Ohio National...

[Marli's chicks]

We also had a good time at the show. Lots of beautiful birds to see.

Traders Row was very congested and you need to be able to make quick decisions if you see something you might want to buy. We didn't have any trouble finding who the sellers were.

It seemed that a lot of the congestion in the Trading area was caused by folks who bumped into friends and then 3 or 4 stood together in the middle of the aisle to chat and catch up on the latest news .... oblivious to the rest of us trying to either see into the pens they were blocking or trying to get around them. A little courtesy and moving to the side to chat would have made the traffic flow better.

Tonini3059....those silver Japs caught my eye too! Good thing they were gone when I came back around again to look at them. I would have had to buy them myself.

 

[mstricer]

Marli's chicks :

We also had a good time at the show. Lots of beautiful birds to see.

Traders Row was very congested and you need to be able to make quick decisions if you see something you might want to buy. We didn't have any trouble finding who the sellers were.

It seemed that a lot of the congestion in the Trading area was caused by folks who bumped into friends and then 3 or 4 stood together in the middle of the aisle to chat and catch up on the latest news .... oblivious to the rest of us trying to either see into the pens they were blocking or trying to get around them. A little courtesy and moving to the side to chat would have made the traffic flow better.

Tonini3059....those silver Japs caught my eye too! Good thing they were gone when I came back around again to look at them. I would have had to buy them myself.

Not to sound mean or rude. I was one of those people who probally stop you from looking dont know maybe and it might not have been just people catching up with a old friend,if so, what is wrong with that? I myself didnt know anyone their BUT did meet alot of people, also did you ever think that maybe they were talking to the breeders or even ease dropping to see what the breeder was saying about their birds to someone else (that would have been me sorry if I bothered any one sorry just trying to learn.) I found that for the most part people who were just chatting would get out of your way. Because I talked to alot of people I didnt know, I came back with alot of knowledge. Take anything like that as a learning tool. Sorry I dont mean to offend you if I did.​

 

[tonini3059]

I must have gotten asked over a dozen times if the birds I were looking at were mine or how much is such and such, I was like sorry not mine! LOL. As for the people in the aisles there were a few who just stood there and would not move especially since I politely said several times excuse me I just want to squeeze through. And twice I was walking behind someone down the center to the sale area and someone stopped dead in their tracks and I ran into them. But hey when there are that many people around it bound to happen some are just more rude/polite than others. I felt so bad when my husband and I were looking at the show birds a little boy around 2 ran right into my husband's leg and fell backwards and started crying, the lady felt bad that the kid did that and I felt bad the kid was crying lol.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Traders Row was pure chaos, horrible to manuever through, and the aisles definitely were NOT wide enough for people to walk up and down. It was single file, and if someone was standing infront of a cage it was a bunch of "excuse me, I'm sorry, Oops, didn't mean to run you over with the stroller!" (I had to apologise TWICE for getting someone's foot with the baby's stroller!

) The upside to that was, everyone in Traders Row seemingly was understanding and polite, and no one seemed perturbed that we were bumping into eachother trying to see the birds in the sale cages.

I took my camera, but I pretty much forgot to take pics with everything going on.

We did meet several BYC'er's, like Turtleblossom who had brought me a GORGEOUS BLUE BLRW cockerel. I was supposed to meet someone else from here for another BLRW cockerel, but I didn't make that connection, and now I'm hoping they aren't upset!!

Turtleblossom was soooooo sweet and super nice! She showed me how to listen to a chickens lungs for any signs of respiratory affliction (rales, wheezing, etc), and she showed me how to look at their feet, smell the noses (I did know that one!) and she told me, "Don't be afraid to thoroughly check any chickens out before you buy."

I also got to meet Pips&Peeps, she was at the Ameraucana table. SHE'S JUST AWESOME! She was so sweet, so kind and she was very helpful in pointing me to the direction of Ameraucan breeders in my quest to find a Bantam Ameraucana pullet. I did get to see some, but I wasn't hit with that "I've gotta have this one!" with any that I saw. I went back to the table and thanked Pips&Peeps, and she asked if I found any. I said yes, and I told her for how much, and she said that's a good price, but when I told her I just wasn't pleased with their quality she agreed that I made the right decision in not buying them. She said it was better than buying something I didn't like because then I'd get them home and not be happy with them. So I left with no Ameraucanas.

We also met jessalynn, and LilCrow and a couple other BYC'ers whos usernames I can't remember. I talked for a looong time with the gentleman who has developed the Silver Laced Brahmas. His birds were literally the first ones I looked for on Traders Row, because I had to see them in person!

Now, on to the birds I saw that are on my NEW Must haves list, but first, let me say, I LOVE bantams, and I have a SERIOUS addiction to Bantams! The bantam show birds just increased my hunger!

I fell in love with Bantam Black Sumatras!!!!!!!! The ones I saw were miniatures of my Jett and Suri, and were B E A U T I F U L!
And, Bantam Favorelles!!! And Bantam Blue Laced Red Wyandottes!!

Now, here's the funniest/saddest/most embarrassing story of the day. There was a Bantam White Cochin breeder in Traders Row. His cochins were AWESOME! and they were $50 A PAIR! He only had one hen left, she was a year and a half old, and I had her in my hands. Checked her over, lungs, eyes, ears, nose clear, nice comb, etc. He said he had bred her and had many offspring for next years breeders at home. I was going to pay $25 for her, and he was going to let me pick the roo of my choice for $5! I could have had a pair for $30! AND I DID! I gave him my money, he put it in his pocket, and I walked up and down his cages looking at the roosters...and then I did the unthinkable........................
























I GAVE HIM HIS COCHIN BACK!!

I gave that beautiful white cochin girl back, and told him I was sorry, but that I just couldn't bring myself to buy such beautiful (and they were, they were breathtaking!) birds home to my coops, knowing they'd get muddy. I did take his business card, told him we're planning to build a new bantam coop with individual pens for my feather footed bantams so they won't be in mud, and that I'd contact him when I was ready for a pair. He was very understanding, but I felt horrible backing out of the buy like that. I felt like a heel.

I was also shocked to see that Quail Antwerp d'Anvers were selling for $25 each or $50 for a pair!!

 

[DelcoChix]

Mrs.Dolittle---you cracked me up! My daughter and I also were at the show yesterday, first-timers (our first year with the chickies and loving it). Couldn't believe how many birds were under one roof--and quite vocal about it too We also made out way through the traders aisle, twice (slowly), trying to scope out everything.
We ended up spending about 30 minutes talking with the same bantam white cochin breeder (from Michigan) I think you wrote about. My daughter has really wanted one so were we just going to 'look,' (yeah, right) and learn about them. He was great--in spite of the crowds he took his time and shared his knowledge about the cochins with no pressure to purchase anything. Really informative and showed us what he was talking about with one of the birds, well, three different ones, as examples. Great knowledge for 4-H! Well, we were only looking for pullets, so he showed us the differences in the three he had left...then we walked away (she wanted to see the rest and think about it--she was paying half!)--she decided she did want the chosen pullet, we went back and he was wonderful--he still had her, the little white puffball, put her in a box and out of sight and was great to deal with. When we returned a bit later to pick her up (we'd left her there while we saw the rest of the sale birds), he had her 'paper' ready to go (pullorum test)--a real pleasure for first time buyers like us! And yes, we also will deal with muddy feet, but he did show us how easy it is to wash them! Now we're just trying to make a smooth introduction to the rest of the flock...
We also found the sale area pretty crowded and a bit challenging when folks would stop and chat in the middle while we were trying to check out all the birds, but they were pretty nice about moving out of the way. Figured they weren't aware of the blockage when they were talking--in a perfect world, double-wide aisles would be everywhere! Anyways, it was a fun time for us and pretty nice to be able to see what a lot of the chickens look like in 'real life.'

 

[Mahonri]

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Yes, DelcoChix, same breeder! I'm going to get a pair from him next spring, or maybe a trio. After I have them the perfect coop! He was SUPER nice!

 

[catwalk]

Quote:
Serama cockerel, congrats! What happened with the Silkie? That sounds so sad.

I was delivering a bird for someone to sell, and it started having seisures, and it died in my lap Friday night! It was horrible! I was staying at a friend's house where there was no phone or internet, and I was alone. I couldn't even get to BYC for advice. If I had given a chicken to someone to deliver, and was told "yeah, your bird died, sorry," I would have serious suspicions. So I kept the body in the trunk of my car for three days in case I were called on to provide evidence.

I'm still getting emotional about it; it was definately not how I wanted to start an exciting weekend. My friend, when he got off work, was not supportive. The fact that he couldn't be bothered to take a night off work to spend time with me one day a year, thus leaving me alone in my ordeal, should have made his subsequent behavior less shocking. The night wore on, bad things happened (non chicken related), and I chose to end the friendship. It was like another death.

Next year I am staying in a hotel and only bringing my own birds. It will be fantastic, just wait...

 

[catwalk]

Hey, how about pictures of the show winners? Everyone wants to argue about "show quality" and I would love to learn more about what it takes to do well. The only breed I'm a little educated in is Serama, and I was suprised to see what was entered. Many of my birds are at least as good as most of them, but I never thought of them as decent just because they are my first birds. I'd love to read about the feedback everyone has gotten from judges, and I would be interested in knowing what you are going to do with your information in order to improve your flock. Thanks!

 

[OSUman]

Quote:
I agree