Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => Chicken Chat => Topic started by: Fannyann on September 02, 2011, 11:05

Title: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: Fannyann on September 02, 2011, 11:05
My current flock is down to 2 due to the departure of my old girls to chicken heaven. It's been a long time since I bought new hens and since then the prices have rocketed (£15-£30 a bird)

I live in Reading where a monthly Poultry auction is held. I went along a couple of months ago to see what it was all about. The birds all looked healthy and I was interested to see how much they sold for (£2-£10 a bird)

My question to you is has anyone bought from auctions, and if so how did you find the experience? Do you know where the birds have come from?
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: Casey76 on September 02, 2011, 12:12
Personally I would steer clear unless you were really experienced and  knew exactly what you were looking at.

There are so many ways an unscrupulous seller can pass birds off in auction... e.g. selling cockerels as pullets, or selling spent birds as last seasons birds. Dosing birds up on the day so they don't appear too sick etc.

Buying birds at auction is also a very easy way to introduce parasites and disease into your flock.

Depending on your area, you can buy direct from a small scale breeder, and pick up POL hybrids for £10-15.  At least there you have more come-back than if you bought at auction where caveat emptor reigns supreme.
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: vanessa.xx on September 02, 2011, 18:39
Hi
i bought 2 Welsummer pullets and 1 cream crested Legbar pullet from my local auction and they have been great no problems, having said that a friend of mine bought some hatching eggs which weren't fertile and also some pekin chicks which weren't pekins  ::)
i also saw alot of scaly leg there but there was also some fantastic birds i'd say go along and have a look just get there early and have a good luck around i really enjoyed the experience of seeing all the different breeds together infact my next auction is next sat (its only on 3 times a year) and i can't wait to go and have look even though i don't intend to buy any i don't, i don't  :tongue2:
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: OpiumEater on September 02, 2011, 20:40
I bought my Australorp from an auction. I spent most of the morning watching her to see how she interacted with everything, and looking closely for any problems. Apart from a bare back from treading, she's been a great bird, and I have since bought direct from the seller (twice).

But, some of the birds were in an awful stste, and even my inexperienced eye could make that out. Saying that they did have notes saying seller had to contact welfare officer :)

It's an experience, and you do see some amazing birds.

Good luck

Christine
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: Geo on September 03, 2011, 08:43
My current flock is down to 2 due to the departure of my old girls to chicken heaven. It's been a long time since I bought new hens and since then the prices have rocketed (£15-£30 a bird)

You can still buy Pol birds for less than £10. Isa Warrens £7.50 each. from a reputable breeder in Cumbria.
 I bought sussex hybrids in January for £10 each they are now selling for £12.
When I started keeping hens I made the mistake of not checking out prices in different areas of the country and paid £20 each for hybids that I could have bought for a lot less not much further away. We live and learn.

Anyone else paid more than the going rate ?
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: OpiumEater on September 03, 2011, 14:08
Think I'm about to for a Cream Legbar  ::)

But I so do want one even though my others are half the price.  :happy:
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: vanessa.xx on September 03, 2011, 20:14
Think I'm about to for a Cream Legbar  ::)

But I so do want one even though my others are half the price.  :happy:

I got mine from an auction and she is lovely  :tongue2:
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: storme37 on September 03, 2011, 22:14
iv bought a few so far no health issues but to be honest theres not many savings if u can buy from a breeder/seller you may even get it cheaper in some cases plus at least u know what your getting
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: Lindeggs on September 05, 2011, 00:30
I'm firmly in the camp that auctions are for experienced buyers - even if you can take an experienced person with you for advice.  Also be sure you have somewhere you can quarantine the new birds for several weeks when you bring them home and are ready to treat any parasites or illnesses they may have.

I have chosen not to buy from auction as I have heard so many horror stories about people bringing birds home then finding they have worms, leg mites, etc and are not even the breed the seller has advertised them as.
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: orionsquare on September 10, 2011, 20:54
My husband purchased 2 lemon orpington pullets at an auction and we had them for about 10 weeks now. They are lovely healthy birds and one has grown very attached to me.

I bought a black orpington hen about 1 week ago at an auction and she seemed fine at the auction house and did not show any signs of illness. Immediately when she was travelling in a box on our way home, she made noises like she was barking while in the carrier box. We did not think too much about it and thought that she was just a very vocal chicken who does not like travelling. She joined the flock that night. 5 days later, the 2 lemon orpingtons started sneezing and so did one of the 2 Lohmanns. The black orpington is still making the noise which by now I realise it is the sound of her sneezing.

I am trying colloidal silver on all the birds and especially on the lemon orpingtons and hope that they will get better soon. The lemon orpingtons were quite poorly yesterday. The heavy rain from the day before did not help as they were thoroughly drenched from the downpour. Both of the lemon orpingtons jumped onto my lap for a cuddle as they wanted me to comfort them. One of the Lohmanns also sat next to me on the grass for a cuddle. I hope they will all get better soon. They appear to be a bit better today when I put them to bed a while ago although they were still sneezing. The rest of the flock appears not to be affected by this sneezing though (which I find it rather strange).

From this experience, I can never again trust all sellers at auctions to put healthy birds up for sale. You might just purchase a bird that is carrying a disease and bring it home to your flock. Therefore, buyer beware.
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: CluckyChicken on September 11, 2011, 12:16
If there is a bird you particually like and are thinking of getting, have a very good look.  If there is even one little thing you are not sure about, then don't do it.  So far, we have been lucky, but as you can see there are some untrustworthy people around  :(
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: hillfooter on September 12, 2011, 02:30
My husband purchased 2 lemon orpington pullets at an auction and we had them for about 10 weeks now. They are lovely healthy birds and one has grown very attached to me.

I bought a black orpington hen about 1 week ago at an auction and she seemed fine at the auction house and did not show any signs of illness. Immediately when she was travelling in a box on our way home, she made noises like she was barking while in the carrier box. We did not think too much about it and thought that she was just a very vocal chicken who does not like travelling. She joined the flock that night. 5 days later, the 2 lemon orpingtons started sneezing and so did one of the 2 Lohmanns. The black orpington is still making the noise which by now I realise it is the sound of her sneezing.

I am trying colloidal silver on all the birds and especially on the lemon orpingtons and hope that they will get better soon. The lemon orpingtons were quite poorly yesterday. The heavy rain from the day before did not help as they were thoroughly drenched from the downpour. Both of the lemon orpingtons jumped onto my lap for a cuddle as they wanted me to comfort them. One of the Lohmanns also sat next to me on the grass for a cuddle. I hope they will all get better soon. They appear to be a bit better today when I put them to bed a while ago although they were still sneezing. The rest of the flock appears not to be affected by this sneezing though (which I find it rather strange).

From this experience, I can never again trust all sellers at auctions to put healthy birds up for sale. You might just purchase a bird that is carrying a disease and bring it home to your flock. Therefore, buyer beware.


Your birds have what is known as Chronic Respiratory Disease or a Mycoplasma Gallisepticum infection.  It's a chronic infection that even antibiotic won't cure but will treat secondary infections which are causing the cold like symptoms you see it's highly infectious and will infect the other birds it comes into contact with.  Even when the symptoms have gone the bird will still be a carrier and it will break out again under stress conditions.  In fact it is sometimes call a stress disease and the stress of the journey home will almost certainly be the cause of the outbreak from it's dormant state.

If after an antibiotic treatment with Tylan or Baytril the birds have still got rattlely breathing it would be best to dispatch them as they will almost certainly have frequent recurrances.  You should not breed from these birds or move them to another site or mix them with healthy stock.  They may well also be poor layers and produce soft eggs.

I'm affraid your trip to the auction will have longterm consequences and incur expensive vet bills periodically.  Colloidal Silver will have no effect whatsoever on this infection and in fact is a highly dubious treatment for any condition taken internally.  I've never heard of it being used to treat chickens so I doubt a safe dosage, if such exists, is even known.  A vet is the only person who is allowed to prescribe the antibiotic medication which your birds need so I suggest you pay him or her a visit pronto.

This story is a salutary warning to anyone introducing new birds they aren't sure of the background of and a warning to always quarentine new birds.

Best of luck
HF
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: Nails on September 12, 2011, 19:18
I have brought from auctions in the past, and have lost most of the birds i have brought, people tend to stick thier sick birds in just to get rid! also brought eggs as well and have hatched out breeds that i didn't buy as well!!!!
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: wildwitchy on September 14, 2011, 14:28
I personally think auctions are good just to have a look at different birds. I bought ducklings some years ago ( I only went for 2 & ended up with 9 as I didnt quite get the bidding thing as I was a complete newbie  :ohmy:).  They turned out healthy fortunatly & one of the hen ducks my friend still has! I went again to Henley in Arden - not there now (not so green) & didnt buy. There were so called broody hens with chicks (some sellers will put a mixed bag of chicks with any old hen), drakes can have their curly tails pulled out, so listen for the raspy quack instead, asians were buying cockerels & holding 'em by their legs for the dinner table! There is alot of cockerels for sale too & the price of any female birds was very expensive. They were relying on people buying them for pets & not doing any homework.
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: ManicMum on September 14, 2011, 18:10
I can see that looking around at an auction might give you a good idea about breeds - and also give you details of sellers/breeders that you might follow up on later - but I suspect that the stress of the auction might cause healthy birds to survive a shorter time than they otherwise would, never mind all the sneaky tricks that could show up after purchase.
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: shetan on September 15, 2011, 16:22
i have brought a number of birds from auction and on the whole have been ok with them.

however, i had problems with a local breeder who used to post here and set up her own set up which then spread mycro to my flock and  had to cull them all. i quaranteened for 2 weeks and was still unlucky.

i think you need to be aware of things thats might crop up and try to be as vigilant as you can.

i've got a speck sussex cockerel from melton who is a proper gent. he must be around 3/4 years old minimum. but on the day  i put my hand flat against the cage wire of a number of roosters and a few of them went for it. so i knew not to go for them. 3 of my 5 gold brahmas were from there as well and they are thriving (bar one who was caught by mr fox).

and just last week i picked up 2 white brahmas (mean men were talking of cooking them when they got home and don't know what came over me - bid for them and got them for a tenner!). one was a little sniffle-y but is ok now and well settled.

i make sure  i keep the birds seperate for 3 weeks now and also check them for mites as soon as i win the bidding. you can alway go to the admin office and complain about the health of the animals before they leave the premises. i would argue the point that you are not allowed to handle or inspect the birds before hand and therefore the seller should be held accountable. however, if the birds are visably ill then its your own fault for bidding in the first place.

all in all - if you're going to be unlucky, it doesn't matter where the birds come from. just make sure you check everything you possibly can before buying/bidding...

eyes bright, lids opening and closing normally, healthy wattle and comb colour, no discharge from nose, clean and smooth legs, shiny feathers, clean vents and birds not huddled at back of cage. then after bidding check for lice and mites and if there are any concerns go to the office and complain straight away. its likely that the seller will still be around as they will need to remove any unsold birds.

it also helps to get there early and talk to the auctioneer -who might stand with you and let you check a bird if you're lucky.

hope that helps. sorry for the long post and best of luck with whichever option you choose :)
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: storme37 on September 15, 2011, 20:52
we got 1 the other week at auction she gave a few of them a cold but everyone seems to be getting better, buyer beware at auctions. not sure i would buy that way again you don't really save much money and there's a lot of risk.
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: hillfooter on September 16, 2011, 01:29
we got 1 the other week at auction she gave a few of them a cold but everyone seems to be getting better, buyer beware at auctions. not sure i would buy that way again you don't really save much money and there's a lot of risk.

Chickens don't get colds Storm37.  What your chickens were suffering from is 'Chronic Respiratory Disease'  or CRD for short.  It can also be referred to by the name of the bacterium which causes it 'Mycoplasma Gallisepticum'. 

I'm affraid it's not so benign as a cold, try googling for either of these terms and find out what the likely prognosis is.  Birds do not get better from this disease it just goes dormant once the birds immune system gets the upperhand.  Once infected they are carriers for life and also will pass the disease vertically so they should not be bred from.  Antibiotics can help eliminate secondary infections which usually accompany an outbreak.  It's these secondary infections which cause the cold like symptoms.  It is likely to recur at any time your birds immune system is challenged by stress such as at moult or heat stress or many other circumstances we might not even think are stressful but are to a bird.

HF
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: storme37 on September 17, 2011, 20:04
we gave them amoxacillin seems to be sorting them out. from reading this forum it seems half the keepers here seem to have this problem every other post seems to be about a hen sneezing or having a runny beek. is it a wide spread disease?
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: wildwitchy on September 17, 2011, 21:04
After going to buy some birds myself early this year, i've introduced a respiratory infection  into the flock unfortunatly. Some of the girls that I rescued from a dreadful cruelty situation started to sneeze after I got them home & I lost 2 of the youngest chick leghorns within a week despite all efforts. I think they had cocci. The other two leghorns Sydney & Nancy pulled through (after giving them enrofloxacin antibiotic which I keep in) but still sneeze every now & then & one of them always lays a very soft shelled egg. The other hens from the same batch seem ok & so do the others.
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: hillfooter on September 17, 2011, 21:42
we gave them amoxacillin seems to be sorting them out. from reading this forum it seems half the keepers here seem to have this problem every other post seems to be about a hen sneezing or having a runny beek. is it a wide spread disease?

It's common among backyard poultry, endemic I'd say and mainly because of ignorance and the dubious habit of rehabing battery hens without the necessary experience. 

Most newbies just think it's a cold of a similar significance to the colds humans get.  It's not and is far more serious than that.  It's called Chronic Respiratory Disease because it's a lifelong infection that can't be cured.  The symptoms are usually caused by secondary infections as this disease often complexes with several other respiratory infections.  The a/bs will only help the secondary infections and thus the symptoms.  They will recur repeatedly over time whenever stress lowers the immune system at moult for example.  If it complexes with Infectious Bronchitas this causes reproductive system damage which results in mishapen and soft shells in later life as well as much reduced laying.

Don't think because your birds don't show the symptoms they are cured.  It's just that the a/bs have given the immune system some help to recover and get the secondary infections under control

HF
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: wildwitchy on September 17, 2011, 23:34
Just a question HF. Why does a respiratry infection damage the egg laying process/reproductive system. Curious. If I do manage to save the egg from being broken in the nest, it is usually a right odd shape, has blobs of shell on it & usually very thin. I will post a photo of one when I have one.
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: hillfooter on September 18, 2011, 05:21
Just a question HF. Why does a respiratry infection damage the egg laying process/reproductive system. Curious. If I do manage to save the egg from being broken in the nest, it is usually a right odd shape, has blobs of shell on it & usually very thin. I will post a photo of one when I have one.

Infections rarely occur singly they usually occur in complexes.  This is because a single infection may break down the bodies defences allowing other bacteria/ viruses to invade. 

Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG) is the name of the bacterium (a very small bacteria) which causes Chronic Respiratory Disease.  MG damages the mucus lining of the trachea allowing other bacteria / viruses to invade the internal organs of the body.  An MG infection often complexes with Coryza and various E coli strains (not the ones which cause problems in humans. E coli is a large group of bacteria strains which occur commonly in the environment).  It also can occur concurrently with Infectious Bronchitis, (IBV).
 
See
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/203402.htm
http://www.infectious-bronchitis.com/signs-lesions-ib.asp

IBV is commonly the cause of mishaped eggs and thin shells.

HF
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: Casey76 on September 18, 2011, 11:52
we gave them amoxacillin seems to be sorting them out. from reading this forum it seems half the keepers here seem to have this problem every other post seems to be about a hen sneezing or having a runny beek. is it a wide spread disease?

Hi Storme, MG infections are on the rise because many backyard keepers are not willing to cull their entire flock and start again with healthy birds which is the only real way of controlling MG.  As MG is passed vertically from hen to egg, chicks can hatch as carriers without the owner even being aware of it.  So the greater sale of hatching eggs via ebay where you can't check the husbandry of the parent stock also plays a huge part.
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: hillfooter on September 18, 2011, 12:56
Anyone who has read my posts about rehoming ex batts will have noted I always warn inexperienced keepers off keeping ex batts and also advise not to mix them with other stock.  Rehoming charities may you think be acting compassionately however in my book they are highly irresponsible in many cases and rehome stock without warning people of the dangers or providing proper vetinerary inspection of stock and they aren't choosy in who they supply.  They are litterally poisoning the backyard population of birds along with ebay too.  Defra don't care as commercial farmers operate an  all in all out systems with a disinfection cycle between and vaccination to keep the birds from getting an infection.  Unfortunately they are all too likely to be carriers though immune.

It's high time these practises were regulated but sadly only practises which erode commercial profit making get regulated in this country because it's only trade associations which push regulation to enshrine restrictive practise in law to secure their own income.  Rant over.
HF
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: wildwitchy on September 18, 2011, 15:20
Thanks for the info HF.
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: gingerplant on September 18, 2011, 21:36
hiya
never had experience of auction,but i'm near Reading and know of a v good breeder - not as cheap as auction but better value than others i've been to & most importantly really looks after her birds. PM me if you want details
:-)
just re-stocked from her & have 6 lovely birds
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: storme37 on September 18, 2011, 22:38
im led to understand mg is rare in commercial flock because of vaccination so surely ex batts maybe a better choice than an auction gamble?
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: joyfull on September 18, 2011, 22:46
some vaccinations are live vaccines which pose more of a threat to other birds than dead vaccines I do believe. I am not sure if the vaccine for MG is a live vaccine or not.
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: Lindeggs on September 18, 2011, 22:57
...It's high time these practises were regulated but sadly only practises which erode commercial profit making get regulated in this country because it's only trade associations which push regulation to enshrine restrictive practise in law to secure their own income.  Rant over.
HF

In the absence of regulation, that's where education becomes so important.  Just as online tools like ebay have allowed eggs and chickens to be sold more widely, so online tools like this forum have allowed people like you, Hillfooter, to share your knowledge with the rest of us.

In part it's about community responsibility rather than just top-down regulation.
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: hillfooter on September 19, 2011, 05:53
im led to understand mg is rare in commercial flock because of vaccination so surely ex batts maybe a better choice than an auction gamble?

I'm not sure though I do believe MG is not controlled in commercial flocks by vaccination as the vaccine for it is very expensive.  Where there have been programmes in some countries to eliminate MG from commercial flocks it's been done by antimicrobial treatment of hatching eggs to produce reduced MG infection in breeder flocks and selective means ie culling effected flocks and breeding MG free only. 

In the US MG has been all but eradicated.  Where there are programmes they have been driven by regulation.  In other countries without such programmes MG is on the increase.  MG elimination programmes have been implemented in UK breeder flocks and it has been reported that all major breeder flocks are MG free (not sure of the current staus) however MS (Mycoplasma synoviae) which can produce similar symptoms though is less economically significant has not been eliminated.

Whether breeder flocks are MG free is to some extent academic as rehomed birds come from production flocks and can still be infected with MG if a poultry producers biosecurity is not good.  If live vaccines are used the birds will automatically be carriers of a milder strain.

Dead vaccines have been developed but they are less effective than live ones using a milder strain and the cost of administration is much higher as individual birds need to be treated and I'm not sure that these are now available commercially.  Antibiotic treatments by regular administration of Tilmicosin have shown reduced effects of MG and improved economics but the use of regular treatments of antibiotics is now not encouraged or is regulated against because of the risk of producing resistant strains.

The bottom line is as far as I understand rehomed ex batts can well be carriers of MG and MS and certainly will be if vaccination has been used as a control in an all in all out production system.

HF

Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: storme37 on September 20, 2011, 22:23
no wonder they say 95 % of hens have this seems virtually unavoidable if you mix and match hens so unless you buy vaccinated hen from one source its welcome to mg land
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: hillfooter on September 20, 2011, 22:52
no wonder they say 95 % of hens have this seems virtually unavoidable if you mix and match hens so unless you buy vaccinated hen from one source its welcome to mg land

Certainly this disease is common in backyard poultry.  When I started keeping poultry around 12 years ago it was virually unheard of and I've never had personal contact with it up to 4 years ago when I bought some hybrids from a small breeder.  One of the birds was a carrier and I've had around 3 or four birds catch it since all of whom including the carrier I culled.  Think the strain I had was pretty mild and probably as a result of a live vaccine.  Thankfully I've not seen any in the last 2 years and I've been very careful in introducing new birds.  I'm now fairly paranoid and won't buy on ebay or from anyone whose stock I can't be confident about.

It's long been my opinion that rehoming ex bats and ebay hatching eggs as well as the explosion in backyard poultry keeping and the cowboy breeders who exploit this market are culpable in spreading this disease.  It seems that most new inexperienced keepers are unaware of it's seriousness and vets are happy to shell out antibiotics to control the symptoms.

Personally I'd recommend anyone with a chicken which has  permanent rales should cull this bird even if it seems otherwise healthy as it is a sure sign that lower respiratory infection has become established and it is certainly a carrier.  Such birds don't respond to a/bs.

HF
HF
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: Twinkie002 on October 09, 2011, 22:41
I agree that there should be some kind of regulation of the Backyard / domestic poultry supply industry, but never will be - as you say HF, due to the lack of commercial gain.   As well as buying from "disease ridden" auctions, there are many horror stories of inexperienced new keepers buying from "cowboy breeders".    I know of one who went along to such a chap and explained honestly that she knew nothing of poultry keeping - this was for her children to enjoy and would be led by his recommendations and knowledge.  She came away with (what turned out to be" the two oldest 5/6 year old "point of lay" hens I had seen - together with horrendous scaly leg, along with x2 supposed 12 week old Light Sussex  - which were actually around 4 week old silkie crosses and should not have even been off the heat.  He told her to feed them chicken pellets and sling them all in the house together - they would be fine!!   :ohmy: :ohmy: :ohmy:
Title: Re: Buying poultry at auctions......your thoughts
Post by: hillfooter on October 10, 2011, 00:08
I agree that there should be some kind of regulation of the Backyard / domestic poultry supply industry, but never will be - as you say HF, due to the lack of commercial gain.   As well as buying from "disease ridden" auctions, there are many horror stories of inexperienced new keepers buying from "cowboy breeders".    I know of one who went along to such a chap and explained honestly that she knew nothing of poultry keeping - this was for her children to enjoy and would be led by his recommendations and knowledge.  She came away with (what turned out to be" the two oldest 5/6 year old "point of lay" hens I had seen - together with horrendous scaly leg, along with x2 supposed 12 week old Light Sussex  - which were actually around 4 week old silkie crosses and should not have even been off the heat.  He told her to feed them chicken pellets and sling them all in the house together - they would be fine!!   :ohmy: :ohmy: :ohmy:

Yes unfortunately there are plenty of rogues who try to make a quick buck or two without any scruples and not just selling chickens which at least isn't going to rob someone of their life savings.

The best advice to give anyone who's a novice is to get advice from someone who is knowledgeable and whose integrity you can trust.  Never buy anything you have the least doubt about and particularly don't buy if you are being pressured into a quick decision.  someone who is genuine will want to make an effort to satisfy you that their stock is good quality.
HF