Northeastern Poultry Congress (West Springfield) - Jan 17-18, 2009

[PurpleChicken]

I am so sad to have missed the opportunity to meet Reinbeau, Woodchopper, and many others. My stomach just couldn't do it and I was still running a mild fever.

 

[poultrykeeper08]

i got there before the show started and even then there wasnt that much for sale .
i camehome with a pair of bantam silver laced wyandottes , a pair of bantam buff brahmas , a trio of black cochins and a pair of white cochins and 2 standard game hens . And last but not least a pair of blue muscoveys

seems there was more for sale last year . I also noticed some people had there birds priced really high

hoping to find some new birds for sale tomarow

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Here's hoping that because of the snow, it won't be as busy today and that more is being put out! We're heading out now.

 

[OthalaAcres]

I'm heading back there in an hour or so myself. If anyone from here is coming today, I'll be the one in the realtree camo jacket & the khaki cap that says "Othala Acres Heritage Poultry" on it - either hanging out in the sales area, by the turkeys (I entered the Narris), or the Silkies.

~Lily

 

[Reinbeau]

Quote:
Sorry to hear you're still sick, Don, we hope you feel better soon!

 

[Reinbeau]

See my photos in Pictures and Stories of my Chickens. Enjoy!

 

[cheeptrick]

Here are a few snaps I took yesterday.

Buff Silkie that I truly NEED!!

Toulouse this was a HUGE bird.

Terry Golan and a link to her book http://tillielaysanegg.com/ What a dear sweet woman! Just wish I could have talked to her longer...but the KID was pulling on me to GET to the sales area! WE did NOT buy anything can you believe it??!!

BCM eggs...

Empty waiting WINNER cages! DD wants to maybe try showing next year...we'll start at the local level see how it goes.

 

[chickenlady]

Thanks for all the pictures and the videos!! KEEP THEM COMING!! I am so sad to miss this show. It is breaking my heart. Just didnt have the money this year. maybe next year. Maybe someone can post all the winners

 

[tonkatuff]

This was my 1st trip to a chicken show... I was a lil bit disappointed. The variety was nice but I guess I expected more! (I'm a bit hard to please) I was hoping to see a nice array of Orpingtons... the were 2 buff pullets....THATS IT! I was hoping to see some Ameraucanas...I saw 3... I think I saw 2 Araucana... Saw 1 RIR pullet... no NH Reds... no Welsummer, no Barnevelders...a few Marans.... A sh!tload of Australorps & Rocks (barred & white) I wish there was more "shopping" to do both of birds & supplies although the raffles were nice. Met a bunch of very nice folks who were all happy to educate this chicken newbie!

I didn't find anything in the "sale bin" or the auction that I wanted but what I did find is that ALMOST EVERYTHING is for sale! I came home with a breathtaking award-winning trio of Silver Laced Wyandottes.... a blue Wyandotte pullet & a pair of Dominiques.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

We just got home a few minutes ago.

By the time we got there in the snow it was about 11:30-12:00 and they were already allowing people to coop-out due to the weather which sucked

Since we went mainly to buy we almost immediately tried to track down where the sales area was and headed right over there in a rush because people were already leaving. We didn't find much at all.

My son fell in love with a Bantam Dominique Roo for $5 that was actually being sold by Othala Acres *waves*.
We waited a long time for the seller to show up and finally as we were walking away a young man came and scooped up the Dominique Roo and a little Americauna Roo and started walking away! We caught up with him and told him that we wanted the roo, handed him $5 and put him in our cage

He'll do for something for my son to take to his 4-H meetings until we can track down nice Seabrights.

Right after that I walked around the sale area one last time and found two cages of white silkies, one of pullets and one of roos. I picked up a white pullet and brought her home. My first Silkie!

After that we started walking around taking a look at the last of the birds there, we walked down the last aisle and there were three Modern Game pullets in cages in the row, everything else was GONE. I stopped to look at the first two and then my eyes went to the third who was calling out for attention I think. It was the cutest little noise. I looked at her cage tag and it said that she was for sale. A guy went past that was breaking down cages and putting them on pallets and I asked him if he knew who owned the bird. He told us to go to the office and ask for a certain woman. Well we did and she came out and talked to us for a few minutes, talked to the kids about showing, 4-H, etc. and then handed my son the bird. I asked her how much she wanted and she shook her head, she gave her to us!
We named her Onyx on the way home and she is so SWEET

She is the biggest cuddle bug of a chicken ever. Up until today when I saw them in person I thought the modern games were UGLY, but she is beautiful. Wish I could put a picture here to show you guys, she's mostly black with that green sheen, and some grey feathers with black lacing on them on her head and breast.

So, while we didn't get to see all of the shown birds at least we didn't make the trip for nothing.
Next year we'll be showing in the show and spending the weekend at a hotel near the big E. Should be much better that way.