FLORIDA!!!!!ALWAYS SUNNY SIDE UP!!!

[Runawaylobster]

Hey Runaway, It would be nice to have some of these swaps down south wouldn't it?

The LCross auction is located between Okeechobee and Lakeport, just outside of Buckhead Ridge. They started out as an exotic animal auction, but now they also handle large livestock as well. I waited around till about 9pm and they were still selling goats so I gave my ticket to a friend who works there and told him to collect for me, and I went home. He told me the auction has been known to last until 2am when there are a lot of people there. My guess is that there was about 150 people there Friday night. They have a small cafe where burgers and other food are available and it's not too overpriced.

They are used to moving a volume of livestock, so you have to be ready to see chickens grabbed quickly and tossed into cages. It's not a place for chickens-as-pet-owners. Also, even though there were kids around there was some rough characters so you need to keep your eyes open. There was lots of alcohol being consumed. I didn't stay long enough to see anybody get rowdy. There was peacocks, bunnies of all different types, ducks, doves pigeons, and even guina pigs besides all the chickens. - no one asked me what kind of chickens they were or how old they were. They just took my name and did the same thing for everyone else. I don't think the auctioneer will say Orpington or Rhode Island Red or any distinction like that.

I will use their service to sell my extra males, since I don't like culling them myself. ...Having said that however, I kind of resented the fact that you just sort of "had to know" how to do things. There were no signs, no one offering help, or any indication where to go after you dropped off your animals. I figgured it out but I stood there for a while watching others before i was even able to tell where to take my chicken cages.

My advice is to arrive early, around 5pm and drop off your birds, then go in to Okeechobee and have a nice dinner and come back about 8 or so.
Also, I would NEVER buy any chickens from there. The birds are put in a sort of stackable cages about 10 cages high. The upper ones poop on the lower ones and there is no telling what kind of diseases you might bring back to your backyard flock.

It's definitely an industrial animal auction. Move em in and out as fast as possible, and time is money. Not much like the hobby/backyard swaps most folks on this site might be used to. I couldn't find a website (again an example of how you should just automatically-supposed-to-know). If I find any on line info I'll post it here.

Wow, that is graphic.. i sold a bunch of chicks once at a swap recently and the buyer picked them up in handfuls and put them in his box, it was kinda disconcerting.. my chickens are not really pets but it was still disconcerting, i often wonder what happened with those little guys..

I want to hatch and breed more regularly and given our climate i can do it any time of year easily... but i am having a really hard time with the extra boys.. I culled four myself last week and you are right, I just don't like doing it. I was hoping it would get easier but it didn't really.. On the other hand, i would imagine that any sold at this auction would have the the same fate or worse than the ones I culled. I'm guessing the next one is on the 28th? If I have any left I may go to the next one.

Craigslist is useless for this (at least in my area) so i am going to do footwork this week and try to work on getting local contacts who might either want them or know someone who would process them for me. I really want to get rid of them by friday because i have to go out of town on a business trip for a few days and i'd like to make it easier on my chicken sitters..

 

[Runawaylobster]

On the same topic, I found this list

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an203


I see one place in Miami, I wonder if anyone has any experience with Marys Ranch? or even if they would be willing to process chickens,
it only lists sheep pigs & goats.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

On the same topic, I found this list

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an203


I see one place in Miami, I wonder if anyone has any experience with Marys Ranch? or even if they would be willing to process chickens,
it only lists sheep pigs & goats.

you can post in the meat area here on BYC looking for someone to help process in yoru area. We do processing, but are a drive for you.

 

[cmom]

On the same topic, I found this list

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an203


I see one place in Miami, I wonder if anyone has any experience with Marys Ranch? or even if they would be willing to process chickens,
it only lists sheep pigs & goats.

No Mary's Ranch does not slaughter or process chickens. Definitely call first as many of the meat processors do not do chickens. I have been told that the state requirements for processing chickens is more strict than processing other livestock so most of the slaughter facilities won't process chickens. For those in the Williston (Ocala) are I do believe there is a meat market in Williston that may process chickens.

 

[Nava]

There's an auction in Bushnell and they have a state guy making sure there's water and food in cages and also if you have sick birds he'll find them and take th out.

I've seen him take out birds that had mites
I don't buy birds there, but I do sell mine.

 

[Cindilou]

Hello folks,
My developmental biology class is in need of some fertilized eggs for observation. The company the class ordered them from came too early and are unusable. Is anyone near Pinellas? We are in need of about 3-4 dozen eggs.

Let me know what you have to offer.

Thanks for your time,

Cindi

 

[nova022]

Hi, is there anyone here from Putnam County who knows the regulations for owning chickens there? We are looking for agricultural property there and want to be sure before we buy. I have called the planning commission, but have not had a call back. The property we looked at had horses, cows, and donkeys, but we did not see any poultry in the area at all.

 

[aldren90]

Putnam county is zoned agricultural so you can have livestock inside the city limits. ( my mom used to live there )

 

[NewbeeDoo]

Again, I need some help! Does the weather getting hot have anything to do with poop changing color or consistency? Our oldest girl is just getting over coccidiosis( And is still in quarantine) And now I'm noticing the others are getting golden colored foamy poo and some that look like relish straight from a squeeze bottle during the day, but at night it seems mostly normal...any advice?

 

[FireflyNights]

I don't know for sure but I went and checked mine and that's what theirs looks like today and it 90+ where I am