Horsfields Price

Fred123 · 15-12-2013, 09:28 AM

I have just read an advert for Horsfields for £39. This has shocked me, I knew horsfields were the cheapest but have only seen them for £60+ previously. They are becoming pocket money pets!

This made me think If they are wild caught no price can be put on their captivity, but less than £40 seems even more disrespectful.

It also makes you wonder what chance do Private breeders have? They simply cant compete, and while those of us who care would happily pay £100 for a UK CB tortoise I imagine we are in the minority. With heating and UV costing so much there is no way breeders could sell at this price, makes you wonder if people will stop breeding this species.

All very sad.

NATURALIS · 15-12-2013, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fred123

I have just read an advert for Horsfields for £39. This has shocked me, I knew horsfields were the cheapest but have only seen them for £60+ previously. They are becoming pocket money pets!

This made me think If they are wild caught no price can be put on their captivity, but less than £40 seems even more disrespectful.

It also makes you wonder what chance do Private breeders have? They simply cant compete, and while those of us who care would happily pay £100 for a UK CB tortoise I imagine we are in the minority. With heating and UV costing so much there is no way breeders could sell at this price, makes you wonder if people will stop breeding this species.

All very sad.

Ive seen them as low as £15 in europe , 90% of what you see for sale are wild caught.

ClareandCo · 15-12-2013, 12:08 PM

I've seen some for £50 each, no multiple buy discount, but free courier if you buy 10

Fred123 · 15-12-2013, 02:07 PM

You can only imagine the hell they have gone through to get to the stage of selling. I don't imagine it was first class travel when they have such a low price tag. People will buy these as an inexpensive pet and will have no clue of the actual cost of keeping a tortoise.

Catwoman63 · 15-12-2013, 02:09 PM

And then you see them on pre loved etc, its such a shame

x

Fred123 · 15-12-2013, 06:01 PM

At least the ones on pre-loved have survived long enough to be re-sold and we can only hope find a good home. I dare say the majority pass away in transit or in the early days of captivity.

Pre-loved does seem flooded with horsfields. Most people wont manage to sell them when shops are selling them at these priced.

Pussygalore · 16-12-2013, 07:47 AM

its going back to the days when you could buy an adult tort in the shops for a few pounds, when defra started adding to the costs of breeding the species that require certs/chips many owners went over to breeding the cheaper torts that don't need these. Maybe the answer is for Defra to make Horsfields need the same as the others, chips and papers.

Suze65 · 16-12-2013, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pussygalore

its going back to the days when you could buy an adult tort in the shops for a few pounds, when defra started adding to the costs of breeding the species that require certs/chips many owners went over to breeding the cheaper torts that don't need these. Maybe the answer is for Defra to make Horsfields need the same as the others, chips and papers.

I agree, horsfields are open to even more abuse than those that require certs, they need the same protection as the rest, not that that is great !

Merlin M · 16-12-2013, 10:14 AM

I also agree Ann!

Pussygalore · 16-12-2013, 10:49 AM

I wasn't thinking about the protection but thats a good point but more if they needed certs/chips then the price would have to be in line with others and there wouldn't be so many bred. There's only the high breeding because of the requirements for other species, people think its easier and less hassle to swap to Horsfields and still make a bit of money. To be honest I actually think that there should be far more restrictions on breeding full stop, there are or will be to many torts in the market meaning far more needing homes, when torts were a 'exotic' almost rare animal to keep I personally think they stood a better chance of finding a good home I know that made them a bit of an elitist pet to have but was that such a bad thing. They are now a almost common pet which to me means more to get fed up with where as when you had to hunt for one and pay a bit more it was more likely that the buyer was someone who was genuinly interested in keeping them not just a quick xmas present along with the dogs and other animals that soon get fed up with. Maybe you should have to apply for a lisence to breed any species with an annual cost that might make the owners think a bit more about whether they want to breed along with putting the price of all species back up where it should be. I don't and never had thought these animals should be amoung the ordinary run of the mill pets any more than say snakes etc, they need specialistic care and therefore anyone wanting one should have to meet requirements in order to breed or keep them

15-12-2013, 09:28 AM	#1
Fred123 Member Hatched Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 407	Horsfields Price I have just read an advert for Horsfields for £39. This has shocked me, I knew horsfields were the cheapest but have only seen them for £60+ previously. They are becoming pocket money pets! This made me think If they are wild caught no price can be put on their captivity, but less than £40 seems even more disrespectful. It also makes you wonder what chance do Private breeders have? They simply cant compete, and while those of us who care would happily pay £100 for a UK CB tortoise I imagine we are in the minority. With heating and UV costing so much there is no way breeders could sell at this price, makes you wonder if people will stop breeding this species. All very sad.

15-12-2013, 02:09 PM	#5
Catwoman63 Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: South East England Posts: 6,739	And then you see them on pre loved etc, its such a shame x __________________ BEV XXX 0.3.0 - T Horsfieldii (Xena, Zelda & Lilly) 2.2.0 - TG Terrestris (Zeus, Astreus / Zagreus & Alexia) 1.2.0 - Zebra Finches (Gunner / Bonnie & May) 0.1.0 - SBT (Hazel) 1.0.0 - FBD (Ted)

16-12-2013, 10:14 AM	#9
Merlin M Senior Member Adult Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 4,186	I also agree Ann! __________________ 1:1:1 Horsfields (Misha, Amber and Teabag) 1:0:0 Dog: Rocco, Rottweiler cross 1 husband (Russ)

16-12-2013, 10:49 AM	#10
Pussygalore Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cambridge Posts: 6,479	I wasn't thinking about the protection but thats a good point but more if they needed certs/chips then the price would have to be in line with others and there wouldn't be so many bred. There's only the high breeding because of the requirements for other species, people think its easier and less hassle to swap to Horsfields and still make a bit of money. To be honest I actually think that there should be far more restrictions on breeding full stop, there are or will be to many torts in the market meaning far more needing homes, when torts were a 'exotic' almost rare animal to keep I personally think they stood a better chance of finding a good home I know that made them a bit of an elitist pet to have but was that such a bad thing. They are now a almost common pet which to me means more to get fed up with where as when you had to hunt for one and pay a bit more it was more likely that the buyer was someone who was genuinly interested in keeping them not just a quick xmas present along with the dogs and other animals that soon get fed up with. Maybe you should have to apply for a lisence to breed any species with an annual cost that might make the owners think a bit more about whether they want to breed along with putting the price of all species back up where it should be. I don't and never had thought these animals should be amoung the ordinary run of the mill pets any more than say snakes etc, they need specialistic care and therefore anyone wanting one should have to meet requirements in order to breed or keep them Last edited by Pussygalore; 16-12-2013 at 10:55 AM.

15-12-2013, 12:08 PM	#3
ClareandCo Senior Member Sub Adult Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 1,350	I've seen some for £50 each, no multiple buy discount, but free courier if you buy 10

15-12-2013, 02:07 PM	#4
Fred123 Member Hatched Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 407	You can only imagine the hell they have gone through to get to the stage of selling. I don't imagine it was first class travel when they have such a low price tag. People will buy these as an inexpensive pet and will have no clue of the actual cost of keeping a tortoise.

15-12-2013, 06:01 PM	#6
Fred123 Member Hatched Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 407	At least the ones on pre-loved have survived long enough to be re-sold and we can only hope find a good home. I dare say the majority pass away in transit or in the early days of captivity. Pre-loved does seem flooded with horsfields. Most people wont manage to sell them when shops are selling them at these priced.

16-12-2013, 07:47 AM	#7
Pussygalore Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cambridge Posts: 6,479	its going back to the days when you could buy an adult tort in the shops for a few pounds, when defra started adding to the costs of breeding the species that require certs/chips many owners went over to breeding the cheaper torts that don't need these. Maybe the answer is for Defra to make Horsfields need the same as the others, chips and papers.

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