A peek. What the buyers don't like.

[Dave]

For you guys up north, we sell nearly all of our cattle one at a time and most barns weigh after they are sold. Buyers have to determine sex, weight, quality, do they have an order for that calf and does it fit my money ALL in 8 to 10 seconds that animal is in the ring.

Here they will run in all of one owners calves that match up. I have seen as many as 150 steers sold in a single draft. Groups of 20-30 are normal. The buyers will often cut out a calf or two. I buy those cut outs for 30-60 cents under what the groups sold for. The vast majority of the sales now have ring scales. A reader board will show the head count, total weight, and average weight. Even on the singles they spend longer than that in the ring. Probably closer to 30 seconds or a minute.

 

[Buck Randall]

Nothing wrong with #2 calves. You can make good money on them. One or two #2's in a group of #1's will stand out. But a whole lot of even #2's will look better.

Most calves can be good if they're bought for the right price.

 

[BC]

Here they will run in all of one owners calves that match up. I have seen as many as 150 steers sold in a single draft. Groups of 20-30 are normal. The buyers will often cut out a calf or two. I buy those cut outs for 30-60 cents under what the groups sold for. The vast majority of the sales now have ring scales. A reader board will show the head count, total weight, and average weight. Even on the singles they spend longer than that in the ring. Probably closer to 30 seconds or a minute.

If we aren't selling 200 to 300 head an hour, one at a time, we are dragging a$$

 

[Travlr]

Here is an idea of what they do.
https://cllnet.com/cattle-for-sale/

I agree with fence, they are very fair if you want to deliver your own calves and save a sale barn commission. They base their price to pay you on the averages of the previous days auction prices from all their buyers. Last time I sold some I ask the young man weighing mine how long they would be on their yard. He said they had a lot of orders and mine would ship out in a matter of hours.
Their cattle pots head out ever morning to the farthest sale barn on their route and pick up calves on the way back every afternoon & evening.

Sounds like an outfit that invaded parts of Oregon, Idaho, and Utah a couple of decades ago. I stopped in to a small town to check out the sale barn only to find it run out of business, the new buyers set up across the street.

I was dressed for vacation/traveling at the time, in a Hawiian shirt, shorts, and sandels, and when I walked in talking cattle the guy clearly thought I was full of manure... but there was a group of Char heifers about to cross the scale and I mentioned what I thought they would average... and I was within 15 pounds. He asked me to guess the next bunch and when I was as close on them he offered me a job on the spot. I declined as I was already suspicious of what would happen with them putting the sale barn out of business.

That outfit isn't in business now, but the sale barns never came back. Now the locals have to truck their cattle a long way to sell. There are only three or four sale barns left in Utah. Salt Lake closed, and Spanish Fork too. There are two in Sevier County and one south... maybe there are only three.

 

[Little Joe]

For you guys up north, we sell nearly all of our cattle one at a time and most barns weigh after they are sold. Buyers have to determine sex, weight, quality, do they have an order for that calf and does it fit my money ALL in 8 to 10 seconds that animal is in the ring.

Our sale barns sale mostly singles as well, but we do have a ring scale with a board that tells you weight, number of head and average weight. Ring man also tells you steer, bull, heifer. Occasionally of its a big sale they will group 5 or so together that belong to same person and are similar in size and are same sex.

 

[kenny thomas]

Ours are sold singles to 20+ with the scale just before they enter the ring. Board above the auctioneer tells number of head, weight or average weight if more than 1 head. Only place I know that also tells the seller. After it sells it tells price, buyers number and buyers name.

 

[Hippie Rancher]

Ours are sold singles to 20+ with the scale just before they enter the ring. Board above the auctioneer tells number of head, weight or average weight if more than 1 head. Only place I know that also tells the seller. After it sells it tells price, buyers number and buyers name.

that is about how the local to me works. they announce seller sometimes - any details seller gives them as well. shots, days weaned etc. they do internet through DVA as well. Willcox, Thursdays, starts at 9 AZ time. start with goats if anybody brings any. occasionally some exotics - bison, water buffalo, llamas.

 

[Lucky]

A man built a Salebarn here that was supposed to operate the same way as the one Fence went too. It was set up to buy calves everyday from local ranchers. He passed away before it opened and has been for sale for a few years now. We heard a local yearling guy bought it a few months back but I haven't noticed anything going on there. It would be nice to have a local barn like that. You can pretty much do the same deal on video but need a pot load and a way to load a big truck. This doesn't work for 80% of the local guys.

 

[Son of Butch]

not knowing the weight entering the ring would bother me a lot, but 8 seconds is usually enough to make the right decision on singles.

 

[TexasRancher]

Punch List is funny....I used to do similar lists when looking to buy used cars at auction. I find it amazing someone that's been in cattle that long can see all that.... and judge cattle so well...harshly!!!

 

[Lucky]

That list shows why allot of people aren't making money. Good calves always bring good money. You've got to understand what buyers want and why. I still don't understand it all but definitely study the yearling end more than the cow end of things. Using a broker instead of just dropping the calves at the barn has been an eye opener for me.

 

[J+ Cattle]

There are some people that raise the kind of cattle that they like and then complain about the prices they receive when the cattle buyers don't like them. A better business plan is to raise what the buyers want rather than what you like.

 

[Nesikep]

How would these calves do where you are? I know they do alright here and compete well with the black calves, but I think buyers here don't care as much about color as some places
Most are about 4-5 months old (most born in Feb 20-Apr 10, pic from late July)
center left blond heifer has probably been the one that developed best, top right background getting licks is from a first timer that really impressed me, kept that steer as freezer beef and he's pretty close to the size of the intact bull calf from a mature cow (the one standing sideways in foreground)
I go for a chunky looking animal that doesn't have too big bones, I found there's a lot of waste there

 

[Lucky]

How would these calves do where you are? I know they do alright here and compete well with the black calves, but I think buyers here don't care as much about color as some places
Most are about 4-5 months old (most born in Feb 20-Apr 10, pic from late July)
center left blond heifer has probably been the one that developed best, top right background getting licks is from a first timer that really impressed me, kept that steer as freezer beef and he's pretty close to the size of the intact bull calf from a mature cow (the one standing sideways in foreground)
I go for a chunky looking animal that doesn't have too big bones, I found there's a lot of waste there
View attachment 15343

Those look like good calves to me. Even really nice calves need all shipping Vaccinations, be able to eat and drink from a trough, horse and dog broke, and not crazy to bring top dollar here. My broker says color does matter but not as much as you'd think. They don't like horns or scurs either. All this stuff might not seem like necessary to a rancher but all these calves go to feedlots were that stuff is a big deal. Oh yes being able to guarantee the heifers open is a big deal too.

I don't know how many people watch feedlot videos but they can explain allot if you really listen.

 

[Nesikep]

Those look like good calves to me. Even really nice calves need all shipping Vaccinations, be able to eat and drink from a trough, horse and dog broke, and not crazy to bring top dollar here. My broker says color does matter but not as much as you'd think. They don't like horns or scurs either. All this stuff might not seem like necessary to a rancher but all these calves go to feedlots were that stuff is a big deal. Oh yes being able to guarantee the heifers open is a big deal too.

I don't know how many people watch feedlot videos but they can explain allot if you really listen.

Mine know nothing of dogs and horses, but they're calm enough they'll eat just fine.. I've noticed one particular buyer buys all my nicest, biggest animals every year and he has his own feedlot.

 

[bird dog]

Nesi, why don't you sell to him direct? Here as BC said, they run them thru as singles with no mention of owner or owners program. I would love to have a buyer that I could sell to direct and would pay me for my back grounding. Instead I drag them all the way to OKC to try to get what they are worth.

 

[Brute 23]

There are some people that raise the kind of cattle that they like and then complain about the prices they receive when the cattle buyers don't like them. A better business plan is to raise what the buyers want rather than what you like.

Putting cattle genetics in the hands of the consumer is a very slippery slope, IMO. That is how we got animals like the labridoodle.

There needs to be education on all sides from the producer, to the buyer, to the consumer.

 

[kenny thomas]

Putting cattle genetics in the hands of the consumer is a very slippery slope, IMO. That is how we got animals like the labridoodle.

There needs to be education on all sides from the producer, to the buyer, to the consumer.

I agree but disagree. A friend that backgrounds heifer calves told me about a month ago that his daughter had sold 9 Burmese Mountain Dog/Australian Shephard cross pups for $3000 each. That's $27,000 with probably 26,000 of that profit. Takes several potloads of heifers to profit that much.
She is producing what the people want to buy, good or bad.

 

[Travlr]

I agree but disagree. A friend that backgrounds heifer calves told me about a month ago that his daughter had sold 9 Burmese Mountain Dog/Australian Shephard cross pups for $3000 each. That's $27,000 with probably 26,000 of that profit. Takes several potloads of heifers to profit that much.
She is producing what the people want to buy, good or bad.

We used to call those mutts... or mistakes... or "something jumped the fence."

Now people say they are designer dogs and our society is so screwed up they buy the idea.

 

[Brute 23]

I agree but disagree. A friend that backgrounds heifer calves told me about a month ago that his daughter had sold 9 Burmese Mountain Dog/Australian Shephard cross pups for $3000 each. That's $27,000 with probably 26,000 of that profit. Takes several potloads of heifers to profit that much.
She is producing what the people want to buy, good or bad.

If the consumer will pay that much for our cattle I will give them what they want... until then they don't pay enough to make demands.