Rare Breeds and Fast Cars The Mart

Farming is a risky business.

350. 380.

-And when it's time to make money, the stakes are high.

-380, Fraser.

Thainstone Mart,

one of Europe's biggest livestock markets.

70. 80 bid. 80 bid. 81 bid.

Sheep, cattle and machinery

auctioned to the highest bidder day in, day out.

COW MOOS

Farmers spend months getting ready for their big sales day.

COW MOOS

With livelihoods on the line,

their animals have to look just right.

This is the thing that puts the food on the table. Of course I'm nervous.

Fortunes can be made and dreams can be dashed...

..all in the blink of an eye.

-HE CHUCKLES

-It's just another day at work.

Welcome to The Mart.

It's early autumn at Thainstone and on today's programme...

BIRD CAWS

Colin and his team face their most challenging sale of the year,

rare breeds day.

Come on. Get down and catch it. Come on. Good lads.

Get in there. Come on, boys.

A farmer selling sheep for the first time

hopes a spray tan might boost his chances.

It's amazing what that sheep'll look like once you've had a wee tidy up.

32. 35.

And there's a life or death sale at the car auction.

We need to sell the car to save dogs like Zach and Snuggles.

Will a Porsche go for enough cash to save an animal sanctuary?

COW MOOS

Traditional livestock is Thainstone's bread and butter.

But twice a year,

the mart plays host to a special kind of customer...

..at the rare breed sale.

HE WHISTLES

Hundreds of farmers and families who truly love their livestock

come to buy, sell and admire the speciality stock on show.

Senior auctioneer Colin Slessor normally sells sheep,

but the rare breeds day gives him a chance to spread his wings.

COCKEREL CROWS

We've certainly got a varied day today, that's for sure.

The rare breeds day is a great family day.

We've got everything.

You've got turkeys here, you can see beside me.

Chickens, ducks, geese, guinea fowls, pheasants.

Our weekly sales are what we know and what we're used to.

This is a wee bit different and there are challenges.

All the people milling about, we've got to keep them safe.

I wouldnae call it chaotic, but it's different and it's fun.

But not everyone's so cheery.

The customers may love their animals

and the animals may love the customers...

but mart staff, like head yardsman Robbie Cruickshank,

can't wait for it all to end.

This would be the day that everybody dreads.

-HE CHUCKLES

-The rare breed cattle

and rare breed folk.

-HORSE WHINNIES

-This kind of day.

A novelty kind of day. A lot of people come to these sales.

We have a problem with them keeping the gates closed and everything,

so stress levels get very high with the staff and...

Ah, it's an interesting day if you're a spectator,

-but nae a worker.

-HE CHUCKLES

But people aren't the only potential headache.

Many of the beasts are well outside their comfort zone.

The Highland cattle, they've never been inside in their lives

and they're nae used to all this kind of environment.

If the cattle goes wild on this kind of day,

obviously, there's little kids going about,

so you've to be careful with them, like.

With over 1,000 animals to be penned, sorted and sold,

it's going to be all hands on deck.

25 miles away, near Kildrummy,

one family is hoping for rare breed sale success.

Ex-pub landlord John Bywater shares his 150-acre hill farm

with partner Mary and their tribe of children.

-There you go, boys. Some beans to nibble.

-Thank you.

John's reluctantly selling seven of their Gloucester Old Spot piglets.

He's grown quite fond of them.

If you've had a stressful day,

sometimes, the best thing is just coming and sitting here

and watch them play and it takes all your stress away.

But with hungry mouths to feed and money tight, it's time to cash in.

-John, you're here.

-Morning, Colin.

-Morning. How you getting on?

Colin has dropped by before the sale

to check John's pigs are up to scratch.

-Right, where are they? Doon in this shed doon here?

-Aye.

-There's...

-OK, you've a mixture in here. What have you got?

-There's Gloucester Old Spots.

-Aye.

-Three Berkshires.

-OK.

-Which will be breeding stock.

-People always say pigs are dirty animals.

-No.

-I disagree.

-Yeah.

-They'll always do their business in the same area.

They're very intelligent animals.

Sheep and pigs and cattle, a lot of people say they're daft.

-There's nothing daft about them.

-Yeah. It's the people.

It's the people who don't know about them that's daft.

-Kids are good with them.

-Yeah. Kids, they learn a lot from animals.

Aye, of course they do. Of course they do.

-Yeah, I was brought up on a farm myself and you don't beat it.

-No.

What are you thinking that'll make, John?

-I mean, are you hoping?

-I'd like to make £40 of them.

But really, realistically, probably, they'll make £30

-if, you know...

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

-Aye, well...

-I'll show you our breeding stock if you want.

-Aye.

Well, that's probably as good as any, John.

Could take a look at them.

What have you got? Just the one sow or...?

No, I've two sows and a big, old boar.

Two sows and a boar, aye.

Yeah. Look at them. Yeah, he's some boar.

Big Lad is John's nine-year-old Berkshire boar,

a hardy breed.

They're one of the oldest recorded in Britain,

tough enough to cope with the Aberdeenshire weather.

Look at him. He's got a haircut a bit like mine, John.

-Eh?

-Aye, well...

-Aye.

-It comes to us all, Colin.

-COLIN LAUGHS

At 31st, Big Lad can hold his own.

Does he never have a wee chew at you, no?

Their teeth are razor-sharp. Yeah, they will...

He looks like a boar that wouldnae be too keen on auctioneers,

-I would say.

-COLIN LAUGHS

-If we don't get our £30, £40 for these piglets...

-Yeah.

..I'll be in the first car home. I'll be heading home.

-Are we getting out of the wind?

-Aye, get out of the wind.

Come on. Let's get up here. Brr!

Now they've got a thumbs up from Colin,

seven little piggies are packed up and on their way to market.

Back at the rare breed sale, sellers are flocking in.

COCKEREL CROWS

We just need to put them in the right pens now,

make them feel at home.

Dean Anderson has been breeding ducks all his life

and today, he's selling five dozen of his favourites.

Dean's ducks include golden runners...

..Cherry Valleys...

..and three white crested ducks with their distinctive hairdos.

They're looking well. I like to see them nice and clean.

That pen there. Look. Just looking tremendous.

That's the only way to get a good price for them.

They have to look the part.

My realistic value is £6 a duck for these and that's...

So, anything more than that, it'll be extra.

If Dean can get more than his target of £6 per duck,

he's going to treat himself.

That ones there are the ones that I'm interested in

because that'll be a new drake, new bloodline.

I've got plenty ducks at home. I need a new drake.

So, I'll try and buy either that two pairs

to get me a new drake to mate onto the ducks I've got at home.

See these ones here?

While Dean eyes up his potential poultry purchase...

..over in the cattle ring, the auction's underway.

I'm bid 500. I'm bid 500. I'm bid 500. I'm at 50.

650. 650. 700.

Backstage, Robbie and his team are working hard

to get the Highlanders safely in and out.

There was one wild beast we had to put out.

It couldnae be sold. It was too wild.

If it goes out of the ring, there's too many spectators going about.

Mind yersel this time cos some of these ones are a bit sharp.

Hey-up! Hey!

And the cattle aren't the only tricky customers.

COCKEREL CROWS

Foul play is disrupting the poultry auction.

Here we go. Oh, me.

Someone's obviously bought... What is it? A golden pheasant.

And as he tried to put it in the crate, he's let it go,

so it's now in the very gods here.

It's up on the rooftop.

Aha. Nearly. Nearly.

Get down there, boys. Come on. Get down and catch it. Come on.

We want to catch that pheasant. Come on, boys. Good lads.

Good lads. Get in there. Come on, boys.

Somebody'll get it. Lads, come on.

Good lad. Gentle. Gentle.

Well done, young man.

Well done. Good action shot there. Well done, my boy.

Keep a hold of it this time. Well done.

Everything comes right in the end.

-Don't worry. Don't worry.

-HE CHUCKLES

With the plucky pheasant behind bars,

Colin continues the poultry auction.

60. 70.

Dean and his fancy ducks are next up.

He's hoping for £70 for his first dozen.

Golden runners. Golden runners. Look at that. Laying ducks.

20 bid. 20, 30. 30, 40.

40, 50. 60. 70. 80.

£80. 80 bid. £80 bid. 90. £90.

90 bid. At £90. Don't stop, madam. At £90. You only get one chance.

At £90, they go, then. At 90. 100. I'm at 100.

100, lady's bid. 100. 100. Are you bidding?

100. 100. 100. Thank you.

225.

Dean's ducks go for more than he expected.

Lot number four. 491.

So, he decides to bid for the drake duo he spotted earlier.

Onto lot number 513. Silver Appleyard pair.

He's got a personal limit of £55,

but some pint-sized competition

might scupper his plans.

20 bid. 20 bid. 25. 30. Five. 40. Five.

50. £50.

£50. Going to be sold, then. At 50. At £50.

Mr Anderson.

Dean's on a roll. He buys the other drake pair too.

55. 55. Same buyer.

Mr Anderson.

I'm quite happy. I got a good price for the ones I sold

and I've reinvested into these.

And I bought both pairs because I can mature one with two drakes.

I'm absolutely happy with what I've bought.

All in all, Dean is £840 in profit today.

Soon, it'll be time for his new drakes to earn their keep.

DUCK QUACKS

I'm at 300 guinea.

Over in the cattle ring,

the Highlanders are still keeping the team on their toes.

Are you bidding? 280 guinea. I'm at 280 guinea. I'm at three.

Yeah, you don't want to get a horn going in the wrong place, no.

The sheep can be just as tricky,

as trainee auctioneer Rory knows only too well.

It's quite a big ring and these are little sheep

and they're really fast, so if they go the wrong way,

they're quite hard to get a hold of.

They can make a fool of you in the ring in front of all these people.

It's probably quite entertaining for the people watching,

but it's quite embarrassing for you.

Soon, it'll be the Bywater family's piglets in the spotlight.

Nervous. Just waiting for...

You know, waiting to go in and see what they make.

I'd like them to make at least £40.

If they don't make £30, they're going home.

It's not just the breeds that are rare. So is the currency.

Today, the mart is dealing in guineas.

One guinea is a pound and five pence,

so John's target is 38.

You can get a pig if you want.

All the little piggies went to market.

Yes, all the piggies went to market.

-They'll be ready for Christmas.

-Starting at 100. 100 guineas.

50 guineas. 40 guineas. 30 to start me.

30 guineas. 25.

25 guineas. You can get a pig if you want. 20 guineas.

-Over here, Philip.

-I'm at two. Five. Eight. 30.

Two. 35. 38. 40 bid.

42. Five. 45 bid.

45 guinea. 45 bid. We're going to sell them now.

They're on the market. Up in the front left, 45 bid. 45.

48. 48 bid. 48 guinea. 50 bid.

50 guinea. Two. 52.

52. Your last chance now. 52. All done at 50. 50 guineas.

-Thank you. Excellent.

-The number is...

A good result. £382 for the lot.

Over £100 more than John's target.

At 52 guineas a head, you can't knock it.

I were expecting 30, 40.

Repeat customer, so, excellent.

You know, it proves that my stock's good.

All right, we've only sold seven piglets,

but it's a few more coppers into the bank

and, you know, pay a few more bills and...

Every bit does count.

So, you've got to make money where you can.

And, you know, we've made a bit more today, so even better.

-Hey-up, kid.

-Hello, John.

-How's the last lot of pigs doing?

Oh, fine. Fine.

Smallholder Andy Harrold has travelled from Dufftown

to buy John's piglets.

Happy with the pigs I got the last time from him.

They'll be worth a lot more when they're in the freezer.

Not for commercial at all. No, it's just for personal consumption.

Keeps me in pork for a year or two.

Early autumn is an important time for sheep and cattle farmers.

It's when they buy and sell breeding stock,

the animals who will produce next year's lambs and calves.

Colin enjoys visiting farmers to give advice before a sale.

He's been involved with livestock all his working life.

I left school at 17

and worked for a couple of years as a trainee shepherd.

I then moved down to Edinburgh where I was a shepherd for six years

and that was a great learning experience.

Moved straight from there to become a trainee auctioneer at Thainstone.

That was in October, 1993.

Working with farming folk, you won't really get...

You won't get better folk, so...

No, it's been very...

I've been lucky. Very lucky.

Today, Colin's visiting Ian Wilkie and his daughter Faye from Westhill.

Unlike Colin, the Wilkies are newcomers

to the world of gimmers - young female sheep.

Well, this is the first year we've really done this ourselves.

We've decided, instead of taking lambs in for over winter,

we're going to...

buy ewe lambs, try and keep them for the year

and then we're going to sell them on.

If Colin gives these sheep the go-ahead,

Ian will enter them into Thainstone's annual gimmers sale.

But first, he has to round them up.

We haven't purchased a dog yet, a sheepdog,

so I just go with the telescopic loader

and round them up.

Usually, they come in not too bad.

Now, who needs a dog when you've got a daughter

to do all the running for you?

-Hello.

-How you doing?

-Nae bad. Nae bad. Yersel?

-Good to see you.

-Nae bother. Aye. How you doing?

-Good.

-You're fine? You're good?

Your gimmers are penned up here ready.

You're going to be...

-This is the ones we're going to sell next week, hopefully.

-OK.

It doesn't take long for Colin to give the gimmers the green light.

No, they're looking well.

-We're going away to try and tidy them up a wee bit.

-OK.

-And get a bit of colour into them.

-OK.

-Somebody coming to gie you a hand?

-Aye.

Alan and Ian Miller fae Midmar are coming down this afternoon.

OK. They'll know what they're doing.

It's amazing what that sheep'll look like once you've had a wee tidy up.

A wee bit of colour. The Millers'll have a secret potion.

-Yeah.

-I would leave them to...

-Leave them to decide.

Leave them to make a wee potion of some sort and it'll come out bonny.

-Yeah, that's right.

-You've room to, you know, take 130 quid

-or whatever they make, you know.

-I mean, if we got 130,

-I'd be delighted, I think...

-Yeah, yeah.

-..if they got that.

-OK.

-OK, see you next week.

-All right, good luck.

-See you, Colin.

-See you later on. Cheers, guys.

-Bye. Bye.

His sheep are looking well. I'm not saying

they're going to top the sale by any matter of means.

Ian's been speaking about hopefully getting £130.

You know, maybe we'll struggle to get that.

We'll certainly do the best we can.

The auctioneer always tries his best.

He doesn't always achieve, but he tries his best.

Sheep prices have been plummeting,

so Ian's going to need all the help he can get

to cover what he spent on his flock.

He's called in the Miller brothers, sheep sprucing experts,

to get his gimmers gleaming.

We're just clipping their necks. Just shaving their necks just to...

Just makes them stand out a bit more.

Just to get their heads up and just looks an awful lot better.

Like a sheep spa.

A level teaspoon.

A special fleece colouring is used, a dye that, mixed properly,

should give the gimmers a biscuit-coloured coat.

Go for it.

But, like any spray tan, it's all about judgment.

Are you sure?

Looks black.

I think it's looking better than all the other ones.

87 to go.

I prefer them with their new look. I think they look better.

I think they'll be better for sale as well.

Back at Thainstone, the team is gearing up

for a very different kind of sale.

The mart doesn't just auction animals.

Once a month, it's heavy-duty machinery that's bought and sold.

And twice a week, it's cars.

ENGINES REV

10,000 motors pass through the mart's vehicle sales every year.

Lot number seven.

It's a rolling auction and bidding is fast and furious.

-750. 800.

-One car...

-850. 900.

-..every minute.

At 1,200. I'm selling for £1,200 at the back.

Lot number 20 this time.

From reliable run-arounds...

..to wicked wheels.

And tonight, a Porsche is on the market

to raise some much-needed cash for animal sanctuary owner Karen Pullen.

Over the last six months, I've been poorly

and we need some funding for the vet bills that we've incurred

over the last six months.

So, that's why we're here to sell the car -

to save dogs like Zach and Snuggles.

We have 38 rescue dogs, 18 rescue horses, five rescue pigs,

two goats and five sheep and six rescue cats.

Karen's sanctuary has been going strong for nine years,

but now she's forced to sell her car

after a bite from a rescue dog left her unable to work.

I had lots of operations, two skin grafts

and I've not really been able to return back to work properly.

The car has to go,

so I'm just hoping that it goes for a good price.

So, really, fingers crossed, I'll get as much as I can.

I've never sold a car at an auction before.

I'm really nervous, as you can tell by my hands. I'm really nervous.

But Karen's Porsche Cayenne is ten years old

and might not attract much interest.

-There's a lot riding on it, so this is it.

-On to lot number 146.

It's just a bit nerve-racking, that's all. It's just...

It's all right. I'm fine.

Karen needs at least £5,000 to keep her rescue centre going.

£5,000, surely. £5,000.

3,000 bid. 3,000 bid. At 3,000 bid. At 3,000. 3,000. 3,200.

3,500. 3,800. 4,000. 4,200. 4,400.

4,700. 4,700. 4,800. 4,800.

4,800. 4,900.

4,900. 4,950.

5,000. 5,000 a bid. At 5,000 bid. At 5,000 bid.

At 5,000. 5,000. 5,050.

50. 100. Offer is at 5,100 outside. Just come forward.

That clinching bid of £5,100 is great news for Karen's sanctuary.

I can go back now and pay some vet bills

and buy hay for the horses for the winter,

so the horses will be warm and fed well

and I won't have to worry.

And it'll give me a chance to get on my feet again now

without the animals suffering.

A new day at the mart and 4,000 gimmers -

young breeding sheep - are about to be sold.

These gimmers will produce next year's spring lambs

and are a prime commodity,

so the team puts in that little bit extra.

This is one of the only days

that we put down a wee bit of sawdust on the ground.

These guys have put a lot of effort

into presenting their sheep properly,

so we put down a wee covering of sawdust.

It doesnae need much. It just keeps the sheep clean

and helps the presentation of them as well.

And with the sheep market in the doldrums,

the farmers need all the help they can get.

We've got a tougher year.

Probably last year, things were flying very high.

We had an excellent trade.

And this year might be just a wee bit different

because, you know, the lamb trade - the prime lamb trade -

is a bit less and guys might be...

Maybe not so much money about.

But same old story - the best end of the gimmers will sell well.

They always do.

Ian and Faye Wilkie have brought in their spruced-up gimmers

for the big sale.

Ian is aiming for £130 per sheep, an ambitious sum for a beginner.

Just shut that gate a wee minute. Let them out in here.

To help get the best prices,

Colin splits them into three lots divided by size,

but one or two buck the system.

Aye. Aye. This gimmer. This one.

Go on.

That's better.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Good morning.

We'll make a start on the sale, the annual gimmer sale.

We'll go straight onto Mr Barclay, I think.

Before Ian and Faye's sheep are sold,

another farmer's gimmers go under the hammer.

£82. 82 bid. Look at this, now. 85. 88. 90 bid.

The auction begins well - cause for cautious optimism.

190 bid. I'm at 190. Come on. At 190 bid. I'm at 190.

192. 192. 192. They're away at 192. 192.

Mr Miller, all away.

That first pen in were really good and they made good money.

Thank you, sir.

When we spoke to Colin for a start,

he was thinking maybe £120, £130, something like that.

If we could get an average about that, it'd be good.

Here's our first consignment. They're new consignors this year.

This young lady here, look.

£130 per sheep would earn the Wilkies around £10,000.

That's great, strong sheep. Look at that.

120 bid. 120 bid. I'm at 120.

Great, powerful sheep. 120 bid. I'm at 120.

But the bidding gets off to a slow start.

122, I'm bid. 122.

At 122, I'm bid. 122, I'm bid. 122.

At 122. Young lady. At 122, I'm bid. 125.

125. 128. 128, I'm bid. 128.

Anybody else in? At 128. At 128, I'm bid.

130. 130, I'm bid. Two. 132. Five.

135. Strong gimmers. 135. Madam, I'll sell them for you.

Will I sell them, young lady? At 135.

She's not saying yes, not saying no. At 135, they go for sale.

38, they go for sale.

138. 138, they're away. Mr Cook.

The sale's been a resounding success for Ian and Faye.

Their three pens go for over £11,000.

That went really well, yeah. Better than expected, I think.

We were thinking maybe 120, hoping 130, but that's really good.

Really good. Pleased with that, yeah.

Cattle farmer Ian's first foray into the sheep market has paid off.

His golden gimmers have earned him

nearly £1,000 more than he was hoping for.

-Hello, Ian.

-How you doing?

-Not too bad.

-Thanks very much.

-That's all right.

It was nice to see a young lady standing up there on the rostrum

and I gave her a bit of encouragement to go again.

-Getting involved.

-Are you happy with your price?

-Um, yeah, I think we got more than we were expecting, so...

-Yeah, yeah.

Well, if they do well, I'll be back here next year

-looking to shake your hand again.

-That's good.

He may be a first-timer,

but Ian knows all about the traditional luck penny

given to successful bidders.

Here's a wee bit of luck for you, anyway, so...

-Oh, thank you very much.

-Thanks very much.

-Thank you.

-And hopefully, we'll see you next year.

-Thanks.

-OK, take care. Bye.

I think the Wilkies will be reasonably happy.

Their gimmers were looking well.

A wee bit of colour and a wee tidy up

and they were looking well, so, hopefully,

they'll be satisfied with their first effort here.

A young lass like that, you know, here sticking in

and conscientious and working hard, you know,

I think she'll go far, that young lady. I'm sure she will.

SHEEP BAA

Colin's piglets, poultry and sheep adventure draws to a close,

but he can't relax for long.

Soon, he'll be back in action.

Next time on The Mart...

..young Ryan needs a new car and he's got a cow and calf to sell.

It's down to auctioneer John to get him the cash.

Pressure's on again. There's not a day that the pressure's on.

You'll enjoy the pressure.

There's a crisis in the kitchen when a deep fat fryer fails

with lunch just minutes away and roasties in hot demand.

Farmers like their traditional roast beef.

It's got to have roast potatoes with it.

It's carnage if they don't get it.

900.

And Charlie auctions everything off the farm

for two brothers retiring after 50 years.

She was running like a sewing machine this morning.

But their trusty tractor lets them down

just when they need it most.

ENGINE SPLUTTERS