Not just for the birds

Brown County birds enthuisiasts show off their pets at the 93rd annual show

By SARA SYVERSON

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- About 350 people came to see, trade and sell exotic birds and animals at the Brown County Poultry and Pigeon Club's SWAP held at the Brown County Fairgrounds Saturday.

"A lot of people who come are new to the bird hobby and they are checking out the show,"said Brown County Poultry and Pigeon Club President Trevor Nau, "A lot of people have birds but don't show them. They come to trade them or sell them and maybe take home something new."

Most who came to the SWAP were from Minnesota, but there were also visitors from Wisconsin, Iowa and South Dakota.

The majority of the animals sold are birds, but there has also been livestock- mini horses, pygmy goats and ferrets.

The birds include pigeons, waterfowl, fancy chickens and others.

One New Ulm man, Wilmar Vorwerk, has brought his birds to the club's fall show since 1940. Vorwerk has been raising Bantams, miniature chickens, since 1927 and has also developed his own breed of Bantam called the Vorwerk Bantams.

"It (SWAP) gives breeders a chance to exchange breeding stock and a nice place to get rid of your surplus stock," said Vorwerk, "You see a variety of prices for different breeds ... different sellers set different prices."

Doug Grams, of New Ulm, has been a member of the Brown County Poultry and Pigeon Club since 1988. He got involved in raising birds when his children were 4-H age.

"SWAP is good for the general group of people involved in this kind of thing," said Grams, "There are so few people involved in clubs now. Basically it's a way for old friends to get together and spend a few hours together. It's a nice quiet hobby. It's fun to spend a couple of hours with the birds."

The Brown County Poultry and Pigeon Club has been putting on bird shows for 93 years. The club has approximately 100 members.