Ameraucana National Meet in Lebanon, IN

[John W Blehm]

Pizza at the Comfort Inn on Saturday at 6 it is.  We have to have the meeting room cleaned up and by out by 8pm.  Please email me with your preferences on pizza/subs and pop/drinks, along with your reservation.  We'll have a variety to choose from.  Feel free to bring your own non alcoholic drinks.  We can either split the costs there or come up with prices like $4/kid and maybe $6/anyone 14 & older and donate any leftover $ to the club.  Thoughts?

Here are the number I have...
Friday @ Parky's
Gilbert - 2
Rennolet - 2
Blehm - 2
Curran - 2

Saturday @ Comfort Inn
Malcolm 10
Gilbert - 2
Rennolet - 2
Blehm - 2
Neta - 3
Curran - 2
Blair - 1

[Gina Neta]

John- count me in for 3 adults on Saturday.  Friday is iffey depending on when we arrive.  Thank you for arranging all the details!  Kathy must have great negotiation skills - the meeting room at the Comfort in is a great venue for us.  Way to go!

[John W Blehm]

We have a great mix of both tangible and cash awards.  I just finished stuffing the cash award envelopes.  There is over $800 up for grabs with $565 of that donated by our fantastic members.

[Russ Blair]

Count me in for 1 adult on Saturday, not sure if I will be able to make Friday. Depends on if I can push the guys to get this Cinema 12 erected by Thursday so I can play hooky on Friday 😃

[Beth Curran]

Kathy rocks!

Walker & I intend to be there both nights, barring any delays on Friday. I'm debating leaving on Thursday, driving until we get tired, then getting a room. I hate to pay for a third night in a hotel, but it's 13 hours if we make no stops, which never happens, so we'd have to leave by 2am allow for food/bathroom breaks and still get the birds cooped in before dinner. I see coop-in goes all the way up til 10pm Friday night, we could do it after, but I'd prefer to do it as soon as we get there, and I'm sure the birds would, too.

I'm in panic mode trying to get everything done, making lists and staging things so I won't forget anything - who's there with me??

[Beth Curran]

Kathy said we could get subs also, if wanted and some desserts.

I was thinking maybe a cake to celebrate our first national? We could order one from a local supermarket and one of us could pick it up on the way back to the hotel?

[John W Blehm]

Kathy will get the food together with help from Mary and Sandy...probably, but they don't know it yet.  A cake will work out fine for dessert.  We'll try to get paper plates, plastic ware, napkins and stuff before we leave.
We do have a Lazy Boy, so she rocks from time to time.

[Beth Curran]

I'll be glad to help as well if she needs me.

[John W Blehm]

From an email I received this evening...

Dear Central Indiana Open Show Exhibitor, I received your Open show entries. If you have family members in the JR. Show, you already should've received that confirmation. 

The 2600+ bird show was set-up today by over 20 volunteers in nearly 8 hours.  This will be the largest Central Indiana Poultry Show ever, breaking our old record by over 500 birds.

Information for first-timers: The Boone County 4-H Fairgrounds is located along I-65 at exit 138, Lebanon, Indiana.  All exhibitors, open and Jr., should come to the Commercial Building (open show chicken building) to check-in upon arrival. Open show waterfowl, turkeys and guineas are located right next door, in the Poultry-Rabbit Building.  The Junior Show is a short walk away in Centennial Hall (formerly sheep and goat building). Sales coops are in the open sided Family Shelter.  All buildings have their names in large signage.

You have the option of cooping out on Sunday, 7:00 - 9:00 AM if you'd rather not start home at mid-afternoon after the show on Saturday.  Please let us know when you arrive or during the show if you plan to stay until Sunday.

If you coop-in on Friday, we will have free home-made snacks and hot beverages in the Commercial Building.  On Saturday, a vendor will have food for sale.

Here are the building hours:
Friday - until 10 PM.
Saturday - 6:30 AM until 1 hour after the show.
Sunday - open by 7 AM; please get birds cooped out by 9AM.

Thanks for entering the Central Indiana Poultry Show.  We really appreciate your participation.

Doug Akers
Central Indiana Poultry Show

[Russ Blair]

Alright seems my wife and I both forgot to make my reservations😳. Luckily they still had a room at the comfort inn 🎉🎉. So in true slacker tradition I am all set. Oh wait I have 17 birds to bath trim toe nails etc aaaahhhhhh what was I thinking. Beth I am now in panick mode as well lol. Looking forward to the first Ameraucana Alliance National Meet it will be epic 👍👍👍

[Suki]

From an email I received this evening...

The 2600+ bird show was set-up today by over 20 volunteers in nearly 8 hours.  This will be the largest Central Indiana Poultry Show ever, breaking our old record by over 500 birds.

They for one have to be thanking the Avian Flu epidemic...500% increase is as  good as it gets.  Yes I am sorry about missing it, but to be honest, I do not have the time to prepare.  I had to tell the flock last week when I let the show possibles out of their conditioning pens  and they could frolic in what's left of the autumn  sun and grass; it sure has been a wonderful fall.

Pity today, the newsman, said flurries are expected.  but   WNEP is never right so I'm not too worried.

Brownie

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/warmth-to-be-erased-across-midwest-northeast/52907470

[Mike Gilbert]

That would be an increase of 500 birds, not 500 percent. 

[Lee G]

Wish I could be there in person, but in spirit will have to do!  Good luck everyone. Hope you all have a great time. 

[Beth Curran]

Alright seems my wife and I both forgot to make my reservations😳. Luckily they still had a room at the comfort inn 🎉🎉. So in true slacker tradition I am all set. Oh wait I have 17 birds to bath trim toe nails etc aaaahhhhhh what was I thinking. Beth I am now in panick mode as well lol. Looking forward to the first Ameraucana Alliance National Meet it will be epic 👍👍👍

I feel your pain, lol! At least the duck will bathe himself, so that only leaves me 2 dozen! The black ones will likely just get dusted off, but the white ones are going to be the death of me! Aside from keeping them clean, I'm starting to second guess myself on some of the "pullets." I entered some young bantams to help with the numbers, even though they really aren't really old enough. I have always been lousy at determining gender in young birds, probably always will be, and when I filled out the entry it was during our 2-week monsoon, so I wasn't looking all that close. They are the same age as the really obvious males with smaller, lighter combs and they aren't crowing (the obvious one have been for a while) but the hackles are looking a little pointy. If I screwed up, do you think they'll let me correct it when I get there?  Seems bad form to ask...

[The Malcolms]

I feel your pain, lol! At least the duck will bathe himself, so that only leaves me 2 dozen! The black ones will likely just get dusted off, but the white ones are going to be the death of me! Aside from keeping them clean, I'm starting to second guess myself on some of the "pullets." I entered some young bantams to help with the numbers, even though they really aren't really old enough. I have always been lousy at determining gender in young birds, probably always will be, and when I filled out the entry it was during our 2-week monsoon, so I wasn't looking all that close. They are the same age as the really obvious males with smaller, lighter combs and they aren't crowing (the obvious one have been for a while) but the hackles are looking a little pointy. If I screwed up, do you think they'll let me correct it when I get there?  Seems bad form to ask...

Beth, our experience has been if the birds are the same breed and variety the show secretary can be pretty flexible.  You could email Doug and ask...  Also if you already entered and payed for the entry it should count even if the bird(s) do not show up.  Two of our birds lost their tails last week so they will be staying home for now.
PS I find saddle/cushion feathers are a better judge of age than hackle feathers and combs on young birds.  Try those instead.🐔