Illinois...

[kfacres]

Hey IL people..

I'm in the market for some hens, pullets, or just general layers.

Need to be located NW of Springfield, or straight south down to Mt. Vernon..

Kind really doesn't matter, open to all varietys.

Email or PM details if you're interested in selling something.

 

[NotAFarm]

Here is a pic from ParadiseFoundFarm's get-together on Saturday. It was taken before 4:00 so that 6chickens could leave for another event. I hope someone took another picture later and posts it!!

 

[dragon86]

tring to help my uncle sell some of his peafowl, turkeys, and guineas. if anyones interested let me know. not going to post prices here in hopes this doesnt get moved hoping to sell to ppl in southern illinois since i live in west frankfort, il and my uncle lives near equality, il. and we really can't deliver to far.

 

[tbitt]

NotAFarm,
Is there a thread about the get together? How did it go? Looks like a good turnout! did anyone swap chickens/eggs?

Ok - just found the thread...you can post answers to my question there instead of here......

Dragon86,
I have a friend in the market for a Peahen....What 'cha got?

 

[cockandbullfarms]

Hey Everybody,

Im new to the forum, but my wife and I have been raising chickens for several years.

I am looking at starting a small USDA inspected poultry processing plant open to local producers in the STL/ southern IL area. Im curious to see if there is any interest, I know there are alot of backyard producers with free-range chickens for egg and meat production. Im thinking that the USDA inspected option is key, and custom butchering of poultry for whole, cut up, and pieces of chicken, vacuum sealed, labeled and ready to go would be idea. to the best of my knowledge, the only processing plants available to the open public is in central IL, and I hear there is one out by springfield MO.

If youre in the STL area raise chickens, source free range or organic chickens for your store or restaraunt, or possibly are involved with a local food co-op or farmers market, please let me know.

Im taking a straw poll, and trying to do some market research to put my business plan together, and investigate funding options.

Please email me if you would be interested in a STL processing plant... information that would be helpful to me would be:
-how many chickens do you have processed annually?
-what months of the year are you rasing chickens, what months of the year are you having them processed?
-what size/weight do you normally have your chickens processed at?
-what do you typically pay for processing per chicken ?
-are you involved with a co-op, sourcing free range or organic chickens? How big of a market is out there for producers to sell their chickens to market?
-do you have chicken processing experience? if so, I would love to have a conversation with you.

We are meeting with the IL Dept of Ag, and are discussing the USDA regulations, and just starting a feasibility analysis to see if this is even do-able.

Any and all opinions would be greatly appreciated,

I appreciate your time

 

[EweSheep]

Cockandbulls, I am sure there is a demand but many of us would prefer organic raised chickens and family owned poultry processed plant. Commercial farm has raised its ugly head about the high incident of health sicknesses, unclean facilities. But you did mention about customed orders of processing our chickens sounds even better.

I've had alot of my poultry friends going to Arthur, IL to process their chickens and other poultry birds but they are subject to limited numbers of 25 or more. It would not do us any good if we only have less than 25 chickens to be processed without paying for a such a high fee which we do understand why they do it.
I used to process chickens but not anymore. I buy my organic meat from the Amish farmers and I also buy commercial tyson rubber chicken as well.

I am sure others will chime in their input!

 

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

2011 Chicken People Meet/Bonfire/Camp Out Synopsis

Dateline......North/Central Illinois August 20th..........(insert ticker tape sound here).........
The weather report was no rain and sunshine to passing sprinkles. The house was ready, the grounds were ready, outdoor furniture was waiting – OUTDOORS!, The tractors and vehicles had been moved out of the garage and covered with tarps, The raffle grand prizes had been assembled the gifts from our sponsors were laid out artfully across a table the night before and were waiting in the garage to go out into the sun, which alas, refused to shine. August 20th started out a cloudy day, which by 8 AM was pouring rain. The ground was getting softer the more hours it rained. Praying it would stop, but it would not. “It’s OK” I thought to myself – “We can move the whole thing indoors.”

We had raffles and more raffles. Our 3 grand prize winners were Zoo357 and 2 members of NotAFarm’s group.
Our smaller raffle prizes made sure that no one left empty handed. There were Chicken Greens Seed Packets donated by MY Pet Chicken. Happy Hens Treats and Rooster Clocks donated by Randal Burkey. Magazines, subscriptions and free issue bonuses donated by Back Yard Poultry. Educational books donated by Smith Poultry Supply. GFMs donated by BYC. Coolers, Tools, Gripping Gloves and Thermometer/Hydrometers donated by Farmtek. A feedbag purse made by dmccann donated by ParadiseFoundFarm.
Insert picture of sign here


Our guests started arriving and they brought the sunshine with them! A nicer bunch of people has never been assembled. Every person who came made you want to be his or her best friend – even the all perfectly behaved (not a typo) children!

Jerry SE brought some of the most beautiful birds. There were LF lavenders, Bantam Lavenders and a Brown-Red Bantam Cock just the prettiest thing I had ever seen. A Lavender hen with barring.
Lavender LF Ameraucanna and Bantam Lavendars and a Brown/Red Ameraucanna cock were on display from JerrySE along with an unusually pretty “Lavender” LF hen with unique barring on her wings found herself a new home with Pat (no BYC handle yet), our new friend who came with Not-A-Farm. She was so pretty she had to go home with a new ‘Mommy”. Having now seen the Lavenders in person, I must say I totally understand the thrill this new color is sending through the ranks of Ameraucanna Fans.

6 Chickens St Charles arrived and curiously had some sort of yarn thing in her hand she was twisting and manipulating. Later she presented it to me. A perfectly matched to my indoor colors wash towel she had knitted on the way here while here DH (fun dude) and 3 DS (more perfect children you’d never meet).

NotAFarm arrived, and with her, she brought the party! There was little Katie (< 1 year old), children, friends, family and her! She brought a lot of food and made herself comfortable in the house, then later outdoors as the rain had stopped. Her laughter was contagious! You could tell she is organized and in charge. What a woman! Strong, statuesque, and constantly smiling.

Patti (no BYC handle yet) came to share some laughs a learn about all Fowl Things. Thanks to Zoo357 for finding her right in our back yard. They were a great addition.

Bluebird finally arrived with the big trailer. By that time the sun had come out fully and we were looking for some shade away from the house as JerrySE’s bird were drawing flys in the undercover shade we had been congregating at. The trailer made the perfect shade and we moved one picnic table and umbrella to lengthen the area.


Zoo357 and BirdBrain came and were ready for a party! They know more than they let on about birds.

Our food was wonderful! Every One brought more than was needed so no one went hungry. It looked professionally catered. There was lots of variety. Next year lets put a sign on the dishes stating who made them. Perhaps we can ask that recipes be brought so we can enjoy those tasty treats before we meet again. Conversation got the better of our 2 cooks though, and a whole batch of brats were blackened into charcoal briquettes that even the dogs would not eat. Good thing we had plenty.
Insert picture here

Around dusk we started moving the party out to the bonfire area. We all pitched in to move chairs and coolers. The pile was wet from the morning’s deluge but the ground was dry for us. After a slow start, the fire reached 30 + feet high and sent beautiful sparkling embers skyward. Conversations abounded and chicken people and non-chicken people shared laughs, conversation and tips. (Did you know that you could kill weeds safely by putting vinegar into a watering can and sprinkling it over them?) After a few hours out there, we were forced back undercover due to the rain coming back into the area.

We played games in the open garages and conversed until it was way too late for early risers to still be up. Mark & I said goodnight to our guest and went indoors to clean up the kitchen area for the morning’s coffee clutch. There was not much to do as I suspect NotAFarm had done most of it when I wasn’t looking.

We all want to do this again. Lets start making plans. We can make this a ‘traveling show”, using another farm (with camping facilities available) next year, or Paradise Found can host again. Together, over the BYC forum, phone calls, PMs and E-mails we got most of the bugs worked out even before this one started and the next one, we will all be smarter and more experienced. Does any one want to offer their farm? Let’s set a date.

I will be editing this to add more BYC handles and pictures asoon as I can - Dad is back in hospital this morning and I will have my hands full this week.

 

[EweSheep]

Just awesome! I am glad most of you had fun! I looked at the weather that day and thought uh oh, they are going to get rained on!

Now, if I can make some plans next year, all for the better! Gotta get me some of those Lavender Amercuanas to go with my Wellie flock lOL!

 

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

Hey Zoo! That's your bird on the POW isn't it? Congrats!

 

[StevenW.]

Quote:
Looks like you all had fun! Now who is who?

Jerry SE brought some of the most beautiful birds. There were LF lavenders, Bantam Lavenders and a Brown-Red Bantam Cock just the prettiest thing I had ever seen. A Lavender hen with barring.
Lavender LF Ameraucanna and Bantam Lavendars and a Brown/Red Ameraucanna cock were on display from JerrySE along with an unusually pretty “Lavender” LF hen with unique barring on her wings found herself a new home with Pat (no BYC handle yet), our new friend who came with Not-A-Farm. She was so pretty she had to go home with a new ‘Mommy”. Having now seen the Lavenders in person, I must say I totally understand the thrill this new color is sending through the ranks of Ameraucanna Fans.

I think I'm going to cry... I want/need LF Lavendars! Especially a Rooster!

That reminds me Robin the Black Ameraucana hen is broody!

She is so aweful!!! I have cuts, scratches, and peck marks all over my arms from trying to get eggs from underneath her.

I also must ask. Anyone else garden going to crap? We "have" to water the garden every night so everything just says alive. I'm just we have a very deep well. And I found out last weekend there is a HUGE under water spring under our whole property. I thought it was kinda neat since I didn't know that..​