2010 MN Swap Dates

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I've only been to a couple. I always end up arriving an hour late. From most of the stories I hear, most of the good deals happen at 6:58am
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Hopefully Amy will chime in to guide you through it. I just stumble around trying to keep my wallet in my pocket
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Well here's my experience with them. I go down to help set up at about 6 am and there are cars lined up halfway around the block already waiting to get in. The earlier ones in the year usually get 200-300 people through the gate. Later on in the spring its sometimes closer to 500. If you want anything decent, you get there between 7-8 am. Most people are sold out or are packing up by about 9 am. At our BCPPA swaps we have a huge heated building, bathrooms, a lunchstand, and a raffle. Some of the other ones are simply a get together in a parking lot. If you come to sell, bring your birds/animals in cages so people can actually see them. If you stuff them in a dog kennel, people tend to walk by. Setting up a table and lawn chair never hurts either. As a seller, bring boxes, crates, etc to stick whatever you buy in. **If you have poultry to sell, make sure to have the appropriate health tests done beforehand.

What you may see can be soo variable depending on who shows up. Usually the place is filled with ducks, geese, chickens, pigeons, rabbits, and the like. You see alot of people with the small house pets such as guinea pigs, degus, canaries, finches, cockatiels, doves. You get some bringing goats, lambs, llamas, mini horses, pot belly pigs, puppies. It depends on the people, but sometimes peafowl, pheasants, quail, turkeys, exotic ducks, swans. You also get the equipment....welcome to bring anything used or new...incubators, feeders, waterers, nest boxes, carriers, etc. You can pick up some really good deals and also come home with a load of crap too. Last year I wish I had a flat bed trailer along. Someone brought those huge hanging rabbit breeder cages complete with feeder and waterers and was selling them for $5 per section. I was also picking up brand new wooden 3/4 stall nest boxes for $10 each too. The Asians snatch up most of the really cheap birds as they are carting them in from the parking lot.
 
Its a lil early for those yet. I know ours first start laying in the end of March. Maybe if someone had special lights on theirs.... Otherwise you have to order them from someone in a warmer climate for now.
 
I keep getting calls about the Hutch swap on Feb. 15th. It is on Feb. 21st! They said they saw the post on BYC. That list of dates was from last year!!!! These are the updates for 2010.

We just had our first swap in St. James last weekend. Good turnout despite the weather and crappy roads. Alot of birds there and not alot of buyers.
 
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That's because it's not time yet. Your suppose to get little ones in SPRING, not Christmas
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I didn't make it because I was shoveling my sister-in-law's shed roof. I wish I had measured it before I started. I think it was sagging a good 6"!!! Saved it though!!!
 
I have to work that weekend otherwise I would be there. I just got off the phone with the state vet yesterday too and will talk to him again on Sunday. He said if there is enough interest, they might run another training course this fall too. It will be limited to only about 20 people though. I already have 2 PT certified testors in my immediate family though and its not urgent that I get it done.

I am also in the process of becoming a licensed 'hatchery' under the state and also getting NPIP certified. The majority of birds I sell are day old chicks or under under 4 weeks at least. Now they are really making a fuss over this. You cannot bring hatching eggs, chicks, or young stock under 5 months of age to a swap/auction without a 'statement of origin' from a licensed hatchery. Ughhhh The older birds you just need to have banded and PT tested. I can do that....

I also edited the original post. The date for the August BCPPA swap St. James has been finalized.
 
I"m thinking about driving the 2 hours to go to the Hutchinson swap on Feb 21. As you can see, this is my first post and that's my red flag indicating I'm a complete noob and don't know what I'm doing.

My hope is to find my daughter a few chickens (we really aren't sure what breed yet) to keep and show at the fair in late July. We are getting some hatchery chicks but would like some older ones that are good quality if possible.

If we get there bright and early, what are the odds that another BYC'er would be there to help us find a couple decent quality birds for us? I'd be eternally grateful of the help.

Maybe we just go and pick out a couple that are pretty and call it good enough.
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To show in 4-H, the birds have to be hatched after January 1st of this year. That limits you to only chicks..... Older birds are fine and you can show them in open class as singles. Not sure what you'll find as far as exhibition quality birds. There is a small show coming up in St. James on April 24th. Might be a better source to talk to actual exhibition breeders. Nothing for sale there, but you could get on waiting lists for birds.
 

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