The Old Folks Home

[vehve]

Bama, what did you hatch this time?

 

[bamadude]

Bama, what did you hatch this time?

Rhode Island reds, buff orpingtons, and dominiques....
After we get these out of the bator we will be hatching our own eggs. Looking forward to seeing our new crosses. Houdan x brahmas. Silkie x brahma. Isbars x crested cream legbar. Isbar x cuckoo Marans. Blue copper Marans x Crested cream legbar. Wheaten Marans x crested cream legbar. Blue copper Marans x buff brahma. Wheaten Marans x buff brahma. Isbar x buff brahma. And a few others

 

[vehve]

You're going to get a super cool egg basket out of those.

 

[bamadude]

Hopefully some cool looking birds too

 

[chickadoodles]

SCG Awwweee so sweet!

 

[chickadoodles]

Everyone up north or in the path of these storms stay warm and safe! Arielle I would have kept my kids home aslo!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

OK, I'm 200 posts behind and promise to catch up but I need a little advice.

I posted my birds on craigslist back in December. Someone from GA contacted me about buying a trio. They wanted to see pictures of the breeders to seal the deal. They had been searching for some for 2 years. (about the same amount of time it took me to find some) The original plan was to send them express mail.
I began the process of getting a form 9-3 and permit from the GA poultry dept. I bought adult size poultry shipping boxes, I bought excelsior mats for box lining. Those came to $32 for the shipment. Express mail would have been about $70 or more for 2 boxes.
The GA NPIP office had recently moved and they kept giving me the wrong fax number. It was also during Christmas and New Years weeks so my NPIP people didn't respond in a timely manner.
The buyer called and told me I didn't need a permit to send to GA because he "gets birds and eggs shipped to him all the time and never had one".
I told him that I don't plan on doing anything illegal because I don't want a fine.
I questioned the Georgia NPIP manager about this and she said Georgia state law requires an annual permit and form 9-3 to import any poultry or eggs into the state, which I already knew to be the case.
In the same phone call, the buyer also suggested that even though he still wanted them, my birds weren't up to par because he likes combs to be erect. I informed him that only the roosters combs should be erect and hens are supposed to flop over. He asked, "are they allowed to or supposed to"? I told him that all Mediterranean class hens combs are supposed to flop over, look at the standard.

Every correct Leghorn, Minorca, Ancona, Andalusian, Penedesenca and Spanish hen's comb flops to the side of the face.

I spent last week going over all my birds to find the best trio of 6 month old birds and put them in a breeder unit with fresh bedding so they'd be nice and clean when they arrived. It's been raining here.

So because the mail was slow from MO to GA, they had a new plan, to have them hand carried.
This was the e-mail I got from his wife.

"I think I have an alternative. I have a friend that lives near St. Louis who is coming south Monday. Would they be able to come Sat to pick the birds up in person? If so can you send me an address and also the total price for the birds.

Jen"

So I called her to find out what the disposition of the birds would be between Saturday and the trip on Monday. In that phone conversation, I gave her my home address and she assured me the birds would be well cared for and not kept near her friends birds in the interim.

So from this point forward, till late last night, I'm in contact with her friend who is showing at a dog show all weekend. In our Friday conversation she was going to come on Saturday after the dog show. When I called her on Saturday to find out what time, she said it was going to be Sunday but she didn't know when but after the show, depending on how her dogs did. I bought a bale of straw for bedding since I decided to save the excelsior for nest boxes. I went to Lowes and bought medium shipping boxes to save the poultry shippers for a future mailing. I was in the process of packing the birds when she called and had left the show and wanted to meet me at the intersection of I-44 and Jefferson in downtown St. Louis cause that was on her way to GA. That's about a half hour from my house. So I put the birds in the car and headed out. About half way there, she called and said I wasn't there so she was leaving.
Huh?
I then called the buyer and he was irate with ME! As far as he knew, apparently I was supposed to bring the birds to the dog show. Does anyone read anything in the above e-mail that suggests I'm supposed to chase that lady all over the territory carrying my birds?
The guy was literally screaming at me over the phone like the whole fiasco was my fault. I didn't even know where the dog show was, maybe my powers of clairvoyance aren't as sharp as they should be.
Now he wants the whole $100 back which was the price for a trio if they were to be picked up.

Suggestions?

Maybe I should refund the whole thing and write it off as a lesson to not sell birds to morons. At least I can probably use the shippers and other things for other purposes.

 

[vehve]

I think you should explain to the guy all the trouble you've gone through, ask him what he thinks is a reasonable sum to pay for your troubles, and then agree on returning half of his money.

 

[chickwhispers]

I'm not all caught up, but no way I can. So congrats to those with hatches and new chickies. Hope no one is ill. and good wishes for all.

Wow @ChickenCanoe ! That's awful!! My only suggestion would be to put all terms in writing, attach as an email, have them reply that they accept the terms. And include a policy that you won't deliver, and no refunds for their errors.

 

[chickwhispers]

x2 on what vehve said for this time around.