[Big Light]

Prices were very poor for those selling and lots of people taking birds home that hadn't sold ( even with no reserve - Scary).

I sold some of my better end birds for about half the price i got this time last year.

Rather than waste the day i bought 6 top end birds 3 would probably take 1 st prize in classes at local shows and at least one would be challenging for top row.

 I paid £8 for one trio which had a good old cock and reasonable young hens, £20 for a pair with the cock having the potential for champion row and hen being  good and £15 for a single hen who was covered  in mud but underneath is a rough diamond.

The birds will be going straight in the breeding pens after quarantine.

I guess  the economy is biting and people don't have the cash? - Any other suggestions!

I was already planning on breeding less this year but might curb that a bit more as if you don't have a market able to pay ( or willing to take them away for pennies) then the food costs make it almost non viable

I have to point out we do it for a hobby / showing and any returns take some of the sting out of the feed cost and nothing more. Some folk are trying to make a living or boost their finances and I'm not sure how they will cope

Really just posting this to give folks ideas of one market that is usually pretty vibrant at this particular sale when people should be looking at breeding stock for the year ahead.

 Another example of the poor prices was a pair of Toulouse geese that were not to bad and would have been £100 plus normally - they went for a tenner.

I personally didn't see any sales over £100 and there are usually quite a few. Eggs prices were depressed also i saw nice dark copper marran eggs making at best about £20 a dozen, they are usually much more

Anyway happy hatching ( but i would think about hatching to many)

BL

[goosepimple]

When was that sale Big Light? 
 
I am taking my Muscovy males to the gamekeeper today but kept 3 back to sell as trios, they are too beautiful to kill, prizeworthy specimens.  The two sales I went to last year I was disappointed at the prices though, Carlisle was much, much worse than Lanark although I had kept my better birds for Carlisle.  Will be going to Lanark with the trios in a couple of weeks, really just to give the boys a chance of life, someone who likes showing may take a trio, hope so.  Still it's a long way to go and its all diesel, you have to get a great price to realistically make it all worth while.  I think I make a huge loss all the time if I am totally honest. 

[Big Light]

Sale was yesterday, the spring sale at carlisle is normally v good, theres another at dingwall in 2 weeks time also will be interesting to see if its a regional thing or the whole of the country

[goosepimple]

Yes, worth reporting on again Big Light that would be useful for all of us.  I'll do same at Lanark, don't know if I'll bother going to Longtown, it's too far, it's the week after I think.

[mojocafa]

Hi big light,
Are you taking birds to sell at Dingwall? I am looking for Cochins and araucanas, if you have either of these I could maybe meet you on route, 
Living in hope, mojo

[Big Light]

No Cochins but have Lavender araucanas although none in the sale  - what are you looking for?
BL