I'm not sure this is the right place for these but here goes:
I went to my first poultry auction yesterday.
Small but interesting selection of birds including some that tempted me greatly. Some of the sellers were absentee - just dropped off birds and left instructions as to where payment was to be sent, some stayed for the sale.
As a newbie I wondered -
1-Am I right to look for birds that appear alert and in good health?
This may sound like a DUH question, but some of the hens presented were squished in cages so tight & low & so many birds they couldn't move so it was hard to evaluate them. The ones in larger cages could at least move and be seen so I could see coat condition, alertness, any obvious flaws/illness.
2-Some of the chicks shown from boxes were picked up by buyers. Is this a good idea? I felt babies should be left alone - am I wrong? None of the adult birds were handled before being sold.
These were babies anywhere from a couple days to a couple months old.
3-if hens are advertised as "laying" can I assume the bird is just being sold as excess or should I ask why?
4-How is a Swap different from an auction or is it just the selling method is one-on-one rather than by auctioneer?
TIA for any answers
I went to my first poultry auction yesterday.
Small but interesting selection of birds including some that tempted me greatly. Some of the sellers were absentee - just dropped off birds and left instructions as to where payment was to be sent, some stayed for the sale.
As a newbie I wondered -
1-Am I right to look for birds that appear alert and in good health?
This may sound like a DUH question, but some of the hens presented were squished in cages so tight & low & so many birds they couldn't move so it was hard to evaluate them. The ones in larger cages could at least move and be seen so I could see coat condition, alertness, any obvious flaws/illness.
2-Some of the chicks shown from boxes were picked up by buyers. Is this a good idea? I felt babies should be left alone - am I wrong? None of the adult birds were handled before being sold.
These were babies anywhere from a couple days to a couple months old.
3-if hens are advertised as "laying" can I assume the bird is just being sold as excess or should I ask why?
4-How is a Swap different from an auction or is it just the selling method is one-on-one rather than by auctioneer?
TIA for any answers
