Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Where do you buy your animals?  (Read 5409 times)

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Where do you buy your animals?
« Reply #15 on: September 19, 2017, 01:18:49 pm »
I've bought a lot of my sheep at livestock auctions, both commercial ones for the farm and my fleece sheep.

I've also brought direct from the breeder in both cases.

Tups from breeders I know for my sheep; ditto and from the pedigree sales for commercial ones.   Oh, and from recommendations in the early days too.

I've never bought through Facebook or FreeAds.  I bought a lovely pony advertised in the local paper but in general wouldn't buy that way.

Cattle, I bought one Jersey after hunting down a descendant of a particular herd, then bred my own using AI.

On the farm, ex-BH bought cattle almost exclusively at livestock auctions, but predominantly from known breeders.

Until I needed working collies, all my dogs were rescues.  I bought a part-trained 2-year old collie when I started sheep farming, from a respected breeder, trainer and triallist, and was given another experienced 2-year old dog by a local farmer, surplus to his requirements but a godsend to us.  Dot was a present, accidentally bred but from excellent stock, and is the only dog I've ever had from a pup.

Cats rescues initially but now I seek out Siamese crosses - and have bought kittens found through newspaper ads.

Oh, and I bought some chickens found through a newspaper ad, too.  I would probably happily source chickens through DASH ads (on FB) but wherever, I would always visit first to be sure of health status - decades ago, I had some disasters buying in chickens which weren't 100% healthy.

Blokes seem to land when I'm not looking.  Trying to be more vigilant these days  :-J
« Last Edit: September 19, 2017, 01:22:31 pm by SallyintNorth »
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Alex_

  • Joined Jul 2016
Re: Where do you buy your animals?
« Reply #16 on: September 19, 2017, 01:50:32 pm »
The internet. I found chickens off a local farm/garden centre/breeders website and I got my ducks from preloved.

I sold chickens using a flyer at the local Tesco's and I sold a couple of Muscovy ducklings on preloved (Circle of life) and sold another to a neighbour. I feel bad because the neighbours one flew away

ellied

  • Joined Sep 2010
  • Fife
    • Facebook
Re: Where do you buy your animals?
« Reply #17 on: September 20, 2017, 07:25:57 am »
Ponies - the original one was foisted on me as a loan by a yard I went to for private driving lessons, so I was paying them livery for their pony, buying feed, bedding, tack and such from them too!  Mostly homebred after that but a few times over the last 20+ years I have been out in a field with someone and find myself asking a few questions more than usual and then a pony comes home unexpectedly.  Happened once at an auction too, a weaned foal that time.  And once friends offered me a free weanling Sec A colt and I ended up with 2, but it was because I had already picked out one of 30+ yearling colts on a Welsh hill that were going for meat and these friends agreed to take him home for me and do initial handling til I could sort things out - so when they offered a free companion til I could get them both gelded, it made sense - as much as anything I do makes sense ;)

As for husbands, well I've auditioned a few over the years but they never lasted the initial warranty period so I decided not to keep or replace them after a few tries.  Despite any attractive packaging or advertised benefits I tend to find it better to hire individual workers for plumbing, gardening, animal care, land maintenance, vehicle repair etc, and then send them home to be fed and housed by others til required again.  My sofa, remote, bottled beverages and fridge are my private domain, as is the right to all decisions over land, building decor/maintenance, livestock, transport and business policy.  I miss a few of the fringe benefits but honestly not enough to compromise and there are always cheap try before you buy schemes if it comes to it!

Cats from local rescue lady or a friend who had spare kittens.

Hens originally from a local farm, added in a few rescue commercials, since then a mix of POLs from local breeders and more often day olds from a reputable supplier I have come to know in recent years.
Barleyfields Smallholding & Kirkcarrion Highland Ponies
https://www.facebook.com/kirkcarrionhighlands/
Ellie Douglas Therapist
https://www.facebook.com/Ellie-Douglas-Therapist-124792904635278/

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: Where do you buy your animals?
« Reply #18 on: September 20, 2017, 11:35:46 pm »
WE bought quite a few at livestock auctions. However I prefer buying through societes, sometimes preloved does indeed work. FB is brilliant and I have sold a lot via there. Sellmylivestock.com is very good too. We also found buying through the FG as a good way of getting decent stock. My advice is to see and talk to the breeders/watch the animals on their own holding and how they are. Best way :)
the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, loving concern.

 

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