Has anyone noticed how a few bad buyers can ruin a market!

Tractor mad said:

The agenda you clearly have against livestock markets because you keep on making posts on them clearly designed to try and give livestock markets in general a bad name

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What a load of b@@locks

IF you knew me you'd know I am one of the keenest exponents of the live auction system, so I really have no clue what you are on about?

The thread I started about the mart food is because I actually care:

- about promoting good, well cooked food
- about giving UK farming a good name
- because many food offerings elsewhere have better service, prices and food

I want it to be better and for farmers to care more


On this thread I've posted once about scales

Sorry but I've weighed sheep at home, had them weighed on entry at a couple of markets and believe me they are then listed lighter. Now I would like a fair price and weight listing - even if lambs nudging 50kg may have incurred a penalty, I'll take an accurate weigh - thank you

Now I don't recall seeing many of your posts on livestock, so I'm unaware of your background or opinions and your user name doesn't give me much of a clue but I suggest you go back a while studying my posts. I doubt very much you will find a stronger advocate for sustainable livestock hill farming, native breeds, grass fed meat and provenance and the real will to keep and promote the live auction system

Again, I'm at a loss to understand your comments regarding my "agenda"? I don't have one, neither does TFF

JP1 said:

What a load of b@@locks

IF you knew me you'd know I am one of the keenest exponents of the live auction system, so I really have no clue what you are on about?

The thread I started about the mart food is because I actually care:

- about promoting good, well cooked food
- about giving UK farming a good name
- because many food offerings elsewhere have better service, prices and food

I want it to be better and for farmers to care more


On this thread I've posted once about scales

Sorry but I've weighed sheep at home, had them weighed on entry at a couple of markets and believe me they are then listed lighter. Now I would like a fair price and weight listing - even if lambs nudging 50kg may have incurred a penalty, I'll take an accurate weigh - thank you

Now I don't recall seeing many of your posts on livestock, so I'm unaware of your background or opinions and your user name doesn't give me much of a clue but I suggest you go back a while studying my posts. I doubt very much you will find a stronger advocate for sustainable livestock hill farming, native breeds, grass fed meat and provenance and they real will to keep and promote the live auction system

Again, I'm at a loss to understand your comments regarding my "agenda"? I don't have one, neither does TFF

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Could the difference be in emptying their bowels between home weighing & market?

shame livestock cant be auctioned on a deadweight grid and then the meat buyers could actually bid more as they would be bidding on what they actually were actually buying and not on what it maybe and as for all stock going through a livestock market wouldn't create a shortage some weeks it would create a glut and have the opposite effect

Tractor mad said:

The agenda you clearly have against livestock markets because you keep on making posts on them clearly designed to try and give livestock markets in general a bad name

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You clearly also fail to recognise that I may have been to 90% of the UK's livestock markets

I am sad enough to take photographs of their heritage , frequently posting items of historical or architectural interest

I spend time collecting and writing mini photo reports from specific sales as I travel the Country

I think you've missed the target by a Country mile






I also care enough that if something can be done better, I'll say so, not to close or stop it but to make it better

Try Googling my TFF comments about Luck Money too. I love the etiquette and protocol when it's given and received appropriately

jamesy said:

Could the difference be in emptying their bowels between home weighing & market?

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No. 50kg (just shy) to 42kg on a 9 mile journey off dry ground

JP1 said:

You clearly also fail to recognise that I may have been to 90% of the UK's livestock markets

I am sad enough to take photographs of their heritage , frequently posting items of historical or architectural interest

I spend time collecting and writing mini photo reports from specific sales as I travel the Country

I think you've missed the target by a Country mile






I also care enough that if something can be done better, I'll say so, not to close or stop it but to make it better

Try Googling my TFF comments about Luck Money too. I love the etiquette and protocol when it's given and received appropriately

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So how are you suggesting its done better @JP1??

JP1 said:

What a load of b@@locks

IF you knew me you'd know I am one of the keenest exponents of the live auction system, so I really have no clue what you are on about?

The thread I started about the mart food is because I actually care:

- about promoting good, well cooked food
- about giving UK farming a good name
- because many food offerings elsewhere have better service, prices and food

I want it to be better and for farmers to care more


On this thread I've posted once about scales

Sorry but I've weighed sheep at home, had them weighed on entry at a couple of markets and believe me they are then listed lighter. Now I would like a fair price and weight listing - even if lambs nudging 50kg may have incurred a penalty, I'll take an accurate weigh - thank you

Now I don't recall seeing many of your posts on livestock, so I'm unaware of your background or opinions and your user name doesn't give me much of a clue but I suggest you go back a while studying my posts. I doubt very much you will find a stronger advocate for sustainable livestock hill farming, native breeds, grass fed meat and provenance and they real will to keep and promote the live auction system

Again, I'm at a loss to understand your comments regarding my "agenda"? I don't have one, neither does TFF

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I have been fhinshing 1500+ cattle and 4000 store lambs a year for the last 25 years and have sold both live and deadweight so yes I know quite a bit about selling fat animals!

Tractor mad said:

So how are you suggesting its done better @JP1??

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I haven't , hence my loss to understand why you're having a go. I've said what I need about scales on this thread and on food on the other thread

What would you like to see improved?

I take it you have actually read my historical posts about live marketing?

Tractor mad said:

I have been fhinshing 1500+ cattle and 4000 store lambs a year for the last 25 years and have sold both live and deadweight so yes I know quite a bit about selling fat animals!

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That's great. Welcome aboard and in your transition from lurker to poster.

I will be the first to learn from your experience in the sector

You could still acknowledge you might have fired the wrong gun at the wrong target for the wrong reason

Tractor mad said:

Without livestock markets the beef and sheep industry would end up the way of the pig and chicken sectors which would be a total and utter disaster!

Livestock markets aren't perfect and given the thousands of animals that are traded across them in the UK weekly then no doubt they will always have sold some one's stock who isn't happy but all things told they provide a vital service to the UK livestock industry and with farming being a very isolated job already without the markets it would make farming an even lonelier job than it already is.

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At Gisburn and Clitheroe marts there is a walk in field nurse service to get yourself checked out and been very successful in catching a few health probs before they've got to serious

JP1 said:

I haven't , hence my loss to understand why you're having a go. I've said what I need about scales on this thread and on food on the other thread

What would you like to see improved?

I take it you have actually read my historical posts about live marketing?

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You have just stated in this thread that the job could be done better!

Now you are saying you have no idea how!!

Make your mind up!

From reading your posts you say one thing then the total opposite, either you need to be honest and admit you have an agenda against livestock markets or tell us how they should do the job better than the excellent job they are already doing in rural towns/ county's across the UK.

cudota said:

At Gisburn and Clitheroe marts there is a walk in field nurse service to get yourself checked out and been very successful in catching a few health probs before they've got to serious

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That is good to hear

Your example just shows what a vital service livestock markets provide across the UK in addition to selling store or fat stock.

I attend 3/4 store markets a week on average and most weeks I see farming charity's in at least 2 or 3 of these markets giving farmers that might need help a place to seek out/ talk about their problems.

And regardless of your current situation, any of us may need their help at some point and without their presence in the markets some farmers who need help wouldn't approach/ know of their vital work etc.

Tractor mad said:

You have just stated in this thread that the job could be done better!

Now you are saying you have no idea how!!

Make your mind up!

From reading your posts you say one thing then the total opposite, either you need to be honest and admit you have an agenda against livestock markets or tell us how they should do the job better than the excellent job they are already doing in rural towns/ county's across the UK.

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I think you need to calm down and read

1. I was citing the reason for me stating about SOME mart food is because I care and would like to see customer demand driving it to improvement before it dies on it's feet. Now you carry on being a keybaoard warrior and throwing out the "save the whales / save the marts" line if you want. Throwing comments around like that may get you some likes from folks who like your post but have not read my actual earlier posts but it won't wash with me

2. On THIS thread, I believe the point I made about scales was truthful, fair and objective. At no point can it be argued that me stating that means I want to abandon or ruin the live market system. Just the opposite actually. I have friends so incensed at deadweight consigning in the past, they've rung the abattoir and said if they pull a stunt on carcase weights or gradings again, they'll only send in private kill in future. Trouble is - again - once the head is off you lose some control and traceability anyway

Now - and at the risk of hijacking the OP's topic on this thread - but to answer you point about food and provenance, Bakewell Market has bucked the trend and retained a market (but a modern one) in the town and having the site of the Showground close to the town centre too. Yes this presents a few logistics problems especially at Bank Holidays but what they do have is access to the public. An opportunity for promoting high class butchery, local food provenance and a cafe / eatery that would have year round foot fall to make a good job of better home cooked style food, recipe suggestions , code sharing / reciprocal marketing with Chatsworth food hall up the road etc etc.

Now you've thrown out a series of comments and accusations and without much foundation. We now know you're a major market consignor, I'm a peasant cow keeper with an interest in the subject, so I ask again what is your opinion - or is everything just fine and dandy and we can all move on?

Having thrown out a few of those earlier wild statements without foundation, you've also studiously refused to accept my point and to acknowledge my long standing track record in being an advocate for the live auction system in here

The one thing I am is honest by the way

jamesy said:

Could the difference be in emptying their bowels between home weighing & market?

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My lambs have been known to lose 2kg traveling to the mart. I usually weigh & sort a day or so before taking them, then put them (weaned lambs) in a seperate field for ease. They are run in full, loaded and in the mart, 7 miles away, usually within half an hour (depending on the queue).

They've been known to lose more than double that if I only take a handful, not that the scales might be adjusted back or anything. I caused a bit of a kerfuffle that time....

The difference between marts I've found is the customers if you're not happy you have to go to another mart and compare the two

I take it we take it as gospel every farm scales is spot on !
I find it a bit rich a mod calling a poster "a keyboard warrior "
Perhaps the reason @Tractor mad gets likes is because we agree with him. Bugger the architecture and the fact the food might not be a la carte we accept it's not perfect.

Tractor mad said:

@JP1 What/who is behind your agenda against livestock markets?

Do you not realize/ understand the massive business and social service they provided day in / out?

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You really should not have raised your head above the parapet.

The call is yours.

JP1 said:

No. 50kg (just shy) to 42kg on a 9 mile journey off dry ground

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You need to fix your home scales.

RastaBoy said:

I take it we take it as gospel every farm scales is spot on !
I find it a bit rich a mod calling a poster "a keyboard warrior "
Perhaps the reason @Tractormad gets likes is because we agree with him. Bugger the architecture and the fact the food might not be a la carte we accept it's not perfect.

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Think you may have tagged the wrong person there.

liammogs said:

Aint you a brother to an auctioneer or have i got the wrong person?

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I am.