All about Consignment Sales
All About Consignment Sales
The Southern Virginia Meat Goat Association (SVMGA) sponsors consignment sales for premium goats and sheep at least four times a year. Premium pricing is for good quality kids and lambs (40-70 lbs.), but yearling does, bucks, culls and sheep are accepted with separate pricing.
The sales are held at the Halifax County Agricultural Building, 1001 Farmway Lane (Rt. 922), Halifax, VA 24558. Upcoming sale dates are posted on this website. Sale notifications are also sent to current members via e-mail and are advertised in local newspapers. Pre-registered sellers are notified via e-mail of the consignment price per pound offered by the buyer approximately five days prior to the sale.
The SVMGA commission is $1.00 per head for members and $5.00 per head for non-members. The initial membership fee to join SVMGA is $20.00, and the renewal fee is $10.00 due in January each subsequent year. Anyone selling more than four head of livestock per year would save money by becoming an SVMGA member.
Click here for an SVMGA membership application.
All goats and sheep must have a scrapie tag appropriately affixed to each animal. It is the seller’s responsibility to have the tags attached prior to coming to the sale. Scrapie tags are free to livestock producers in Virginia and can easily be acquired from the State Department of Agriculture, Regional Veterinary Supervisor at 540-209-9120
. If animals arrive at the sale without a tag, SVMGA may supply the seller with scrapie tags. The application fee is currently $1.00 per animal, subject to change.
No antibiotics or wormers should be administered within 30 days of the sale.
Sellers are encouraged to pre-register 10 days prior to the sale. This is important so that:
1. The buyer knows the quantity of animals before the sale. This allows him to establish the best pricing and ensure safe and humane transportation for the animals.
2. SVMGA knows how many volunteers will be needed and if all expected animals have arrived.
Sellers who are not pre-registered may be allowed to sell animals on a space-available basis and will be assessed a late registration fee of $10.
Click here for an SVMGA consignment sale registration form.
Procedures on the day of sale:
To expedite the selling process, be sure to have your registration form completely filled out before coming to the sale, including a listing of all livestock and their scrapie tag numbers.
Upon arriving at the sale you will be greeted by an SVMGA volunteer and directed to a place in the vehicle/trailer line. An SVMGA volunteer will ask to see your registration form and ensure that you have scrapie tags attached to your livestock. If you need scrapie tags or your registration form is not complete, you may be removed from the line until the paper work is completed and the tags are applied to your animals. If you purchase scrapie tags from SVMGA, you are responsible for attaching them to your animals.
If you are assessed any late registration fees, membership dues, or scrapie tag fees, you will be asked to pay those by check or in cash before unloading your animals. You should bring small bills for any fees since there is a limited amount of change on hand.
DO NOT unload your animals until advised to do so by a volunteer who has accepted your paperwork. Once you get to the head of the line, your animals will be unloaded, cleared and weighed under the direction of the volunteers. You will be expected to help with the unloading.
The buyer has the option to reject any animal that does not meet his, or SVMGA’s standards. This usually refers to sick, injured, or underweight animals.
Once you have unloaded your animals, you will be instructed to wait for your payment to be prepared (usually a check). The SVMGA commission will be deducted from your payment.
SVMGA sales are run by volunteers. Please be patient. Our goal is to make this safe and stress-free for everyone, including the livestock. Goats and sheep are prey animals and therefore inherently fearful of predators. So, DO NOT BRING DOGS TO THE SALE. Also, all children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to ask a volunteer.
If you are pre-registered, the buyer and volunteers will be waiting patiently for your arrival. If you cannot make it to the sale, be sure to notify the sale coordinator (listed on the specific sale notification and registration form) as soon as possible.