Quote:
for our little TSC swaps, i try to keep some boxes to fit the birds i'm selling. many people have cat/dog crates and just toss all the new birds in together. i think it's a matter of what you're comfortable with. personally it would depend on the ages of the birds. most chickens will do fine boxed, but if it's too warm could overheat easily. for chicks, i use a box or small cat/bird carrier, for bigger birds i use larger cages or crates.
another thing i bring with me to swaps are extra nylon/cloth feed bags (they each hold 100 pounds of feed from our local mill). in a pinch they can be used to 'house' birds that won't fit into the available boxes or crates. they're soft and won't damage feathers, close with a zip tie, and being a fabric, the birds won't suffocate in them. down side, they're not 'leak proof' and they don't stack well. so be sure to have plenty of room to put whatever you get and bring an old sheet/blanket/whatever to cover seats if you don't want errant shavings and/or poops on them.
since i have birds already, all new (fully feathered) birds are bathed and treated for lice/mites/worms, then go into quarantine away from my existing birds for at least 2 weeks, then into a separate pen for at least a couple more weeks before joining the rest of the flock. chicks are another story for me. mine have only come from hatched eggs or npip sources and i'll combine them in the brooder, then migrate them outside much as i would any of my other chicks. by the time they meet the rest of the flock they're between 6-8 weeks old anyways.
i always try to be prepared for anything... whether you're buying or selling, it's always a good idea to have the following:
extra cages (boxes, crates, whatever)
food and water dishes (hanging is good unless you like food and water on the floor, seat, windows...)
food (chick starter/grower is good for any age bird)
water, baby wipes (poop happens) and hand sanitizer.
I also keep a tarp, bungee cords, tie downs, etc in the truck for when i need to put birds in the back (tarp keeps the wind off them, tie downs keep the crates/cages from sliding around)
almost all of that lives in my 'go box', in addition to a small tote that permanently resides in the truck (under the drivers seat), including wire cutters, pliers, adjustable wrench, a hammer, zip ties, and duct tape.
ETA: ok yeah i'm a bit 'organized' (maybe slightly obsessive about it...)
can't say for gilmanor, but it sounds a lot bigger than i've been to before...Hey - to those going to Gilmanor. I've never been to a chicken swap before. Actually, I don't think I've been to any sort of swap before. What should I expect?
Something sort of like the poultry section of the state fair...????
I've got a few really newbie questions.I would assume these things pretty much cash only - right? If I'm hoping to try and pick up just a chick or two from several different breeds... should I tote a kitty carrier along with me?? Would that be "frowned upon" for bio-security reasons?? Should I plan to pick out birds - put them in the truck - come back and look some more???
What advice would you give to a first-time-chick-Mom and her first ever chicken swap?
for our little TSC swaps, i try to keep some boxes to fit the birds i'm selling. many people have cat/dog crates and just toss all the new birds in together. i think it's a matter of what you're comfortable with. personally it would depend on the ages of the birds. most chickens will do fine boxed, but if it's too warm could overheat easily. for chicks, i use a box or small cat/bird carrier, for bigger birds i use larger cages or crates.
another thing i bring with me to swaps are extra nylon/cloth feed bags (they each hold 100 pounds of feed from our local mill). in a pinch they can be used to 'house' birds that won't fit into the available boxes or crates. they're soft and won't damage feathers, close with a zip tie, and being a fabric, the birds won't suffocate in them. down side, they're not 'leak proof' and they don't stack well. so be sure to have plenty of room to put whatever you get and bring an old sheet/blanket/whatever to cover seats if you don't want errant shavings and/or poops on them.
since i have birds already, all new (fully feathered) birds are bathed and treated for lice/mites/worms, then go into quarantine away from my existing birds for at least 2 weeks, then into a separate pen for at least a couple more weeks before joining the rest of the flock. chicks are another story for me. mine have only come from hatched eggs or npip sources and i'll combine them in the brooder, then migrate them outside much as i would any of my other chicks. by the time they meet the rest of the flock they're between 6-8 weeks old anyways.
i always try to be prepared for anything... whether you're buying or selling, it's always a good idea to have the following:
extra cages (boxes, crates, whatever)
food and water dishes (hanging is good unless you like food and water on the floor, seat, windows...)
food (chick starter/grower is good for any age bird)
water, baby wipes (poop happens) and hand sanitizer.
I also keep a tarp, bungee cords, tie downs, etc in the truck for when i need to put birds in the back (tarp keeps the wind off them, tie downs keep the crates/cages from sliding around)
almost all of that lives in my 'go box', in addition to a small tote that permanently resides in the truck (under the drivers seat), including wire cutters, pliers, adjustable wrench, a hammer, zip ties, and duct tape.
ETA: ok yeah i'm a bit 'organized' (maybe slightly obsessive about it...)
Last edited:
) I did post in the newbie section introducing myself, so I'll spare the details here. Looking forward to figuring this all out.
