A first for rare breeds event

Rare breeds of poultry and cattle were sold alongside each other for the first time at the annual spring sale at Melton Livestock Market.
Melton Young Farmer George Hall checks out some miniature waterfowl before putting in his bid EMN-180416-120546001Melton Young Farmer George Hall checks out some miniature waterfowl before putting in his bid EMN-180416-120546001
Melton Young Farmer George Hall checks out some miniature waterfowl before putting in his bid EMN-180416-120546001

Farmers came from far and wide to buy and sell hundreds of birds and 65 beast on Saturday morning.

After last year’s major outbreak of Bird Flu caused the event to be postponed and put back several weeks there were no problems with this year’s Sale of Graded Traditional Pure and Rare Breeds Poultry and Waterfowl.

And for the first it also incorporated a Spring Sale of Rare Breed and Native Cattle.

Appleyard ducks at the rare breeds poultry show EMN-180416-120525001Appleyard ducks at the rare breeds poultry show EMN-180416-120525001
Appleyard ducks at the rare breeds poultry show EMN-180416-120525001

Market manager Tim Webster, who sold cattle at the event, said: “This was the first time we have had the new sheds available for the spring sale so we thought it was a good idea to sell cattle as well as poultry.

“It is better to sell a bull in the spring rather than the autumn so it went well.

“We were lucky to be able to hold the poultry sale after the Bird Flu last year, when we had half the number of bird we normally get.

“It was back to normal with the numbers brought to sale and the poultry made some good money.

A Barnevelder cockerel at the rare breeds poultry show EMN-180416-120505001A Barnevelder cockerel at the rare breeds poultry show EMN-180416-120505001
A Barnevelder cockerel at the rare breeds poultry show EMN-180416-120505001

“We had sellers from across the country again.”

Top price for the birds were for silky bantams at £240.

Miniature and bantam waterfowl, mini fowl and large waterfowl were among the other poultry up for sale.

Biggest sale for the cattle came for a British white bull, sold by Sue Cook of Cambridgeshire, which went for 2,600 guineas (around £2,730).

Among the breeds being sold were Red Poll, Dexters, Shetland and Sussex.

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