Monday, September 19, 2011

Gilmanor Farm sale a huge hit!


It was once again time to drag myself out of bed at dark o'thirty to get ready for one of my most favorite of fall festivities: The Gilmanor Farm sale. Most people who bring birds to this sale do spend a great deal of time preparing for this event, and I was no different. Many more hours go into preparing everything for this event than a horse show I'd go to. But as always, after all the eye rubbing, chicken packing, coffee drinking and chicken unpacking, it's always a great day.

My friend and I pulled in around 6:45am, and got set up. I didn't even have some birds out of the truck yet and I sold a rooster. Most of my sales were done before 10am, and the noon rush before the rain hit sent the rest of my birds on their way. To my great pleasure a good portion of my birds went to some wonderful people that I knew from the online poultry groups I belong to, and other birds went to people that I could tell genuinely were so excited to have the bird they were buying, especially the lovely lady who bought my blue maran pullet, and the young teenager who bought my buff orpington pullet. Such a joy to see people so excited over my chickens.

I was able to bring home a lovely exchequer leghorn pullet to add to my breeding group, as well as some wonderful jellies, and a chicken-shaped fly swatter (because who doesn't need one of those!) I spent the afternoon moving birds around, adding roosts and new nesting boxes, and making sure everyone was doing fine in the new colder weather that was coming in. I also have a new scratch recipe, so I tried that out on them. From their response, I'd say that was chicken thumbs-up all the way around.



The first hatch of quails made it out, and the second hatch will be making their way into the world tonight or tomorrow. The very last hatch of this year will be some outstanding Welsummers from great lines. They will be out in mid-October.

Our best wishes for a wonderful Fall for everyone. Our NPIP testing will be sometime in October or November, with the first chicks of 2012 making their appearance in early March.

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