hokiefan,
Auctions are risky, if you are looking for utility stock you will generally find the common ones there, AKA sexlinks, RIR, ect but usually they are spent hens. That said there are also birds that could be carriers or have obvious diseases. You will need to invest some time into obvious characteristics distinctions.
You have just missed one of the best Swap meets in your area that was advertised in the Poultry Press. It was at Gilmanor Farms in Glen Allen, Virginia. They will have a show in the spring at the same time. Anything that you can imagine will probably be there for sale. Hope someone from Virginia can give you the addresses of a local auction. Good luck. HS
its just when we lived in sc i remember me and my family going to the poultry auctions and had a fun time at it watching everything go through and eating at the restaurant on premises and just about anything we could do. no that im have my own family my father is disabled and i was wanting to surprise him by taking him out and getting him some new chickens or just to let him enjoy hisself..
The only one I know of close by is in Mountain City, TN. I don't reccomend it for "quality stock", but they do have a restaurant on premises. This is the link to the auction:
Quote:
Agree's with Jewell, sometimes you can find really good birds expecially during the early spring and summer months but your taking a BIG BIG risk on bringing home sick birds.
Sadly, the auctions of today are often not what we remember from our youth...or in this case, your dad's youth.
My grandpa used to take me to the livestock auctions every week and we would eat at the restaurant on premises and I could walk on the cat walks and look down at all of the cattle/sheep/goats etc.
Today, it isnt nearly as nice...at least not in my experience here in SWVA.
Might not be the walk down memory lane that you would want.
But, bring him to the Swap in October. We'll set him up with some new birds!