October 22nd, 2013

Not my usual service, I was at the auction alone, so had to rely on the market staff to help. I have got to know them now and they were great. I couldn't get near the pens as it was school holidays and the place was rammed with children and families, and had to wait for my lead from the auctioneer when a pig came through! There were about 75 pens, around 20 of which were pigs.

The first run fetched good money, most went immediately into the box of a beaming child. The next run didn't, and most came to me. I don't see why some fetch more than others, the ones I have brought away are cute, funky, boys and girls and worth more than the £1 each I paid. I also bought a sow and babies for £2. Appalling price really. 


She is in good condition, unfortunately her babies are NOT tiny and they are boars. You know what happens next !


I watched a few others go through at over a fiver, I feel at that price someone is keen so the pigs have a decent chance, there are no guarantees.
Then I bought two at £5 each, that was the reserve. First was a long haired lilac boar, the image of my Dougal here so thought he'd better come back with me. On removal from the pen, I found he has a swollen and infected front foot, I know Shaz will help him out so very glad I did buy him.
The other was a 'rex' sow. She is tiny, depressed and barely struggling. Her coat is appalling and very sore, and she has a pot belly which may or may not be offspring  She is far too small to be in pig so I really hope not. Again I'm glad I bought her.

I bought 3 more pigs, semi adult boars at £1 each. Nicely marked and healthy looking. There were 3 lots towards the end of the auction, they looked like satin stock and were listed as 'unsexed'....they were a decent size, my impression was of the whole lot being boars as there were 2,3 & 4 in the pens....they went mad for them, going for over £28 for the 4, and £20 for the 3.

I also took 6 adults from one of the dealers. I originally said no as I was worried about overloading Avalon with adult males, but a quick look in showed several had skin issues and they would be better treated so home they came. One, a beautiful gold lad, had what looked like a dropping half stuck into his bottom.... gross I know but I wasn't happy leaving him like that so the poor lad had to endure me holding him under the water tap to try and lever the mass off/out. I suspect it started as a sore and the droppings stuck to it, but how it wasn't badly infected I'll never know, must have felt awful to the poor guy. Although the area looked stretched afterwards it did look clean, fingers crossed he'll be ok now. 

So Avalon has new inmates, a few needing treatment but am hopeful all will be ok. Total purchases of £24.20 plus £15. I know Shaz has started administering medicines already so they will have cost more in the end but am glad the two poorly ones have got a safe future now.

October 15th, 2013

Well that broke all records! 
Manic day all round, in the auction and outside it. Shaz had spoken to one of the dealers previously so I had been assigned to collect a crate of baby boars...literally a crate.  There were 18 pigs in total, some beautiful lads and a few battered and sore ones. And one of the nice dealers had also brought 3 in for me. One is a cute himmy marked aby type, very funky!

Anyway, the auction started fast for us. As the first 3 lots were pigs, first went for £3 and I let him go, the next 2 came to us at £1 each. Both boars, both well marked. Then a group of 3 baby boars, not very old and appear to be related. They were £1 each. Then a gap, and three lots of multiples, 2 baby boars in each. They were knocked down to us for £2 & £3. Another lot of 3 babies was £4, again I bought those. These babies are all around 4 weeks old i'd say? Shaz can perhaps correct me as i'm only working on my stock here at home.
I then bought 1 lot for £1, and two for £2.

All semi adults, one pair were well marked but the ginger/white one has an eye issue, again maybe Shaz will add to that. Four lots were unsold as they had reserves on them, and I left the next few pigs as they seemed popular (don't really know why they were mostly boars!!) but I did personally go up to £5 for a boar I took a shine to amongst them, I try not to but he just looked at me. I'm not 'into' long hairs, I've just got a young 'un to show in the future but this hairy chap insisted I bought him  Then 2 more lots at £3 & £4, one of two shaggy boys, and the last lot which was an abby type lad who was hidden under the straw the whole auction so we nearly missed him!

So we then started the process of trying to get them all safely over to Avalon, no mean feat today with the amount we brought back, almost 50 pigs.....!!!
And then I got a nudge from the dealer who's pigs hadn't reached the reserve. One lot was a young mum and her two babies. I ummed and arred as they say, and decided Shaz would strangle me if she knew i'd left them, so I paid a tenner and brought them home too.
So a fair amount of money was handed over today, £35 in the auction and £16 outside, along with the 18 arranged previously. As is usual, some of the pigs need tlc, but most are youngsters that haven't been knocked about and will make fantastic pets once them have recovered from the ordeal of the market. And they are so many colours and types i'm sure anyone would struggle to walk away without an armful.

I'm feeling like a sucker having brought one back to Burtwood myself, but he's darn cute, very calm and well worth his five pound fifty to me  And unlike the last ones I was talked into buying from the sale, he won't put weight on and produce babies...but that's another story!

October 09th, 2013

Seems it was Jolly Boys Outing at the market yesterday, the place was filled with couples and families. They mostly had boxes prepared and were obviously determined to squabble over the pigs in the auction!
There were 11 pens, with a couple that contained 2 babies. I bought 2 of the first four lots, both boars and both showing signs of having either a skin complaint or fighting in the past as they had patches of regrowing hair. Both very skittish but very pretty. I paid £1 and £3.50. Don't usually go that high for a boar but one of the dealers put a £2 bid in and I decided he was coming home with me

Both of the other boars made more than that and went into the prepared boxes. Out of the next lot I only bought a black rex sow, supposedly in pig but she looks more like an older girl who's had plenty so is the wrong shape now. Time will tell. She was £5.50. Three of the other pens made £10+ for a single pig, which is very unusual, all were popular and most went to private people.

I was asked by two dealers to take a look at pigs not entered in the auction, the first was a dealer I am unhappy about but am willing to be as amenable as possible if it means extracting animals.
They had 2 boars which I agreed to take at £2.50 each. They were unhappy they hadn't entered them as the prices were high, it's obvious they thought they would get a pound in the auction and my £2.50 was a better option!

The other dealer I like. She shows caring and tact with the animals she is bringing and buying, the best you can hope for. She had two baby sows, which would have made a fair amount in that auction but she was happy for me to do the best for them at £4 each.

So the home was more important that money, a nice change. She also asked if I would take another sow for nothing. This was a white approx. 3 month old girl, who is blind in both eyes and also has a very sore area around one. She looked very miserable 

Of course I brought her back to Shaz, again i'm pleased the dealer has given her to the rescue, many would have just used her to breed from regardless. So the day cost £23 plus £2.30 commission and we brought home 8 pigs. I say 'the day cost.....' but actually it also cost fuel, £3.50 parking and my breakfast  Nom nom nom.

October 01st, 2013

Quiet day today, only 6 pens of piggies in. All were boars which is unusual. First two were unwanted, a gorgeous black ridgeback type lad and a lemon agouti chap. Got those two for £1.50 and £1. The next ones up were 2 cages of paired babies, again boars. I paid £7.50 for the first pair (both have some kind of fungal problem, Shaz will give more details I'm sure) but the second cage had much more interest and went for more, I left them as they were private type people rather than a dealer and looked healthy. At the end of the auction there were two pens, one pair of boars and a singleton. Bidding was frantic and I didn't even register one bid between them! They again went for more than dealers will pay so fingers crossed for them. So there are 4 new arrivals at Avalon, two of which will need medication and care before they will be available for rehoming.

No doubt they will cost more in meds than it took to buy them but had they gone to an uneducated home or a dealer they would have probably stayed with open sores and pain for a lot longer. 

And they are just adorable!