Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Where do you buy your animals?  (Read 5408 times)

DippyEgg

  • Joined May 2017
Where do you buy your animals?
« on: September 17, 2017, 06:08:08 pm »
Just wondering where most people buy their animals? From adverts in the paper/magazines/internet forums like this one?, Preloved, Gumtree?  Or at livestock markets/auctions? Or from breeders? I'm just curious. We've bought some of our hens from farm shops and breeders. We've bought hatching eggs from breeders. Rabbits from RSPCA, cats come from a friend, gerbils from Pets at Home!

Just considering ducks and sheep at the moment and wondering where I should look. I suppose it depends on what's available locally as well.

Buttermilk

  • Joined Jul 2014
Re: Where do you buy your animals?
« Reply #1 on: September 17, 2017, 06:40:22 pm »
Sheep, the first four from facebook and the rest from breed sales.  Dog from the Greyhound Trust.  Horses and mules all word of mouth.  Donkey an impulse buy from auction.  Husband via Young Farmers Club.

DippyEgg

  • Joined May 2017
Re: Where do you buy your animals?
« Reply #2 on: September 17, 2017, 08:51:54 pm »
Thanks. Are Wives also available from the Young Farmers Club? I will need a few of those soon.

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: Where do you buy your animals?
« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2017, 09:08:05 pm »
Donkey an impulse buy from auction.  Husband via Young Farmers Club.

Awwww, was he a rescue case?  ;)
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

Buttermilk

  • Joined Jul 2014
Re: Where do you buy your animals?
« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2017, 06:51:57 am »
Yes in both instances.

bj_cardiff

  • Joined Feb 2017
  • Carmarthenshire
Re: Where do you buy your animals?
« Reply #5 on: September 18, 2017, 07:43:13 am »
I brought my first sheep direct from the breeder, both times they were pedigree sheep, breeder advertised in freeads. Since then I've brought sheep when something cought my eye on facebook, freeads etc. Most of the poultry, goats, pigs I've got the same way, been browsing and spotted something that took my eye.

I either tend to look around for a bargain, or I see something I like the look of, at the right price.

twizzel

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Where do you buy your animals?
« Reply #6 on: September 18, 2017, 11:07:28 am »
Bought my sheep through the internet- various facebook pages and sellmylivestock. On the facebook pages especially you'll be offered everything and anything but sift through and there's good stock on there at good prices. But stick to your guns and if it isn't right don't go look.


Penninehillbilly

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • West Yorks
Re: Where do you buy your animals?
« Reply #7 on: September 18, 2017, 11:25:38 am »
Dogs and cats are always rescues.
Sheep, first one just turned up, then a tup turned up. Next lot came as cade lambs.
Goats, first 2 rescues, next 2 via Farming Ads
Husband via Tesco.  ;D [size=78%] [/size]

Backinwellies

  • Global Moderator
  • Joined Sep 2012
  • Llandeilo Carmarthenshire
    • Nantygroes
    • Facebook
Re: Where do you buy your animals?
« Reply #8 on: September 18, 2017, 12:06:19 pm »
Dogs rescue
cat turned up
Sheep through breed society and local breeder
cattle breed soc and local conections
Goats Preloved

husband .. in Tanzania
Linda

Don't wrestle with pigs, they will love it and you will just get all muddy.

Let go of who you are and become who you are meant to be.

http://nantygroes.blogspot.co.uk/
www.nantygroes.co.uk
Nantygroes  facebook page

Penninehillbilly

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • West Yorks
Re: Where do you buy your animals?
« Reply #9 on: September 18, 2017, 12:59:07 pm »

I am curious though - [member=22672]penninehillbilly[/member] - does the 28 day money back guarantee apply at Tescos?
Unfortunately by the time the honeymoon wore off I was out of the 28 days.
Besides, it was me who worked there and he was the customer. ;D .
 I suppose 25years hasn't been too bad, better than working at Tesco.

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Where do you buy your animals?
« Reply #10 on: September 18, 2017, 01:03:47 pm »
Let's see:
Husband from Freshers week
Kids from husband
Dogs from breeder or cat and dog rescue
Cats from notices in the Post Office window or from breeders for pedigree, or home bred, one from cat and dog home.
Sheep from known breeders, sometimes from Rare Breeds official sales, if we know the vendor.
Pigs from a private seller via word of mouth
Hens from breeder
Geese from breeder
Rats and mice - they chose us  :innocent:

Kids were the only ones unseen before arrival.
« Last Edit: September 18, 2017, 01:06:32 pm by Fleecewife »
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Where do you buy your animals?
« Reply #11 on: September 18, 2017, 05:13:40 pm »

Dogs - either from Cat&Dog Home and more recently from pedigree breeder
Cat - rescue case via friend who works at vets
Sheep - pedigree sales (only once) and since then through known breeders recommended by other breeders
Goats - only from breeders directly, and nowadays only occasionally male kids and one female kid for daughter to establish her own herd, otherwise closed herd
Pigs - fattening weaners only, through TAS adverts originally and now through direct contact with local breeders, never through mart
Chickens - originally POL bought in, but nowadays all homebred with occasional cockerel swaps/bought in fertile eggs - no vaccinated stock anymore
Geese - TAS adverts


Husband came through Conservation volunteering group long before smallholding...

DippyEgg

  • Joined May 2017
Re: Where do you buy your animals?
« Reply #12 on: September 18, 2017, 09:19:31 pm »
That's interesting. Virtually nobody's mentioned live stock auctions. I've never been to one, but whenever there's a farming programme on TV that's where the farmers buy and sell their stock.

I'm not on Facebook so I don't need to worry about that, but I'd never heard of sellmylivestock so I'm going there to have a look now :-)

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Where do you buy your animals?
« Reply #13 on: September 19, 2017, 01:21:49 am »
There are specialist auctions for pedigree sheep, as well as general stock auctions for buying and selling sheep to the butchers, or for fattening, etc.  At the pedigree sales a lot depends on the reputation of the breeder for producing top quality breeding stock.  So where you source your animals is influenced enormously by what you want them for.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

Buttermilk

  • Joined Jul 2014
Re: Where do you buy your animals?
« Reply #14 on: September 19, 2017, 07:17:55 am »
DippyEgg you asked where we buy.  I sell my sheep at a local regular livestock auction.  Red market for finished stock and a green store market for ones that need to be finished and breeding stock.  The breed sales are held at livestock markets but none that are local to me so I have to travel.

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS