[Cinderhills]

I'm looking for 5 Light Sussex POL so I'm going to a feather auction in a couple of weeks and wondered if there are any useful tips out there on choosing birds and bidding.   I've only ever been to furniture auctions and my tactic there is always to bid at the last minute but not sure if I should do the same here.  From what I've seen on livestock auctions on TV the auctioneer goes incredibly fast and I can't understand a word they say!

[Frieslandfilly]

Usually you can have a good look round first before bidding starts, if you see what you want, have a good look at them, if they have an age on the cage good if they don't, they may say at the beginning of the lot, presumably you will want POL or similar, have a look at the condition of them, if you dont like what you see don't buy,(heart can rule the head, I know!!) can you tell the difference between a young hen and an old one? Just asking cos it would be in your interest if you can.

When bidding begins, as you say it's very fast, make sure you can be seen by the auctioneer if you bid, in my experience bidding will be brisk on something like Light Sussex, also have a price in your head that you want to go to, if you are not confident let someone else start the bidding and then jump in, I don't know where abouts you are but round here Light Sussex at the weekend sales would go for around £20 per bird even at auction! Thats another point they usually sell per bird, and chicks are usually sold per lot as are eggs.

If you get there early enough you may be able to get a catalogue if they have one and you will need to register for a number.

If you buy something, quarantine it for 2 weeks and I always dust with louse powder etc etc

Cant think of anything else but I am sure there is loads, hope that helps and good luck

[BlueDaisy]

Oh yes the auctioneers go very fast, I was still deciding whether to bid higher or not and the auctioneer had taken my bid and the competitor bid and back to me again before I had a chance to blink!
Stand and listen to a few lots before yours to 'get your ears in', as they say!

[Sylvia]

My tip would be to sell at this end of the year when prices are high and buy in the Autumn when they can hardly give stock away. Seriously though, I would go to the auction a few times before you buy. You will get to know who sells the quality birds and rough prices. People who care about their stock will have a card on the pen stating whether point of lay, vaccinated etc. They will also care enough to provide feed and water in the cages.
As to the auctioneer, you can always ask him to slow down a bit!!

[sam.t]

me and my mum (im 39) bye and sell at auction and the only prob we have are with men(sorry) but they do tend to push you out of the way to get a better look at what been sold and half the time they not bying, so what we do is stand next to the cage you want and let them come to you once you catch the auctioners eye and start bidding they alway come back to you
sam

[robert waddell]

if they are not taking notice of you shout at them      they will then

[Cinderhills]

Thanks everyone, that's great stuff. 

[daddymatty82]

i only go to poultry auctions once a month buy and sell mainly buy lol. but LS are going for alot of money atm i got 4 at £10 pb about 2 months ago and last 2 times they been £15+ pb keep to a limit and listen in to the auctioneer for a good while to see how he sells. when your bidding keep eyes on him  he will watch you aswell and stop bidding at what the birds are worth or you will pay over the odds. there is a few people to watch out for where i go as the push you up so you pay to much but i back off when i see it happening. ATB matty

[bamford6]

i sell sheep and hens get the caterlog off the internet see who is the main man ,make sure you wont to bid when the pen number comes up iff there is people redey to bid ,bid very highe to sart that will get rid off most .i was at thainstone 3 legbars the ladey att the pen said that she had bred them and looked after them well ,they looked good the number was red out i then went to £50 next bid 55 i noded £60 pound sold .naw light sussex let me look at the data base uk breeder  nicke smith cost £35 pound each is the best iff you bought eggs £10 3 breeders have them 1 dozzen so iff you got some bodey to hatch them £20 for 24 you would get 5 or 6 hens so for £20 invested youve got £150 pounds worth off birds always get the best you can .i sell my eggs to finance projects like this . and have the best chocklates silvers and gold lace orpingtons there is .i bought a stock cock bird for £300 onley weeks ago                         http://breachdownpoultry.webs.com/showresults.htm                                      http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200606093684#ht_3272wt_1135

[Cinderhills]

Thanks for the tips everyone.  I'm a bit nervous now!  I bet I look like a push-over, but appearances can deceiving. 
 
Gary - don't fancy the egg route yet, but thanks anyway.

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hi cinderhills,

       I have been to the fur and feather auction at Murton and I must agree with Sam.t that a number of stout men in grubby overalls kept trying to bulldozer me past all the pens with their bellies! At the one I went to the actioneer was out of his depthe and had no idea what birds he was selling some of the time as a number of the pens had no lot numbers on. There was alot of poor quality stock and some that I thought looked quite wretched, poor things. I might have been tempted to take them home out of pitty but I didn't want to infect my stock. My advice would be as well as being able to tell an old hen from a young one, you need to know what the breed standard of the LS to know if you are buying a bird of good type.

You may not mind wether your birds are fit for the show ring if you only want them as layers and table birds but theres no point paying a high price for poor stock. I keep one light sussex bantam as a broody but I understand that the large fowl are hard to come by. If you cant find what you want at the auction I would suggest that you try a local breeder who will usually have some surplus stock.

try Caths garden bantams at Howden on 01757 630827 or Kevin Hardcastle in Yorkshire for traditional LS on 01977 706956 or Orchard poultry at Kexby on 01759 380220. If you fancy some speckled sussex try Jane Gillam near ilkley on 01943 830923.

Good luck!

Buffy 

[Cinderhills]

Thanks Buffy.  I've heard that Skipton market have a good reputation for reputable sellers, but I guess everywhere has their bad ones too.  I'm taking a big Aussie relative so he can start a belly-off to let me get through. 

I have tried one breeder nearby but he doesn't have any POL for about 2 months now.

[SallyintNorth]

I'm taking a big Aussie relative so he can start a belly-off to let me get through. 

This made me laugh out loud 

Another good thing about Aussies is that, as Germaine Greer puts it, "to an Aussie, the only social gaffe is to think that there's such a thing as a social gaffe."  They're great to have in your corner for that reason!  (But I usually pre-warn a favourite restaurant if I am taking my Aussie cousin there...  )