How do you guys handle sales????

[secuono]

I have potential buyers and I don't want people anywhere near my house.
So how do I go about selling to people who want 'best conformation' or 'inspections' and such?
I cannot catch them just willy nilly, stressful and don't really have an area to pen them up to easily 'show them off.'
They all look the same to me, flat even back, even built, active and all that.

 

[SheepGirl]

We've never sold to anyone but the guy at auction, so I'm not sure my advice will be totally useful for you.

But what I would do, since you don't want anyone on your property, is take as many pictures as you can showing the potential buyers the front, top, back, profile, etc. But since you don't really have a place to catch the lambs, there's not really much you can do.

 

[secuono]

I can catch and tie them if I need to, I just don't really have a holding pen where I could have them stay and the person come by to view them. They aren't weaned yet and are never away from the flock.

Just realized there's more than one registry, so far found two. One is ridiculous and stupid in their feed and requirements. The other makes sense. I'm wondering what these people want from me about being registered if there are many places to do that.

It's supposed to rain the next two days, but I'll start getting better pics and posting/emailing them w/my ads. Hopefully that cuts down on annoying people.

 

[SheepGirl]

Yep, there's the NABSSAR and Mr. Mock's registry. Mr. Mock is the original registry, founded in 1991, whereas the NABSSAR was founded in 2001. My neighbor does all the registrations, so I'm not sure how either of the two work.

Are your ram and two ewes registered? If not then I know that the NABSSAR has open registration, but I'm not sure about Mr. Mock's registry. So you can register your ram and ewes or you can register your lambs through open registration...or you can do both.

If you don't mind me asking, what do you plan on selling them for? Meat? Pets? Breeders? Show?

 

[that's*satyrical]

I think generally if they had good pictures & everything they would be happy to meet you halfway. That is usually what I do. The way gas prices are people are usually happy to knock some time off their drive to pick up their merchandise.... Unless I am pretty sure I have a good feeling about someone I don't like people coming out to my place either. Sometimes even if I have a good feeling I will still meet halfway at a public place just because I feel guilty if someone has to make a long drive to pick up an animal.

 

[Remuda1]

I just sold eleven sheep via texted pictures only. This young man is about two hours away from me so didn't want to make just a "kick the tires" trip. I spoke with him on the phone numerous times and had quite a few text conversations with him as well. He was super happy with the sheep once he got here.

That being said.... If it were me, I'd have to see the sheep (in person) before I paid for them, for sure. Although I felt fine about this young man, my husband and a gentleman friend were both here when he came. I think it's one of the things you really have to think about when you decide to sell off of the farm. I believe that the more conversations you can have prior to them coming out, the better.

If I ever get a hinky feeling, you can believe that they will never get my address .

 

[secuono]

Yes, Mr Mock is the one they are currently registered and to the previous owner. They want $60 for last year and $70 for this year, which I refuse to get scammed and pay for.
The NABSSAR has realistic fees and I can actually afford that.

They sell as pet/breeders, don't advertise as meat because we will use the ones who don't sell for our own dinner table.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I'm seeing a common theme in your threads. You really need a small pen in your pasture! Just build one out of pallets and feed them in it. Not stressful to them, and it gets the job done. I personally wouldn't buy an animal I haven't seen in person. If your buyer(s) is/are ok with buying them sight unseen, then good. But if not, sounds like you'll have to change something.

 

[Remuda1]

I'm seeing a common theme in your threads. You really need a small pen in your pasture! Just build one out of pallets and feed them in it. Not stressful to them, and it gets the job done. I personally wouldn't buy an animal I haven't seen in person. If your buyer(s) is/are ok with buying them sight unseen, then good. But if not, sounds like you'll have to change something.

X2. Also, as a buyer I like to see what kind of conditions they've been living in and the condition of the rest of the flock. It would definitely affect my purchase decision if the rest of the flock looked sick or unhealthy. No need to take any unnecessary chance on bringing a bug home to your healthy flock. Some bugs will slip past even a diligent quarantine program....

 

[secuono]

Well, two adults don't look all that great because I never finished shearing a ewe and the ram wasn't shorn fully by the previous owners.
Nothing but open grass here, very little mud at all, so living conditions won't be an issue.
It's raining now and I have to catch 20-25 Cichlids out of a very deep tank to sell tomorrow. No time to take pics of them just yet.
I do have a smaller paddock out of pallets, but it's too large to be chasing lambs in if they do decide to buy any. Lambs have never been apart from flock, they sometimes loose their heads when one gets confused as to how the fence works, lol. I don't feed them, so I'd have to chase them down and then toss em into a pen. We'll see...