OHio ~ Come on Buckeyes, let me know your out there!

[big medicine]

For the folks that have been to the Ohio National Poultry Show.......are there ever nice, show quality birds for sale? We're looking for some show quality birds to show in bigger shows like this and of course do a bit better in 4-H shows. I've never been to a show like this, so I don't know what people generally bring to the sales section. Thanks!

There most definitely will be some fine birds for sale, but I would encourage you to go as early as you can. Sometimes birds may be presold and delivered for pickup at the show, but those birds rarely see the inside of the show building. The birds in the sale pens are just that, for sale. Some times birds in the show may also be for sale.

Most of the exhibitors will coop their birds in Friday afternoon/evening and will check out the sale cages before the general public ever see them. Many will change hands on Friday to fellow exhibitors.. Saturday will be the big sale day to the public. There will still be a lot of birds for sale Sunday morning, but the better birds will likely have been picked over, and rarer breeds, or varieties may well be sold out..

 

[henny1129]

There most definitely will be some fine birds for sale, but I would encourage you to go as early as you can. Sometimes birds may be presold and delivered for pickup at the show, but those birds rarely see the inside of the show building. The birds in the sale pens are just that, for sale. Some times birds in the show may also be for sale.

Most of the exhibitors will coop their birds in Friday afternoon/evening and will check out the sale cages before the general public ever see them. Many will change hands on Friday to fellow exhibitors.. Saturday will be the big sale day to the public. There will still be a lot of birds for sale Sunday morning, but the better birds will likely have been picked over, and rarer breeds, or varieties may well be sold out..

Great! Okay, I'm hoping we can get going to Columbus Friday afternoon/evening and then head to the show early Saturday morning. I'm hoping to find some Mille Fleur d'Uccles or Cochin bantams.

Thanks for this info!

 

[big medicine]

Glad I could help Most all the time during daylight hours, my chicken doors are open-rain, shine, snow or cold. The only times that we have closed them in longer periods were the extreme cold days when temps were below zero or when we had like -15 with wind chill. I always opened the chicken doors in the afternoon on the super cold days for several hours though. Some would come outside, some wouldn't but I think a lot depends on your birds personalities and the size of your coop too. Some of mine hate snow, some it doesn't phase them one bit

Plus if they want to go outside that's great too because it's less droppings inside the coop!
I haven't used any bag balm or Vaseline on combs but I know lots of people do. Many of my birds sleep with their heads tucked under their wings (including the roosters) so knock on wood I haven't had any frostbite issues but I also leave vents open a little to help move air a little and keep that moist, stagnant air from settling over the birds. I've found that leaving vents closed results in more moisture inside which is more risky in terms of frostbite. I would recommend not having a fully closed up coop for extended periods between dust, droppings/ ammonia which are respiratory irritants and moisture that can lead to frostbite, but that's just imho

I agree, I also leave it up to the birds if they want to venture out during the day, whatever the weather. My chicken doors have a little shed roof over them so they are pretty effective at keeping any precipitation out of the coop itself, but still allows for more daytime ventilation, plus the help thinks they are fun.

 

[ToniTalley]

Quote:
They have never knocked it over. It is up on a paver, about 2" higher than the floor. Once in a while it gets some chips or straws in it, very little dirt in it. I only have to fill it once a week when the pond is not frozen over, twice a week if the pond is iced at the edges where they drink. I am hoping to get some plastic corrugated roof panels this year, I think it will be easier to have them cut to size and screwed on the the run sides than to try and get up plastic. Last year it took me all day trying to staple the plastic and then screw down strips of wood over the edges so the wind would not rip the plastic off. I do not want to do that again except on the small under-coop areas, I am sure it was a comedic scene to see me try to hold up giant sheet of plastic, and get it stapled up long enough to get the wood strips up!

*edited to add...I made a 'roof' over the waterer from a plastic snack tray cover to keep the poo out of the waterer when the roost was too close. But I revamped the insides so the roost is now over the nests so I don't need to do that anymore. But just a warning...just in case a waterer is anywhere near where the chickens are up high....

 

[krazykoop]

We are in Saint Paris, sandwiched between Urbana and Troy. We just adopted our first small flock of one BR roo and two hens.

 

[mamatink7]

We are in Saint Paris, sandwiched between Urbana and Troy.  We just adopted our first small flock of one BR roo and two hens. 

welcome!

 

[OHfarmerswife]

We are in Saint Paris, sandwiched between Urbana and Troy.  We just adopted our first small flock of one BR roo and two hens. 

Welcome to the group!
I'm not far from you in Troy!

 

[ToniTalley]

Finally decided to use corregated clear vinyl roof panels instead of plastic sheeting to winterize the coop run. The vinyl was the cheapest and also can be cut with scissors and only needs two pieces of wood each to keep it on tight. We put up one panel to try it out, only took 5 minutes. Here is a pic, but you can barely tell its there as it's pretty clear stuff, It's just on the one open area up to the coop house.

 

[OHfarmerswife]

Finally decided to use corregated clear vinyl roof panels instead of plastic sheeting to winterize the coop run. The vinyl was the cheapest and also can be cut with scissors and only needs two pieces of wood each to keep it on tight. We put up one panel to try it out, only took 5 minutes. Here is a pic, but you can barely tell its there as it's pretty clear stuff, It's just on the one open area up to the coop house.

Toni where did you find the panels?

 

[mamatink7]

Big debate here:
Since we found King Titan (our roo) a new home last week, my husband said I can get another Wyandotte. BUT our hatchery won't have any pullets till Springs. Issue with this is is our girls are 27wks and by then they will be a yr. I don't want to put that far distance in age together. Sooo...do I get a Silver Laced Wyandotte from a breeder OR do I wait and order a Golden Laced Wyandotte from my hatchery for this spring? I LOVE our hatchery and feel like I'd be cheating on them. Hubby thinks hatchery has SLW for today. He won't care but really wants GLW but doesn't want me to wait.
We have a GLW and she's the only one like her in our flock and is wonderful. Just don't like her to be by herself (still scared to get off perch cause she gets pecked on by the comets).
I'd get the SLW today and have them the exact age-within wks of each other- or wait and have them be 6 months apart and have our flock be even more established before adding just 1 more..
Ahhhh WHAT WOULD YA'LL DO??