MN Swap Dates for 2012

[windchester]

I am moving to Northern Mn. by the end of the month. I am concerned about the weather with my birds. I have Marans, lots of Bantams, Narraganzett and Burbon Red Turkeys. Anything I should do to prepare for the local weather?
I am excited to learn where the swaps and shows are! Anyone have any advise for this Minnesota new comer?

 

[coldupnorth]

I am moving to Northern Mn. by the end of the month. I am concerned about the weather with my birds. I have Marans, lots of Bantams, Narraganzett and Burbon Red Turkeys. Anything I should do to prepare for the local weather?
I am excited to learn where the swaps and shows are! Anyone have any advise for this Minnesota new comer?

Depends upon where in Northern MN and what you have available to keep them in. Water always freezes in the winter - so lots of people use heated waterers or heated dog dishes. Frostbite from moisture in the coop and the cold weather can be a problem (especially combs and wattles)
Some people add heat to their coops and others don't. It depends upon the space, the amount of birds and how comfortable you are with or without heat. We use a heat source in the coops on the very coldest days

Welcome from near Duluth!

Here is the link for the MN thread - you could post there and you might get a few more answers
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/72771/minnesota/830#post_9600199

 

[windchester]

Thankyou for your reply! I do have heated waterers, lots of heat lamps, several nice little heaters. So I guess I will just have to be ready and I will play it by ear. I will be in the Blackduck, Pennington area. Maybe 35 min. from Bemidji. I guess the first year will be by trial and error. Though, I will be so disappointed if I lose any, after bringing them from Indiana.
Again, thanks for the advise, this winter will be an adventure!

 

[Triplell]

Welocme Windchester!!
I am very familmar with blackduck and the weather. My dad's family came from tensrick and Hines. The weather is very cold and alot of snow. You don't want to make you coop complerely air tight to keep the heat in. You need to leave the south air vent open for ventilation. If you'r gonna let them outside you will make sure you shovel a pathway in the snow. Make sure you cover the top of the coop for pertection against all the flying prediters. Make sure you bury some wire in the ground for all the digging and the climbing ones too.. I hope this helps.....

Triplell from Brainerd

 

[bantiesrule]

I posted this on the Minnesota! thread but thought I'd post here also:

I was reading my Backyard Poultry magazine and found that New Ulm has their Fall Classic show this weekend, Oct. 13-14 and Hutchinson has the Minnesota State Poultry Show Oct. 27-28. Could anyone tell my which one would be better to go to? Though I like to look at other birds, my main interest is in OEGB's. I'm not showing, just want to look around and maybe pick up a few birds. It's a 2 hour drive to Hutchinson and another 40 minutes (?) to New Ulm and with gas prices I don't know if I want to go to both of them so was wondering which one I should pick. Do they both have selling areas? Is it better to go on Saturday or Sunday? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[Vashjir]

I posted this on the Minnesota! thread but thought I'd post here also:

I was reading my Backyard Poultry magazine and found that New Ulm has their Fall Classic show this weekend, Oct. 13-14 and Hutchinson has the Minnesota State Poultry Show Oct. 27-28. Could anyone tell my which one would be better to go to? Though I like to look at other birds, my main interest is in OEGB's. I'm not showing, just want to look around and maybe pick up a few birds. It's a 2 hour drive to Hutchinson and another 40 minutes (?) to New Ulm and with gas prices I don't know if I want to go to both of them so was wondering which one I should pick. Do they both have selling areas? Is it better to go on Saturday or Sunday? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

I'm interested in this too. I could make saturday in New Ulm or sunday in Hutchinson. Probably not ready to buy anything but I'd love to meet other breeders to start my small flock in the spring.

 

[silkielover5]

Any 2013 swaps coming up?!?

 

[bantiesrule]

Started on a new thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/740639/2013-minnesota-wisconsin-and-iowa-swapmeet-schedule