[Bodger]

Now, I'm a man of the world and take a bit of shocking but what I saw at The Smallholders show at Builth Wells really upset me.
I saw dodo chickens being kept in dodo conditions being sold at very inflated prices.
There were a number of venders selling poultry in one of the modern halls at the Royal Welsh Showground and the first thing that hit you was the absolute stench as you walked into it. Whilst it doesn't do to tar everyone with the same brush, most of the poultry were not very good and the cages were cramped and filthy. Some of them were disgraceful and were real RSPCA jobs.
Now all chickens  dodo from time to time but there was one particular bloke who'd got his stock in minute cages on an old farm trailer and the bedding in the cages wasn't days old, but more like months old.
Some of the birds were not the breeds they said to be and quite a few needed medication or necking because they were sick.

I hope from my demeanor, that you can tell how angry I am and all the time people were walking away with stock in cardboard boxes that they'd paid high prices for. Unfortunately, in walking away with inferior stock, in many cases, they were also walking away with ticking time bombs in the form of diseases and other problems.
What I saw, IMO was a recipe for disaster and more like a third world market scene than an otherwise brilliant event. Its something that the organisers should look at stopping before its stopped for them.

Here are the pictures to give you an idea of what I saw.





















It was quite obvious that these chicken peddlars had bought up as many chickens and ducks as they could lay their hands on in the weeks prior to the show in order to make a killing.

[Wildeone]

:cry:  Don't the RSPCA have a presence at these events?

[peggyprice]

Perhaps it's time for an education campaign, as well as the legal routes via the show organisers and the RSPCA.  As I've said elsewhere, there are so many people looking to buy poultry now and many without benefit of experience or research.

If the people buying at these shows are smallholders, the smallholder magazines should be interested in running a story ... best way to tackle these sort of vendors is to take away their market.

If other people have similar experiences from other shows/markets I'd be happy to pull them together into an article that could be offered to the appropriate titles ...

[Aunt Sally]

We've talked about this before haven't we Bodger, about how unscrupulous people are cashing in on unknowledgable people at the beginning of their chicken keeping experience.  

Were there any inspectors there from the RSPCA or from the organises ?

Were the showing cages supplied by the show or by the seller ?

Do the organisers stipulate how many birds can be put into one pen/cage ?

A relative of ours used to be a policeman in Scotland and he had to attend local shows partly to assure animal welfare and certification.

It looks to me as though it is as much the organisers fault as the sellers for allowing animals to be there in substandard conditions  :evil:

[Bodger]

There was a seperate poultry auction for 'ordinary' members of the public and this was in a seperate area of the show ground. Some of the birds and conditions were pretty ropey but the pictures and my rant is about some of the  chicken peddlars who'd paid for their pitches. These people are there year after year.
Having looked at my pictures, I could have taken far worse and the ones that I have put on the forum, don't really give  a true picture a to how truly grim the conditions were.

[poultrygeist]

Surely the organisers must stipulate minimum conditions for the birds ??

If not, then they are as much to blame as the profiteers. They're making a nice bit of cash on the back of it.

You've done a good deed posting these up. At least people can see what to steer clear of.

Is there any action that could be taken or is it too late ?

Rob

[nettynoodles1]

omg that sounds dreadful why do some people think its ok to keep/ sell/ buy chickens like this. if the pics you posted are the *better ones* i dread to think what the *worst ones* looked like.
something needs to be done and as chicken huggers we shoudl make a noise about places like this. anything i can do to help just shout.

[Jonsue]

It's dreadful to think some people treat these creatures like this. We are very new to having chickens and ducks, but I did go on this website to find a supplier which proved to be a godsend. Not only do I know that I've got healthy birds I also can get good, no excellent advice as to the best way to care for them, plus you get to see there living area. I know when we use to breed dogs, we use to vet the new owners out and not just let them go to anyone.
These people you identified are just in it for the money.
Previously to getting my chicks and ducks I did go to someone advertising on the side of the raod, but they saw me coming and knowing I had not had chickens or ducks before quoted me a higher price, more than 3 times the price I paid.

[Porffor]

being horse owners, well i can't say i'm surprised that this is happening and that they are getting away with it. Seems the RSPCA and other charities are not able to help all animals.. it's a disgrace, but something you do see to do with most animals.

[kimT]

I went to a sale in Thirsk North Yorkshire at the beginning of the month and what I saw there sickened me so much. I complained and complained to the staff about a trio of LF white Wyandotte’s or should I say pink as they were covered in blood and one of the females was clearly suffocating. All the cages had padlocks on which I can understand but I just couldn’t get her out and I tried to get hacksaw to cut off the lock.
People just stood around doing nothing but saying that’s just dreadful something should be done about it.

The staff did nothing until I barged into the payment office and demanded someone get that hen out or I am calling the RSPCA right now…………………they were running to cage with me behind them making sure they got her out.

I have since made a formal complaint to the RSPCA and it is being investigated.

Here are the pictures that I took which are pretty awful to see and not for the faint hearted.

[Porffor]

:shock: not much wonder you threatened to call the RSPCA there and then, good for you! Lets hope they investigate and can do something, if only follow up visits etc. Hope the hen survived.

[kimT]

I had a call from the RSPCA last week saying that it is being investigated and that they may call me for cpoies of the photographs which I am more than happy to hand over to them.

It was a very warm day that Saturday and not many of the cages had water containers in them either which I also reported. Some the birds were open beaked and very thirsty indeed.

This sort of treatment is so un called for and these people have a cheek to say they care about animals...............B*******ks

[Bodger]

Usually people go to these sales  thinking that are going to get a bargain. Believe you me, there were no bargains to be had there yesterday, infact, quite the opposite.

[GrannieAnnie]

Oh those pictures are disgusting!  How can anyone keep poultry like that, even in the privacy of their homes, let alone at a show!

Sometimes I feel a little embarrassed when people come round to see our chooks, when its been raining and they've eaten all the grass and there's only mud left, and the poor old grass doesn't get a chance to re-grow as quickly as I'd like it to, but one lady came round to buy some chooks and she said oh what a lovely set up you have here, its the best I've seen so far.  So goodness what else she'd seen!!!!!

I do my best, but could do with another couple of acres of grassland for them!  But my birds are always healthy and clean, and have plenty of food and water and a nice dry bed, plus CD's, perches, greenstuff etc.

People like those shouldn't keep animals!!!!!

[Lost in France]

Sooo sad..maybe some of those poor birds are now in good caring homes? Lt's hope so. I bought my fist girlies from Thirsk Auction Market and don't remember seeing sights like those but it was a few years ago. Anyway my girls were healthy and well cared for...and still are.

Judi