A local feed store offered to allow owners of small livestock to bring in any animals for sale, and at no charge, allow folks to buy and sell using their ample space. I looked at this as an opportunity to get some more laying hens to increase my egg production, and, hopefully, use my rabbits as a way to fund it. Since I typically sold my weaned kits for $10 each, this should be no problem.

So I loaded up a litter of seven 8 week old weaned kits, in hopes of selling or trading them into some more laying hens. In an effort to get my youngest interested in the livestock I raise, I brought her along to watch the old man at work.

Upon my arrival, I saw several vehicles with chickens in the back. However, everything that was currently there was either already sold, or not of an appropriate type. One family even had Cornish cross chickens that were barely able to stand up, they grew out so fast (a reason to avoid buying factory chicken, but at least these were not packed like sardines).  So I set up my rabbits in a spot of shade, gave them some water…and waited.

Not long after setting up, another wanna-be livestock trader arrived, this one with three young (3-4 months old) hens and a rooster, all frizzles. A frizzle looks like it has been in a hurricane, facing away from the wind, and all its feathers were blown back, permanently. I’ve owned some before and they are friendly birds, and while they aren’t the best egg-layers, they do make good backyard birds.

So I went into my power negotiator mode, and finally arrived at $5 a head, but only if I bought all 4, the roo included. Living in town, roos are to be avoided most times, as they draw attention. However, I am willing to deal with this one, as I was told he rarely crows, and knowing that when he starts doing it regularly, I’ll be having a fresh chicken dinner. So now I am down $20, and haven’t sold a rabbit yet, though I’d had several inquiries.

After closing the deal on the frizzles, the ex-owner went into the store, mentioning that there were baby chicks on the loading dock, that the store was having a special, and that he enjoyed raising chickens so much, he would probably be buying some more. Em wanted to see the baby birds, so I took her up to the dock and cut her loose to watch and play with them, once I had the approval of the employees to do so.

Back at the rabbits, I had someone ask to trade out two of my New Zealand/AlTex cross meat rabbits for a breeding pair of Netherlands, a smaller breed, typically raised for pets. Here is where my brain seemed to short circuit for a bit. I said yes. Closed the deal, and two of my rabbits left with their new owners. Five minutes later, I realized that in now way do Netherlands fit into what I have in mind for my rabbitry. Poop. And other four-lettered words.

While this was going on, the gentleman who sold me the frizzles, with the help of Em, had picked out another 10 chicks to take home. As “payment” for helping pick out the best ones, he gave one of his chicks to Em, as long as I was ok with it. With the big eyes of a child knowing how to play her father, she asked if she could PUUULLLEEEASE keep it…

Standing my ground as best I could, I told her no, and that a baby chick cannot be raised alone very well. When she say I was serious, she started to turn back crest-fallen. Seeing her disappointment, and thinking of the line from the Kenny Chesney song,  “A Lot Of Things Different” where he said “it wouldn’t have hurt nothing”, I caved and told her the best thing to do was to go get some more to take him with it.

The special was “buy a feeder, a waterer, and a 50lb bag of feed, get up to 10 straight-run (no guarantee on sex, you get what hatched out) chicks for free”. So Em picked out a the required hardware, I selected the version of the feed I wanted (that will also work for my quail I already have), and she then picked out 10 more chicks. Cost was $29.00 total.

To recap, I no had 15 chickens, none laying eggs for at least another two months, some not for 5 or 6 months, some of those will are male anyway, two rabbits I did not want, 5 I haven’t been able to sell, and out $49.00. Lovely.

So we loaded up our new chicks in the truck so Em could play with them while I tried to move the last rabbits. I could still make out, if I could sell these 5….but for the next 45 minutes, nothing more than a few folks that wanted to pet them, but had no desire to buy any.

Resigned to my fate, I started to load up my rabbits, when I was stopped by a gentleman that wanted to know what breed they were. I explained they were New Zealands crosses with AlTex- a terminal sire breed used to produce a marketable rabbit 7-10 days earlier, resulting in an additional litter per year in heavy production rabbitries. He was intrigued by the AlTex story, so asked the price. He apparently had better instructors in his negotiating classes, because when I told him $10 per, he thanked me and walked back to his truck. As he climbed in, he paused and said would you take $25 for the five?

Knowing I was beat, I accepted, took my $25, packed up my two Netherlands and my 15 not-yet laying-egg-chickens, and went home.

Score at the end of the day:
$20 paid out for 3 pullets and a roo
$29 paid out for 15 chicks and supplies
$25 paid in for 5 rabbits sold
two adult Netherland rabbits to bring home in place of the meat rabbits that were bigger already at 8 weeks

Total is $24 paid out, and of that, the feed I would have purchased anyway at $15 a bag.

Not a stellar day. However, the new chickens will eventually lay eggs, or become dinners in the case of any roos. The Netherlands I may be able to sell as pets ($10 for the pair, and they are yours) or they’ll be added to the next jerky batch.

I’m just glad nobody brought out a baby goat or a pot-bellied pig while Em was there…..