26th November 2013

Got a different auctioneer again, I want the old one back!! I got conned on the first lot sold because I hadn't worked out his style, he's shouting 'a pound a pound...' so I said yes, and he points at me and says two pound....oi, bring back the 50p's!!

Anyway, back to the tale of yesterday.... I bought this chap, he's a semi adult boar, aby type. Very pretty and sane to handle. I also took lot 3 back with me, this time I made sure the man with the hammer took my bid as ONE pound...and no one else bid afterwards. He is a smooth coated semi adult boar, well marked and is now living with lot no. 1 at Avalon.

There was a run of rabbits, and then a dealer run. As we've said before we will buy from dealers only if the animals are in distress or worry us, all these were well and looked ok, I would love to have brought all the babies home with me, but sentiment won't help stop the production of replacements if I buy them. Two or three lots sold.

The next 'block' of piggies started with two aby type youngsters, about 4 months old at a guess. They are brindle in colour and healthy, cost £2 they are home with Shaz now.

But the next block were all mismarked 'kickouts' from a show breeder and I gave myself a sharp talking to about what I am doing buying these so I sat on my hands. I have a personal issue with this seller. 


Excess show stock MUST NOT be dumped through a low class market like this. The breeder should be asking the rescue to rehome and offering a donation, not expecting Avalon to buy them and save the cost of keeping them for the breeder. 


But perhaps some good has come from yesterday. All but 2 pens did not receive a bid, so the breeder was asked to pick them back up. I am persistent, and I found out who this breeder was, and I have my fingers crossed that no more will go into the market from now on, due to Shaz's hard work in finding a solution. Time will tell. I do still have unanswered questions about this breeder though, I am looking at the pen tag on my desk that says Boar 3 months/Sow 11 weeks. Breeding pair. Sold together (to Avalon thank God). Completely unacceptable. *sigh*
I then bought a black and white sow, in really good condition and carrying good weight, not apparently pregnant. I do wonder why this type arrive at the market, looks like a pet that's no longer wanted? Or an older barren sow?
All other pigs received bids, there were no obviously in pig sows, nor problems visible immediately. At the end of the sale I did buy 4 young boars from another dealer. Basically because I didn't want to see them being dropped into a box when removed from the pens.  And yes, I mean dropped. I paid £6 for the 4 of them. One was supposed to have been fighting with another and has cuts on him....err nope, it's fungal, several patches of it. Will disappear soon enough though.
So although the boss said she's bursting (cages not bladder) I filled more cages with boars. I feel so bad.
Not.
Anyone thinking about taking on a rescue pig....go now, there are some absolutely stunning ones in!
The photos are a reminder to you just how horrid it must be to be a guinea pig in an auction

November 19th, 2013

Ok, so I made it. Although I just can't shake this bug/virus thing. Luckily they have flushing loos onsite....too much information?

Anyway, there were around 20 pens of pigs in, loads of doubles. I wrote them down, and at 11.10 I headed round to put some money down at the office. There was a huge queue, I stood for a while but not feeling well and being in a busy office wasn't good so left and stood outside.


One of the dealers stopped and asked how come I wasn't bidding?
"It's not 11.30" says I....
"well they've started" says she.

So I go back round, it's 11.25, and they have already sold 40 lots....
I couldn't work out how they had got through that many until I watched a while; it was a new auctioneer and he was selling 'groups' of pens. So if it said 'buck rabbit' he sold the first and gave an option on the rest.

Regardless of the colours/designs of the inmates!
I'd missed about 10 pens of pigs that were being sold by the dealer we have bought off in the past. Shaz and I have talked it over and decided to avoid buying unless the animal was in distress/pain or heavily pregnant. Few sold, and although it's hard walking away from babies of 4 or 5 weeks old we both feel we are perpetuating the whole game by taking them from her. I also missed 4 lots from another seller, none were ill and I don't know how much they made, but they all sold.

There was a run on himmys from another dealer, this dealer tried to sell me 5 'sows' a few weeks ago, I declined as all but one were boars  The dealer had put a load in, singles and pairs. I bought two sows at £2 each. I actually only bought one, but again, I was asked to buy both lots as the auctioneer was ramming them through. One is about 4 weeks old, the other is about 7/8 weeks old according to her size. I can, I believe, feel babies inside  :(
I also bought 3 boars at £1 each, all very very funky and extremely handsome!
They are here at the moment but will be heading over to Avalon very soon. I *might* just sit a while and recover from the morning!

November 05th, 2013

With no other forthcoming offers of assistance, I was once again on my own! This makes it very difficult to look, check, buy and remove any stock.

If you can spare an hour I would appreciate it. 

I was pretty depressed when I arrived as there were 28 pens of pigs in. And I know Shaz has Avalon fit to bursting and that most of the stock entered were boars, notoriously hard to accommodate in numbers. I listed them and went for breakfast and to have a chat with Shaz to see what we should do.
It was decided to try and remove any in-pig sows, very tiny babies and any that were completely unwanted. The usual dealer had about 10 pens in, all with decent reserves on and they didn't sell. One contained a tiny sow that was listed as 'mated', another a fuzzy baby boar who had been in the previous week with possible litter mate. I was too busy to grab him after the auction then, but I did so this week. He has a bad case of fungal near his eye, and a major case of attitude! He's not very big, but will benefit from decent care now.
I also bought the sow carrying babies afterwards, I doubt she will survive the pregnancy but everything is crossed. She's only a baby herself.
There was a guy buying early lots at very low prices, but I left them to him as he looked well dressed, had shiny shoes and looked to be caring. There are no guarantees but I hope he's an ok person. They were carefully put into carriers afterwards so I stand by my decision.
Just before the start of the auction a woman had come with around 8 lots and caged them. Mostly babies, all cross breeds but she'd put water, feed and veg in the cages. So if you are caring why are you trying to squeeze a quid out of the rescue instead of donating them directly?! These pigs are obviously surplus to the breeding program, as were the American Cresteds that again appeared. These are regular, mainly boars, and obviously from a breeder who is producing for show. 


Don't breed if you can't find homes for mismarked stock. 

They will make nice pets, seem well handled and don't deserve to go through the stress of the sales. This seller also included a 'breeding pair'. Right. Both are well enough but very young. Who's to say they are unrelated? This person doesn't give a toss. I have kept the hand written cards, at some point I'll find the person selling them and ensure she gets my opinion of her dumping unwanted stock through the markets without reserve. 

Anyway, I bought the 'pair', and a handful of the mismarked boys. I also bought 4 of the lots from the late comer, these are terrified and hardly handled but although smelly they are in good condition. One jumps like a kangaroo, leapt out of the box at Shaz's while we were watching! Shaz had to catch him, I was having a fit of the giggles  He did the same again, he's now called Harry Houdini.
So apologies to Shaz for bringing back mostly boars again, I refused the cost refund as I figured she could put that money towards their food.

Pass the word around that cavies can be sourced from an honest rescue instead of P@H, not only will they be cheaper but you'll have help, advice and more chance they will be suitable (and correctly sexed!!) 

We need to get some of these young boars out into families, I know you all have lives and your own piggies, but maybe you could make room for a couple of the rehomers, handle them daily and check they are suitable, and then help find them find a new family? If each of us did this we would take the pressure off Shaz and Avalon, and then more like Mr Fungal or Mr Mouldy as he's already been known can come and be treated and the discomfort taken away. I've been doing this, taking a few boar pairs, bringing them into our madhouse so they are more acquainted to noise and stress, and they have gone to friends as family pets.

Once the 'owners' are happy the pigs are suitable I've been taking a donation to Avalon, the first lot arrived last night and will be sent on to help towards the winter feed bill.
As Tesco say...Every Little Helps. Have I said that before?