Small Animal Swap Meet

The fourth Saturday of each month starting in March is the small animal swap meet in Fordland, Mo. and since Rachel and Baby Kaden had made it home from the hospital and everything was going well, we decided to head for Fordland. We packed a couple cages into the back of the truck and off we went. Off seeking something exotic. We love the chickens that are just a little different than the average joe. Ha. Ha.

And the wind was blowing like crazy and it was COLD. The swap meet started early and we arrived around 7:30 in the morning. We followed the signs taking us out to the field-fairgrounds where the meet was to be held. And the parking lot was filling up fast with both those coming to buy and those wanting to sell.

There was goats, and puppies, chickens and turkeys, pheasants and things I didn't even know the names of, as well as the prettiest roosters. And ducks and geese and guineas.

But I found the best buy of the day. Two peacocks. One was all white and one was the usual color of a peacock. And the man said he would sell both for 60.00. They were about a year old or a little older so were pretty good sized. I had priced peacocks before and they ran about $75.00 for adults or $25.00 for new little chicks. So of course I bought them.

Aren't they beautiful? Don't know a thing about raising peacocks but I'm about to learn. And I don't even know if they are boys or girls. Gonna get back home and get on the internet. And I know a man who has lots of peacocks and is a barrel of information so will be picking his brain.

Had to go into town and buy a tarp cause the wind was so sharp and not about to let these birds catch cold on the trip home. Just hope they can still breathe in there.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention we also  bought some chickens that lay blue eggs. They are called Ameraucana Chickens.

When we got home Mark especially could hardly wait to climb in the truck and go see them. By the way while we were gone Mark is the one who went down and took care of the chickens. His mom and dad would take him to the chicken house but he is the one that climbed into the pens and shut the door at night and he is the one that also called me at 6:30 in the morning and told me he had opened the door and let the chickens out already. He also told his mom and dad how to mix the feed that they eat. He's the same boy that took my Poultry Magazine to bed to read before he went to sleep. A real animal lover he is. So he was really excited about the peacocks although he was trying to convince me I needed to buy a baby turkey at my local Orchelin's store a couple days earlier.

Him and Poppy cleaned up the pan so they could add some feed for the peacocks to eat.

What is there about little boys and garden hoses?

One thing about chickens laying blue eggs. Comes in handy just before Easter. Won't have to dye them.

Mark's Poppy  put them in the little chicken tractor he had built last summer until we could get them a roof put over the dog pen that I had bought last year for the chickens. But I needed something to cover the top so the peacocks could not fly out. We were told to keep them penned up for at least a month so they will get comfortable in their new home and not wander off.

Still too small but won't be for too long.

Notice the other chickens are checking them out.

Poppy went to the barn and gathered up some metal he had left over from building the roof on our house and some lumber that he would be needing.

Notice he's wearing the latest fashion. Gonna be a farmer must dress like a farmer! And we have had so much rain lately that it is muddy down there!

And from the look of this sky, it's about to pour again. So we must work swiftly to get a roof over the top of the pen. Part of the pen holds the little banties, silkies and guineas. The other part of the pen was awaiting the arrival of the newest addition to our "little flock."

He threw some 2 x 4's up there, laid the metal across that and dug out the old power tools ...

and screwed it all down. We're suppose to have 30 mph winds tomorrow and don't want it blowing off and my peacocks escaping.

I threw in some straw, added a waterer and put in some feed.

We added a board across it for a roost and we were done for tonight anyway.

Doesn't he/she look beautiful?

This will make them a nice pen until they get bigger which probably will be a while.

Now my prayer is that nothing gets into the pen and kills them.  Please God, look after my "little flock"!

And now we have to take the boys and go to the local feed store and buy some feed that peacocks will eat. But that is another story!!