The sale seems to run later and later every week. It is almost 3:30 now, and there is still a pen and a half of sheep before they will get to the goats.
Lots of changes here in the last year. The computer system is a great upgrade. We used to have to wait for the paper slips to travel up to the office before we could pay for what we bought. Now we can walk up immediately, pay, and leave.
They used to sell the sheep after the goats and poultry, now they sell between the calves and goats. I don't know what prompted the change, but it used to be you would only see a few sheep here. Often none at all. This spring there are full pens of sheep, every week. Sometimes there appear to be as many sheep here as there are calves. There is one pen of really adorable yearlings, with long pretty fur. Another pen has 8 older sheep that do not look healthy at all. :-(
There is a lot more poultry here ever& week too. We brought in a crate of sex link hens, and a duck, today- cleaning out some of my excess poultry. I prefer the "prettier" breeds, so the plain sex links are being sold to make more room for them. Last year my hens hatched out some really pretty babies, I can't keep everything, and I want to keep these. The duck I like, but he is male and tries to mate with my hens- he's hard on them, ripping feathers from their necks, so he is being sold. He was dropped off at my house with some hens last year, I don't think he knows he is a duck.
There are several crates of meat chickens here, they look like they have come out of a commercial barn. Not full grown, but well started. A few boxes of rabbits, and at least two boxes with a hen and babies. One box has 8 week old barred rock chicks. I'd take them home, but with my luck they would all be roosters.
There are only 6 goats here today. A boer nanny & 2 babies thatis thin and wormy looking, but obviously friendly and a good mom. I wasn't looking for a boer goaat, but as I watch her, I just like her. She has a good temperment. Another boer, looks like a 4H or show goat. Aloof. A little overfed. A black dwarf baby, and a large, gorgreous, all black boer. For looks, I was watching her. I don't have an all black goat, she'd be a nice addition. But she is not very friendly, and is a little aggressive towards the others. I'm going to watch, but I wont pay too much for her.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Absolute insanity with the goat prices today. Kids sold for $110. Nannies went for $160 and up. I have no idea what that was about, prices are normally about half to 3/4 of that. So no new goats for me today! I bought a grey hen and her 9 peeps for $5. I didn't need them, but I have a weakness for grey hens, and for babies.
