# Your thoughts about selling rodents at Doncaster IHS show



## oakelm (Jan 14, 2009)

Hi all
I have attended doncaster to sell reps previously but will not breeding much this year im unlikely to need a table. But have been thinking my rats and mice are booming this year and I noticed they were selling rodetns but never got chance to actually get away from my table to have a look. Would people be interested in live rats and mice to be for sale for pets or future breeding colonies? Would it be worth doing? If so any other rodents people would like to see such as multis, gerbils, hamsters, etc.

Cheers in advance for your thoughts.


----------



## Tarn~Totty (May 4, 2009)

Think its worth a go hun...I saw them there at the last Donny show, behind that screen thing lol. Multi's might be a good idea too, everyone seems to be on the look-out for those lately : victory:


----------



## Zak (Jan 7, 2008)

I can definitely see the worth of it however id speak to the organisers regarding it. Having seen the ways councils and anti's have reacted recently im sure they'll have a field day with reptiles and live mice in one room, i can see the headlines now haha.

However from a hobbyists point of view its excellent, especially if you could have other things for breeding mice such as bedding, cages etc.


----------



## White_raven666 (Mar 20, 2007)

I think animal right activists will have a field day with the selling of live mice or rats. 

I can just see the heading of their campaign.

"Illegal reptile fair now selling live rodents for sick livefeeding and sick entertainment"

In my opinion not a good idea mate unless you wanna fuel the fire for the antis.


----------



## oakelm (Jan 14, 2009)

Yeah I can see what you mean about the whole anti's thing but to be honest they will find fault with anything. The reason I thought about it was someone who was picking a snake up from me at the last show in september had brought some mice from behind the screened area and I was a little surprised to see them myself. But kind of made sense them being there. Just didnt get time to go look for myself, what was actually on sale behind the scene?

And yeah multis I think would be good as well as equipment.

I think more furry lovers than people think have reps as well. Also thinking of the people that do actually want them as pets as well as not everyone owns rodent eating species.

I was at the bradford excel small animal show this weekend where they showed rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, mice and hamsters. And the one stall I was surprised to see was the IHS stall at a furries show.

I shall drop the IHS an email and see what they think of it too but anymore opinions for or against gladly listened to.


----------



## jav07 (Apr 20, 2006)

there were several tables allocated for furries,they all had a very good response and sold alot


----------



## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

there were a nice mix of hamsters, rats, mice ( bald and hairy )and harvest mice for sale.

i dont see how there was a problem as the screen was up, its not as if they`re next to a big viv of snakes eyeing them up for dinner.

:lol2:


----------



## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

I *personally* am concerned about selling "feeder type" rodents at a reptile show. 

Although _we _know it's for buying breeding stock and pets, people who are less in-the-know are probably going to see those inexpensive rodents in the same light as they see the stacks and stacks of boxes of locusts, crickets and mealworms - livefood.

I have no problem with exotic or *very* fancy domesticated mammals being sold - things that are not going to be priced in the feeder bracket.


----------



## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

i got a new hammy and paid the same as in my local shop, they were definatly priced for pets/breeders


----------



## Twiglet (May 6, 2009)

I didnt realise some of the shows had OK'd the sale of mammals?? I had a table for furries at the exeter show a few years ago, that was the last time i'd heard of non-herps being allowed. Infact, dont most shows actually stipulate "no mammals"?

Or am i totally wrong?

I'd like to see small mammals on sale but as has been pointed out... the anti's will think they've hit the jackpot, we'll be seeing photos of our cute little pets online next to headlines claiming us all to be livefeeding torturers that get off on watching things die... couldn't be further from the truth but we all know that the antis will twist it to their own end. 

Kat


----------



## oakelm (Jan 14, 2009)

Twiglet said:


> *I didnt realise some of the shows had OK'd the sale of mammals??* I had a table for furries at the exeter show a few years ago, that was the last time i'd heard of non-herps being allowed. Infact, dont most shows actually stipulate "no mammals"?
> 
> Or am i totally wrong?
> 
> ...


At the september donny show was the first time I had noticed it, but thinking back it wasnt there in june, must be a new thing.

Decided against it for this year, would prefer to have more variety if I were too do it such as degus, lemmings, harvest mice, etc as well as the rats, mice and multis. But will be on the lookout to see what is available and if they do a mammal area again.


----------



## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

pigglywiggly said:


> i got a new hammy and paid the same as in my local shop, they were definatly priced for pets/breeders


*nod* 

My concern was mostly for the very inexpensive rats and mice.... animals that although they might be priced at "show prices" are not all that different from "tub of livefood" price, either.


----------



## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

not that you`d buy from my local shop..............


----------



## McQuillanX2 (Oct 29, 2009)

I would be interested: victory:


----------



## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

Twiglet said:


> I had a table for furries at the exeter show a few years ago


Oh wow I remember meeting you there, by the end of the show I had doubled my mice colony...hubbie wasnt pleased!

Shame the Exeter show never made it to its second year


----------



## lovespids (May 10, 2010)

I think you would be opening yourselves up to all sorts of critiscisms,it would be a bit like going into Tesco and buying a live lamb or calf ,the papers would have a field day!


----------



## Grandpa (Oct 7, 2009)

There is of course this aspect to live furries at a reptile show.

Snakes rely heavily on their Jacobsons organ to find prey, they dont need to see the cute little furries to go into hunt mood.
This is not a good scenario, a room full of reptiles all excited over the odour of rodent, someone looks at the "furries" doesn't clean hands properly - promptly gets bitten, examining that nice piebald royal they have been after.. 

Just my thoughts, retaliate at will...


----------



## LEXCORN (Feb 9, 2007)

Two points here.

Ya, I agree with the previous poster on the aspect of scenting the respective food item & I can, seriously, agree that the 'scent' of mouse can be an over-whelming & an unpleasant odour depending on the level of maintenance the mammals receive & the numbers within the show area.

The sale of live mammals is a very common sight in the European shows with little response from the activists overseas.

I did take a short visit to said mammal table at the last IHS Doncaster show & he seemed to be depleting his live stock level quite fast, so it was obviously a worth while venture for him.

I have not spoken with Richard Brook on this subject, however, I am sure that if you do decide to offer animals at the event he will be the person to advise you.

Regards. Lex


----------



## oakelm (Jan 14, 2009)

Wow this old nugget has been dragged up. Question a few months old now. I am going to visit to see at both donny shows to see what the furries section is like to see if it is worth it for me to do next year. But it will have a range of furries, mice, gerbils, hamsters, spiny mice and maybe even harvest mice. Plus a few oddities if they decide to produce. So aimed well at the pet market not the food market.

But have snakes to sell at this september so cant do two tables at once.


----------

