultry keeping
adventures, chat about everydaylife, with a generous mix of
some hilarious stories, bringingyou fascinating interviews with
poultry owners from all over.

(01:24):
You'll find tips and basicadvice from your local
veterinarian, along with newchicken keeping gadgets and
reviews.
I'm gonna see what Mr Jengelsand Wilma has to say about that.
We're going to encourage andhelp you build a stronger,
healthier flock.
Let's go see what Mr Jengelsand Wilma is up to.
Let's go let these heifers outGrateful to have Joelle of

(01:46):
Chicken Happy Hour with us atWilma the WonderHand's podcast.
It is such a big honor.
We had a little issue beforethis.
We spent the last hour tryingto get this podcast up and going
.
It has been a completenightmare, but she has been so
sweet and so gracious to stickwith me and not tell me to shove

(02:08):
it no it's all good.

Joelle (02:11):
It's all good.

Melissa (02:14):
We would love to just know a little bit more about you
.
You can tell our listeners alittle bit of backstory,
anything you'd like to?

Joelle (02:23):
share, sure, yeah well, I'm actually relatively new to
chickens.
This will be my third yearraising chickens in my backyard
here in Tennessee.
I've always been an animallover and particularly a bird
lover, but I grew up in Miami,florida, and kind of near the

(02:45):
water and stuff it wasn't reallylike an ideal chicken sort of
raising area.
I'm from Florida too, oh youare.

Melissa (02:55):
That's so funny.

Joelle (02:56):
That's so funny.
That's cool.
Yeah, I grew up like that andwe used to like rescue birds all
the time and I've always beenaround animals.
I wanted to be a vet, actuallyat one point, but chickens are
new for me.
When we bought some propertyout in Franklin a few years ago,

(03:18):
I decided I went over to afriend's house and she had
chickens and I just immediatelyfell in love with them.
I was like this is my dream,and so in 2021, my husband said
we could finally get chickens.
And it was my anniversary, our10-year anniversary present.

Melissa (03:41):
Any woman would just be overwhelmed to get chickens for
their anniversary.
Kudos to your man.

Joelle (03:49):
Yes, he definitely got a lot of good brownie points for
that present and, as you know,with chickens and chicken math,
it's the gift that keeps ongiving.
Sorry, that's my indoor chickenthat's walking, not her, she's
a parrot.
But, yeah, since then westarted out with six and now, I

(04:11):
believe, we have 18 total.

Melissa (04:15):
Now you said Franklin is like the outskirts of
Nashville.
But do you live in the city ordo you technically live in the
country where you don't have alimit on chickens?

Joelle (04:27):
Well, I actually kind of have a cool situation here.
I live pretty much in the city,but we're not in an HOA, so I'm
able to actually have chickens.
We have like two and a halfacres.

Melissa (04:47):
You don't have anyone in close that can complain about
a rooster or anything like that.

Joelle (04:52):
Oh no, I definitely have people close who could complain
about Frankie, but luckilyeverybody around me, my
neighbors are really wonderfuland I've never had anyone
complain about him, and he doescrow a lot but and the hens are
actually very noisy.
It's funny because my oneneighbor a couple days ago

(05:13):
actually messaged me and wasworried about the hens.
She's like I just heard themlike squawking and I was at the
office and so I called myhusband.
I'm like is everybody okay outthere?
And he's like probably somebodylaid an egg, you know, and they
were all singing about it andthat's what happens, yeah people
complain about the roosters.

Melissa (05:33):
We have this conversation quite a bit about
people who live in the city andthey're not allowed roosters,
obviously.
But roosters are not.
They're not as loud as thesehens when they start cackling
and what eggs.
So, yeah, when I sing the eggslong, they are quite loud.

Joelle (05:51):
Oh, yes, yes, a lot of people think just like you said,
but the roosters, that aresuper loud.
But my hens can definitely givea rooster a run for their money
.
Sometimes, especially, I havesalmon fava rolls.
I don't know if you have the.
Yeah, you do yeah, and you knowhow vocal they are.
They're like the Siamese catsof chickens.

Melissa (06:10):
Yeah they do.
They like to chit, chit, chit,chit chit they like to chatter a
lot.
So so when you first got yourchickens, okay, so you went to
your friend's house and they hadchickens and you like, fell in
love and silly, which is, youknow, to be expected in the
chicken world.
So where did you go from there,like what were your steps to

(06:32):
get your chickens?

Joelle (06:33):
Well.
So we kind of did it a littlebit backwards.
We ended up just finding alocal hatchery and picking out
breeds like that.
We just kind of thought likewould give us sort of like a
rainbow egg type of assortment.
And I did a little bit ofresearch but really it was such
like kind of a surprise that myhusband was actually saying yes,

(06:57):
so just kind of randomly pickedlike six different types and
picked them up and at that pointwe were just, you know, keeping
them in a in a brooder box inthe garage and everything with
the lamps and all the things,and at that point we went out
searching for a coop to get them.

(07:17):
So we kind of got the chickensbefore we got the coop.
But we're a.
We were really lucky and ableto find an awesome like Amish
built coop on Facebookmarketplace secondhand and so we
got that and it's.
It's been great.
It's what they're using now, mybigger chickens, because I also

(07:39):
have Polish Polish chickens nowthat have their own.
I call it their dream house andthey're in a different part of
the yard but, yeah.
So we started out with them andthe six of them and got them
this massive coop that couldhold up to 20, around 20
chickens, because, you know, Ithink my husband knew it was

(08:01):
probably going to be somethingwhere we would be getting more.

Melissa (08:05):
That's kind of how it started so you, when, like you
said when you were in Miami, youknow you were rescuing birds
and you just have this greatlove for animals.
And then you know, you move towhere you are now, in Franklin,
and then you went to yourfriend's house and they have
chickens, and now you havechickens.
Yeah, when you first started,though, was it because you

(08:28):
wanted the eggs, you know, wasthat part of it, or was it just
strictly you wanted to havethese pet chickens?

Joelle (08:36):
I mean to be honest with you, it was more about having
pet chickens and just theconnection with chickens, the
eggs.
I kind of like a bonus andespecially like I hadn't.
I never knew that there waslike a whole rainbow egg
assortment that was availableout there.
That was all new to me.
So getting some of these handsand seeing them, like I remember

(09:02):
when we had an Easter egg orshe passed away but she laid
this like mint green colored eggand it was just incredible and
it just amazing.
But no, like I mean, ifchickens didn't lay eggs I would
still want to have chickens.
That's a lot of our listenersagree to we almost yeah

(09:23):
percentage that are.

Melissa (09:25):
You know the homesteading group and stuff.

Joelle (09:26):
But yeah, it's just for it's the okay, yeah, I mean,
don't get me wrong though like Ilove eggs, we use all their
eggs.
If we don't eat them, we givethem back to the chickens, as
everybody knows, like that's areally healthy snack for them
and everything.
So, like they're, the eggs aredefinitely getting used and and

(09:52):
we love them here.
So, but you know, if somebodystopped laying I wouldn't be
like oh there, you go bye.
You know it's kind of a bonus,yeah yeah, yeah.

Melissa (10:07):
So you started with your initial six and I know you
said you had like 18 now.
So, from the six to the 18, howdid that?
What transpired between that?
Like, um, oh, no, sorry, no, no, no, you go ahead.
I'm just kind of curious didyou seek out specific breeds,
since you kind of put your footin, you know, the door?

(10:28):
You got them six, and nowyou're being really specific
about what you want to bringhome, you know, and add to your
flock?
And also, did you get chicks?
Did you get, you know, started,pull-its and how did you kind
of, how did you introduce thenew chicks to the you know the

(10:49):
OG flock kind of give ourlisteners little tips on how you
did that sure.

Joelle (10:55):
Yeah, well, I kind of did a mixed bag of things, to be
honest with you, like I endedup getting a couple of chicks
after those original, the OG six.
I wanted a coach in and Iwanted the AMS money and I ended
up sorry, my dogs ended up withthe AMS money and she's

(11:17):
beautiful and I still have her,and the one that was supposed to
be the coach in is actually Idon't know what he was.
Honestly, I think he was aBrahma Easter egger mix, that's
what.

Melissa (11:31):
I think, and he was actually he was Frankie's dad.

Joelle (11:35):
He ended up being Frankie's dad so, but I ended up
yeah, so ended up with him andhe was a rooster and he ended up
being Frankie's dad.
So I got them as chicks andthen I wanted some more breeds,
like I wanted.
I guess mostly for that we'relooking.

(11:55):
I was looking for egg color atthat point and I ended up
ordering some started pulletsfrom a breeder and I ordered
some black hopper marans and alavender Americana and a well
summer and I got a good mix,yeah the well summer she passed
away, but I still have the otherthree and they're still doing

(12:17):
great.
So, yeah, I did kind of likeI've done sort of all of it,
Like I've even my chicken butterwho appears on my page a lot
cause she's very sassy, BuffOrpington I actually got her as
I guess you would call an adultI think she was at least over a

(12:37):
year old when I got her and soI've kind of done everything.
I've gotten them from babies,I've gotten them from, like I
guess, teenagers and I've gottenthem as adults and integrating
them.
I know you asked aboutintegrating with the chicks.
You know I raised them untilthey're, like you know, big

(12:57):
enough and fully feathered and,you know, strong enough to be
able to be integrated within theflock.
And I've had really good luckwith the, with the whole.
Like put them on the roost wheneverybody's roosting and then
they wake up the next morningand they're like oh, look at my
new friend and they're just likenone the wiser and it goes
pretty well.

(13:18):
I've had good luck with thatmethod a couple of times with
butter, who was older.
I didn't have so much luck withthat and I actually was keeping
her kind of.
I would keep her in our garageat night in like a kennel to
sleep, but then during the day Ikept her in half the runs where
she was, had food and water andblocked off and could see

(13:41):
everyone and they could see her,but nobody could get to each
other because it was, yeah,because we had let her out
initially, like when we firstgot her, and it was kind of like
mayhem, well, that's a goodexample.

Melissa (13:57):
I'm good that you you know you you brought that up,
that you know you didn't have to, you didn't have just one way.
You know the putting them onthe roost at night.
It doesn't always work foreverybody, you know because,
chickens wake up in the morning.
You know how chickens are, Imean they are snarky, they are
mean, they're just a bunch ofmean girls.

(14:17):
Just putting them on the roostdoesn't mean they're going to be
best buddies in the morning.
So you, I mean you had thatplus.
That did help, you know it didwork out.
But then you realized also withbutter, you know she's like I
don't want no part of you.
So that's good.
You know.

Joelle (14:36):
That's a good example that what works for one may not
work, you know, for someone elseand also, you know, utilizing
different ways within your ownflock, like one method might
work for those chickens and thenanother method might work for a
different chicken.
You just kind of have to seewhat works best for you.
But yeah, like I've had to dodifferent things for different

(14:59):
situations, for sure yeah, sowhere did your names for your
chickens come from?
A lot of them came from my kids.
I have three kids.
I have boys that are 10 and adaughter who's eight.
So like Elsa and Anna, I meanhow many Elsa and?
Anna, are there out thereChickens named Elsa and?

Melissa (15:23):
Anna, yes, let's just let that go yeah, yeah, yeah
exactly.

Joelle (15:27):
Exactly, my mom's helped with a few.
Actually, she's gotten involvedparticularly with the Polish.
She named Tallulah, my smoothTobon Polish, and but, yeah,
I've named a few of them.
My grandmother named some.
They just kind of likeeverybody's just participating

(15:49):
in the naming.
My husband, I don't think heknows who is who.
Yeah, like at all.
I love that.

Melissa (15:56):
Do your kids help you with the chicken chores?
Like, do you enjoy the chickenchores?
Is there chores?
Is there something?
Is there things that happenedsince being a chicken mama that
you didn't expect or you didn'trealize this was part of chicken
keeping.
That came as kind of a shock.

Joelle (16:15):
Well, again, it's like there's all these chicken
keeping can be kind of, I think,overwhelming for some people
when they look into it, becauseeverybody's like, oh, we'll do
it this way, do it this way,this method, that method, this
feed, that you know, bedding,all of this stuff, you know it's
very overwhelming.
We kind of just, I guess now,knowing all the different things

(16:38):
, it's kind of went with more oflike a basic sort of approach.
To be honest with you, myhusband does most of the chicken
chores.
It's not really me.
A lot of the times my kids arethe egg collectors.
You know, I'm kind of like Iguess I could say like it's kind

(17:01):
of it is sort of like a show ina way, like I'm like the
producer, the chickens are thetalent, and then my husband is
they're the hired help, they'rethe hired help, they're keeping
the show running here, you know,and it's like we got to make
sure, you know, frankie therooster, the star, like he's got
to have his blueberries, youknow, and it's we're all doing

(17:25):
our part, you know, for oursuperstar flock basically.
But yeah, yeah that's, that'sfunny.

Melissa (17:35):
I only cackled because I spent most of yesterday
cleaning out nine coops and twogoosepins so I was like, yeah,
oh, yeah, I mean.

Joelle (17:45):
I have done.
I've done some of it.
We had some my what were they?
Lice.
We had some lice at one pointand I did help with that because
I'm a little like when it comesto the chickens.
I'm very like you know, I'mworried about them all the time
and I needed to do it myself tomake sure.
Not that my husband wouldn'thave done a good job with the

(18:07):
spray, but I needed to do itmyself to make sure that, like,
every nook and cranny of thatcoop was shot with that stuff,
you know so it's like certainstuff like that, like I'll get
involved, but the daily sort ofstuff you know, like I'll get
eggs out there sometimes, butgenerally, yeah, they're doing

(18:29):
that.

Melissa (18:31):
That's okay.
That's okay.
You get to keep your chickenmama card.
I mean, thank you.
We all have our own littlething, that we do our flock, you
know.
So when you started with thechickens and I know you said
that a few of them have passedaway where did you get your

(18:52):
research for how to care forthem?
Or, if something came up, youknow, how did you find the
information that was gonna guideyou to take care of these
chickens?

Joelle (19:04):
Do you have a veterinarian?
Sorry, my dog's again Googleand forums and stuff.
Also, I belong to a group inMiss Maybelline.
That's the chicken protectorthat you hear, my livestock
guardian dog.

Melissa (19:22):
I belong to a Facebook group.
Your livestock guardian dogs inthe house?

Joelle (19:27):
Yes, well, the chickens are actually up today because
the weather's so gross like Idon't want Frankie's feathered
booty to get all muddy.
You know Tennessee mud issomething.
But yes, back to, sorry, thequestion.

Melissa (19:43):
No, that's okay, that's okay.

Joelle (19:45):
No, no.
What was the question?

Melissa (19:46):
Like where did you go for your research?
Like, I just take care of them.

Joelle (19:51):
Well, I have a couple of friends that I know who have
taken care of chickens and Irelied on them in the beginning
just for like various things andthen, like you know, some
Facebook groups I'm in locallyand then ultimately, as I
started to kind of thingsstarted to grow and everything I

(20:11):
did come in contact with a vet.
We have a local vet here thatsees chickens and I think they
probably know me now because Ihave been there a few times with
some chickens and they've beenwonderful and very grateful for
them because they've definitelyhave saved a couple of them and

(20:33):
helped me out.
So I'm lucky enough to have thelocal vet here, because I know
a lot of people don't have thatand I also know it can be really
expensive for some people and Imean it's still expensive, like
I mean, especially when youthink about like how much you
initially paid for the chicken.
But I mean I don't look at itlike that, like these are my
pets and like they're.

(20:53):
You know they're a part of thefamily.

Melissa (20:57):
So, like the amount of money is you hear that, you do
hear that, like sometimes inforums.
You know when someone postsabout their sick chicken and
people will come at you know the$4 bird you can get another one
.
But if you think of all theyears that you have into it,
even if you take away personalattachment, you know the amount

(21:20):
of feed and materials for upkeepyou know it's more than just $4
bird.
So-.
Yes, absolutely I don't like itwhen they say that it just
makes me sad.
Yeah, no.

Joelle (21:32):
I agree you get yeah, they definitely don't.
It's the $4.
You don't even think about thatanymore once they kind of come
into your family and everything.
And then you know, as I startedgrowing on social media and
everything, and when I found thecommunities, I found a
community in TikTok and I foundI found community in Instagram.

(21:55):
You know a lot of communitythere and I met people who have
helped me save, like you know.
There's what's her name?
Ray from COVIDCluckers.
We love Ray.
I know I know y'all love herand she is great.
And I was having an issue withone of my birds and I messaged
her and she just like walked methrough everything and she

(22:18):
checked on me and I mean like Ireally feel like my chicken is
here because of her and like herhelping me and I've told her
how grateful I am for you know,for helping me in the patients
that she had Cause.
Yeah, I was like checking inwith her like every hour.
I'm like this is what'shappening, this is happening,
and she, right there, would getback and be like that's normal

(22:41):
and that's okay.
You know she was easing my mindand so like finding these
communities within this havingChicken Happy Hour and social
platform Facebook, tiktok andInstagram has been great.
I mean, people have been sokind to me and helped me and
navigate some issues and helpedmy chicken, so it's been

(23:05):
wonderful.

Melissa (23:07):
I think that's really sweet, though I also my dad to
my dad, my stepdad.

Joelle (23:13):
He's a veterinarian.
He's not an ADIAN veterinarianbut like he has helped me with
some things as well, I'm verylucky, Like my Americana when
she was still a pull it shebroke her leg and he came over
and he helped.
You know, he wrapped it and wesplinted it and everything and I
mean she's great, like shestill she kind of runs a little

(23:36):
funny, but she's great, you know, and healthy and fine.
So I just wanted to throw thatin there because I do have that
sort of a little bit of thatresource as well, which I'm very
lucky to have.

Melissa (23:48):
Yeah, that's a great resource.
There's nothing wrong with youknow, just because I mean that's
very sweet and very humble ofyou.
You know, because not everyonelike you know.
We've said a million times Idon't have that.

Joelle (24:01):
But I mean now.

Melissa (24:02):
That means maybe you could be a benefit to somebody
else with some information thatyou know, you education that you
obtain, and I think that's whatpart of the community is all
about, even though if you don'twant to participate, obviously
you don't have to.
But I think that is what whatmakes our community so good is

(24:22):
because people genuinely do wantto help each other.
I agree, yeah.

Joelle (24:30):
Yes, for sure.

Melissa (24:32):
So what kind of tips would you give somebody who
wants to get into chickens thatyou know, chick chick season is
coming up.

Joelle (24:41):
It is coming.
I would say, like my tips Iwould say, try and I guess, join
some groups or, if you're likeon social platforms like,
connect with some chicken.
You know people, chickenkeepers, just to start like kind
of building your community andyour resources of you know from

(25:05):
people who know kind of like abit more than you and can help
you.
And also, like I mean, thereare so many breeds of chickens
out there and so many peoplelove so many different breeds.
I would I don't know, just readabout them, like which ones,
like what you're kind of I guesswhat your goals are like.

(25:25):
You know, is your goal arainbow basket or is your goal
like a ton of eggs a year?
Or is your goal like to havechickens that are friendly
because you have kids?
You know things like that.
It's like kind of focused, likewhat's, what is your priority?
You know, and and sort of likehow you feel, like we talked
about in the beginning, like arethey going to be pets?

(25:47):
Are they going to be more likefor for you getting a bunch of
eggs?
Or you know kind of figure outlike what your main sort of
goals are for them in your lifeand that can sort of help you
find out, like, what breedsmight be good for your flock.
And and yeah, that's kind ofwhere I would start and I would

(26:09):
also recommend getting a reallygood coop and investment.
It's a, it's a.
It's an investment, a qualityone, like I feel like you know,
like the coop that we got, itwas, it was pretty expensive,
even second hand, but it's soworth it because it's one of

(26:32):
those things that could be thedifference between, like your,
all of your birds being taken bypredators in the middle of the
night or not.
You know, I think, finding areally good, solid coop and
having a run that's got all ofas much as you can do in terms
of predators you know, wrappingthe hardware caught, but

(26:54):
whatever it is that you need todo to help prevent predators,
because, I mean, we have to helpwith predators.
I know some people don'trearrange their chickens and for
that reason, yeah, I, I kind ofdo a mix of both like, but
generally I like to let themfree range a little bit.

(27:15):
We have a big fence around ourbackyard, which was very lucky
to get, and it does help keepout some predators, but we have
had, you know, a couple ofpredator issues.
But it really it's our job aschicken keepers to kind of help
prevent as best we can predatorissues.
So getting a secure coop andrun I think is just very

(27:38):
important and putting theinvestment in on getting quality
things I think is alsoimportant.
Some of these coops I see likeI'm just like oh my gosh, like a
raccoon is just going to belike haha.

Melissa (27:55):
Yeah, I agree, I agree what you're saying.
I don't take like that.
I don't think that you're beingyou know offensive about that
at all.
I mean, it's true, it doesn'thave to be like a Taj Mahal,
like a decorated with you knowcrown molding on it.
But yeah, absolutely you need.

Joelle (28:12):
I love those coops, though, by the way.
Yeah, I have some friends onInstagram, oh, and I'm like, my
eyes are just like hard eyes,like for those.
I mean, if I could be.
Yeah, no, but I agree with whatyou're saying.

Melissa (28:27):
Yeah, use the resources you have, like you said, but
you know, just make sure you putextra effort into it so that if
you just blow on it or the windyou know passes by your head,
you know you're just going tofall over.
Right, it's got to be somethingthat you know.
Other than a bear you knownothing should be able to get
into your coop.
So, yeah, I completely agreewith that.

Joelle (28:49):
Yeah, I mean chickens like they use their coop, as
obviously they go there to laytheir eggs and they go to their
to roost and everything.
But it's also kind of liketheir safety spot too.
So you have to you have to,like, give them their safety and
everything.
So I would say, yeah, investingin a really good coop and run

(29:10):
and just making sure it's assecure as you can make it.
And you can do that, like youknow, pretty much on any budget,
like I think.
I think it just comes down tojust you know figuring out
what's good for you and yeah,and you know stressful birds,
they don't lay eggs and stress.

Melissa (29:31):
You know stressed out birds, they're more prone to
illnesses, you know, because ofthe weakened immune system.
So, yeah, you need to make surethat where they're staying is
safe.
Yeah, we want to know.
We won't take up much of yourtime.
We know this, if you knew whathappened before this interview.

Joelle (29:50):
It's okay, we're good, so I'm good to keep going.

Melissa (29:54):
We do want to talk a little bit about your online
presence and how that gotstarted, you know, and where you
kind of see yourself going fromhere, Sure yeah, well, it was.

Joelle (30:06):
It was interesting how it all got started for me.
I, I, when I got the chickens,I, they would always I would
always kind of come see themaround like four o'clock, you
know, in the afternoon, like,and I would call it chicken
happy hour, because I was likewe're out there and we're having
our snacks and, you know,sometimes our wine and things

(30:29):
like that, and the chickens arecoming around and I was like
it's chicken happy hour.
So I just kind of startedsaying that to people and being
like, yeah, you want to comeover, come over for chicken
happy hour.
And it kind of just sort oflike stuck, you know, and so I
just decided to start the pagesup on social media.

(30:49):
I actually started mostly onTikTok and it was in 2022.
And I actually got kind of sick,like I was.
I was actually pretty sick andI'm since doing much better, but
basically I was getting vertigolike every three to four days,
and if you've ever had vertigo,it's basically just like

(31:11):
everything's spinning, you can'treally move or else you're
going to puke, and so I wasbedridden for a while and I
really could only like focus onone thing kind of close to, with
close vision and I started tojust sort of like dive into
TikTok and learning how to dothe ropes on editing and started

(31:34):
kind of coming up with ideas.
And it just started to kind ofgo off from there and I started
gaining more and more followersand I started to get better at
finding, you know, audios andcreating audios and all of the
things and it just sort of itreally just started to grow.
And I remember I posted, therewere a couple of videos I posted

(31:59):
and they just started to likego viral and I never experienced
that before and it's just.

Melissa (32:04):
I mean it's very exciting, yeah, it's like it's
yeah, it brings a lot of crazypeople to it it does it does.

Joelle (32:14):
I have experienced many and I experienced them.
You know, yesterday I had toblock somebody Because, yeah,
like, some people are just alittle, yeah, but, and you open
yourself up to that, likeespecially the bigger you get.
I think they think like, oh,like, you're probably like not
even a person like behind thisaccount anymore, but anyway, so

(32:38):
I posted a video on TikTokcalled chicken crimes and it was
crimes my chickens committedthis week and I got the idea off
.
Another friend of I wereactually friends now another
creator.
She does cats and she did, youknow, crimes my cat submitted
this week and I was like Ishould do chickens because I'm

(33:00):
like my chickens are alwaysdoing crazy stuff, you know.
And so you know, created thatand it just sort of like blew up
and I, you know, people werelike make it a series and I was
like, oh, that's great idea.
So I made it like a littleseries and prior to that I had
been posting over at Instagrambut, like you know, I wasn't

(33:21):
kind of.
I have like 200 followers, Iwas like oh, you know whatever
like.
But then I posted chicken crimeson on Instagram and I'll never
forget, like I, because I like Isaid I had like 200 followers
and I posted it there and Ithink I got I went to like
30,000 in like one week.

(33:41):
It was.
It was something wild like that, yeah.
And and then I was like, okay,okay, all right, instagram, okay
, like we can, okay.
And then from that point on,you know, I just like I've been
posting, obviously cross fiveforms.
I added Facebook recently intoit and yeah, that's kind of like

(34:05):
how it all started, but reallyit's just like certain videos,
just really, that's all of asudden, like you know, you go
like your your follower accountjust explodes.
It's just and and to be clear,like, because I know there's a
lot of people who are creatorsand chicken created content

(34:26):
creators and everything you, alot of you out there like, are
creating awesome content and youknow, and I see it all the time
and it's and it's not going byrules, you know, for whatever
reason, right, right, don't beatyourself up over that, because
a lot of it is just.
I really do think a lot of itis luck and there's sort of like

(34:48):
a luck factor coupled into it.
And then you also think aboutthe algorithm, which is kind of
like this I kind of yeah, like Iwas talking to a girlfriend of
mine the other day about it andI was like the algorithm.
I see her as like this, likelittle, like nymph creature you
know, like dancing around andlike you know, because you just

(35:08):
never know what it's going to do.

Melissa (35:11):
You don't I like that you gave that advice, especially
to the you know, smalleraccounts that you know maybe
they're struggling and maybethey do have good advice and
people are just not able to seethat.
So you know, don't give up inlike you said, the algorithm.
The algorithm is.
It's the weirdest beast ever,but absolutely.

Joelle (35:31):
And so, yeah, my advice to you out there as, like you
know, content creators andeverything is just to create,
you know, keep creating and,like, trust yourself and produce
.
You know, the quality contentthat you can, that you can do,
and I mean, eventually, like,something will click.

(35:53):
You know, you just got to keepgoing, Because you just never
know, like, and it literallycould just be one video that you
do that could change everythingovernight for you.
Like, I've seen it happen tomany accounts where they're like
, you know, a couple thousandfollowers, or maybe 30 or 40,
and then they post one video andthey're like over 100,000, you

(36:16):
know, within weeks.
It's just that's just thenature of it.
Social media.
I love social media, like, interms of for the most well, the
most.
The reason I love it the mostis honestly like, just being
able to reach so many people andand have connections with
people and people writing me andtelling me like wow, your video

(36:38):
just brightened my day and likeI was having the worst day and
everything, and that's wonderfuland I and that sometimes like
those little things just keepyou going, because there is,
there is a very dark side, likewe kind of were talking about.
yeah.
Yeah, I mean, I don't alwaysget happy, positive comments or
messages from people.

(36:58):
You know, and I'm dealing rightnow with some major content
that, like that I'm dealing with.

Melissa (37:06):
And that's, that's awful.
We know, we I mean obviouslywe're, we're just like on a
smaller scale of an account andthat you know.
That's okay.
We, we dabble in everything.
But yeah, people have.
They've ripped off Mr Jangle'svideos.
You can find them on YouTube.
They don't belong to them.
Yeah, nothing can.

Joelle (37:25):
they don't do anything about it, so yeah it's really
frustrating and I mean like Ifeel like a lot of people who
this happens to like, they justI think they give up because the
hoops that you have to jumpthrough just to even, like you
know, prove things, but yeah, no.
I'm, I'm gonna.

(37:49):
I still got some for me rightnow, like especially when I see
you know somebody like makingmoney off of me.
You know that's that's not cool, so but yeah, anyway, overall
though, overall, I just want tosay that like the support and
just everything that I'veexperienced through Chicken

(38:12):
Happy Hour has been amazing theopportunities that I've had to
meet people and work with brandsand just the whole thing, like
I mean, I love creating and Ilove that like people like know
Frankie, mostly, yeah, it'sawesome.

(38:34):
Like I joined this randomFacebook group Just if it was
about Rooster.
It was called like Rooster Loveor something.

Melissa (38:41):
Yeah.

Joelle (38:42):
And I posted a picture and I'm like Hi, like this is my
rooster.
I didn't say his name oranything and people are like oh
my gosh, is that Frankie?
Yeah, and I love that.

Melissa (38:53):
Yeah.

Joelle (38:54):
I love that Like it's.
It's it's really just beengreat, it's really changed my
life and it's, yeah, it's justbeen a really cool experience.
I never would have thought, youknow, that it would be that,
because, out of all the thingsthat I've done in my life, like,
but I would have never thoughtthis would happen, but here we

(39:18):
are.

Melissa (39:18):
I think it's great, you know, because people have a
place to come and they can justyeah something that just makes
them feel good, or laugh thatday or something.
So that's, you know, you'reputting good stuff out there.
So, yeah, thank you, Thank you.

Joelle (39:31):
Yeah, some of it can be a little edgy.
Some people get mad at me, butI promise you that it's all just
been good fun and I alsopromise you that my chickens are
living it up.
They are spoiled, they areloved, they are, I mean, getting
basically fresh blueberriesevery day.

(39:51):
Frankie's getting hisblueberries every day, yeah, so
I mean I joke I've joked beforethat, like you know, if you see
me do any like brand ads oranything like that, I'm like you
know all of the money is goingto his blueberries.
I mean it's kind of true,Blueberries are cheap.

Melissa (40:13):
No, blueberries are not cheap.
Yeah, the bigger you flock youhave like mine Exactly.

Joelle (40:18):
Dynormous flock they how many do you?

Melissa (40:21):
have?
I had over a hundred andsomething, oh wow.

Joelle (40:26):
Wow, that's amazing.

Melissa (40:27):
I kind of slimmed down my flock last year.
I downsized just a tad, just atad.
Yeah, I still have the majorityof them, and now I have geese
and stuff.
But I'm preparing all of thatbecause I'm actually getting a
Jeff Jersey Hever calf and I doall of the like chicken chores

(40:48):
and everything.
So I got to make sure I'm ableto take care of my flock and my
new Jersey.

Joelle (40:53):
Yeah, yeah, you got to make sacrifices.
Yeah, no, that's.
That's awesome.

Melissa (41:00):
I don't know where do you see your flock going Like?
Where do you see, like you evenyou don't even have to, you
know just your flock itself,maybe your account, I mean just
overall, like where thesechickens go?

Joelle (41:12):
Yeah, Well, my flock is going to grow a little bit here
in a couple months, just by four.
I have ordered a few morechickens, so four of them.
A couple more favorals, becauseI lost my favorite favoral hen
last year to a great horned owlof all things.

Melissa (41:32):
Yeah.

Joelle (41:33):
Yeah, so, and it was awful too, not only because of
how awful it was, just but Ireally like owls and I was
really like afflicted because Iwas like I love owls, but I like
I hate that owl Like how dareyou?
Eat my baby?
Yes, exactly, and I was justlike oh, I saved your ancestors.

(41:57):
Yes, exactly, yeah.
I mean like I love owls so much, like when I had my baby shower
I had twin boys and like it waslike little owls, like I really
loved owls, and then Idiscovered this owl ate my
chicken.
Yeah, so that wasn't good.
But so I'm going to be gettinga couple more favorals I do have
one still out there and thenI'm getting some barred rocks.
I've never had those before,but I see a lot of them out

(42:18):
there, Be prepared.

Melissa (42:20):
They are sassy, like in your face.
I love that.

Joelle (42:25):
They will fit right in with the whole vibe here.

Melissa (42:28):
They're some of my favorites.

Joelle (42:29):
I definitely like them oh that's great, that's good to
know.
Yeah, I love hearing thatBecause, yeah, I'm excited.
So the flock, in that sense, isgoing to grow and that's
Frankie.
Like I call it like the bigcoop Because that's where, like
Frankie, and then I have mybigger like chickens living and
then I have my Polish chickenswho are living in their little

(42:52):
Polish dream house over on theother side in a different yard.
So, like whenever you see myposts about the Polish, like
Frankie, because somebody waslike oh, is that like Frankie's
new girlfriend?
Like no, these they're not evergoing to be around them.

Melissa (43:06):
They're separated.
The Polish just ain't meant tomix with general population.

Joelle (43:11):
Yeah, you know, I've talked to a few people who have
both and mixed together, but Ijust I mean we're not saying
it's not possible, possible.
But from my experience.

Melissa (43:22):
I've had Polish and they just yeah, yeah, I would be
worried.

Joelle (43:27):
I would be concerned Not even so much, honestly about
Frankie, because Frankie'sactually I know the way I
portray him sometimes, but he'sactually very nice and he's a
very good rooster.
I mean, I think some of mybigger hens would just turn them
up.
You know, they're just adifferent vibe and so they're

(43:47):
living in their own little likeyou know, Polish dream house.

Melissa (43:50):
I agree with you on that.
Yeah yeah, that's how I feelabout it too.

Joelle (43:54):
But you know, that's just my opinion, but it's your
burden.

Melissa (43:57):
Do whatever you want, so nobody can tell you what to
do anyway.
So no, man yeah absolutely so.

Joelle (44:02):
Yeah, so they're living separate and I just recently
added to them, so I have fourPolish hens and I'm good on them
right now.
So, in terms of my thought, youknow, that's kind of what's
going on.
And then, in terms of my page,the goal and the dream is to
just keep growing, and I'm alsowanting to.
I'm going to be doing like it'sa giveaway that I've been

(44:24):
wanting to do since I hit 100kand I'm now I think I don't know
220 something, and I'm going tobe doing it soon.
I want to do a giveaway andjust to like thank everybody for
all their support and I havealready have a lot of people
involved that I want to, youknow, include in that and I'm

(44:44):
working on it.
So that's something that'scoming.
And then, ultimately too, I wantto just keep building my
website and have some fun, likemerchandise that people can buy,
you know, Frankie, frankieT-shirts and like mugs and fun
things like that.
I've worked with this amazingcartoonist and she did a Frankie

(45:05):
cartoon that I haven't sharedyet because it's just I want to
share it, you know when it'sready to go and merch and
everything and maybe part of thegiveaway.
But yeah, like I have big, Idream big and I have a lot of
really cool ideas.
I think that would be great forgrowing chicken half a hour and

(45:25):
hope that, you know, everybodyjust will love it and continue
to support me, and I'm sograteful honestly, like just to
just to be kind of doing whatI'm doing and being able to
reach all these people.

Melissa (45:44):
It's just amazing, like yeah, it's great, it's kind of
mind blowing, because you don'tthink you were kind of talking
about this the other day, notnecessarily like I'm not
necessarily talking about likeour pages, but in general you
can talk to people, like even onmy podcast I can talk to people
from all over.
And you can sit down and have aconversation about their

(46:05):
chickens, like I'm sitting downwith you and it's an honor for
me to sit down with any guestyou know and to go over you know
why they love their chickensand how.
You know how much it's done forthem, and then we can share
that with other people and youknow it's like a domino effect
of helping people.
But if we didn't have all this,you know you wouldn't.
You wouldn't run into thesepeople on the street, you know?

Joelle (46:29):
No, yeah, and I need to say like yeah, like it's a huge
honor for me that you invited meto be on this.
Like when you reached out to me, I was I think I squealed a
little bit I'm just reallyexcited, really honored it
really.
I kind of feel like it was likeyeah, you're officially part of

(46:50):
the chicken community here,you're definitely a part for
sure, because I know like I'mkind of like different, in the
sense of like a lot of peoplethey do the comedy stuff but
they also do like some educationand they do kind of a mixed bag
and I'm pretty much like doingall comedy.
So but and I don't know likethere was a there was a period

(47:14):
of time to where people I thinkjust thought I was one of those
pages that just like reposted.

Melissa (47:20):
Well.
I don't know.
I'm thinking back like in thebeginning, because Will has been
on the internet since 2019.
She's been on a show since 2019.
Yeah, and you know there are.
There are a lot of pages in thebeginning that you couldn't
tell if they were like reposers,if they were right.
You know, because you didn'treally have any communication

(47:42):
with them.
You know, in DMs or outside oflike just having a conversation
about a sick chicken or what todo in this situation, you know.
So you kind of built up or likea little relationship or
whatever, so, and I don't likespend a whole lot of time on the
internet, you know.
But I knew last year this waslike last year that I had a list

(48:04):
of, because each year when Istart the new year I make a list
of people that I want to haveon my show, and your name was on
the list, and this was probablylast year.
I don't know if it was.
I don't know all the details, Idon't know if I fit.
I think I found you from TikTok, though is where you came from.

Joelle (48:22):
Yeah, that's kind of where I was initially, like yeah
started off and was growing thefaster.

Melissa (48:29):
You don't have to.
Obviously you don't have to doanything outside of what you
feel comfortable doing.
Oh yeah, no, no.

Joelle (48:38):
And now, I think now people know that it's me.
I've been in a lot of the videosand I also try to engage on my
videos as much as I can Like.
And if people write to me likeI write them back and stuff,
like I want people to know likeit's a real I'm a real human
being behind Chicken Happy Hourand you know, like this whole,

(49:02):
like the verification and stuff,and like putting your face in
yes, yes, that whole thing, butit's like.
You know, I don't really wannado that because even though I'm
a huge part I mean huge part ofChicken Happy Hour, I'm creating
it and all doing all the thingswith it.
I want it to be about thechickens.
You know, if I, whenever I makea video, it's funny because

(49:26):
there have been video ideas thatI've had and I think of it and
I'm like, okay, well, I'll dothis one part and Frankie's
gonna do this other part, youknow, and then I'll edit out the
video and then I'll think youknow what, like, could a chicken
do my part?
You know.
And I would rather, I'd ratherbe that way.
I'm just there to sort of fillin.

(49:47):
I'm there kind of it's like theperson behind the.
They're not puppets, but youknow what I'm saying, right.
Oh yeah, I completelyunderstand I don't want it to be
about me, but I do want peopleto know that it is a real human
being.
Like the page is, like, I guess,my baby in a sense yeah, and it
means a lot to me, I spend alot of time on it, I care about

(50:11):
it a lot and I love it, and Ilove all of my chicken so much,
and yeah, so, we are so gratefulthat you agreed to come on our
show too.
Of course.
Well, thank you so much.
It means a lot to us.
Thank you, I'm so happy to behere.

Melissa (50:31):
Well, thank you, it means a lot to us.
I do have three questions thatI'd like to ask you at the end,
but before I do that, do youhave anything else that you want
to share?
Do you have anything on yourheart or anything that you you
don't have to?
I?
Just want to make sure that youknow you don't get just cut off
and be like get out of here.

(50:52):
We want you to express whateveryou may have to say.
It's what I'm trying to say no.

Joelle (50:59):
No, I think I said it.
You know a lot in ourconversation so far, but just
how thankful and grateful I amto everyone for their support of
my page and me and Frankie andall the girls and and yeah, just
I.
I look forward to growing andbringing more funny content and

(51:21):
hopefully some cool merch andall things like that.
You know and and always feelfree to message me and stuff.
Like I, I am a person and I dorespond.
Good job.

Melissa (51:33):
You heard it.
You heard it here.
She is a person and she does,but don't send her hateful
messages, cause that's yeah,yeah, you just get deleted and
blocked when you do.

Joelle (51:43):
I don't even like it anymore.

Melissa (51:45):
Wilma's blocked list is pretty long.
I'd be embarrassed to show youwhat my block list looks like.

Joelle (51:50):
I bet you ours is probably very similar to me.

Melissa (51:54):
It may be the same people.
I don't know, it could be, itcould be, but I'm going to ask
you three random questions.
Okay, so you ready.

Joelle (52:01):
I'm ready.

Melissa (52:02):
If you could be any chicken breed, what would it be
and why?

Joelle (52:06):
Any chicken breed, and why, oh, that's hard?
That's hard because I I'mthinking about, like all of them
and just I guess I've Iprobably the favarole, the
salmon favarole, because they'rejust awesome and goofy and like
outspoken and they are colorfuland fluffy.

Melissa (52:28):
Yeah, yes, we absolutely love them.

Joelle (52:30):
Yes, and they are not afraid to just like tell you
what they want.
You know, grab a snack rightout of your hand, practically
out of your mouth.
I've had that happen before.
We just got so much characterlove.
That's that would be my choice.

Melissa (52:49):
Okay, that's a good answer.
I like that.
Did you have a crush growing up?
Did you fangirl?
Did you have like a hero?
Did you have like someone whoinspired you?

Joelle (52:59):
I, I'm also a musician, so in a singer.

Melissa (53:03):
So are you going to sing for us or no?
I can buy myself chicken.
There she is.

Joelle (53:12):
Well, actually I mean that audio is from a friend on
our.
You know one of our friends,katie from Greg's chicks.
She did create that audio.
But yeah, I was just singingher version.

Melissa (53:26):
Did you have a crush or did you fangirl?
Did you have a hero, somebodymy well?

Joelle (53:31):
my because I was a musician.
Basically it was Joni Mitchelland Chris Cornell.
I know two very differentartists but, yeah, because I was
a singer, I still am singer andmusician, so those two artists
in particular were very close tomy heart.
So but okay.

Melissa (53:51):
So do you have a place where we could watch you sing,
or is it broadcast at all?
Is it secret and we're not toknow about it?

Joelle (53:58):
Oh, no, no, no, Like I actually lately I've been
singing in a duo called StereoAngels and sometimes, if I
remember, because I I'm reallybad about social media, except
for Chicken Happy Hour, but likemy personal ones, like I was so
neglected and I neglect thatpage too, because I'm just so

(54:20):
consumed with Chicken Happy Hour.

Melissa (54:22):
Right.

Joelle (54:23):
But I, we do have a page Stereo Angels and yeah,
sometimes I I remember to postour performances.

Melissa (54:33):
Okay, yeah, I'll heard that We'll have to go flood that
account and check it out, and.
But the last question was whowould you like to see on our
podcast?
Who?
Who do you think should come onnext?
That doesn't mean they're goingto agree and come on, but we
can give it a shot.

Joelle (54:49):
Who would I love?
You know, who actually I wouldbe really curious is I think
their name, their, their handleis Pluma, the RV Sarama.

Melissa (55:07):
Yeah, I don't know who that is.

Joelle (55:10):
We're friends on Instagram and I think that they
they travel around like withtheir birds in like an RV.

Melissa (55:22):
I see, yeah, that's interesting.

Joelle (55:24):
I would kind of like to hear what that's about.
You know, like that just seemsreally cool.

Melissa (55:32):
And it is it's very unique.

Joelle (55:34):
Yeah.

Melissa (55:35):
We'll have to look at it, yeah.

Joelle (55:37):
And she also I think it's a she forgive me if I'm
wrong the creator, but postslike the rooster, like he just
had like a baby chick born andshowing him like taking care of
the chick, and I'm just likethis is amazing.
But I mean, there are so manyincredible like chicken people

(55:59):
and content creators that I amlucky enough to know and that
one just sort of stuck out in mymind because just how unique of
a situation it is.
I agree that is very unique and, yeah, I would be curious to
hear that story.

Melissa (56:15):
So if our listeners wanted to find you, where could
they find you?

Joelle (56:19):
Well, I am on Instagram chicken happy hour and they talk
also chicken happy hourFacebook chicken happy hour
Facebook.
Though you, it's a littletrickier over there.
I mean, I'm the largest accountchicken happy hour.
There are some imposters overthere that I'm trying to take

(56:41):
down.
The one with the largestpresence on there.
So that's me, and I also am onYouTube, but not you know my
posting.
There is a little kind of yeah,I have, I'm on all platforms,
but the ones where you canreally find me are those three.

Melissa (57:05):
So I don't know if you can hear Nuggets, my to lose
goose.
He's in the backgroundscreaming.
Oh no, I can't.
Actually he's right outside myshoes, he shed, which is where
we record.
He knows I'm in here so he canhear my voice.
So if you're screaming.
it's not actually a child, thatis, that is a little goose.
But anyway, we are so gratefulfor you.

(57:26):
We appreciate you taking yourtime Once again.
The tragic that happened upuntil today trying to get us on
our audio equipment didn't workright.
It was just a total nightmare,but Joelle was sweet enough to
stick it.
Stick it out, you know, andstay with us.
So we definitely appreciate youand you all go follow Chicky.

(57:46):
Thank you and happy hour.
She's on all the platforms andthank you so much.
Thank you.
This was so fun.
Thank you for having me.
I'm so glad.
Thank you so much, bye, bye,take care, I'm Mel and you are
listening to Wilma the WonderHen.
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