Chicken Swap & Farm Fest, Sunday, August 30, 12-4, TSC Augusta, Maine

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What a great day!! The weather was perfect, and just getting out and talking to everyone
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Thanks Spook, Sarah loves working with the birds and talking to people as your DH discovered, what a great guy... Oh, we love our Baskets you did such a great job on them~Thanks so much!!! Sarah talked with lots of other young people that are interested in poultry and 4-H. She just talks so fast when she's nervous and excited and keeps looking at me and she doesn't need too she knows all this stuff more than I do
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Sarah only took 3 pairs of birds, a single silkie and an little OE cockerel and they were gone in the first hour, and we got there at 11:30 and people were at the back of the car. She also took 6 bunnies and sold 3 of them. Of course everyone wanted to buy Bobby and Honey and that was a big "NO".

Thanks so much for the TSC for hosting this event, it was a great turn out for the first time.
 
Tractor Supply Chicken Swap & Farm Fest
August 30, 2009 Augusta, Maine

Looking towards a good number of venders, amazing crafts and critters!
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Folks were looking forward to the demonstration that
Sarah from Poultry Run Farm was putting on.
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The demonstrations were amazing. Not only for what they taught,
but in the next few photos, look at how calm the pullet is they are handling!

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It was nice to see the turn out for this demonstration, folks may not have sat down,
but they certainly were interested. Especially for me, I never knew beak and
nail trimming was was something that needed to be done! It is very important!This was Rosebud and Ebony's first time out, along with being handled, socialized,
and being groomed! (can you tell I'm impressed)
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Yes, these are Scooter & Lucy's babies. They are 10 weeks old and everyone fell in
love with them too! Although, some folks knowing Scooter from other events,
if it wasn't Scooter, then they didn't want to meet them! Ha ha!
 
Thanks so much everybody for coming and making the swap a terrific time! It was great to meet you Laura, Sarah, Spook and Bob and many others.
Great job Sarah! Spook - I love my basket! I still say 'etsy'! Many thanks for all of your imput...now I know what a swap is and I'm hooked!!
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Many folks asked to 'do it again' - so I'm shooting for another in October after the Fryeburg Fair - we'll work on having a 'poultry fun match' and perhaps a pumpkin carving contest - any ideas/suggestions, please don't hesitate! This will be the last blast of the year.

Best -
free(range)bird
 
spook - great pics! Thanks for posting them - I didn't get a chance to take any and I was bummed about that
 
free(range)bird.

Thanks for getting this rolling here. I don't think I met you in Augusta on Sunday. I had a few rabbits fior sale in the back of the little purple car in Spook's picture

Count me in for another swap after the Freyburg fair.

Wayne
 
You will find Bob and I there! If you need any help, please let us know!
We did have a good number of folks ask questions and take material that was given to us from the State. Many people would ask questions that they thought were foolish, but like most questions, someone has either asked it first, or I have! lol.
The people surprise me everytime we come to these events. Surprise in a good way, they come and with wide eyes, look at all the types of poultry, funny ones, stately and scarey. A chicken just isn't a chicken, they are personalble and friendly.

Scooter and now Ebony have taught folks the types of birds, tempraments of roosters and feather conditions, soft or hard. Its just neat because until I was introduced to Cochins, I never knew how much, many breeds/catagories there are in the Poultry world.
 
wayne - thanks for coming! Great that you'll be there for the next one - lets make sure to say hello!
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best -
free(range)bird
 
Spook - thanks so much for being will to help! I will have some questions, no doubt, about setting up the fun match, etc., as soon as I can get alittle more organized.
We'll have the next one Oct. 24. Now by that time it will be a different weather pattern - so do you think it would be best early morning or wait tll later so that its actually warm enough? I know its tough to anticipate the weather - but whats yer best thoughts?
Thanks!!
free(range)bird
 
Hey Free, it was a super 1st event! What I would suggest is to have venders drive into the parking spaces beside the building. Or what we will do at these events is to drive in towards the sun, that way we do not have to deal with burning or over heating the birds.
Something that Oxford did for us was that they had the water hose on, that helped out a lot.
In my opinion, is to keep the event together, it leaves parking for people there to shop at TSC or with us, and its great to have a few cones or something, it drives me nuts to see people drive through. Often kids are free to walk around or run and that is what these days are for and we need to up the safety. Its one thing if its a disabled person, but those are the ones that are good, lol.

Have you noticed how after posting the Maine laws on animals, that not a single person at these events had a problem. Just like the last Oxford event, not a single person objected to Bill Morrison testing their birds for AI. He had 100% cooperation. I did go down through that morning forwarning them, and to have water and food in front of every critter there. Also they could refuse testing. I was told very excitedly that they wanted to be tested. That pleased me, that folks do want to keep their flocks and family safe.
Another positive thing was that people asked questions, seeking answers to some of the same questions we have all asked, it was great that folks took the pamphlets and CD's that were available.
Super great group of people, I'm willing to give you a hand whenever you need something!
Its so cool to meet fellow BYCers! So many different people were there! I did have to laugh, one gentleman that was there had sold birds over here and I mentioned to him about your Augusta one, not sure if he is a BYCer, but he is a hoot. We drove in as he was walking along and I couldn't resist pointing at him asking "Who invited HIM"!!! It was so funny, just that high energy personality! I could tell he was hooked on these Farm Fests. That is a super name to call these! I like how NH has a set name for theirs, what is it?? something fairs anyways. But Chicken swap and Farm Fest was perfect! Good mind on you Free!
Anyways, feel free to email me or meet here, its fine.
Kel
 
Sorry for disappearing - I had to go out of town last Saturday and just got home today. I hated missing out on the swap. Spook - A neighbor has spoken for the NH flock. But I still have lots of Black Australorps- supposed to be great layers. We're going to start putting some in the freezer this weekend.

I also still have some cull Silkie and Showgirl chicks. The Silkies are out of an AMAZING line from a fellow in Tennessee. All are vaulted and very heavily feathered, but the culls have incorrect toes. If someone's looking to improve their Silkie/SG topknots or feather quality, this would be a good op.

When is the next swap in Augusta? Will there be one?
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