Over the past number of weeks, the number of cattle available for sale on Haystack has increased dramatically – mainly due to restrictions at marts in a bid to curtail the spread of Covid-19.
And secondly, to ease the pressure and streamline sales for farmers with livestock to sell or buy, Haystack is offering farmers a FREE platform to trade llivestock on during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Initially, due to the time of year, a lot of breeding stock – particulary bulls – were available on the platform. While this has continued to increase, more and more ‘grass’ cattle have been placed for sale on the site.
April is normally a very busy for marts across the country, with thousands of cattle changing hands on a weekly basis. The recent spell of fine weather has well and truely boosted grass growth and many farmers are now facing into grass surpluses.
All cattle suitable for grass, and indeed all cattle available for sale, can be view on Haystack here
Haystack.ie is an easy-to-navigate, no nonsense website, that puts sellers in touch with potential buyers at the click of the button. An advert can be placed within a matter of minutes by following six simple steps.
1) Register an account
Firstly, new customers must create an account – free of charge – on the Haystack website. This requires: name; email address; and a password.
Once this stage is complete, your account is now set up. Additionally, existing users can just login using their email and password.
2) Place an advert
Farmers can then add their free advert by clicking ‘Place Advert’ on the top right-hand corner of the website.
3) Add details
The next step involves providing some details on what you are selling or buying. These include: title; ad type (selling or buying); category; and price.
The title refers to what’s for sale. So, for example, the title could be ‘Charolais weanling bulls’, the category would be ‘Beef Cattle’ and whatever the asking price may be.
This price can be offered as negotiable by clicking the ‘Negotiable’ box.
4) Add images
Providing good-quality pictures is probably one of the most important aspects when placing livestock adverts for sale and improves your chances of finding a buyer.
If taking photos of livestock with a phone, it is advised to take shots in portrait mode (hold phone sideways); providing numerous sharp photos from different angles is also advised.
Once you are happy with the quality of the photos, they can be uploaded by simply dropping them in the ‘Images’ section or by browsing the files on your computer.
A video can also be added by inserting the video link or by browsing the files on your computer.
5) Add description
The ‘Description’ section requires some of the finer details of the animals on offer.
So, again using the Charolais weanling bulls as an example, details may include: date of birth; weight; feeding history; genetic background; and contact times etc.
Again, providing specifics enhances your chancing of making a sale.
6) Add location and contact details
Adding a location can also be beneficial when offering livestock for sale. Also, remember to add your contact number.
That’s it – it’s as easy as that. Click ‘Sell Now’ and your free livestock advert will be placed.
The Haystack.ie platform will allow farmers with livestock for sale to place adverts starting with immediate effect until further notice.
So, to place your free livestock advertisement, or to register an account, just click here