Athens Stockyard

[WarEagle73]

We took our steers from this year to the preconditioned sale at Athens Stockyard in Athens, TN tonight. That was one of the best sales I have been to. Great people, started on time, and ran really smooth. Doesn't hurt that our cattle sold well. 5 steers ave. 740 lbs @ $153.00/cwt and 2 steers ave 670 lbs @ $156.75/cwt. For us that is by far the best we have ever done. With our local sale barns we always feel like we have at least one calf each year that gets discounted very heavily for whatever reason, but this year they were all graded #1s and got top prices. Between the prices and the great all around experience, we won't calves at any other sale in the foreseeable future. Anyone that lives within 3 hours of that sale and is willing to put in the work to precondition and wean calves should take a serious look hauling there.

 

[js1234]

Congrats on a good selling experience.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

We took our steers from this year to the preconditioned sale at Athens Stockyard in Athens, TN tonight. That was one of the best sales I have been to. Great people, started on time, and ran really smooth. Doesn't hurt that our cattle sold well. 5 steers ave. 740 lbs @ $153.00/cwt and 2 steers ave 670 lbs @ $156.75/cwt. For us that is by far the best we have ever done. With our local sale barns we always feel like we have at least one calf each year that gets discounted very heavily for whatever reason, but this year they were all graded #1s and got top prices. Between the prices and the great all around experience, we won't calves at any other sale in the foreseeable future. Anyone that lives within 3 hours of that sale and is willing to put in the work to precondition and wean calves should take a serious look hauling there.

We do things right in the Volunteer State Wareagle......we except for fielding a competitive football team,

 

[snake67]

How much do you have tied up in the pre-condition expense? Trucking? Additional handing?
Etc?

Bez

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I'm about 400 miles away from that sale and even I have heard some good things about it. Glad you were happy with the experience.

What's commision cost in tn?

 

[WarEagle73]

How much do you have tied up in the pre-condition expense? Trucking? Additional handing?
Etc?

Bez

Pre-Conditioning costs:
Vaccinations $10/hd
Castration/Implant $3/hd
550# feed/hd $62/hd

Additional Trucking above normal:
100 miles/8mpg*$3.25 $5.80/hd

Additional handling was minimal and was not outside of what I would have done if we had not had the calves anyways. For the sake of being thorough though, we spent 15 min/day feeding for 80 days plus probably 10 hrs of additional chute time at $10/hr would be $30/hd, but those times would be the same even if we had 25 steers instead of 7.

Total added cost(including labor)= $110.80/hd

Had we sold the steers at weaning they would've averaged about 500 lbs for the heaviest 5 and 450 for the lighter 2. At our local barn, we never have received premiums so even $153/cwt and $157/cwt respectly would be the highest prices we have ever received for cattle at those lighter weights.

So...
500# x $153/cwt = $765 + $110.80 = $875.80
450# x $157/cwt = $706.50 + $110.80 =$817.30

Actual
740# x $153/cwt = $1132.20 - $875.80 = $256.40 above cost and original value
670# x $156.75/cwt = $1050.22 - $817.30= $232.92 above cost and original value

Even if those numbers are missing a couple variables I have forgotten, those are still returns that should make any producer think about preconditioning calves.

 

[WarEagle73]

We do things right in the Volunteer State Wareagle......we except for fielding a competitive football team,

You have Vanderbilt at least.