Okies in the BYC The Original

[FunChick]

Quote:
Peaches, I swear someday I will make it there...it will be my first time when I do! Is the auction held in the shade or inside a building? With umbrella drinks? OK, maybe no umbrella drinks...

It is held in an Outside, open, covered barn. The temperature is about 20 degrees cooler than the one we are in for the wintertime. We have a nice breeze that comes from all directions. Its really nice.

No umbrellas but lots of cold beverages, alcohol free of course. Its a great family atmosphere.

We would love to have you out some day.

It sounds great...maybe I will bring my own umbrella to stick in my pop!

 

[okcarla]

Quote:
How early do you take in consignments on Saturday? I don't have to work overtime on Saturday, so we're going to try to attend. Gerald probably has lots of veggies from garden and we may even have some naked neck chickens or maybe some other birds to put in the auction.

 

[QueenPeaches]

Quote:
How early do you take in consignments on Saturday? I don't have to work overtime on Saturday, so we're going to try to attend. Gerald probably has lots of veggies from garden and we may even have some naked neck chickens or maybe some other birds to put in the auction.

We will be there before 10 am or right there at it. The school used our barn for a benefit concert and didnt put things back, so we have to get there early to set everything back up.

We would love to have veggies at the auction. They always seem to do well.

Did you say NN? Wow I am in T-R-O-U-B-L-E!

 

[smfamf]

Quote:
McDonald's by Tinker AFB is a great place for Okie chicken tradin' !!!!!!! You're welcome!

We met Oklahoma Lightning's hubbie at Bass Pro a month ago to deliver 80 turkey poults. Convenience is the key ... especially when we're on our way to work.

Hey even I've made a couple of deals in that parking lot!!!

Yup its about that time. I gotta get my rear in bed before I turn into a pumpkin.

 

[okcarla]

Quote:
How early do you take in consignments on Saturday? I don't have to work overtime on Saturday, so we're going to try to attend. Gerald probably has lots of veggies from garden and we may even have some naked neck chickens or maybe some other birds to put in the auction.

We will be there before 10 am or right there at it. The school used our barn for a benefit concert and didnt put things back, so we have to get there early to set everything back up.

We would love to have veggies at the auction. They always seem to do well.

Did you say NN? Wow I am in T-R-O-U-B-L-E!

Yep, We'll try to only bring the really cute NNs to temp you with

We have some of all colors and some are even multi-colored!

We'll see ya there.

 

[QueenPeaches]

Quote:
We will be there before 10 am or right there at it. The school used our barn for a benefit concert and didnt put things back, so we have to get there early to set everything back up.

We would love to have veggies at the auction. They always seem to do well.

Did you say NN? Wow I am in T-R-O-U-B-L-E!

Yep, We'll try to only bring the really cute NNs to temp you with

We have some of all colors and some are even multi-colored!

We'll see ya there.

GREAT!

 

[muesky]

Evening Everyone!

Just thought I would post real quick to say hi to everyone. Spent the day with Uli's son. Man are those two so much alike, it is so weird it is funny. Ate at Johnnies for dinner and then went bowling, Just for the record I really suck at bowling, but it is still fun.

Ok, I need to make a request. At the auction the other night I purchased two silver laced polish hens and would really like to have a mate for them. If anyone has or know of anyone who has a silver laced polish rooster that is willing to sell him I would be very interested in purchasing said rooster.

Oh and I think that both of the sultans I purchased are hens. When I got them home and put them in the transition pen I threw my sultan rooster in with them and he seems to like both of them. Plus neither has wattles, much of a comb or spurs.

So as many of you know I did a lot of chick ordering from different hatcheries this year rather than hatching, cuz last year I had such bad luck with it. The hatcheries I have ordered from Ideal, Cackle, Nature's (which I will never do again, was totally ripped off), Meyers and Welp. I must say this last batch of birds I received from Welp Hatchery is wonderful. My order consisted of standard dark brahmas and bourbon red turkeys. All of them arrived alive and after a week old all of them are still alive. This is the first time I have ever had that happen. Most of the time a couple die, except the order from Nature's which all but two of 30 died in the first two days.

You know one thing I really love about our Okie BYC thread is hearing people talk about their plans for their flocks, projects, etc. So I would like to share my plan and see what everyone thinks, any suggestions, comments or concerns will be welcomed.
As some of you know my birds primarily are free rangers, hence why I only have bourbon red turkeys. This year I have finally gotten my flock number where I want them so next year I can a good number of eggs and poults. I have been very careful on where I have purchased my turkeys to ensure a diversified bloodline. I am also building nice flocks of salmon favorelles, standard and bantam partridge cochins, as well as a flock of dark brahmas. In addition to this I have a nice selection of blue, black and white ameraucanas which I am excited to see what colors I end up with next year. Plus I have some odds and ends like the sultans, various other breeds of cochins, hopefully silver laced polish and maybe peafowl

. The goal is for my flock to be self-sufficient, as in producing eggs and chicks enough to cover the cost of feed and maybe another coop down the line. I am setting up breeding pens and have two sets of breeding groups of the chicken breeds so I can alternate groups in the pens so no one is in the pen too long. The bourbon reds will just breed free like and some of the eggs I will hatch but most of them I will sell. I figure next year my feed bill will be nearly $200 a month if I can not find a cheaper place to buy feed. Winter is when it is the hardest since the birds cannot forage as much.

So my concerns are whether this is a pipe dream or not. Can I really bring my flock to the point I can make enough to at least pay for feed? What do I need to look out for? The breeds I am choosing to breed are ones that are rare, usually are in demand and are not seen at the auctions very often but prices seem really depressed this year. Next month I am going to order my testing supplies, to test my flock so I will be NPIP certified. Does this seem like a feasible goal? Last year I lost so many of my birds and I am working really hard to make the coop more secure, safe and easier to maintain, not sure if I can make this happen.

Anyway did not mean for this to get to be so long winded. Just wanted to share my plans and get some input from everyone.

Thanks for being patient with me!

 

[okiechick57]

Quote:
on 23rd and Westminster? did you like them? steve sure did

 

[nnbreeder]

Well actually your question brings up a few of my own but the general answer is yes with a stipulation. Costs must be held to bare bones.

I don't remember right off but you have a small acreage right? Do you have any way to plant and work in crops such as Millet or winter wheat?


If you could plant about an acre or so in the fall and use tractors to keep the birds in it will really stretch the feed dollar. You can also buy wheat straw that was baled with the grain in the head.

Check places like Eckroats in OKC or any place that cleans grains like mung beans. Cracked grains and weed seeds come very cheap and most of the time are free. And chickens are not like hoof stock, they won't pass seeds in their droppings that will grow next spring.

Ok now for a few more questions.

What type of ground do you have? Sandy, Clay or somewhere in between? And do you have any equipment at all like a riding mower or tiller?

Seeds germinate best in the top two inches of soil so it doesn't have to be worked very much. We had sand ground when we lived in Enid and I built an "H" frame out of 2x6s and drove 16d nails every 6 inches in the 2x6s and pulled it with the D-50 pick-up. Worked very good to get a start of Wheat to raise a couple of calves with. We just broadcast the seed by hand.

 

[MMPoultryFarms]

Or you can just PM Me for seed wheat and seed milo, Or custom mixed feed, Or anything of that sort, If your paying 200 a month in feed bills I bet I can drop that bill in half.

I can mix any custom feed anyway you like it done I can mimic any tag you have if you e mail me the ingredients. I might not be able to match the exact makingd but I can mimic the % of protein I can medicate the feed for different poultry, I can Non medicate it I can make layer feed or broiler feed. I can make flock raiser or a good starter feed. The only downfall is that I cannot get the consistancy of say a commercial feed as mine are made of grains rolled oats cracked corn ect. here is an example of a 17% layer feed.

I am trying to bring central oklahoma something that no one can really seem to cover our TSC and atwoods so fail at having the neccissary things we chicken farmers and backyard flock owners need. Good fed healthy products and livestock I feel like I sell at a reasonable Price since no bags I have ever received from the stores are 50 lbs bags anyway. feel free to PM me for more information or a contact number.