The Poultry Keeper

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6797 Location: isle of lewis

I've just got back from the auction mart. I think it has got to be the worst sale I've ever seen,the champion was a limosine hiefer at a wiegth of 577kg the beast only made £2 per kilograme.
some figures to make the eyes water :
the only highland cow to go though the ring in calf to a the best highland bull on the islands only made £25. (she was jet black and really nice)
no hiefers with calf at foot were sold as they couldn't get more the £70 for the pair.
limosine hiefers in calf to short hornbull only £60
the other highland animals were told that itnot be worth their time to put the animals though as the class winner was the above cow. The highland bullocks (april/may born) went for £50 each the hieders were all withdrawn as well.
aberdeen angus cows made £40-60
my calves from goathill struggled to get £110 which they were brought for me last year, all three that were sold went to a friend of mine, all hiefers all halter broken and pretty (red/white, brown/white) not bias red and puzzle the older to only made £110, and curlie only made £90.

it got worse with the sheep:
top price was £52 for a pair chevoits x texel shearlings sheep champions
top price for a ram was £5 for a blackface
a set of 24 blackface ewes at varies ages between 2 and 3 crop of lambs only made £2.
these are figures from todays sales. together with shetland putting 5000 sheep to the cull scheme and the packed cull sheep area at the auction mart, the livestock here is low priced and it doesn't seen a lot for a year or 2's work.

I wish I coulds have brought the highlands (for that matter everything) it was heartbreaking to see Crying or Very sad

nonie

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1314 Location: Leicestershire

tut

Itsybitsy

debcat · Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 7:07 pm Post subject:

the last lot of the day struggled to reach 20p

just as well I couldn't go, OH wouldn't be talking to me now

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2220 Location: South Cumbria

all that hard work for nothing !

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6797 Location: isle of lewis

i was thinking for the secret santa we could have sent someone 25 sheep

ok hailer would have cost ,but

CP · Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 3:06 am Post subject:

debcat · Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 3:21 am Post subject:

At the xmas sales all the animals are judged and prizes given, so people tend to save the best they have got

at those prices it's just not worth breeding them and paying all the costs that go with it Confused

the boss took the best 8 lambs he had this year, and they where really good lambs, but he'd have been better off putting them in the freezer

bronskibeat · Joined: 09 Sep 2007 Posts: 1400 Location: Clawddnewydd

Blimey and I thought I'd had a bad sales year. Thats terrible, what a heartbreaking exercise the sales rings are this year. Lots of people I have been in contact with are getting out of sheep. Down here in England we dont even have the hill lamb cull system in place so cant get rid of small runty lambs (or nice fit ones either if it comes to that Rolling Eyes

)

Welsh Duck · Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 2:59 pm Post subject:

Those are dreadfull prices. I never thought I would see the day when they were that low Sad