Quail_Antwerp: Words from the Barnyard...

[Quail_Antwerp]

You didn't sell any?? That would be very stressful for me to have to bring them all back home! I thought the feedstore and you had several people lined up that wanted to buy them.

Yes, but they were expecting me there this morning. When I wasn't there, the feedstore owner told them I would be down tomorrow morning because the chicks had arrived a day late. I didn't take any chicks with me when I went down today because I didn't feel it would be worth the trouble just for a couple hours.

 

[Farmfresh]

I have had three different people I know call me with their small poultry orders -"so you can combine mine with yours" so far this month. Thing is I really was not planning on ordering more layers this year, only broilers and them sometime in June. I guess I will change my plans a little bit and order some chicks (OR maybe my turkeys!) a little early.

I can't complain though... I am the one trying to spread the backyard chicken word!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I've decided that I'm just going to take about 50 of the RIR's down to the feedstore tomorrow morning. DH wants me to KEEP the RIR's! They are his favorite breed of chicken. I spose I don't need to sell ALL of them. So we're going to keep about a dozen or so of the RIR's I guess. I'm not a big fan of RIR's, but if I keep DH happy, I'm happy, so he gets some RIR's.

The 100 free bonus chicks were 50 Barred Rocks and 50 Ameracaunas. My mom took home 3 RIR's and 1 BR, and when I counted the BR's I still have 50! So they must have sent 51. Some of the chicks were DOA, so I did a head count of the BR's (lost none) and the Ameracaunas (lost 7). I'm working on the headcount of the RIR, but I've lost about 20 so far. It was pretty frustrating. They were so cold and weak when they arrived today (which is why I decided not to try to sell any today) and they've been dropping like flies all day. I called Mt. Healthy and told them what was going on and I am glad they are a good 4 hours away from me or I would have drove over and slapped the woman I talked to! She is obviously NOT a chicken person! I told her that some were DOA and that still more were dropping off and her reply was, "Well, they always send extras so you need to count them and see what you have left."

She wants me to count the LIVE chicks! Not the ones that died. I was a bit surprised. I said you do realize I ordered 200 chicks? She said yes I'm looking at your order, and you need to count and see if you still have 200.

Ok, I understand that they want to ONLY refund me for the ones I paid, but I know I counted 200 RIR's and at least 12 of those have expired since I counted. But to make them happy, I'll count the RIR's I have, and if I have less than 200 I will only report the ones that I paid for. No sense counting any extras since they were free.

I guess this surprised me because when I have ordered from McMurray they are always happy to hear from me and any reports on how the chicks fared during shipping. I call and tell them if they made it OK, not just when I have DOA's.

So while I was picking more heat lamps at the feedstore a customer asked if I was the one with the chicks. The owner told them yes she is and she's bringing them down tomorrow. (Love how he talked for me!) The customer looked at me and asked, "Do you have Guinea Keets?" I said, "No" and before I could say anything else, the feedstore owner piped up with, "But she can get them in!" I know he was just trying to be helpful, because he knows this is a main source of income for me and DH right now.

THEN someone else came in and requested DUCKLINGS.

WHAT HAVE I STARTED???????????????????

I had no intentions of doing guineas, and didn't want to try ducklings until after I knew how the chicks would go this year, but it looks like I might be placing an order for keets from Meyers (and picking them up with my chick order) and a duckling order from Metzer farms (which I was planning on doing for myself anyway).

 

[Beekissed]

Quail, the crazy bird lady!!! Pretty soon you will be known far and wide as Aly Dolittle....the wo-man with the plan when it comes to procuring strange and wonderful farm animals!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Aly Dolittle

Hmmm...maybe THIS should be my new title

 

[keljonma]

I think you need to the guy at the feed store!

If he wants to sell whatever a customer wants to buy... maybe his line should be

If you put down a good-faith non-refundable deposit, we'll get the birds you want.

That way you won't end up with a zoo at your place.... unless you want to keep running unwanted birds to the auction.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I think you need to the guy at the feed store!

If he wants to sell whatever a customer wants to buy... maybe his line should be

If you put down a good-faith non-refundable deposit, we'll get the birds you want.

That way you won't end up with a zoo at your place.... unless you want to keep running unwanted birds to the auction.

That's how I felt. I think because I had made arrangements with the lady wanting ducklings, he just assumed I do that for anyone. Um, no. I was planning on the ducklings for myself, anyway, and this lady just wants to go in on an order with me. It's not like I'm making a special order for ducklings.

But the guineas are a special order. I am going to make the couple pay for the guineas upfront before I pick them up, though. No way am I going to be stuck with 12 guinea keets!

 

[PamsPride]

LOL!! I have heard that guineas are LOUD!!! So if you are stuck with them....YIKES!! Of course I have been wanting some guineas...but only one or two! So they can carry on and make a rukus when the neighbors dog comes around!

How did you get 100 chicks for free?? Was there a buy 200 get 100 free deal going on?


Aly DoLittle!!! That is funny!!

 

[Beekissed]

Next thing ya know, she will post a pic with a title of "Look at the bargain I got on this llama!"

And the pic will show a Push-Me, Pull-Me......

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Next thing ya know, she will post a pic with a title of "Look at the bargain I got on this llama!"

And the pic will show a Push-Me, Pull-Me......

What's a Push-Me, Pull-Me?

Yes, Pam, guineas are loud, mean, and annoying. We had a pair last year. I unloaded them on some unknowing sucker for $30! He emailed me later and told me that the male had become his buddies dinner because he was sooooo mean! Said he was pretty tasty.

DH wants guineas. No way! That is one critter I don't want back here!