Poultry auction attracts buyers
THEY clucked, crowed, waddled and gobbled their way under the auctioneer's hammer at the Stanthorpe showgrounds on the weekend.
On Sunday the Stanthorpe Poultry club held its annual poultry auction with a variety of birds including silkies, seabrights, Sussex ducks, turkeys and geese up for auction
Stanthorpe Poultry Club secretary Lyn Spencer said people came from all over to bid on the birds and the action in the auction ring was fast.
"From all the reports I hear the auction was successful," she said.
"The auctioneer said bidding was up and there were a lot of spirited bidders.
"People seemed to travel a bit more and we had folks there from New South Wales and as far north as Mackay."
Mrs Spencer said with roosters unwelcome in suburban backyards, hens were popular during the auction.
"A lot of people put hens in the auction and people were interested in anything with two hens or anything for laying eggs," she said.
"Pekins were popular, as well as Indian Runner ducks."
Mrs Spencer who, along with her husband Rod, topped the sale with two partridge Brahma pullets selling for $245 said a fresh supply of eggs was not the only reason people were bidding on the poultry with families or children active during the auction.
"A lot of people bought birds for a family pet," she said.
"The day in whole was very successful."
Noosa's Anita Witt was on holiday in the Granite Belt with husband Toby when they found out about the auction.
"It is surprising how big the auction is," she said.
"We're on holiday for a week and we breed silkies so we've bought two black silkies."
Diane Wilder and her daughter Julia Wilder-Donvito travelled to the auction from northern New South Wales to see what was on offer.
"We are here to buy some poultry and we have bought an incubator," she said.
"We've had a great time at the auction."
Top price
Two partridge Brahma pullets sold for $245.
Participants came from as far afield as the Sunshine Coast and northern NSW.
