IA here

[destiny_56085]

I agree with you on some points Eric.... I think I've had more experiences like BlackBantamCochins though. I seriously don't mind helping out 4-H kids if they come to me early enough. I put on several clinics last year just with showmanship, bathing, conditioning, etc. 4-h birds start way back in January.... Not that first week in May right before the project slips have to be turned in. Our deadline this year was May 14th. I bet I had at least 2 dozen calls or e-mails that week before looking for show stock, fully in condition, and just ready to be set in a cage for fair in a month. It especially irks me when its the 14-18 year old kids that just want a state fair trip and don't want to put any effort into conditioning the birds, picking out a matching trio, etc. They don't want to deal with brooder tubs in the house in the middle of winter. They don't want to clean pens when they have school, volleyball, track, etc. They want it all done for them. I've cut too many breaks on kids like that in the past to see them sold for big money 2 days after the fair is over. The kids I do help are those same ones that keep their birds after fair and come back to exhibit at our open shows in the fall. I quit bending over backward on those kids that just want an easy ribbon. Those are the kids that I ask if they want to be on a waiting list for chicks next January.... The ones that are truly serious about getting into the breed will take you up on that for the next year.

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

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I agree with both responses. I will bend over to help serious kids(to the point of loaning or giving them birds). I went on this rant after it ate on me for a while. One parent thought I was quoting prices out of line and had to inform them that several birds she wanted for $50 for a trio were worth at least 3 times that per bird as I had turned down that much. I could have set them up with some good breeding pairs, good type but out of condition because the pullets and cock were used as natural breeders. That wasn't good enough. Bad feelings and now I will never sell them a bird at any price.

 

[Tiramisu]

Been a while since I posted here. All the Ia blues are doing good. The roo had 2 really long nice looking tail feathers, but , of course one of the hens has to pull one out!!
I don't remember how many ia blues we have hatched, but we have enough mixes of them. I think I've mentioned the white one, and an older one we have is really pretty. I need to get a pic of it and one looks just like a plain 'ol barred rock.

 

[mrandmrschicken]

Quote:
I agree with both responses. I will bend over to help serious kids(to the point of loaning or giving them birds). I went on this rant after it ate on me for a while. One parent thought I was quoting prices out of line and had to inform them that several birds she wanted for $50 for a trio were worth at least 3 times that per bird as I had turned down that much. I could have set them up with some good breeding pairs, good type but out of condition because the pullets and cock were used as natural breeders. That wasn't good enough. Bad feelings and now I will never sell them a bird at any price.

There will be those people who have possibly been taken advantage of in the past, who will have a chip on their shoulder too. I've run into as well and wow are they needy! There is almost no handling them except to say "I am sorry for your bad experience. How can I make it better"? That will calm them down. I think we have all experienced that but some are more bitter than others. I sold 4 birds to some folks in Omaha earlier this year and it was a bad experience for them. The birds were fine and healthy for nearly a month, then became ill and they lost 3 of them. It turns out that they had been experiencing warm weather and the birds were outside during the day and inside at night and there was not proper ventilation in the new coop! They got sick and it molded the hay for bedding, from the condensation build up. It was a double whammy for young birds. I think her experience has made them feel bitter. I offered to replace the birds, free of charge, knowing that it was inexperience that killed the birds, but have heard nothing from them. They did make some modifications to the coop and did everything they could but it was too late for the young birds. I did everything I could but still have the feeling they feel they got bad birds.

 

[mrandmrschicken]

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lets see some pics of the pure IA Blues you've hatched.

 

[pbjmaker]

OldIAbird - these porcelains are really getting attached to my husband. They helped him build a pheasant pen the other day. It looks like there are 4 pullets and 2 roos. So maybe you would be interested in a trio?

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

I saw the post this week about flood preparation efforts in western Iowa. Any updates at this time? It sounded like there will be a lot of water for a long time.

 

[oldiabird]

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Sure, I thought Mike didnt like those dumb birds, I still haven't heard anymore about when the next sale is in Osceola, or did I miss it? When do you want to part with the porcelains? I sold the Muscovy hen , two drakes and her 9 newly hatched ducklings to a couple from Fort Calhoun, Ne and haven't had any more hatch yet, had 5 guineas that I took to the brooder this noon,should be a few more by tommorrow.

 

[dutchhollow]

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It is bad, they are evacuating many of the small towns along the interstate (sw IA), they are telling them to plan on not being back until sep at least maybe dec. So many are being displaced, going to loose everything. I don't even know how many acres of crops are going to be lost, expect a jump in the price of feed!

 

[Lilandra]

wow - some folks have all the nerve, asking for the poultry project birds to be raised up and given to them. why don't these folks just go to the trophy shop and buy a trophy and skip the learning parts.

on a happy stupid turkey story note

young turkey poults who spent time on newspaper in a cage on the clothes dryer HATE sunshine and a breeze. I moved them outside to a large rabbit cage on a saw horse in the shed where the quail and rabbits are. It was the funniest thing to watch them chase the shadows that the cage wires and the waterer made, then when the wind kicked up and made a breeze in the building - they ran and tried to hide in a corner. after a while, they got used to it and seemed to enjoy a brief feather ruffle.

also -- they can't tell the difference between corn cob bedding and food... oops. They are now on wood shavings and all is good in their world.

the quail, that's another story -- the poor dears are mad that there is another chirping bird in their building... I think they'll get over it, I hope.