Fundraising FFA Poultry Auction in Eastern Mass. October 14, 2012

[GardenerGal]

The Essex County chapter of Future Farmers of America, based at Essex Agricultural & Technical High School in Hathorne (Danvers), Mass. is having its annual fundraising auction at noon on Sunday, October 14, 2012. The auction is at the Poultry Barn of the Topsfield Fairgrounds, on Rte. 1 in Topsfield, Mass. Rain or shine.

All kinds of poultry, small farm/exotic animals, farm and poultry supplies and equipment, and lots of other good stuff will be up for bid!

If you have poultry, small animals (i.e. rabbits, cavies, cage birds, etc.), farm/poultry equipment (cages and coops, nest boxes, etc.) to sell, you can drop them off at the auction location starting at 9a.m. on Oct. 14. The auction starts at noon and runs till everything is sold.

All chickens, turkeys, gamebirds, peafowl and guineas 16 weeks old and older MUST have a valid, current blood test for Massachusetts, and you must show the valid ID card that verifies it. Cagebirds (parrots, doves, finches...), pigeons and waterfowl are exempt.

You could make a few bucks, come home with some new critters, and it's for a good cause. The FFA kids get 25% of each auction item's sale price, and the money is used to pay the students' way to the annual National FFA Convention.

 

[keesmom]

I had planned to go to this, but just found out my daughter has a birthday party to attend in Acton, also at noon that day.

So, would it be possible to drop off the birds (I have a bunch of PQ Faverolles pullets) and just leave my address where they can send a check?

 

[GardenerGal]

Hi Keesmom,
Yes, they will mail a check -- they take their 25% and send you the rest. I have done that.
One weird thing though...one year when I sold chickens at the auction, the following spring I got a W-Something form to report commercial profit, sent by Essex Aggie. I wrote back that we are not required to pay an income/profit tax for having sold chickens at a charity auction because we're not selling commercially. We're selling "Used" items we already own, not retail sales. Besides, with what it costs for feed, house, blood test and vet our animals, we'd be thrilled if we break even!

I never heard back from them, and the IRS didn't come after me. lol

 

[GardenerGal]

The auction is this Sunday rain or shine. Weather forecast says overcast then sunny, temps in the 60s. Perfect weather for spending the afternoon outdoors.

 

[wfs1214]

what blood test and where do you get it?

 

[keesmom]

what blood test and where do you get it?

You need to call your state department of agriculture and schedule a time to have the state tester come out and blood test your birds, usually for avian influenza and pullorum.

 

[GardenerGal]

Someone at the auction told me that no one was checking for blood test IDs or at least that it was kind of haphazard and disorganized. Still, it's a requirement to have your birds age 16 weeks or more to be tested by the state poultry inspector. It's free in Massachusetts. All the birds (except waterfowl and pigeons/doves) up for auction had their blood test leg bands.

The turnout was great. Due to a.m. rain the auction was set up in the poultry barn and the seats were packed. Lots of auction items that it took four hours to sell them all off. Lots of Easter eggers, Comet/sexlink hens, a load of khaki Campbell ducks, a pair of Bourbon Red turkeys and African-Brown Chinese cross geese. Bunnies and lots of silkie bantams. I couldn't believe all the Faverolles hens that were there (did those come from a BYCer?) and there were plenty of Easter eggers. Also leghorns, RIRs, and all of the incubator chicks from the Topsfield Fair hatching exhibit. A pair of Red Golden pheasants, lots of pigeons and some doves, mandarin ducks.

Keesmom, did you drop off birds?