Swift Current Hooves and Feather's Sale Saturday April 20, 2013

Swift Current will be hosting it's farm display and information sessions on Friday April 19th 2013. The exotic market sale will happen Saturday in conjunction with the displays as well.
More information on times and costs will come later.

Good to hear, might not have much for young birds but it should be about the time where I'll be getting rid of some of the older ones.

Wow they are doing a lot of advertising for this event this year!
I bet there are going to be lots of people looking for chickens here.
The nicest thing (for this time of Year)is that it is all indoors in a heated convention hall!
Is there anyone else on here that is planning to sell at it?

I saw the ad in the Western Producer now for this one, also for Watrous and Indian Head.

Yes I finally saw the Western Producer Ad. Saw it briefly on Swift Current Online, and heard they were doing radio clips in the Swift Current area.
Should be a good sale.
I have had people coming all week picking up chicks to beat the sale rush.
I have a hatch in a couple days to deliver to the sale, and some odds and ends I will be taking as well.
Assorted chicks, started pullets, geese and maybe ducklings if I get some to hatch.

So, how'd the sale go? What did everyone buy?

The sale was very good. Sold almost everything I took, so leaves me scrambling for stuff to take to the next sale.
We came home with 8 little pullets (that were sold today) and couple unsexed cochin chicks, that was it. My oldest found a little button quail running around the sale building, so she took it to the lady selling quail and was given the quail...So we ended up buying a few more so it had company, not sure how excited I am about entering into owning button quail...Lots for her to learn I guess.
My youngest spend her earnings on an Alpaca teddy bear, it is super soft and adorable but extremely expensive...But she felt it was worth it so she bought it.

There were I think 8 consignors there, lots of buyers through and a lot of spectators as well, was a good day.

Nice! Sounds like you need more product Jayme.
I bet the button quail are adorable. The little wild one we rescued and released was sooo tiny.

The sale was great, I sold everything but 5 birds, was kept pretty busy from start to finish. Was extremely happy with how it turned out.

Yes very well run, well set up , INDOOR heated sale with sturdy table provided and plastic to cover them and power spots.
Great opportunity to showcase your breeds and get info out there to the public. Swift Current is gradually coming to appreciate the heritage breeds I think.
Also, it's one of the few sales Ive seen HR at without a winter coat on!
Big plans underway for next (will be the 3rd one)but Im hoping for a later date, maybe May 3 2014-that would suit me a bit better with more chicks to bring along.

Yes Miry they kept the temperature very adequate for me. I did have a new Hidden River hoody on though so that helped.
I was happy with the turn out of people, a lot more bird people than last year and some drove from quite a distance to be there, so that was nice to see as well.

I see there were two good articles about this event, this one in the Prairie Post mostly highlights the Educational day of the event:
Love the pic here of the kids seeing the hatched chicks:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
There was also a good article in the SW Booster which has good photos of the poultry station, a nice boost for Chantecler chickens and a head shot of our own Chantecler_eh? in full swing, educating the kids!
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
I am hoping they can put it on a little later next year, hopefully early May, they plan to have a 2 day education then Sat is for the market style sale with half the booths for animal vendors and half for antiques/crafts etc.
I think the education part with the schoolkids is great and then they can bring their families back on the Sat for the animal/poultry sale.

I took my Cloverbud 4-H group there on Friday for the farm safety and they really enjoyed it and learned a lot. It was well put on, and hopefully they will include some farm animal safety next year.
Here are some pictures I took of the safety day.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Farmyard safety display, talked about overhead powerlines, dangers of grain piles/bins, lagoon dangers, and traffic in the farmyard dangers.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Chantecler_eh? doing his display and talk on heritage poultry, he had a hard time competing against the cutest little button quail chicks but he got their attention and did his talk.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
This lady did a talk on basic first aid if you can across an injured friend on what to do. The kids got a chance to try the bandaging.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
This was the beef breeders booth, they discussed different things related to cattle and all ruminants. They even had a big bull there for the kids to look at.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Here are my cloverbud kids checking out the donkey.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
They even had a cow to milk there.

Here are a few from the sale the next day.
Our Sales Booth
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Some of the other booths
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

There were more booths but we were so busy that I had my tour cut short when my hubby signaled me to come back to the booth and sell things.

May daughter near the end of the sale, she calmed the Australorp pullet in to a sleep with her.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]