NC State Fair - Buying Chickens - several questions

[Wolfpacker]

I'm not disputing anyone's experiences at local fairs. I'm just telling you about mine last year on a Saturday morning.

I went to the poultry exhibit for the first time. The chicks were from the NC State Poultry Science club. I don't think they were allowed to sell or even give them away. Kids were having fun petting them and picking them up, and the chicks looked to be in pretty good shape. They weren't on a table, they were in an enclosure on the floor. There were at least 4, maybe 5 people, members of the poutry club, watching over them. I got a nice t-shirt from the NCSU poultry club for ten bucks.


I saw a lot of adult birds for sale. I didn't see anything I would consider bad treatment. All the birds looked healthy - heck, they were being shown - and all had food and water. They were in cages stacked on tables, so perhaps some consider that bad treatment.

Nothing I saw bothered me. I look forward to going back this year.

dctoms, I received your email. I know of no club or organization in Raleigh for backyard chicken owners, but there may be one.

 

[Hotwings]

I have seen alot of threads here on poultry and the county fairs. I haven't been to alot of county fairs but I go to my counties fair(Kalamazoo, Mich) every year. A few years ago our fair updated their livestock mall and it is very lovely. Our poultry had to share a barn with the rabbits, now each has their own barn. All our livestock are very well kept at our fair. The cages are the appopriate size for the animals. Our 4 H kids are well warrned they are to to look out for their animals. I didn't see any poultry without food or water. The chickens showed at our fair fall into 2 catagories-market and breed birds. As far as I know the breed birds aren't for sale at the fair and the market chickens(meat birds) are auctioned off. At our fair sometimes you can run into owners of the birds and they can help you out and may even offer to sell you some birds they have at home. I have asked questions before and they have answered my questions.
Our fair also has a petting zoo and I must admit that too is very well kept up. The animals are kept in a very large enclosure outside there is always an employee with a pooper scooper in the yard. The animals are your run of mill stock, ya know pgmy goats, chickens, a baby llama, pot belly pig and etc. These animals have a tent for shade and food and water. These animals appeared to be in excellent health and there was always employees near by.
Our fair also has a miricle of birth tent on livestock mall. These animals were also well taken care of. Although I am not a fan of farrowing crates for the sows they had them, but the mothers and offspring seem contended. The chick brooder was clean and spacious. There were people to oversee the animals and to answer any questions.
I am suprised at the other fairs that were talked about here. Our fair even has installed hand sanitizer stations on the livestock mall and encourages people to use them. I am sure our local humane society would intervene if any animal is misused. There is a livestock vet on call. The chicken barn even goes to the length to have one of those large fans put in the barn when it really gets hot. So I just wanted to say not all fairs are that bad. In fact alot of fairs are having a bad time as it is. Some just may not have the money to update their facilities.

 

[Southern28Chick]

Quote:
I think the last time I went to the state fair was about 4-5 years ago. I went every year before that.

I'm glad that the chicks (all the animals) are better cared for now. I stood there and actually witnessed a child break a chicks neck and kill it. It's great that they don't have them on that giant table anymore too.

I would like to go to the fair this year but I hate crowds and my DH hates them more than me so that's not going to happen. I used to just go for the food anyway.