What are the pros and cons taking chickens to a sale barn?

[ScoobyRoo]

PLEASE tell me that you go to the auction with more birds than you bring home. Do you ever have to fight the urge that you are there to rehome and not bring home?

 

[spook]

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I hate to say this, but even tho your quarentine, they may be carriers of diseases, being housed temporarily, brush of the hand can give you a heart ache. Read my article at the bottom of my page.
Do not stop doing as you are with quarentine, its the best, but be aware of the things that can happen- Especially with commercial layers, they carry ILT in vaccination form that can kill your birds.
Was your boots, change clothes and enjoy it all.

As for the auctions or sales barns, I have never been and would like to go at some point, I guess there are some interesting sale items along with everything on 2 and 4 legs. What a good thing to do with roosters, then you don't have to cull them.
Good luck!

 

[Indiana hens]

Henry are you in Indiana? Last check that I got from the auction for goats bounced! i know another lady had the same problem. Bank charged me $7 and they weren't willing to pay the $7. Her check was for like $10 so it wasn't worth the drive there.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

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No, I'm in the land of OZ. That is a good point to bring up. I just can't believe poeple would actually do that.

Not being naive or anything. Thanks for the heads up on that. Will ask the auctioneer/friend about that. But I got a feeling it is not his responsability to make sure everyone is honest. A gamble, huh?!

 

[enola]

At most livestock auction barns, the buyer pays the auction house, then the auction house takes their percentage and they cut you a whole new check. If a buyer writes them a bad check, you are not out your money. Most auction houses ask you to present them with an ID before you are given a number to use for bidding.

As for cages, all my chickens/guineas/ducks culls went to the sale in nice wire dog crates for good visability. I also supplied food, water and bedding. I stayed for the sale and after the chickens were sold, I put them in a sturdy cardboard box with windows of chicken wire on two sides. Rolls of chicken wire are not expensive. That way I knew that they at least got to their new home able to breathe in a ventilated box.

I never bought chickens at a sale like that. I was always too afraid of diseases they could bring with them.

People actually liked my culls so much, that they would ask for my contact information. I sold a lot of birds from home, simply because my cages, feeders and waterers were clean at the sale.

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Edited to add: Also, caging my birds like that kept them from escaping when some one tried to open a cardboard box to peek in and see what was in there. There were always escaped birds/empty cardboard boxes at the sale.

And at this particular sale, they sold everything. Reptiles, guinea pigs, rabbits, puppies, everything immaginable on 2 legs, rats, mice, hamsters. . . . well you get the picture, I am sure. My kids went knowing they would see almost anything, but, don't even ask to take one home.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

I am one that believes that a good presentation will help you succeed in your goal whatever it may be. Enola, I do remember hearing that too. Paying the sale barn and then they in turn pay you. That is the way it should be then they can weed those theives from the crowd.

 

[walkswithdog]

I've been to two sales - went and sold four extras. Met a guy from my town who is into poultry, sold four more to him !!! Made a friend. He told me about another swap, we went together, and though I found Algernon,

he did have the sneezes from MG. But he did go straight into quarantine. So there weren't any real problems.

Swaps and barns are double edged swords. Selling you often find something you have to have. And you might find a neighbor as bad about birds as you are. Enablers, all of em.

I'm going to go OFTEN. And clean up good, and quarantine what I find. It is nice to move the birds I actually don't need in my program. And I have found that I will have a screaming popular market for any turkey poults I produce here. It helps in the planning. Lots.

Knowing what sells to whom and for what, really helps you keep an eye on things. People here buying food roos/chickens aren't picky but you get a feel for what the local poultry guys are looking for for their flocks. It's one reason I'm bringing in Dels.

Nobody here has them, the guys love the big hearty fast growing birds. Most of the free range poultry guys here want fast feather, fast size but the ability to do well on pasture and LAY. They like my PR's but I know they'd like Dels. Many have brahmas and only regret the time they take to mature.

A lot of them have brown leghorn and RIR flocks, my new friend has a sizeable white leghorn group.

It's actually paying to have something slightly different. If I can improve size, they'll go even better. I saw a mexican woman try to get her husband to buy my spare pullets because they were different and she obviously liked the look. They were already sold. I could have sold them to half a dozen people that day.

So I think there's a ton there to be learned. But wow it's easy to spend money on what you didn't show up for...

LOL

 

[ml]

I take extra 's to the sale. Mostly roos and chicks. You do get a feel of what folks in your area want. Of couse you may bring home things you had not planned on. Never in my life would think would have phesants as pets.

I make boxes and cages to sale mine in. Box top cut off and chicken wired tied to the box in like 10 spots 3 to 4 each side and 2 at the ends. Also you can take in a extra cage and put no sale of cage on it. Folks like to see what they are bidding on here so the cages does work. Old damaged carriers went bye bye that way too.

Strangest thing seen was large oatmeal boxes with air holes in the tops to sale chicks in. Guy got 10.00 for each guinea chick he sold that day. EACH.

Mom hens with chicks early in the season in a large see thur type cage are hot here in the early months. New folks to chickens love a hen to raise the chicks. Top Price saw was 75 for that combo and like 10 chicks not even pure breds.

The meat buyers do show up and figure extra roos normally will go to them. Some times the birds get lucky and find a new job.

Here folks want large birds and I bid a small fortune to grab up a one eyed Buff orph. Sammy got a good home.

ML

 

[cluckychick]

I do all the neccessary precautions when going and coming home outside of the quarentining. I went 2 months in advance before actually taking any birds because I wanted to get to know people, the auctioneer, the layout, treatment of animals, that sort of thing. The auction I go to is located in a small town so the turn out of people aren't always big.

There are several large auction facilities also located around me that I could use and attend. I choose this one, due to cleanliness, treatment of my animals and myself. Money made isn't an issue really. I get rid of extras and get alittle to feed remaining birds. I've come home with a few but never spent more than I made. I also usually meet the people that have won my birds and I get to tell them alittle bit about how they are treated and see if they have any questions. Most of my birds have gone to the same family that has children so I'm fortunate that they being well loved.

I also realize that some I take will not live out the day and become someones supper in the near future. If I could do it myself, they'd be my supper. I did order me a book about butchering so maybe in the future I won't need to take them to auction

I ususally do the box with wire on top for transport in the winter. In the summer that may not be feasible as they'll get hot. Where I go, cages are an option when selling.

I would visit the auction you plan to attend and talk to people or call and ask questions to verify any questions you may have.

Good Luck