Illinois...

[cavemanrich]

Ok fess up, how much have you come home with?

Every time I went I usually came home with at least a pair of chickens. I only was interested in hens, so I targeted the adult birds. I always liked the goats and they were interesting to pet.

My longstanding line was this,,,,, Get goats and start an organic, natural lawn service. Place goat into yards for grass trimming and fertilization. Next day someone else's yard.
Most likely the Authorities would sent me to Folsom. Johnny Cash no longer sings there.
Whenever I sit around with friends around a campfire,and enjoying adult bevs, I keep reminding them of my DREAMS

BTW, I never went very early to the fairgrounds. Usually got there about 9AM. If I did get there early, would most likely purchase toooooo many animals. At closing time , the prices do drop. Since I'm not looking for anything particular, it works for me. I like to take the unwanted or disliked pets and give them a second chance.
There are sellers of nursery stock there as well. Last time there, at closing time, I REALLY LUCKED OUT,,,,,

 

[cavemanrich]

I really wanted to see prairie dogs, sugar gliders, & hedgehogs. I also wanted to see if I could find a mod game bantam breeder

DD had sugar gliders, and hedgehogs. The hedgehogs were OK. The Sugar Gliders were fun at first. Then the reality kicked in. Clean the large cage, and next day it would stink. The lil devlz would urinate all over the cage as they ran all over. (the metal cage mesh). Only way to clean was to take and hose off complete cage. Not just change the wood chips/shavings bedding. We don't have a separate pet designated area in our home.
Got them a new home. This can be compared to the 2 best days in a boat owners life.
First best day,,,,,,,,, when buys the boat.
Second best day,,,,,,, when sells the boat.
BTW,,,,,, BOAT stands for Break Out Another Thousand.

 

[Faraday40]

To my great surprise I saw NO CHICKS at the show. I left with only some meal & super worms. I'm going to look into allowing them to reproduce for more chicken treats.

I liked showing DS all my past reptiles and he held a few geckos. He liked a few exotic frogs..... and snakes He was mesmerized by the many bins of feeder mice - pinkies/ fuzzies. I explained that they were being sold to feed the snakes. DS was perfectly OK with that.... I tried pushing the bearded dragons, blue tongued skinks, urtomastyx, even a common green anole, but he kept getting drawn back to the snakes. I told him that the show is a good place to see what's for sale & the next step is to research the animals he liked. Let's see what books he checks out from the library this week......

I did see a person with prairie dogs. (charging $5 to hold one LOL) He was taking deposits and was ordering them next week from his supplier in FL. (Florida????) I requested a ph#, email, or website - which he didn't provide. He said his contact info was on the deposit slip. I found that to be a big warning sign. Who decides to buy a relatively expensive exotic animal on a whim without research..... and who SELLS to people like that? He sold hedghogs and sugar gliders as well, but he didn't seem to know anything about PDs. He buys them from a supplier in FL and resells them up here. I guess he only has to keep them alive a few days.

Back in the late 1990s I got mine from a woman named Lynda Watson who did prairie dog rescues. She would relocate unwanted PDs (instead of poisoning the PD town). The young babies were dipped, vet checked, & then shipped to distributors. Mine were a special case (very young & still in need of bottle feeding), but I was up for the challenge. My PDs were the most amazing pets in the world. I'll probably get another someday, but certainly NOT from the guy I met today.

I also ran into a fellow chicken friend from the next town. Heck! We could have carpooled! Her DD was buying a snake and a supply of breeding mice to feed said snake. They said they saw 2 chicks but the people selling them couldn't say what kind they were.

 

[PotatoChicks]

It worked out well that I decided not to go to the fairgrounds today. Grandma came home from Trellis with 4 new fuzzbutts for my DD!

 

[Justso]

Kankakee was a success for me. I found exactly what I want and although others were selling cheaper I decided on this vender because he had the color I wanted. He also stuck to his guns on price and defended it well.
What a fascinating cross-section of America!
Chicken wise, there were a lot of fighting breeds and a lot a of production hens. Not a huge variety tho. Besides sarama and whatever those fighting chickens were, I saw some orpington, copper Marans, wynadots and only 4 vendors with bantam Cochin. Smart production vendors- they must have hatched 4 months ago and we're making a bundle on pullets that were ready to lay now. I saw a lot of examples of really bad breeding for the more fancy chickens. Somebody who knew that what they were doing could really clean up.
There were also a lot of Guinea foul a fair number of turkey's, ducks, and a few geese. Goats lambs and calves were all stuffed into trailers , crates, cabs of truck to keep warm. I think every other vendor had bunnies. Besides that there were puppies aplenty and one guy had cats.
As for people, every size color economic class was there. It was a riot of fun! I go again but maybe not at this time of year. I'm still trying to warm up.

 

[Faraday40]

Congrats on your adorable find. I wanted to go to find myself some modern game bantams, but I "chickened out." I think they look fascinating. (like a little bantam on stilts) Not at all practical, of course. Since DD just hatched some useless bantams 2 weeks ago, I'm using my best self-restraint to avoid adding more chicks.
..... but aren't they fun-looking!?

Here are 2 of the silkies

 

[Rt66Kix]

Hi y'all from Belleville, IL! New to chickens, and have 6 chicks on order from Buchheit's. I ordered two Welsummers, two Barneveders, and two Ohio Buckeyes. I also have a coming two-year old Silver Laced Orp, a recently-acquired 18 month old Easter Egger, and a 1 y/o RIR I rescued that had a 25% chance of living. She lost her left foot and a ton of weight, but has stabilized and is improving rapidly. The SLO is laying eggs consistently, the EE hasn't since I brought her home Palm Sunday, and I'm just thankful the RIR is alive!

I need another young laying hen, either an EE, Ameraucana or Araucana. Does anyone have any for sale, please? Thanks in advance.

 

[Justso]

Hi y'all from Belleville, IL! New to chickens, and have 6 chicks on order from Buchheit's. I ordered two Welsummers, two Barneveders, and two Ohio Buckeyes. I also have a coming two-year old Silver Laced Orp, a recently-acquired 18 month old Easter Egger, and a 1 y/o RIR I rescued that had a 25% chance of living. She lost her left foot and a ton of weight, but has stabilized and is improving rapidly. The SLO is laying eggs consistently, the EE hasn't since I brought her home Palm Sunday, and I'm just thankful the RIR is alive!

I need another young laying hen, either an EE, Ameraucana or Araucana. Does anyone have any for sale, please? Thanks in advance.

Welcome! I loved my Buckeye's, especially that pea comb. I ended up passing them on to someone who could breed them.
I would start to cruise Craigslist, I think that's your best bet for single chicks right now. Best of luck!

 

[Faraday40]

Yesterday I went outside & took an adorable photo of 2 silkie chicks by some crocus flowers.
......and this morning it's snowing!

I scooped up some snow from the roof of the run & sculpted a quick snow-chicken. When I returned with my camera, Precious was up there eating it.

 

[Molpet]

Hi y'all from Belleville, IL! New to chickens, and have 6 chicks on order from Buchheit's. I ordered two Welsummers, two Barneveders, and two Ohio Buckeyes. I also have a coming two-year old Silver Laced Orp, a recently-acquired 18 month old Easter Egger, and a 1 y/o RIR I rescued that had a 25% chance of living. She lost her left foot and a ton of weight, but has stabilized and is improving rapidly. The SLO is laying eggs consistently, the EE hasn't since I brought her home Palm Sunday, and I'm just thankful the RIR is alive!

I need another young laying hen, either an EE, Ameraucana or Araucana. Does anyone have any for sale, please? Thanks in advance.

Yesterday I went outside & took an adorable photo of 2 silkie chicks by some crocus flowers.
......and this morning it's snowing!

View attachment 1331344

I scooped up some snow from the roof of the run & sculpted a quick snow-chicken. When I returned with my camera, Precious was up there eating it.

LOL she thought you made it for her
it's amazing how they will clean the snow off your boots but don't want to walk in it.

I have my first spring broody ever
Before they waited until June and fall. She started Saturday and if she is still sitting tomorrow I'll give her some turkey eggs.

The good thing is she chose a box in the coop.. the bad news is it's a rollaway .. I kicked her out yesterday and took the pin out so the floor would lay flat..
Of course it is the favorite box