Quail_Antwerp: Words from the Barnyard...

[Quail_Antwerp]

So, I traded three ducks today for three Bourbon Red Turkey hens... Good trade!

For good measure, he threw in a pair of Roman Tufted Geese and his last trio of Embdens!! (the embdens were a reverse trio, 2 ganders 1 goose).

Becca took the Embdens home with her, as she needs at least the goose, and she's going to decide which Gander she wants to keep. The extras will go to sale.

I cannot wait to set some Roman Tufted eggs!!! But, since she's already laying, I think it would be easier to just allow her to make her nest and hatch them herself.

Oh yea - the Roman Tufted Gander is the same Gander that ofg's toulouse, Penny, had a fling with on the side while OD was incarcerated

Dear Hubby found some BLRW cockerels on craigslist today - some very nice ones at that - I am thinking of calling and making a few inquiries as the seller claims they come from the top 3 breeders in the US. I'm going to ask a few questions before I jump and buy. Plus, there's another person on CL with some gorgeous BLRW and selling them in pairs, so I could possibly go that route and get a blue roo and a blue hen to add to my splash. (I'd be just selling the splash roo!)

I also think that 5 of my 6 BLRW in the outdoor brooder are roos. They are all splash, except 1, and the only blue one I think is a girl.

Anyway, if I make arrangements to go pick up a BLR Roo or a pair, it will mean a trip to Columbus. Worth it, IMO, for good breeding stock.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

It's Monday.

Ya'll realize that means I went to Auction, right?

Yep, we went.

I took 3 ducklings, the chicken gals that got served their pink slips last week, and some metal chicken waterers that were just hanging around here and not being used. I hate metal waterers.

Everyone brought prices I was happy with, and I'll be seeing a check on Wednesday.

I bought nothing.

Now pick yourselves up off your floors, ok?

I took two baby bunnies down to the local feedstore today, too, and sold them. YAY.

I have three rabbits left. That's it. I had somewhere around 11 rabbits right after Christmas, and we're down to - count 'em - THREE.

My mom wants one of them, the other two will be going to Friday Auction this week at Roger's.

I've also decided that I don't need two color varieties of call ducks. I'm planning to sell the breeding quad of Pastel Calls and keep the Blue Fawn pieds.

That's the plan anyway - we'll see if I actually make myself do it or not.

I think I'm sending all of my Speckled Sussex to BeccaOh. Maybe my flock of Welsummers, too, and I have this gorgeous pair of Heritage Dominiques that I hatched last spring myself that might be sold.

Thing is, I have been talking/planning to sell those Dominiques since they hatched. I've had no intentions of having Doms, but Dang! if these aren't the most beautiful Dom's I've seen! No wonder Hatchery Dom's never appealled to me! The pair I have are just gorgeous, and well, I don't want them to go to just anyone. I'm hoping to find a Dom enthusiast who'll recognize them for the beautiful birds they are. I think they'd make a great addition to someone's breeder flock.

Shoot. I think I have to keep 'em.

We got two Turkey eggs today and the Roman Tufted's were so comfortable in their new surroundings that they engaged in full on PDA....DH came running in and said, "Omg, those new geese of yern are raunchy!"



As much as I had wanted Blue Swedish ducks, I'm beginning to think I wasn't supposed to have them. E V E R. My first pair were stolen from my back yard in '07, and now the pair I have is defective. My Blue Swede Duck either doesn't want, or has no abilities, to lay eggs. Not only that, but when she runs, it's almost like she's running in the special olympics - except it's the duck version of special olympics. She cannot keep her balance when she runs, and she almost seems asthmatic if stressed.

They have until Friday. I know they are playing the mating game, and she sets on a "nest" and pretends she's laid an egg, but dog gone it, if there's no egg by Friday - good bye and hello Auction.

I did put them in a new pen away from all other waterfowl today to see if that helps. My WH duck wasn't laying, either, until I separated her from all waterfowl. So...

I guess that's about it. Dinner is in the oven - BBQ chicken.

Tomorrow it's a day trip to Meyer Hatchery where I'm picking up some Black Copper Maran chicks...and then it's home to get some work done...

 

[justusnak]

OK, REALLY!??? YOU didnt buy anything!??????? NO FAIR!! And they said the weather was going to be NICE....thanks alot! Now its gonna snow! Im haveing a hard time with decisions on poultry here as well. I will be getting BC Marans soon...but have no place to put them. :/ I have a pen of older RIR mix...but..they were my first flock ( 4 yrs ago) and i have grown quite attached to them. Then I have the BO. They really are great layers...and good sizes for eating. Then, my BR. The BEST layers of all. They definately get to stay...and, the Wellies. I DO like them, but JEESH that rooster ( Screamer) is a NUT case! The girls are friendly...but wow...bring on the feathered straight jacket for this roo! So, Maybe the wellies can go...Hmm...or MAYBE hubby can build ANOTHER pen!

 

[Up-the-Creek]

Chickens,..ducks,...chickens,...ducks! Im going into chicken withdraw! I must have baby chicks! Yep,..it's Spring!

ALY,...I cannot BELIEVE you didn't buy anything at auction,...

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Yes, it's true. I went to the auction and I didn't bid on a single thing.

The only birds they had there that I would have been remotely interested in were Silver Spangled Hamburg hens, but they sold for way more than I would have paid for them. Especially since they'd been the unfortunate recipients of some obvious rooster abuse. They were all bare backed and scraggly - but 2 of the 4 in the cage popped out eggs while being in the cage and their price skyrocketed.

plus - we watched a hen keel over in her cage and that was well, quite traumatic! and it drew the crowd!

there was a roo and a little gold hen in an end cage together, and right before the bidding wars started, the little gold hen flopped on her side, left wing extended towards the top of the sale cage, and she starts screaming! everyone kind of looked and someone asked, "is she dying?" and then as we all watched she kicked her legs 2....3....4 times and then screamed one last looooong piercing scream...

and died.

wow.

and the stupid roo in her cage sold for $4.50!!!!!!!!!!!

I backed away from those sale cages in a hurry! I said who knows what that dying chicken breathed on all the other poultry!!

they removed her from the cage before the sale and disposed of her, but still. Ew!

 

[Up-the-Creek]

Yes, it's true. I went to the auction and I didn't bid on a single thing.

The only birds they had there that I would have been remotely interested in were Silver Spangled Hamburg hens, but they sold for way more than I would have paid for them. Especially since they'd been the unfortunate recipients of some obvious rooster abuse. They were all bare backed and scraggly - but 2 of the 4 in the cage popped out eggs while being in the cage and their price skyrocketed.

plus - we watched a hen keel over in her cage and that was well, quite traumatic! and it drew the crowd!

there was a roo and a little gold hen in an end cage together, and right before the bidding wars started, the little gold hen flopped on her side, left wing extended towards the top of the sale cage, and she starts screaming! everyone kind of looked and someone asked, "is she dying?" and then as we all watched she kicked her legs 2....3....4 times and then screamed one last looooong piercing scream...

and died.

wow.

and the stupid roo in her cage sold for $4.50!!!!!!!!!!!

I backed away from those sale cages in a hurry! I said who knows what that dying chicken breathed on all the other poultry!!

they removed her from the cage before the sale and disposed of her, but still. Ew!

OMG! That is awful! That poor girl!

 

[Henrietta23]

So if that poor hen hadn't died you might have bought something???
Sorry, couldn't resist. That poor bird!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

So if that poor hen hadn't died you might have bought something???
Sorry, couldn't resist. That poor bird!

Probably not, but if I had wanted something, that bird keeling like that would have definitely made me put the brakes on any bird bids.

Also, we saw a 100 gallon water tank sell for $55 - USED, with a potentially bad seal, AND it was missing the plug to the drain. I loudly said, "Ya'll are dumb! the drive through feedstore has 100 gallon stock tanks, NEW and WITH their drain plugs for $75!!!!!!!!

Yea, someone got ripped off!

Locusts fence posts only brought $3.10 today!

They had a nice two sided rabbit hutch there, too, but we didn't stick around to see what that brought. E said we could build one just like it, only better.

Plus, I'm saving my little bit of spending money for the trip to Meyer's tomorrow.....

 

[Up-the-Creek]

Man! I want to go to Meyers!! I guess Ill just have to call them.
(shhhh,...I want some silkies )

 

[FarmerDenise]

I want some dark brown egg layers!! Sure wish we lived closer
I'd love to take those Welsummers off your hands.

Our feed store is supposed to get some Cockoo Marans in this spring. Hope it's good timing for me, I am not getting chicks unless I have a hen to raise them! Really!! I mean it!!!
I'm getting goat bottle babies, that should keep me busy and kitten season is about to start. I DO NOT NEED CHICKS!!!

Let us know what your getting tomorrow. As if we could stop you