Hi there all! I live just outside Missoula and the kids and I started 4H and raising chickens this year. It has been an adventure for sure. Can anyone tell me how the Spring Fling in Hamilton works? I know it's in May, but we are thinking about going next year. I'm going to end up ordering new chicks (thanks to a new resident fox two weeks before fair show time) and I will end up ordering way too many chicks in order to meet the minimum requirements for shipping. Can I take the extras to the Fling? I'll be making my order in Nov or Dec, so the chicks will be a few months old by the time the Fling is upon us. Once I get my initial flock I plan on breeding our own line of 4H show chickens for the kids, but you have to start somewhere. There again, after I hatch out the chicks and see who is going to make the cut for show and breeding, I will want to get rid of the extras. We are thinking Bantam breeds of a couple different varieties. I'm not sure I want the hassle of putting an ad in the paper or on craig's list. It doesn't bother me to butcher, but Bantams aren't exactly a meal chicken. Can I enter in the Fling and sell them? Or do you have to be a registered breeder or something? What happens if I end up with crossbreeds? Can those go to the Fling, or is it purebred only? How much does it cost to enter in the Fling? Do people barter and trade chicks at the fling as well? Sorry for all the questions, but I appreciate any help I can get. I'm a planner, and I want to have some ideas before I'm down to the wire going "now what?" Thanks in advance!!
