Because of our plannned relocation - hubby says reduce the numbers we have. Bringing them to our local livestock auctions is not an option in our opinion. We recently learned that roosters are going for over $10 each. However - they are being bought up by mexican men for use in cock fighting!!!!! Not something we want to see for our chickens! Soooooo - I'm hoping to find homes for them asap. This is what I have:

Delawares - 10 hens, 3 roos of which 2 (and 1 hen) will be 1 y/o mid-summer. I will split this flock into half. Or 3 if needed. 3 hens to 1 roo. The roos are gorgeous!!!

Jersey Giants - 16 hens, 5 roos of which 2 are being housed seperately (one is "mean", has an "attitude") and 2 others will be 1y/o the end of summer of which one has been totally house raised. (he thinks he's a dog. :-) (4 hens will be 1 y/o) Of the hens, as of last year, 3 go broody. 3 or 4 hens and a roo are already spoken for. I can split the rest in half, or 3 hens to a roo.

Barred Rocks - (these are hubby's favorites) 13 hens, 3 roos. Again - will break the flock in half. Or in 3. Huge, beautiful roosters!

RI Reds ("my" girls!) - 16 hens, 2 roos. "Might" split this flock in half. Depends on their new "home". :-)

And then there's the Bantys! The "magpies" I fondly call them. They're "mutts". But beautiful mutts. A true rainbow of colors! Half the flock will be 1 y/o this summer. Many of the hens go broody, or try too, every year. There are over 35 birds, I can split them up into at least 4 or 5 flocks, as needed.

I would truly love to find homes for all of these birds, cause there's no way any of them are going to find themselves in a cock ring if we have anything to say about it!

All of them, because they were hand raised, are extremeley "peoplefied". Very gentle birds. Not a mean rooster in the bunch. (accept that 1 Jersey) The bantys tend to be more of a handful because most have been hen raised rather than hand raised, so they tend to be "freer". There are a few hens that were hand raised and are easy to handle. The roos that were hand raised tend to be more "independant".

If any of you would like to add a few birds to your flock - have a "little extra" room - please, please contact me. :-)

PS - I would especially like to find homes for the Delawares because there are so few of them to be found in home flocks. I got them for that one reason - to continue the breed.

-- dottie - in E Shore MD (mother-ducker@webtv.net), March 26, 2002

Answers

Wish I where closer , I take them all.But am in NY .Renee and Chuck come to mind , both are in MD.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@hotmail.com), March 26, 2002.

Dottie, email me with more info. Where on the Shore? I'm down near Pocomoke. I'll come to you and get them, possibly this weekend. I'm not really interested in the banties, but the rest of the flock sounds real good.

-- Fran (on MD's Eastern Shore) (simpleplesurzfrm@dmv.com), March 26, 2002.

Hey! I'm in Maryland too! Doesn't anyone ever notice me over here?

By the time Fran's done, it doesn't sound like there going to be anything left but the banties.

Shucks, you are probably to far from me anyway.

-- Lav, Carroll Co, Maryland (lavenderbluedilly@hotmail.com), March 26, 2002.

Darn it.......maybe one day there'll be an offer like this within at least an 8 hour drive of Michigan. Sigh......

-- Lisa - MI (formyacds@aol.com), March 26, 2002.

Hi Dottie, Where are you at? If Fran doesn't take them, may I have them? I'm in Wicomico co. in Mardela Springs. Gloria

-- Gloria - also on the E shore (mullinaxclan@webtv.net), March 26, 2002.

Dottie:

"Mexican Men" or any other cocker will not want your chickens. Only fighting games go in the ring. Where on earth did you hear such nonsense? You could not make a couple of Delawares fight in a ring if you tried, and even if the breed would fight, the hens would not go in the ring. More likely than not any chicken bought at the auction, unless it is in fact a fighting game, goes into tamales, or some other comestible. Believe it or not, Mexicans, both men and women, like to have a few chickens around the house, too. I see them buying chickens at the auctions here just about every time I go. Some are for food, some for eggs. Your refusal to take chickens to the auction may be depriving some poor kid of a pen of pet bantams. Mac

-- Jimmy S. (Macrocarpus@gbronline.com), March 26, 2002.

i live like 1 mile away from you

-- bart levi (bassmaster11_7@yahoo.com), March 26, 2002.

I would also post your ad on The Poultry Information Exchange - www.nevadatea.com/chicken.html The Poultry Connection - forum - www.poultryconnection.com/forum/

I have met many fine and knowledgable chicken folks at both locations. They may coddle your chickens a bit much, but you certainly won't have to worry about them becoming cock bait. good luck!

-- Margarete (forpippin@earthlink.net), March 27, 2002.

Hey folks, if you are interested in any of Dottie's birds, please don't hesitate to contact her. While I'd take them all, I don't want to deprive anyone else in the CS family of this great opportunity. She obviously has plenty of great birds to go around. I'm sure we could all come away from this very happy.

-- Fran (on MD's Eastern Shore) (simpleplesurzfrm@dmv.com), March 27, 2002.

As Jimmy S. said these chickens and roosters you have are not the type used as fighting cocks. If they were, they'd be selling for $150.00 each rooster.Around my neck of the woods , the ones who fight roosters are mostly Gringos (Anglos).Mexican men buy these type of hens to provide their children and families with quality homegrown eggs.

-- SM Steve (unreal@msn.com), March 27, 2002.

I want a hen. only 1 . i am 12 and am not sure my folks want me to get one yet. i would take one if i could. I live in PLAINFIELD CT. oh well i could find one elsewhere. but if it was free..................

-- Kayla Barfield (kb@hotmail.com), April 06, 2002.