PoultryTalk.com

Just come home from a poultry auction. Never been to this one before and am shocked and traumatized by what I saw!

Small cramped room full of people and cages. It must have been 28 degrees easily with little airflow. Auction started at 10am for birds to come in and it was 3.00pm before people started to leave.

Most cages had no water at all, some did, in tiny saucers that the birds kicked over in seconds when buyers banged the cages to make them flap (to see how lively they were I supposed) Most chickens were panting and looking pale. Some were clearly exhausted and lay down on the bottom of the cage. They looked like they were dying.

Some birds were not even in cages as there wasn't enough, card board boxes with netting over, crammed full of panting panicked birds. Mother hens with tiny chicks desperately trying to keep them all hidden underneath despite the heat. Pecked and sore necks and bodies particularly on the geese and ducks.

I am not sqeemish, I am not overly sentimental and am fully aware that the birds are only like that for the day, but at what cost to their health? And who would want to buy a bird in that condition? People did and it amazed me. The contrast to our farm, the buying experience, is incredible. look at The Caretakers photos and see for yourself.

I know auctions will always continue, but it up to the consumer (and the vendor to some extent) to demand that markets maintain high standards of welfare for the livestock that they sell.

That's some picture you paint! I've always avoided auctions because I feel that having so many birds from so many places makes them the perfect place for exchanging mites and diseases - nothing I would want to risk with my little flock. But I had no idea auctions were such an awful experience for the birds. I shall continue to avoid...

iv just come back from an auction but its mainly chicken fanciers there. the sellers had to bring own boxes with water container and food. if there was a sick one im sure it would of been pulled from the auction.
there was a fue stressed chickens but nothing bad. i hate it when you have a broodie with chicks but they make the most money so they bring them.
i went for some hatching eggs and came away with 24 eggs and 5 chicks 4 orpingtons bantam and a pekin off heat.
i have been to a fue one was quite nasty but the other 3 have been clean cool and and very helpful and no box bashing