NY chicken lover!!!!

[rancher hicks]

I want to build a couple around the house with scrap wood to see if they help with the mosquitoes that the hens can't get
Have you tried asking friends or family to save them for you? Once in awhile I post it on FB & tend to get enough for months to use. The people who buy them from me also return them.

Friends used to save them but since DW has been sick and we've not been in church I don't get any. I do have some customers but they don't always save me enough. I toss any that don't look clean to me.

I prefer styro since they can be washed out.

 

[rancher hicks]

Sooooo.... went to the fair yesterday. Kinda disappointed in the poultry exhibition. Some of the birds looked ill/stressed. Not many at the top of their form I think. Also, the layout had been changed and many birds had no label /wrong label on their cage or section. I'm not knowledgeable about all breeds and there were some I would have liked to know breed/info. etc. - the Wayne Co. fair was better organized although much, much smaller.
Anyhoow - the highlight of the fair for me was to meet and listen to Bells and Motley! I love renaissance/Celtic music. It was a magical performance.

You people with kids - how do you afford rides on the Midway for the little ones????

I found the prices steep - if you took 3 kids it would work out around $150 - without food. glad I only have chickens as kids!!

$150? for rides? The all day "wrist band" was only $30 for the day to that would be $90. Food prices weren't too bad. Oh you mean if YOU went on the rides too. Not with three kids who need riders.

When the kids were younger DW didn't go, but I took two and two (I have four) DW would pack us a lunch, though they still have the $1 hamburgers and hot dogs, which I think is nice.

I'd take two of mine with two of their friends. They were allowed two rides each back then. I gave each (mine) $20. Anyhow, five people and $1 hamburgers and $1 sodas in the Horribleculture building. $10 and that's not bad IMO. Plus they can share the Elephant ear fried dough, cotton candy, fries and some other things. Lots of that type of stuff is more than any human should eat in one sitting. Oh and they have the $1 ice cream cones too.


With all the free shows they had a good time. We did the buildings first, since that was what I wanted and then they got to do what they wanted to do. I'd break it up so the first trip was a couple of buildings and then the next trip was others. I didn't go on rides then but did two rides this year with DD. Three kids two rides each is about $40 if they're bigger. In which case they can do something to earn some of the money themselves. $6.50 times two.

Anyhow some folks can't take vacations so the Fair is a nice substitute. $150 is about what we'd spend going out to dinner.

I've been twice and the first time with DD, I took $50, had to buy a ticket. We went into the Dinosaur exhibit $5, on two rides $13, shared a fried twinkie $5 had milk $.5, the potato with a drink $2, shared an elephant ear of dough$ 5, two bites of a corn dog (yuk), had our picture drawn together $25 and had a good time. Somethings we shared I paid for and some she paid for and we split the cost of the picture.

The second time I went with a friend and I took $60, got in free, had the potato with drink $2 , a $1 ice cream, no rides, an Elephant ear $5 , milk, Bakers chicken dinner $11 and I bought five bars of soap $20. I did have money left over but don't remember how much. I buy soap from the Soap making lady cuz she's the best AND it's only $4 a bar. She makes the Patchouli soap I like. At the Regional Market they want $6.50 a bar and it's not as good. Each year I spend about $40 on soap.

IMO the Fair is a great deal. Also IMO SOME parents today don't teach their kids to learn the value of a dollar. They just keep shelling out money for everything the kid wants. Then when the kid hits the real world they can't cope. Giving my kids a set amount of money taught them to pick and choose for themselves. Also IMO parents cave to peer pressure that if they don't buy their kids everything they want they're bad parents. The merchandisers put a great deal of pressure on parents. Not pointing my finger just sharing how I see the world.

It's hysterical when I went to visit my DD and hers in TX they make sure they unplug everything to keep the cost of utilities down.

Funny how now they're the heat nazi.

 

[rancher hicks]

The other day, I noticed Frenchy's egg that was under the broody had a hole. I took a piece of tape and covered it, seeing that the chick inside was still alive. I was surprised to find a chick the next day or two. So that's two from Frenchy who hadn't laid in a couple of years.


I moved the tiny chick to the brooder with some older chicks, a little worried it might get smushed. This morning when I went to check here was the tiny chick tucked under the wing of the largest chick in the brooder. All by themselves under the light. I also think the brooding chick is a roo.

 

[featherz]

Anyone sell Duck eggs? I priced my Duck eggs at $2.50 a HALF DOZEN. Is that a good price? Too high? Too low? Someone told me that $1 an egg for duck eggs is the going rate, but I can't remember who told me so I am not sure how reliable the info is.

I'd probably pay that, at least once. Never had any duck eggs believe it or not. I do buy cartons - but my DH sells eggs at work for $5/dozen so I didn't want to use recycled cartons, If someone at MY work brings me a carton, I'll fill it with eggs and do $2 for those.

 

[rancher hicks]

That is a story that I'd like to hear someday

I have friends and family save them for me. I have a trash bag in the garage filled with them. I have made a wrapper that I wrap around the carton with my farm name and some information. I used to buy the cartons, but I don't charge my family so I was losing money that way...so now I used the ones that everyone gives me.

I have to work at the fair again tomorrow. When the Poultry Building Supervisor comes for breakfast I will tell him your suggestion about labeling the cages better. I was noticing that too. While we took the kids through today I had a family following us around asking me questions about what they were seeing. It was funny being a chicken tour guide...I offered to help him out the other day. He said that he could use the help that day cause some of the people didn't show. I wish that I hadn't had to leave right after work or I would have helped out. Maybe next year! I saw a few chickens that didn't look great, but there were a lot of chickens that were there that I think were only there cause they were for sale. I don't think that I would EVER want to buy one from there. I did see a few that looked more like production birds and not good quality show birds...There was one that I felt bad for, (I took a pic) It had pulled out a lot of feathers.

That is mostly feathers and jut a little shavings...

On affording the fair...not sure how we are going to do it in the next few years. We buy our tickets before the fair so that we can save some money. Our kids are still pretty young so that we don't buy the all day ride bands. We limited the kids to 3 rides each and were able to buy enough tickets for that for $25 total. When they get older it will be harder...I saw a huge family buying 7 bands at $25 each...between that and food to feed them all, they needed to take out a small loan!

..All day bands are $25 week day and $30 on the weekends, If you bought them pre-fair they were $20..and they had a mega type band. I think they were $70 pre fair sale only..They are for unlimited ride all day every day of the fair...

...On Labor day admission is only $1.00 and each ride only cost $1.00 That is the day to go and save money!

I didn't take a good look at the chickens cuz I knew I wouldn't be happy. I didn't know they needed volunteers. Perhaps they should canvas BYC for help.

We plan to go on Monday. There is more than admission and rides that are $1. I printed out the list for us to use. I thought we'd make it a challenge to see how many of those $1 things we can score.

Certainly it can be expensive to go if you have lots of kids, but when you're substituting it for a vacation away it's not to bad. One thing I do think was expensive was the games. One I saw was $5. My daughter figured if you wanted to get the biggest stuff thing it would take $15. Not good in my book.

 

[rancher hicks]

I'd probably pay that, at least once. Never had any duck eggs believe it or not. I do buy cartons - but my DH sells eggs at work for $5/dozen so I didn't want to use recycled cartons, If someone at MY work brings me a carton, I'll fill it with eggs and do $2 for those.

If I could get $3 a dozen I wouldn't mind buying cartons. With non productive type birds the eggs are not as big so I can't charge as much.

At $2.50 a dozen I can't afford to buy cartons. Even so I'm still not making any money.

About a month ago I looked at carton prices and they were about $. 31 each, now they're about $. 45 and that's for seconds.

 

[LuvMyChicks1491]

All done with working at the fair for me. It'll be nice not to have to get up so early to start working at 5:45AM! .When I told the security guard this morning was my last he said that he'll miss me saying hello in the morning. Thinking about taking the kids back on Monday. I still have 1 ticket since I didn't need it in the morning...

Back to reality...Kids start school on Wednesday. Not sure if I'm going to cry or jump for joy when my little man goes to Pre K for the first day.

Have to do my fall cleaning of the chicken coops. Take a day and scrub the coop clean, touch up on paint and any other maintenance that needs to be done before it starts to get really cold.

Went out tonight and checked in on my broody sitting on the duck eggs. I opened the the roof to look in and an egg had started to hatch, but was shoved over to the side. not sure if it died on it's own or the broody kicked it out when it started to hatch...She's a first timer so who knows how she will do,

 

[LuvMyChicks1491]

...I killed it...

 

[rancher hicks]

...I killed it...

 

[rancher hicks]

...I killed it...