NY chicken lover!!!!

[rancher hicks]

So it was a mix of non bringers ..
I dont have a problem with some cost ...for food or drinks ...your not expected to foot the bill for everything ..
Its your show you set the rules
I brought Hoffman Hots coz thats what we eat ..I didnt want to cheapen out just because I was buying for others too

While I didn't attend this "event" we never intended to bring enough food to feed 200 people. As I stated previously I thought it was just to a meet and greet "picnic" for BYC members and their families. Since it is not, we will conduct ourselves accordingly. By all means charge for food, though it may not be fair to expect us to bring food to feed a bunch of strangers. Strangers being non BYC, non family members. Also non paying/spending strangers at that. You certainly can't expect to cover expenses like that. Everyone should contribute even them. If you invite folks who are not BYC members or family they're your guests and you should bring enough for them too.

I'm sure by now some consideration has been taken into what it will cost to host the event and how to at least break even.

In a "picnic" situation, the hosts should not be required to provide more than the venue. We attendees can certainly provide the food or at least the bigger portion of it. This however is my opinion. Provided we have some idea how many will be attending.

In Texas we went to a Barbeque place that sold ribs and all that jazz. It was called the Cork Screw BBQ. Anyhow the sign said they were open 11 am - until the food runs out. Which it did. You can google it to see it's logo it's worth a look. Point being you might consider a "when the food runs out" type situation, but still charge. This way when a kid leaves half a can of soda it's their parents who are paying for it.

We hope to attend the Lavender festival in July and rest assured there will be no free food there. We were at the first or second one. I'm sure it's now evolved to thousands attending the two day event. If you can make it it's worth the time.

I remember the Lafayette Apple festival in the old days. It wasn't so hard to get to, now Lord have mercy you can spend half the day just finding a place to park. Then it's hike to get to the event grounds. We no longer go.

One thought to keep in mind is that if things get too big, the town may get involved requiring permits. Liability may be a factor too. Unless it's already been thought of.

All of this is just my thoughts, should someone else consider hosting a "Chickenstock".

Take care,

Rancher, having second thoughts, Hicks.

 

[Sweetpea3829]

You can't be serious? How do you expect to keep them from eating it without putting up a barrier? Of course you have to put up a barrier. Eventually it will kill your birds.

I was hoping maybe I could spray something on there. You know, how you spray Blu-Kote on a wound to keep the other birds from pecking it because chickens can't see blue? Well I don't want to spray Blu-Kote, obviously...but I was hoping something else that would make it taste bad.

Money is a consideration right now...hubby took a new job this year with a 20k paycut. But, it's five minutes from home, not 1h 15m like his last job, so its worth it. Its just that...everything we do has to be very low or no cost.

 

[Glasshen]

I will not be attending the chicken stock. As I did not attend this past one. I thought it would end like this. If I attend an event to meet people from this thread, and make food to share, and contribute to an auction to cover the costs of a portapotty, I do not want to feed the multitudes, who are there because the event promotes a business. The money collected should have been used to defray the costs incurred by inviting the public. If there is a fee for food, people should not be expected to contribute a dish to pass.

I would support a simple chicken get together of people I have shared with on this thread. Then I would be happy to cook something and contribute to saving your septic system, etc by creating something for the auction.

Those are my feelings, and i have considered them carefully and for a long time.

 

[Pyxis]

I have to throw in with Glasshen and Rancher on this one. It seems that all the problems are being caused by inviting tons of people not from this thread. The Chickenstock has always been intended to be a get together and meet up for people who participate here, and to be able to put faces to names and to actually see and meet the friends you make. We all pitch in to feed each other and we hold the raffle so the host can rent a port a potty. None of the other chickenstocks I've ever been to have had this food problem. Heck, at all the others there was food left over at the end, and the host didn't have to buy any of it. Only this one had that problem, and the only difference I can come up with is that it wasn't just people from here. Never before have I had to pay for food and drinks at a Chickenstock, and the difference was that it was a mostly private event for people on this thread.

I think that's what makes it fun and special, too. Anyone can go to a chicken swap or sale anytime and meet strangers to sell chickens to. Not often can you get together with like minded friends to eat and laugh and share, and when 200 people show up to an event and only 50 are the people who were told to bring a dish, and are coming to have fun and mingle, and the other 150 are showing up because they saw it on craigslist or a flyer and see a quick opportunity to make money, well, that's when things start to cause problems.

I think that's why this one didn't feel as fun to me as the others I've been to - it was just so hard to find everyone to say hello, and having to awkwardly ask someone if they were from the forums or are just some random person wasn't the best. And I know the idea is that if more people come, more things get bought, but I did not sell a single thing to someone who wasn't from this forum, and I bet it was the same for others too.

I think if people want to have a huge chicken swap where anyone can show up and bring birds and do what they please, that's fine - but it should be be separate from our yearly get together. No food, just a chicken swap, and then the problem of food and drinks is taken care of. And then there can be one that's just for BYC people, like has always been done.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Sweatpea...you have to fence off the insulation. Look on free cycle or Craigslist for fencing. Get some free pallets aND build one. You will lose your cheeps if you don't do so. A roll of plastic poultry fence is cheap at lowes. You can use all kinds of things to hold it up. Free pallets, large branches, handles of broken brooms or rakes, etc. Look at what you have lying around that you can repurpose.

Supposed to storm today. My plants need sun. Have a good one.

 

[LuvMyChicks1491]

This is totally my opinion but...I am in agreement with Pyxis, Rancher, and Glasshen. I was concerned about the open to the public from the beginning. I wasn't going to go because of it, but I had some swaps to do and I agreed to bring Ranchers things so I had to go. Yes BYC is open to the public, but I feel like the Chickensotck picnic should be for BYC members..A get together to put faces with the names of the peeps that we talk with all year. That was what I believe it was intended for in the beginning...I had talked to several people that I felt that yes this years was nice, but I like the one from last year much better. I like that there were more people that I wanted to meet. I personally am a little put off about the thought of having to buy food and drinks. The whole idea is to have everyone bring some dish to pass so that no one has to pay for any food or drinks. I know that I brought things to share. I also made sure that I brought enough drinks for my daughter and myself and even some others. I also felt that the selection of things at the auction this year wasn't that great. I was looking forward to a good selection of hatching eggs and the only ones that I saw were the 3 dozen that Rancher and the one that Pyxis brought. Last year there were so many. I feel like the auction IMO was more like a left over yard sale. I know that money is getting tighter for all of us. Some of the items were great, but again I thought that what was donated last year had more of a selection of better quality things. I think that the fact that it was open to Non BYC member turned off many members here and they decided not to go because of it. I will not be attending the one in September. I just can't get my schedule to cooperate with the fair, birthdays, and school stating. I hope that we will be able to see everyone here next year...Again these are just my opinions.

 

[rancher hicks]

I was hoping maybe I could spray something on there. You know, how you spray Blu-Kote on a wound to keep the other birds from pecking it because chickens can't see blue? Well I don't want to spray Blu-Kote, obviously...but I was hoping something else that would make it taste bad.

Money is a consideration right now...hubby took a new job this year with a 20k paycut. But, it's five minutes from home, not 1h 15m like his last job, so its worth it. Its just that...everything we do has to be very low or no cost.

Okay here are some ideas.

1. Check CL for free lumber or boards anything that will cover it up. You may find some "free" fencing.

2. If you can staple cardboard over it so they can't get to it.

3. block access to it with poultry wire or some other fencing.

4. Check Home Depot for discounted lumber. I scored some 4x4' plywood for cheap.

5. see if you can find some pallets to take apart and reassemble to cover it up.

I might be able to come up with some better ideas if I had a pic.

Pallets made into solid pieces.

Rustic fencing to block access.

Snow block fencing. Paint it white and then fill in the open area with slats painted a contrasting color. Tacked in it would look neat.

 

[Nuttyfrom6kids]

This is the last I will say on this out of the 50 or so BYC members maybe half brought food or non food items the non BYC members were told to bring a dish and some did or they donated money to the food bank and not one of them complained about paying for there food or drinks. if it had only been BYC members there still wouldn't have been enough food to feed everyone. The auction items were not the greatest and everyone from BYC did not bring an item to auction again maybe half of the people did. If people wanted to go to the private one it was held out of state before mine. As far as someone else holding a chickenstock anyone is welcome too as there can be more than one but I will have at least one every year I will post it on here and people from here are more than welcome to come. As far as people not selling there stuff at chickenstock I guess if people had brought extra to sell they would have sold it as that was one of the complaints not enough birds especially for sale. This next one will be open to the public I like getting together with other people who have common interest and like to talk about it.

 

[rancher hicks]

This is the last I will say on this out of the 50 or so BYC members maybe half brought food or non food items the non BYC members were told to bring a dish and some did or they donated money to the food bank and not one of them complained about paying for there food or drinks. if it had only been BYC members there still wouldn't have been enough food to feed everyone. The auction items were not the greatest and everyone from BYC did not bring an item to auction again maybe half of the people did. If people wanted to go to the private one it was held out of state before mine. As far as someone else holding a chickenstock anyone is welcome too as there can be more than one but I will have at least one every year I will post it on here and people from here are more than welcome to come. As far as people not selling there stuff at chickenstock I guess if people had brought extra to sell they would have sold it as that was one of the complaints not enough birds especially for sale. This next one will be open to the public I like getting together with other people who have common interest and like to talk about it.

I'll admit to being insecure, so I don't know how to take this. We bought fabric so DW can make some more aprons. At $9 a yard and a yard per apron they would not be cheap. I wasn't here to see which hatching eggs were sent but I did not sell Delaware, C. Rock or Marans eggs privately. EE's I sold privately for $10 a dozen and I was getting that price. I told DD to send three dozen mixed eggs. The Practical poultry magazines sell for $8.25 an issue new. Used they are imo worth at least half that. The soap I sent I bought for $4 a bar at the NYS fair from the demonstration lady. I use this soap myself and it's very good. The Cook books were antiques purchased from E bay. I'll admit the chicken book was read by myself but in good condition. If these were not acceptable I don't know what is expected. I'm sorry you were disappointed.

Perhaps you should explain better what you'd like to see. Though if these were not acceptable, I won't be bringing anything.

 

[Glasshen]

Rancher, I am sure those would be right up my ally, had I seen them at an auction. The aprons sound like they were very well received, and it was lovely of you to send anything since you were unable to go. I think the crux of the matter is that people have an expectation based on the past, and this event was more open and large. It was a different animal and suited the hostess's vision, except that she wound up in the hole on food. 'Nuff said.