[FR7736]

Hello there!

I own and run a small rare breeds farm (Manx Laughtan sheep, Highland cows). I am struggling to market them to consumers as they are smaller than traditional lamb/cattle breeds, however they are slow matured and of an extremely high quality. I struggle to get a premium as butchers are not interested in getting less for their money and therefore end up selling them for less than ave lamb prices.

I was wondering whether there are any websites where smallholders can market their produce online in an Ebay/Gumtree kind of way. I'm happy to sort out an abattoir, butchering etc.

Thanks for your help!!

[Dan]

You can post meat for sale in our Marketplace board here:

http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?board=18.0

We are in the process of developing a Gumtree-style service for small producers, which should be ready later this year.

I was going to suggest Muddy Carrot but it looks like it's not operating any longer.

[Coximus]

You can either sell them in the auction ring in small numbers 2-3 at a time and ring ahead and ask for the auctioneers opinoin on when to sell - often very helpful as they will let the buyers know whats coming in, so anyone wanting any will come, but if you get a day without a good buyer, prepare to get #1.20 a kg at the mo (its a bad year for lamb anyway so prices are already down)

Otherwise try crossing your primitives with bigger meat sires and selling the lambs - generally they sell well, about mid market in the ring, and the ewe lambs make good breeding ewes that are thrifty and hard as old boots, so many buyers will want them, especially those with larger flocks where they appreciate the easier (not easy) care nature of a hardy breed.

If you have any significant numbers that would be the best route to go.

[farmers wife]

Facebook is great for shifting produce too. 

[landroverroy]

Having kept a variety of rare breed sheep and cattle over the years, I can confirm that someone will get an excellent price in a conventional livestock market, and that someone will be the buyer and not you.
In a specialised rare breed sale, you might do better but probably not. It's an idea to check prices of the previous sales to see what breeds fetch a good price and which don't. From experience, highland cattle rarely get a good price in a store sale, but I did once get 2nd prize in our local Christmas fatstock sale for a pure bred highland bull. (In the british cattle class)
Highland cattle will fatten quite readily in under 30 months on good grass - the mistake many people make is to keep them on poor grazing, because they can cope with it. They'll cope, but they won't fatten. As with anything - rubbish in = rubbish out. If you want a good price for your product you have to feed them quality. However, another thing that will reduce their price in a conventional market is their horns. They cannot be loaded (legally) with unhorned animals, nor kept with them to fatten further, so they are hassle to someone who has bought more conventional stock. So if you are aiming to sell them for meat or as stores in a market, get them dehorned.
I have sold most of my Highland youngstock and breeding stock through Preloved. I've even sold some from Yorkshire up to the Shetland Islands. But you must have decent stock and good pictures. There's a lot of crap for sale on Preloved - poor quality animals and stupid photos, and they're on there for months because no one wants them. Good stock will always sell if well displayed.
Farming ads is also a good place to sell them on line.
As for your M Laughtan sheep - you need to accept the fact that people keep them because they like them as a pure breed animal with character, and you can never compete with the meat breeds in a meat market. No butcher is going to pay a premium, or even average market price for what is to him a lightweight animal with poor conformation. It costs as much to slaughter a small animal as a large one, and therefore the cost/lb is more with the former. If you're selling pure bred meat then talk to your friends and you'll be surprised how many will buy half a carcase and appreciate the taste of real meat.
If you're wanting to produce something more commercial, then as Coximus says, you need to cross them with a meat ram, and produce something more marketable.