UPCOMING MINNESOTA POULTRY SWAPS These are for 2009- all over with!!!

[fasbendera]

Are there any Swaps closer to the metro area coming up? I would love to go and take my dad and son.

 

[Chickenaddict]

Fasbendera I believe the season of swaps has ended close to the metro at least the ones I know about are done until spring. Whatcha looking for? Anything in particular?

 

[fasbendera]

I just wanted to go to one and hopefully next year I will be able to. If all the young ones make it I will have a flock of 27. I think I am hooked on the Mille Fleur but who knows what you would come across in a swap. I want to try and sneak a couple of ducks in under the DH radar in the next year so that would be a perfect way. The only thing I can say is that my girls are cheaper than the dog but I love all of them the same.

 

[Chickenaddict]

I have a pair of call ducks for sale at the moment as well as a pair of white silkies and a few other mixed bantam cockerels if any of those are of an interest to you. Where abouts in MN are you? There are monthly swaps in isanti and princeton at the federated co ops also spring and fall swaps at houles in forest lake and stillwater if any of those are close to you.

 

[destiny_56085]

Just got home from the New Ulm show. We had a decent sized for sale section. Luckily we had a separate barn just for them. Not many outside sales due to the snow we got on friday night. The show itself had right about 1,100 entries. I'll post pictures and get most of the results up later. Its now late sunday afternoon and I've had a grand total of 5 hours sleep since thursday. My feet hurt and I need a nap.

On a good note.... we got rid of all our extra birds we wanted to and came home with only what we needed. Lots of hugs and seeing old friends. Our birds did amazingly well! Our family claimed 2 of the spots up on champion row. Our old royal palm tom "Louie" got champion turkey. There were only 8 turkeys there though so not that big of a feat. One of my lil white silkie pullets floored me. Out of 143 featherlegs, she went reserve champion in that category with lots of very tough competition. Mark Peterson won it again with one of his bantam black cochins. Overall grand champion of the show went to Adrian & Mary Ann Rademacher with the best standard rhode island red cockerel that I have ever seen.
Amy

 

[WiseChicks]

Rachel -

Yes, the cold and snow took me by surprise, and I spent all weekend in panic mode creating a temporary outdoor coop with heat lamp. I woke up Saturday morning to 4 inches of heavy wet snow and 3 dead birds.

So, I borrowed an ice fishing house and jury-rigged it with a tarp floor, pine bedding and a heat lamp. It is a cozy fit, but everyone stays warm and dry. I only have a few Silkies too stupid to go in ther on their own, so each evening Michael and I have to do a sweep of the yard and pluck birds out of trees and off fences to get them in the ice house.

Dragon was one of the 3 birds lost, but Sugar, Spice and Peanut were all fine. They are now in the livingroom in a giant kennel in front of the picture window. I put a perch and a nest box in there. At night, Peanut curls up in the nest and Sugar and Spice sleep on the perch. Dingbat birds!

My 2 Silkies that I forced to go broody (overnight) are doing great. Chicks should hatch next weekend! They are each sitting on 17 eggs in a kennel in my bedroom draped with a sheet. Very easy to keep clean.... just scoop up the broody poop. No pine bedding kicked around or anything!

I have GOT to get the garage cleared out SOON!

katie

 

[Chickenaddict]

Katie-
I am so sorry to hear about dragon

I wasn't prepared for this either and ended up putting 2 heat lamps in the garage on top of the heat vent because there are still a few broodies with chicks out there. Fortunately all survived thanks to the 500 watts of heat lol. How about the young pair? I hope they made it ok and the frizzle

Lil bit (smudges daughter) and her sister who is 3 times her size and looks almost exactly like spice had to come in due to daisy deciding she wanted nothing more to do with them. So far it has been a hectic start to an early winter eh . I think peanut is indestructible hearty lil bugger lol. I wish he'd snuggle with his girls tho! Patches the new roo and his girls had an unsuccessful intro to the rest of the seramas and him and whitey went head to head, then bernie stepped in for a slice of the action and in walks the big fluffy peace keeper dudley, with one swift kick to each of the boys chests broke up the madness then calmly walked away. I have also had my fill with these obnoxiously messy call ducks, betty and baxter have got to go! If you or anyone else on here wants them come n get em lol. Hopefully we get some decent weather this weekend to resume winterizing everything without getting either snowed on or rained on

 

[WiseChicks]

Rachel -

No ducks for me, thank you! Try putting them on Craigslist!

The silver-pencil frizzle is inside in the brooder.... she is huge compared to the babies, but they snuggle her, so it all works. She just finished molting and is starting to look STUNNING! I brought in that little baby grey bird, too. The odd polish/serama goofball is still outside. She has been adopted by my mille-cochins.

Yeah, Peanut doesn't seem to snuggle the girls, but as long as he isn't a queer roo, I'm fine.

I have 4 cages of birds in my house right now, and so I am REALLY hoping the weather is good this weekend to get the garage cleared out!!

I just got another mille-cochin hen and a mottled d'Uccle roo from CA this morning. I have decided to jump into the mille-cochin project. Michael wants to cross a mille fleur d'Uccle with a partridge silkie.... I think it would be pretty. I am also in favor of a mottled d'Uccle x black silkie mix. That black silkie trio I picked up at the swap? They have been thriving in our yard and are GORGEOUS!!! Big fluffy poofs and beards and great cushions.

Katie

 

[Chickenaddict]

Katie-
I put an ad on CL and got no bites and you know me I am super picky who I sell anything to, people are interested in the other bantams... to eat em..... You know who I am reffering to

I refuse to sell them to those people! I just don't think ornamental bantams are for eating purposes but some folks will eat darn near anything lol. Glad the polish/serama mix is doing well and the others you picked up along the way! I bet the frizzle is stunning!!!
I had a hard time parting with it but because I figured it was a roo it had to go. I have always been very fond of the mille cochins as well but can't afford to buy any and have them shipped in, maybe next spring I will get some hatching mille cochin eggs then again I may just expand my serama flock and eventually part with the cochins. You beat me by one pen in the house LOL that is until I build a new one for bernie and the old crew, so far they seem to be doing well as long as it is 40-50 in the garage.

here is to a dry sunny warm weekend!

Rachel

 

[WiseChicks]

Rachel -

Do you have another Serama roo??? We got up this morning and Peanut was all curled up in the nest, head under wing, dead! I am wondering if he took a chill last Friday in the snow that got Dragon?? He'd been a bit sneezy, and his comb was a bit pale, but I figured getting him inside and spiking the weater with vitamins would take care of it.

Sugar and Spice were still on the perch, sound asleep. I feel so bad. Last night he sat on my shoulder at the computer for over an hour.

Katie