Farm Auctions (Calais, Eastport, Pembroke: how much, buy, organic)

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by AliceT

Awesome, thanks.

Any chance I could pick up a pony and/or donkey there?

Oh yeah




My my your my kind of gal

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by AlisonL

You probably could, but you will be bidding against dealers most times. There are lots of them in Uncle Henry's every week. UH would be my choice to find one.

When you buy from an auction you don't get much information on the animal. Buy through UH and you can see where the animal was living, find out if others in the same place are sick with something you should know about, talk to the owners in a non-pressured atmosphere and have a better idea of what you're getting.

Beware of auction animals. I'll never buy animals when I can't personally see the farm they're coming from again. I ordered five piglets. The person I ordered them from sold more than he had and made up the difference with auction piglets. We hung five piglets upside down and gave them penicillin shots twice a day for 10 days. Steve was gone for two days and me for three so we did the job alone half the time. We did a lot of swearing in those ten days. Even if it seldom happens it can be expensive.

[AliceT]

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

Beware of auction animals. I'll never buy animals when I can't personally see the farm they're coming from again. I ordered five piglets. The person I ordered them from sold more than he had and made up the difference with auction piglets. We hung five piglets upside down and gave them penicillin shots twice a day for 10 days. Steve was gone for two days and me for three so we did the job alone half the time. We did a lot of swearing in those ten days. Even if it seldom happens it can be expensive.

Yeah, I've made mistakes with auction animals, bought a small horse at an auction and since I don't have a trailer, asked around at the auction if anyone with a trailer could transport for me. One fella did. Happened to be the fella that brought the horse to the auction. Seems he didn't really want to part with the horse, but needed money and the mare and the auction were his fastest choice.

Since he transported the mare to my place, he knew where she was. And he just "dropped in" at his whim to visit with "his" horse. Yeah, I told him that was inappropriate, that my farm was not a business but a private residence and people who are really "friends" never just "drop in" on me. He would not stop coming over.

I sold her. That stopped it.

Originally Posted by AlisonL

You probably could, but you will be bidding against dealers most times. There are lots of them in Uncle Henry's every week. UH would be my choice to find one.

Yeah, I've been looking at UH online. I am currently drooling over this one: Uncle Henry's - Classifieds : SEARCH : Ad Detail
That's my kind of self-propelled lawn mower. But I'll miss out on him since my place isn't up and running for year round habitation. (sigh)

What kind of dealers buy ponies and donkeys?

[Submariner]

Buying livestock from auction is it's own event.

The last time that I bought a big bunch of animals, I met two old goat breeders who turned out to be fraternity brothers. They both were advising me to treat all auction-yard livestock with: an intestinal pro-biotic, and nutrient drench, and to seriously consider an antibiotic injection.

I did not do as they suggested.

And we lost half of the animals that I bought.

It is our plan to attend the spring goat and lamb auction; however this time I will be stocked with: intestinal probiotics and nutrient drenches. We already have antibiotics.



I go right into the pens, pet the animals and inspect them. Teeth, ribs, hooves, being in the pen with them you can see anything that you want to see.

I bring a piece of sidewalk chalk in my back pocket to colour the tails of desirable animals.

All livestock animals will have numbered ear tags, however during the auction, they refuse to call out the tag numbers. So if you are making notes about which animals you want, you need to use some other method of identifying the animal when they go out on the 'block'. I use colour chalk on their tails.

I have myself, and I have seen others who have become terribly frustrated, as animals are only on the 'block' quickly, and the bidding happens fast, and your going through your notes, and trying to get a glimpse of the ear tag, and, Arrrgh! "Bang, Sold, and the next animal weighs in at 120 pounds and ..."

Livestock auctions are not to be feared, they do take practice though.

[AliceT]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Buying livestock from auction is it's own event.

The last time that I bought a big bunch of animals, I met two old goat breeders who turned out to be fraternity brothers. They both were advising me to treat all auction-yard livestock with: an intestinal pro-biotic, and nutrient drench, and to seriously consider an antibiotic injection.

I did not do as they suggested.

And we lost half of the animals that I bought.

It is our plan to attend the spring goat and lamb auction; however this time I will be stocked with: intestinal probiotics and nutrient drenches. We already have antibiotics.



I go right into the pens, pet the animals and inspect them. Teeth, ribs, hooves, being in the pen with them you can see anything that you want to see.

I bring a piece of sidewalk chalk in my back pocket to colour the tails of desirable animals.

All livestock animals will have numbered ear tags, however during the auction, they refuse to call out the tag numbers. So if you are making notes about which animals you want, you need to use some other method of identifying the animal when they go out on the 'block'. I use colour chalk on their tails.

I have myself, and I have seen others who have become terribly frustrated, as animals are only on the 'block' quickly, and the bidding happens fast, and your going through your notes, and trying to get a glimpse of the ear tag, and, Arrrgh! "Bang, Sold, and the next animal weighs in at 120 pounds and ..."

Livestock auctions are not to be feared, they do take practice though.

The auction I am most familiar with required all animals brought in to be accompanied with veterinary health certificates, record of vaccinations and have no visible ailments or issues. Any sings of lameness and the animal wouldn't be accepted into the auction. Puppies and kittens could be auctioned only if they were not only purebred but offered with registration papers or littler applications to each buyer and proof of vaccinations. That didn't keep people from bringing animals severely frightened of people that had been tranquilized to make them seem easy to handle and friendly. Yup, bought one of them. Took me a whole lot of hours working with her to turn her around.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by AliceT

The auction I am most familiar with required all animals brought in to be accompanied with veterinary health certificates, record of vaccinations and have no visible ailments or issues. Any sings of lameness and the animal wouldn't be accepted into the auction. Puppies and kittens could be auctioned only if they were not only purebred but offered with registration papers or littler applications to each buyer and proof of vaccinations. That didn't keep people from bringing animals severely frightened of people that had been tranquilized to make them seem easy to handle and friendly. Yup, bought one of them. Took me a whole lot of hours working with her to turn her around.

Tilton's Auction is a bit more rural than that. Those regulations do not apply yet.

[Eastport4me]

Originally Posted by corgis

I've not been to a farm auction but I have been to some farmhouse auctions, way out in the country, selling the contents of farmhouses and barns.

I am a self proclaimed auction, estate sale, library sale, church rummage sale, yard sale, garage sale junkie. I can't wait for Spring to get out on Saturday mornings with the paper and hit as many sales as I can. It's amazing what people have to sell, I've gotten some wonderful bargains here.

In Eastport, it's wonderful to get up on Saturday morning, get in the car and start checking telephone poles all over town for yard sale signs. Then check the bulletin board at the IGA for any sales not on the poles. Then I head for Route 1, yard sale to Pembroke, take the Charlotte Road to Calais and yard sale my way back to Eastport from the other direction. I'm in pure heaven on Saturday mornings from Spring through Fall. My only requirement is that I put a $20. bill in my pocket and when I've spent it all, I'm done for the day.

Corgis,
You sound like my kind of lady. I look forward to meeting you when I get to Eastport.

[maine4.us]

MEnME only gets a 10 spot though.....our house is small!
BTW I am her DH!

[AlisonL]

Originally Posted by AliceT

Yeah, I've made mistakes with auction animals, bought a small horse at an auction and since I don't have a trailer, asked around at the auction if anyone with a trailer could transport for me. One fella did. Happened to be the fella that brought the horse to the auction. Seems he didn't really want to part with the horse, but needed money and the mare and the auction were his fastest choice.

Since he transported the mare to my place, he knew where she was. And he just "dropped in" at his whim to visit with "his" horse. Yeah, I told him that was inappropriate, that my farm was not a business but a private residence and people who are really "friends" never just "drop in" on me. He would not stop coming over.

I sold her. That stopped it.



Yeah, I've been looking at UH online. I am currently drooling over this one: Uncle Henry's - Classifieds : SEARCH : Ad Detail
That's my kind of self-propelled lawn mower. But I'll miss out on him since my place isn't up and running for year round habitation. (sigh)

What kind of dealers buy ponies and donkeys?

Ones who deal in selling for meat. That pony in the ad is cute, first thing I would do is get him gelded. I bought all but 2 of my horses through UH ads.

[AliceT]

Originally Posted by AlisonL

Ones who deal in selling for meat. That pony in the ad is cute, first thing I would do is get him gelded.

Geld him? No, no, no. I need a pony stallion and a donkey jenny or two to make my own private little herd of little mules. Can't do that with a gelding. No, no, no. Besides, it keeps me reminded of how all men really are - regardless of their appearing relatively domesticated. (chuckle)

Meat dealers will not be able to outbid me. My interest in ponies and donkeys is far greater than meat value.

Speaking of which, I saw an ad in UH for goat meat (chevon) selling for $8/pound. That seems mighty steep for chevon, organic or not. Anyone have a clue what the per pound rate really is?