Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

I gave up on shipped eggs after the second broken heart LOL!

Has anyone had any imported birds? It seems like a long expensive process, but some of these European birds are amazing.

TaraBella shipped eggs are a real gamble for sure. It all depends on how they're packed & how the postal service treats them. I have had a few really wonderful hatches from shipped eggs, but those were the ones I think that had less stops on the way here & were packed super well. I had one batch of BCM eggs that I hatched 17 out of 24 eggs & I have a rooster from them as my main flock rooster in my laying flock. I have imported English Orps & Swedish Flower Hens that came from GFF. I didn't import them either as Danz said someone else did, but they're too expensive to import myself. The English birds are so much bigger & fancier than ours here, but they're also way more expensive to acquire.

So what does everyone feed their birds? I am feeding Nutrena All Flock from TSC but am, once again, wondering if I could get it cheaper from a co-op. Trish44, where do you get your feed and what kind do you buy? Anyone else. Danz, I know you have yours mixed but I don't have enough birds for that.

Deerfield I'm still feeding FF & I buy my layer pellets & scratch to make it from the COOP in Winfield. You might check the prices at the COOP in Mulvane, I bought there for years when I had birds & animals & lived in Derby. It would be really close for you. My layer pellets are 17% protein as compared to usually 15 or 16% most places. The scratch also has wheat in it where most places it doesn't. Usually when you buy from a COOP the feed is cheaper because they often bag it themselves. I can't justify or store as much as Danz does either so I buy mine in bags but the Winfield COOP makes their own pellets & bags their own feed. The prices do fluctuate a tiny bit with season & grain prices but not usually a huge amount. My scratch has been cheaper this winter, which is nice since I've been going though a whole lot more feed. I'll be glad when spring gets here & we start getting greens for the birds to eat again.

 

[zigzag45]

@Prairie Fleur - I have all kinds of things I would like to get from Azure. Around the KC area, the drop offs are during weekdays which doesn't mesh with work/school. Frustrating!

 

[chicken danz]

I wish!! If really hoped to hatch out some of my own for a friend who just wants some pretty layers but I don't know if I can swing getting and incubator right at the moment and I dont know if any of my girls would go broody and take care of the eggs properly.

Prairie, if one of your girls goes broody just channel a few more eggs under her to make her hatch them closer to one date and let her give it a try. Cheaper than an incubator. My daughter has never purchased an incubator. She lets me know when she has a broody and I ship eggs to her. Other than when the postal service has destroyed them she's had remarkable hatches.
Originally Posted by Deerfield Acres

Hey all,
I guess auction in Gardner coming up? Man all these auctions and they are too far! It's almost 4 hour drive. Phooey

Yes it is the 14th. People come from all over the U.S. to the Gardner auction. The fall auction was the smallest one yet so I expect this spring auction to be huge. I expect it to last well into late evening.

I'm going to help some 3rd graders hatch chicks next month. Since I'll be the one taking home the chicks I want to be particular about what breeds we set. I'd like to find someone in Kansas to purchase eggs from, just to avoid shipping scramble (nothing worse than having a student get attached to an egg that never hatches).
In particular I would love to set some Copper Marans and some Araucanas or Ameraucanas. My own children will end up using them as part of their 4-H Poultry project.

I think it would be really cool to show the kiddos that not all eggs are the perfect extra large bright white things that come from Dillon's.

Can any one help me out? We're in central/western KS but I have no problem driving if necessary. The plan is to start them April 1st.

Welcome to the forum. You are quite a distance from many of us. but please feel free to jump in anyway. You'll have to let us know how the hatching project goes.

This thread is full of enablers. I got chicks from @chicken danz a week or two ago, and now we have plans for me to get a couple more from her. Plus, there's a possibility of picking up a few from KSKingBee as well. It's sad when you get straight run birds hoping you have a good quantity of males to "downsize." If not, oh well - just adjust and enjoy them.

Danz - if you see me looking with interest at any birds at Gardner, drag me out of the area....
LOL. How can you resist looking??? I think if you bring your DD you might be further convinced to buy more!!!!
I've gone the fermented feed route - but I love buying my feed from a feed mill. My favorite place sources all their grains within a 100 mile radius. They are hoping to get a GMO free product sometime in the next few years. Coops are fair pricing as compared with TSC/Feldmans (haven't priced Orschelns). But at least in this area, the feed mills beat them by $3-5 a bag. My group of girls is so small it's not a huge deal, but last time I bought 6 bags and that savings did add up.

I'm actually seriously looking at checking into becoming a feed dealer. Not sure if it is doable or not. My problem at this point is having something powerful enough to offload pallets of feed. I have an idea for storage.... which would be more expense but that way I could sell some to the locals or my customers as well. I have to get a lot more information first. I've been trying to find a Bobcat I can afford so I can use it here for projects and also unload feed. No luck so far. Given I can get it worked out I would probably just opt to use that feed as opposed to my multiple trips to the co-op for my own mix. There is some indication from the co-op that it may be impossible later this year to get my mix due to shortages of grain. If that happens I really need a back up plan in place. I can't afford to feed all these birds at retail prices.

 

[thndrdancr]

Hey if anyone goes to Gardner and sees silver pied peahens go for under $80, I will come get them from you. On the off chance that a miracle would happen. Ha

Of course I am on Kskingbee unofficial list for babies or eggs if he ever gets them or even any from that pen you have, so I might just have to be patient. Kskingbee, I bet you got quite a list there huh!

 

[strue08]

When is the Gardner thing? I'll probably go and could pick some up for you if I see any i live in the Pittsburgh area

 

[thndrdancr]

When IS the Gardner thing, guys?

I know there is one this weekend somewhere but I didn't write them down as they are too far.

Ok just looked it up.

March 14th
And $5 admission. Wow I never been to one with admission before.

There is something going on tomorrow to but darned if I can find it now, will keep looking.

 

[strue08]

When IS the Gardner thing, guys?

I know there is one this weekend somewhere but I didn't write them down as they are too far.

No kidding! I'd really like to know! If there's one this weekend or next I'd really like to go!!!

 

[Trish44]

The Gardner sale is next weekend I believe, the 14th. Danz is that correct? I don't go to that one, it's too far for me. I did go to Yates Center one time, but it's a hike for me too.

 

[thndrdancr]

Is it Yates that is tomorrow? Spring auctions though everything goes so high but still fun

 

[thndrdancr]

I think there is one over the border in Missouri this weekend, usually they post them on Craigslist in farm and garden if you do a search in your surrounding area.