Gobsmacked at Auction Prices

[OverWyreGrower]

We went to the Carlisle Poultry Action today (160 mile round trip) with the intention of bringing home a few new birds...

How wrong we were!!

I couldn't get over the prices for some of the birds there. We have previously picked up pure-breeds for between £10 and £20 per bird...

We were looking specifically at Welsummer and Barnevelder, however, small groups of Welsummer pullets were going for over £150 (2 or 3 birds) and 3 Barnevelder pullets went for about £260

Definitely can't afford prices like that

Strangely, a pair of Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons went for only £32....

We didn't come home with anything (my purse is relieved!) and were left wondering wether birds were overpriced, or it was just the nature of an auction that pushed the prices so high?

[Glutton4...]

Blimey OWG - that's extortionate!

You've got great taste though - I'd love Wellies and Barneys too.

One day!

[OverWyreGrower]

We'd gone with the intention of getting Welsummers, Barnevelders, and as second choice, Marans or Legbars and at generally over £20 per bird couldn't afford it, as most were sold in lots of 3 or 4 pullets (we don't need any more cockerels, we've got 7!) We started to bid on the smaller groups of pullets, but they then started to go up to £30 or £40 per bird....

There were even a group of Welsumer pullets who'd been mated to baldness (with scratches all over the bald bits from the cockerels), and they still went for over £25 a bird

[janeyo]

A friend of mine assures that the buff orpingtons she has her eye on sell for £150.

[Glutton4...]

That's ridiculous - looks like you'd be better off getting some hatching eggs.


Ooops, did I say that out loud. I'm not thinking of doing that myself. Honest!

[OverWyreGrower]

Some of the Orpy's went for £50 a bird at least....

I've thought about hatching eggs actually, but we'd need to actually buy an incubater (none of our current hens have ever gone broody). We've checked out automatic incubaters on eBay etc, but can't really afford one (need an auto cos we're at work all day).

Am looking into buying day-olds etc instead.....

[its hilly]

Sadly couldnt contact you to meet cos of vine being funny till after I'd left for M-I-Ls.
Its because they were card graded OWG. This was my third Carlisle, there were half as many birds entered than usual, (September sale they hadnt even started selling banties at 5 oclock, this time it was finished at 3.30 ish) which pushes prices up anyway. But all the birds were graded from exhibition standard, down through quality breeders to zero. I marked my catalogue and the really silly prices were the ones graded as exhibition or best of breed.
Oddly last time it was Light Sussex that were silly, this time Barnvelders (and they werent that good) and Welsummers. And broodys with chicks £90 for a hen and four chicks
I got two lots of Marans pullets, 2xCopper Blue 2x Copper Black. £50 for 4x year old layers in good nick..which is what I expected for Coppers going off previous. You have to bear in mind that there are very few places round here that sell pure breed birds.
By the way did you see the three or four pens of Marans from one breeder that were so lousy they could have walked out of the pen without using their legs? I'd be ashamed if my birds were like that

[Bramble-Poultry]

its hilly - Penkridge Auction was the same. A "well respected" breeder from Stoke on Trent was there and all of her entries into the auction were twitching away with lice. at one point (on a white pekin) you could actually see them crawl over the bird.

She also runs a stand at the general wednesday sales selling equipment and medications and has the gaul to shout out "get your lice powder here, dont take home more than you bargained for)

Maybe thats it - perhaps she is breeding lice to make more sales on lice powder

We always find that pens of pullets sell at much higher prices than cages of pairs or trios as people dont want the cockerels.

[jessmorris]

results from hatching eggs - pics (Lemon mille fleurs)

Hello,
I've been to Clitheroe specialist twice-yearly auction, and their Wednesday auction (avoid this one like the plague). On the Saturday specialist auction nice birds were going for around £25/each, but few were stated as being of exhibition standard. I've also been to the Skipton auction where prices were getting silly. In the end I waited to see what people gave me - 5 mille fleur booted bantams plus cockerel, one old english game, three modern game and two silkie x Dutch. I have also bought two more booted bantams from a local breeder and two Dutch. None of these are show birds. I paid £15 each for the booted bantams and Dutch.
When two hens went broody I was given three (probably fertile) maran eggs and bought 6 lemon mille fleur sablepoot eggs on ebay. Nearly all these hatched!! (2 out of 3 maran were fertile, 5 out of 6 pooters) Having done a bit of reading I'd say it seems way easier to hatch eggs using a hen. If yours aren't broody yet, maybe get a breed thats good for brooding for the job (cheaper and easier than incubator!)
I've had to learn a lot very quickly, but thanks to Biek and Audrey (the hatchers and raisers) so far its been fine.
Have attached some pics of pooters.
Jess

[RichmondHens]

Some of the Orpy's went for £50 a bird at least....

I've thought about hatching eggs actually, but we'd need to actually buy an incubater (none of our current hens have ever gone broody). We've checked out automatic incubaters on eBay etc, but can't really afford one (need an auto cos we're at work all day).

Am looking into buying day-olds etc instead.....

If you are at work all day I would suggest getting a broody hen. It's a lot easier than getting an incubator or day olds and either way you will need a brooder/heat lamp. Mother hen will do it all. No need to worry then if you get a power cut. Hunt around for one, either by asking other hen owners or put an ad in the paper. Some people are happy to get rid of broodies, especially if they have persistent ones that don't lay much. They may even loan you one, to be returned when chicks are fully feathered.

PS: If you lived near me I could offer you a lovely broody + Welsummer hatching eggs.

[elizajay]

I agree, have tried broody and incubator and broody is way easier and the chicks are taught by the mother hen. Keeps broodies happy giving them something to do and the chicks are safe and well cared for. If you were a chick would you prefer a nice warm hen that looks after you and offers you tit bits to eat or a lamp? I have a broody and no room for any more hens, but would be very happy to let her hatch chicks for somebody else.