Yes, I too was disgusted with most of the birds there. I wish they had better standards on what condition of birds can be at a swap. I was horrified at the condition of most of the birds! I saw those roos with their tails missing, no excuse for that, and the debeaked birds,nasty! the pair I bought, the blue oeg are in great shape, the porcelain had crud balls on her feet and dirty feathers like she was raised in a barn. Her eyes, breathing,feathers and vent looked good, I could tell she is out of lay, the seller admitted that. She got a bath! Both sellers let me inspect the birds and I had been watching them for some time before I bought them. There was a trio of chocolates I had my eye on but just as I got back to them, some lady was stuffing them in her carrier.
That's why I went for the blues immediately after that. When I got the birds to the car, I fed and watered them, cracked all the windows, put a towel over the carrier and went back to check on them every 2 hrs. I stayed all day to bid on a disker for my tractor, got it and went home pooped around 6pm. I have 4 different quarantines right now (my own flock, the 3 new birds, my banty babies, the GLW someone dropped off to me the same evening) Boisecurity nightmare right now! I expect much higher standards for the BYC CS2015! Chicken math, chicken crazy!
P.S. We just put a deposit on a Border Collie with breeding rights ABCA papers if anyone is interested in pups next year. She is just over a week old, not ready until June.
Chicks are in the outside coop now. (First time chicken wrangler) It's kind of scary, trusting the wooden box my boyfriend built to keep them safe from raccoons and other predators, hoping they're warm enough these first few nights! We're goint to add a second lock to the main door. It shuts tight already but i'm worried a determined predator could pry it open just enough to gain access. They seem to be doing well, though. We're checking on them about 3x a day. Starting to train them to recognize the sound of a home made rattle (small tin with a few glass beads) as "treats in the coop." I gave them mealworms for the first time yesterday and they didn't go all batty like I thought they would. Ah, well. Also they've graduated to their "Big Girl" feeder and waterer. Still need to hang it, that was a minor detail we overlooked and they seem to poop exclusively in those. I'm keeping them penned up for a few more days, then i'll let them have the run. When they get used to that, i'll let them free range as long as I can be with them in the whole yard. And that's the part I can't wait for! I want them to be happy chickens with lots of space. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want them to eat every G#)D@%* Japanese Beetle they can find.
Haha! No problem. Im still new to poultry, and trying to figure out the chickens and hopefully ducks someday myself. But most rabbit questions I should be able to help. Showed them for many years, use to be state club secretary and secretary for many shows.
Grew up around geese. Sovy,buff,and the host of mallard x ducks, dairy cattle, goats sheep and hogs, pheasant. And any common chicken you can imagine.
I am New too. HA. In fact the other day I was telling misfitmorgan that one summer me and my grandparents raised a couple hundred buff ducks for butcher/sale, she informed me they are listed as rare/endangered, I was like, really?
As long as we live threw today, we will all be new tomorrow.
Poached eggs and toast for breakfast. Just too bad they weren't MY eggs, yet, lol.
I came home from work yesterday to find the chickens in the driveway. They were definitely penned up when I left that morning. apparently they found a way out . All happy and accounted for, so that's good.
I found a woman close to me who breeds self blue bantam cochins. Yesterday I put 5 fertile eggs under a broody. This is our first time hatching. Fingers crossed the eggs develop and Alice is a good mama.
Hey bird man there is a guy from a place called spectrum ranch, that has a bunch of rare birds that he's selling. Thought you'd be interested. I thinks randy Krueger is the owner.
. All happy and accounted for, so that's good.
