Illinois...

[StevenW.]

Anyone have geese or ducks?

 

[NotAFarm]

I have Muscovies.

 

[ilroost]

my wife and i will be there, never miss it

 

[dacjohns]

Getting some heavy rain here down south.

 

[NotAFarm]

Wish we were having rain..........we are forecast for snow tonight.......

I know it's still February but I...really...need..S P R I N G!!!

 

[jewel7091]

TRI K BANTAM SWAMP.....I am actually from Kankakee. I went to two shows last year. It was very exciting, seeing all those animals and such but....I was very inexperienced. I just wanted some nice laying hens to add to my smaller flock. After walking around for a long time and talking to people and trying to be picky about who I bought from, I finally decided to buy from this nice old farmer. He seemed so nice and had 10 buff orpingtons. He said he had been a chicken farmer for 20 plus years and just needed more room so thats why he was selling these girls. A day after bringing them home I quickly realized that I got got! The girls I bought starting showing signs of sickness. Within a few days they all died but one and worst of all infected my whole flock! At one point I thought I wasn't going to have a chicken left. It was really sad too basically watching them gasp for air. Luckily mine all survived but I just want to throw out caution to everyone who will be attending. My husband said maybe they weren't sick and they caught something at the show but I actually had this strange feeling when I paid the guy, he gave me ten dollars back.....At first I thought we are farmers he is a farmer we had a nice long chat, maybe he liked us but then I in my gut I wondered if something was wrong.

I dont know how you tell from the honest people who are there from the people who are trying to get rid of sick chickens.
Any ideas of what to look for???

 

[KCchickens]

Quote:
That's horrible! I guess he just wanted to get something out of them instead of just putting them out of their misery himself. I guess he must have also felt a little guilty because he gave some money back. Sorry for your loss

. That's why I think everyone needs to quarantine for a couple weeks or a month.
To be honest, if it had been me, I probably wouldve went back to him the following month ( sometimes the sane sellers are there). And throw A mini fit

. But that's probably not a good idea

 

[jewel7091]

Haha Well you did notice I said I went twice....it was kind of my intention to try to see if he was there again, although not much I could've done at that point anyway. Yes, I did learn a good lesson about quaranitine! It's a shame because It is pretty neat. They have every possible animal you can think of, my daughter loves to go and just walk around. Maybe everyone from backyard chickens that are selling there should put up BACKYARD CHICKEN signs!

But everyone do do go early about 5am and bring a flashlight. Both times we went that early and the parking and traffic was already really crazy!

 

[StevenW.]

Quote:

How do they do in Illinois weather?

 

[NotAFarm]

This was my first winter with them but they did great. We had some brutally cold weather and they have a coop inside our barn that is unheated. No problems. They don't like walking in the snow but I shoveled to get to the water and left them a clear area to get outside. They don't "have to have" water for swimming like mallard derivitives, but enjoyed taking a bath whenever the temperatures were in the 20s (or higher, which didn't happen except the week between Christmas and New Year here). Now that things are thawing (and refreezing at night) they are out and about more and making quite the mess in the muddy areas. Here is a pic I posted on the Duck forum earlier of their concrete mixing container bathtub.
And one from last summer of them enjoying the Japanese beetles I caught in a trap and dumped in their "baby bathtub" (I only had mom duck and her two 9 week old daughters at that time)