[pepsi100]

I have tried all the usual searches (google, MSN, Yahoo)

But are there any cattle markets around ?

They used to be quite common, but the one I used has shut down, years ago (Slough)

I used to go there to buy rabbits, chickens, eggs, in some visits even pet birds

I have had a few suggestions on other pages, but when I try and find a web page for them, they dont have one or the search turns up nothing

Has anyone been to a cattle market in the past (not years ago)

What did they have ? (apart from cattle, sheep, pigs)

I'm trying to find a cattle market that has the smaller live stock, chickens, geese, ducks, rabbits, even hatching eggs

Okay I know that some are just going to be too far for me to get to, but there must be cattle markets out there or even small livestock auctions

Any replies about auctions would really be appreciated

[Spana]

They are still there, but you are right ,a lot of markets have disappeared. The old sites are usually in the center of small market towns and inconvenient for the big lorries  of today. Lots have been sold off for housing development because the cost of bringing them up to new regulations is not cost effective.
Sometimes a new market is built on the outskirts of the town with better transport access.

The small animal and plant auctions are sometimes held at a different time/day to the cattle sheep and pigs. Sometimes down here in the evening.

I hate auctions and only go if i have to.

We have a local paper and all forthcoming sales are advertised there.

[pepsi100]

WOW, I love the auctions, I bought goose eggs from there, they all hatched out, 7 geese followed the kids everywhere, same as rabbits, hens,

All the livestock I saw was well kept, looked good (it had to or they wouldnt sell)

The RSPCA was alway there to make sure everything was fine

Its a real shame these are all shut now though, so where do people sell their small live stock now, they cant all be on EBay 

So where are these auctions held, how do I try and find them (auctions with small livestock, poultry, eggs)

[tosca100]

Your local farmer's news paper  (don't know if you have a Farmers Guardian in your area) and Farmers Weekly magazine should have details of sales. Thame still do chickens and plants, depends how far it is from you.

Love Thame, one of my favourite towns in the south.

[pepsi100]

Nope, as far as I know there isnt any farmers papers or farmers weekly magazines round here

I looked in the newsagents for this 'farmers weekly' they had never heard of it

Not sure about Thame or how far, but there is always google maps

How often they have their markets ?

[arugula]

There are a few markets in Scotland, I know far from you, but just to indicate they do exist. United Auctions might be worth contacting to give you more nationwide information.

[joyfull]

Take a look on here:-

http://www.stackyard.com/marts/index.html

[pepsi100]

There are a few markets in Scotland, I know far from you, but just to indicate they do exist. United Auctions might be worth contacting to give you more nationwide information.

I wonder if there is a English website like the Scottish one

[pepsi100]

I had a look at both websites, both very good, but it seems that any poultry auctions are few and far between, regardless of where these auctions are held,

Doesnt seem to be anything down south for any poultry auctions, makes me wonder if they have them and what they do to sell their stock, considering there was an auction every 2 weeks in Slough and it was always well attended, both by famers and joe public

[GrannieAnnie]

The others are right, they are still around, but I don't know of any poultry/stockauctions around London.

Bury St Edmunds moved out of the town onto a new site on the outskirts.  There is one near Mildenhall Suffolk.  Melton Mowbray still has one.

Not sure if Colchester still do animals.  And don't think Ashford in Kent do animals anymore.

But a lot of them did close down because of all the health and hygiene regulations etc.

I think Louth up here still have one too, but quite a drive from you!

[pepsi100]

So what do the poultry farmers do now all these have either stopped selling poultry, birds, eggs or closed down

I assume they still sell them, but I'll be buggered if I can think of the right search terms or know how to find them (especially around London)

[GrannieAnnie]

I think a lot are sold on the internet and through the magazines like Farmer's Weekly.

Farming is a whole different ball game these days I'm afraid!

When we raised our chickens to sell at POL, we bought them from a big hatchery at day old.  Meat chickens bought at day old from a local breeder who I found on the River Cottage forums, and the turkey poults we buy from Kelly's turkeys in Essex.

We don't do lambs or anything, so not sure exactly what happens with them now.

[pepsi100]

I think a lot are sold on the internet and through the magazines like Farmer's Weekly.

Do they have a website ?

Farming is a whole different ball game these days I'm afraid!  But is it any better ?


When we raised our chickens to sell at POL, we bought them from a big hatchery at day old.  Meat chickens bought at day old from a local breeder who I found on the River Cottage forums, and the turkey poults we buy from Kelly's turkeys in Essex.

We don't do lambs or anything, so not sure exactly what happens with them now.

Ah it would seem that things have really changed, but I was working and all this changed and I never noticed it happening, I guess you never miss something until you need it  




........................................................................................

They do have an online magazine (I should have looked before asking 

[arugula]

There are a few markets in Scotland, I know far from you, but just to indicate they do exist. United Auctions might be worth contacting to give you more nationwide information.

I wonder if there is a English website like the Scottish one

Thinking of this topic whilst I was out just now, we also deal with auction markets around the Carlisle area more for sheep though than cattle. As I said, you could contact the company I mentioned and they might tell you of places or organisations nearer to you.  Alternatively, one of the animal health supplier, such as Cox or Ritchey to name but two, would have access to market location information, as they deal directly sometimes due to urgent eartag orders.

Through having dealt with them for a number of years, I'm sure any of these companies I have mentioned would try to be helpful with your enquiry.

[pepsi100]

I gave that Farmers Weekly a phone call, reference poultry auctions, they said that they are few and far between these days, most farmers dont have the time or inclination to attend a auction to sell eggs, birds (Turkeys, Geese, Hens, Ducks) as the rewards dont meet the time outlay and they very rarely meet the costs of transporting them and selling them

He had no idea what they do now, but would asume they are 'garden gate' sales now

Turkey breeders do their sales online, mostly around Easter/Christmas time, but a lot are bought by various stores

He did say they do the shows during the year and some sell eggs and birds, piglets, lambs

He did remember the cattle market in Slough and did say why it was closed (it wasnt on health or safety reasons,) it was pressure from the RSPCA and the treatment of poultry by a certain part of the community that attended


It would seem that any poultry auctions are a thing of the past now