Hmmmm....tell more about myself? Not much to tell. Originally from So. CA. I transplanted myself to Kansas about 10 years ago. I have been in a relationship for almost four years with a native Kansan who was raised working on a farm and his parents own quite a bit of land which his brother farms. We have had chickens for about the same amount of time that we have been together. We have a garden every year and can, dehydrate, and freeze our produce. Purchase grass fed beef from his brother who has a small herd of cattle. It is the best beef I have ever eaten.
We have 12 RIR hens. Two RIR roosters that I had raised from a small batch of eggs we incubated, plus a Goldenlaced Wyandotte rooster that came in some chicks we ordered last spring. We have lost some of the original hens and one rooster mostly due to varmits. We have incubated a couple of small batches of eggs and mostly ended up with roosters, which eventually ended up on the dinner table. My two RIR roosters are very tame and you can walk up to them and pick them up. I wasn't able to hand raise this last chickens we got in the spring because I hurt my back and couldn't spend time with them. They are not tame. I do have one of the hens from the last batch of eggs we hatched out who will run up to me and wiggle around until I pick her up. In fact, if I don't pick her up fast enough she will peck my leg. If I'm sitting down she will come up to me and jump up into my lap. She loves being held.
It sounds like you are really getting into the rural Kansas life. I think that is wonderful.
@Danz--seriously--you have BIRDTOPIA, i have never seen so many happy HEALTHY breeds in one place- you inspire the rest of us!
That is such a sweet comment! My past was always a totally neat landscaped yard and nothing laying around. I am on the far opposite end of the spectrum now. But thank you so much for the nice compliment.
checoukan--Love the updates on the building-cannot wait to see pics of the finished project
I see we are all getting chick fever
I think yesterdays weather only made us all more inpatient for that type of weather to get here
KansasChick--i just got a little swedish girl this weekend that seem like she might be one that likes to be handled and petted--hopefully she will stay that way as its so nice to have her come right to me
I ordered Bargain #3 from Mt. Healthy and got 75 Partridge Rock roosters and 25 Partridge rock hens last summer. I was very satisfied with the health and type from that company.
ocap, do you have Mandarins? I do. I have 7 of them and a pair of Wood ducks. They are probably the most beautiful birds I have in in my opinion.
Mammahen that is what the picture on the avatar is. Your husband and kids really liked them when they were here.
Quote:
Hey All ! New blood here (yikes) lol
Long time lurker first post. Any place that list upcoming swaps or auctions like the one at gardner fair grounds
last year? Thanks in advance.
Welcome, you no longer have to lurk. Go ahead and share whatever you want. If you've been reading along I think you know we just chat about everything. As far as swaps and auctions Craiglist is a good place to check. Chicken chatter on face book sometimes has some stuff. If you go to the HOAGBA website they have the Gardner auctions and the Overbrook Swap meets listed. Not sure where you are but there is a swap meet the last Saturday of the month at Premier Farm Supply in Topeka that usually starts in April and ends the end of September. There is also one on Sunday at the North
TSC in Topeka. I am thinking it is the third Sunday of the month. There is one in Manhattan at the
TSC I think the first Saturday or Sunday of the month in season. I think Trish has been trying to make a list of them on Kansas Poultry Swap as well. I think there is one that they are holding in Garnett now too but not sure when it is.
Let us know if you are looking for something. Or if you are trying to sell join the Kansas poultry Swap. Vague information but I hope it helps. There'll be more info available later when things get into season.
Yates Center has an exotic animal auction 3 times a year. They do have some poultry but they are in the cages and you just buy by the cage. I think they auction anything that is left on Sunday. Usually it gets picked over really early on Saturday. They have a pre spring auction normally in March, Then one about May and one in September.
I was busy all day and am totally convinced I need drugs to treat ADHD. It's no wonder I never get anything done. I bounce from project to project and never quite finish anything.
DH has been working on my old camper trailer turning one of the side storage compartments into a pop door of sorts, and finishing reinforcing and fixing the rotted areas. It may look pretty awful but I think it will make a great chicken grow out building and pen. I really wanted to get the birds moved today but it is once again postponed.
I need to make up some forms and put leg bands on some of the birds I am moving out there so I can track what breed everyone is. I can tell most of them apart but I'm afraid when I start mixing them all together I'll get confused. It will be obvious when they are all grown but in the meantime I don't want to confuse a cheap white rock with a very expensive white exhibition orpington etc.
Mammahen white rocks and white plymouth rocks are the same thing.
Hawkeye thanks for the positive comments on that rooster boy. The picture really doesn't do him justice. He has beautiful colors which aren't obvious in the picture. I would have never intentionally mixed those two breeds but the outcome was really pretty. I'm selling all of my Phoenix in a couple weeks and I will really miss the beautiful hackle, saddle, and tail feathers the Phoenix boys have. But it is a necessary part of my Danzising.
I have to cut some breeds and the Phoenix just happens to be one I got a very good offer on.
