Minnesota!

[mnbrewdude]

I like the plastic crate idea, but am just wondering how I could modify them so I can get the eggs from the top, since the crates would be next to each other in the nesting box which will be accessed from outside my coop....

 

[Minniechickmama]

You could go with some cheap plastic bins. Since you have the boxes on the outside and have to put the roof over them, they are covered. If you want to give them even more privacy, you can put curtains in front of the nests from the inside.

 

[destiny_56085]

I'm not really coherent at this point (haven't slept since Thursday night yet). The swap in Hutchinson today was larger than I've ever seen it. Buyers and sellers were out in full force. It was absolutely everything... game birds, ornamental pheasants/ducks, small pets, house type birds, and tons of poultry finally. I saw a ton of people that I know from the fall poultry shows I have to give my friend Jean a HUGE thank you. She reserved some sale space for me on Friday night already. Otherwise that whole coliseum was packed to the brim and anyone that rolled in Saturday morning had no space to set up until some left. Thank you Doug Randall and the whole crew with Game Breeders for all the work into hosting this event! TY to all the buyers and sorry I couldn't be in 100 places at once. The minute you walk in there, you absolutely get bombarded.

 

[scandiafowl]

I don't know whether to be happy or feel bad for the hen.

 

[destiny_56085]

Are there rules for bringing chickens to a swap? I'd like to go to a few and look around.

To just go and buy, you just need to pay the gate fee, bring lots of empty carriers, and however much money you are willing to let go of. Its a hit or miss situation. The people that plan it don't have consignments. Its whatever the sellers bring on any given day.

From a selling standpoint... ALL birds over 4 months need a wing/leg band on and be pullorum typhoid tested. On the ornamental birds like your wood ducks and all that, you need the proper DNR permits to sell. On turkeys, you have to have blood drawn about a month in advance for MS/MG testing and have them PT tested too. If you are selling anything under 4 months of age, for poultry at a public venue, you have to have NPIP certification/hatchery permit from the state of MN. If you know you have buyers from out of state, you have to have the VS 9-3 forms along and fill out that accompanying paperwork. SD and IA also need import permits applied for in advance to send anything across the borders. I also like to bring along statement of origin forms for any 4-H kids that may be getting chicks/juvies. If you are going to swaps that allow other hooved animals, you will need health paperwork such as scrapies testing on goats and coggins on horses. To come INTO MN from out of state, you have to follow a few more guidelines. They demand that you have a CVI (certificate of vet inspection), NPIP, and an import permit. The full set of rules is on the MN Board of Animal Health website, but I pretty well summed up what they need. The guys that are running the swap may not be checking all your paperwork, but the state likes to send out field vets to ALOT of these events to go snooping and make sure everything is in order. If the sellers are not in compliance, they may get warnings and the clubs hosting the swaps may get banned from running these events (they have to get special permits from state now for them too) or even possibly fined too. So if we want to keep this hobby alive right now, they want to try to enforce that we are bringing healthy stock.

 

[scandiafowl]

Thank you - can you explain more about the leg/wing band?

 

[destiny_56085]

Thank you - can you explain more about the leg/wing ban

d?

This will be the paperwork that is filled out... So every bird entering a public swap gets a tiny drop of blood drawn and mixed with a drop of antigen for testing. The numbered band is on there to prove that it was that particular bird and breed on the paperwork filed. It can be done in advance and sometimes there is a testor present that will charge a fee for doing this. If not, you'll have to check with the MPTL for a certified testor in your area. I believe this paperwork is good for 90 days, so you don't have to have them retested in that time frame if you have multiple venues. Now also note, there are 3 boxes...1 is for our annual breeder flock test, 1 is for just sale birds, and 3rd is for exhibition. So like in fall if you are showing and want to bring along a few extras to sell, you have 2 separate slips.

 

[destiny_56085]

I don't think the 4 month old age thing is set in stone either. When I asked the guy that does my NPIP inspection, he said basically anything that is feathered out already.

 

[Cluckies]

I would divide it, here are mine divided. I really only need 1 or 2, so I close off one side for storage. These are 16" high x 12" wide x 14" deep. I put 2 or 3 inches of pine shavings in for bedding. They usually only use 1box. whoever lays the first egg picks which box they want to use, then the others lay in the same box. I think it is a natural thing out in the wild. if they find a place to lay, and their eggs are safe in that nest, more will lay there. you can see more photos of the boxes under "My Coop" if interested.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I'm not really coherent at this point (haven't slept since Thursday night yet). The swap in Hutchinson today was larger than I've ever seen it. Buyers and sellers were out in full force. It was absolutely everything... game birds, ornamental pheasants/ducks, small pets, house type birds, and tons of poultry finally. I saw a ton of people that I know from the fall poultry shows I have to give my friend Jean a HUGE thank you. She reserved some sale space for me on Friday night already. Otherwise that whole coliseum was packed to the brim and anyone that rolled in Saturday morning had no space to set up until some left. Thank you Doug Randall and the whole crew with Game Breeders for all the work into hosting this event! TY to all the buyers and sorry I couldn't be in 100 places at once. The minute you walk in there, you absolutely get bombarded.

I hope it was a good sale day for you!