17th December 2013

As expected the rabbit/cavy sale was quiet again today. With just the usual dealers entering stock and little of it selling.

I went back afterwards and spoke to the dealer, and came away with four young sows and one rather unhappy but sweet boar. One sow has bad fungal and I've taken a shine to her, one of those who looks at you and says "Help. Please!" The fungal on her eye is the smallest patch, hopefully it will improve soon.

The boy, well, I guess he's an alpaca type, or a cross. He stinks, has major hair loss over his shoulders and there is something about his eye...I'm hoping its just an infection rather than the eye being a problem. Very sweet though.

They're stopping here tonight as I'm going to my daughters dance presentation but they will be at Avalon tomorrow.

That's it for two weeks. I will enjoy the break and the lack of emotional rollercoaster!

The young boar with a poorly eye

Young sow with bad fungal infection. The patch of fungal infection around her eye can clearly be seen here

10th December 2013

From one extreme to another! I'm suffering (again!) so forgot my bidding card and notepad, but walked down anyway knowing I'd have to fork out for a replacement. I'm putting my forgetting it down to being ill rather than old and stupid.
I found the sales were round by the birds again, which had ended early, AND that they were about to start before 11am.... but a quick scan found just 15 pens and only 5 of those were pigs, all from a known dealer that has reserves on. So I let them be and went tat hunting. Might have overdosed on garden tools, anyone need any? Be prepared for Spring? Proceeds to Avalon!

When I returned 2 pens had sold, leaving one sow pen and two of boars. The two cute, older boars were being negotiated and were bought by an unknown buyer who looked decent, so that left two pens, 4 piggies. I haggled and bought these. The dealer knows me well and knows that I make no money from them, so she's happier letting them go for less. The two girls are about 10 weeks old, sweet enough but have mites and fungal. The boys are possibly a bit younger and again have fungal. Not a problem now, will soon be sorted.

Then another dealer pulled me aside, she's a very fair person and had a group of young boys she wanted me to have, hence not putting them through the auction. So all 12 came home with me! Such a change to see money taking second place to the best for the animals. These are rex/aby/smooth coated, variety of colours and in good condition. Homes required for them once they have been fully checked over so please help if you can. They are scared and submissive, and would bond easily with other boars. Try to give them a chance if you can, we don't ask you to take a group or all of them, but every little helps. It's my new motto.

One more week and then a fortnight off from the sales, although i'm looking forward to the break I'm also conscious some pigs will have longer to endure before we can have them.

Please, please, try and help rehoming those suitable so we can help those in desperate need.

3rd December 2013

 

Nightmare is the only way I can describe it today. For some reason the usual area is no longer suitable for the selling of furries, so the cages were stuck round by the caged bird and dead stock sale.  The crowd were in the way as they were bidding on the bird sale... and the pens were spread all over the place. I made a quick inventory and found 26 pens of pigs. The first ones were midway through so I might have popped along to the tat sale.... bought a few boxes and then wondered what the hell I was going to do with them as I was on my own. Doh!

Anyway, the first pigs through were what appears to be old breeding stock- big chunky sows that were in a bit of a mess but holding their weight, so must have been well looked after somewhere. I bought those that had no bids, and one that had a first bid only. They were mostly sows as I say but there was also a youngish boar. They are abys, texels and perus. Gorgeous. But smelly.

The next run was in a different block, and directly in front of the dead stock. Difficult for bidders on both sides  To my knowledge not one lot was sold. They were all in from dealers and had reserves on. I'd earmarked one I wanted as it had a mark on its side but I didn't bid at the time as I wanted to take a closer look and I knew I could talk to the seller afterwards. When that block had done everyone walked away, as they do. Then the auctioneer says he's got sheets for more, it turned out there were 9 more cages across the way and tagged onto the poultry lines. So there were three people watching.... I got half, a dealer got a couple and a decent looking family had two. These were mainly sows, nothing special but healthy enough.

I bought the marked baby from the dealer afterwards, and a couple of other babies. Also two from the 2nd dealer that looked in need of tlc. It's tough as I want to take them all back, but it's just not possible or advisable. 

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?

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.