Auction terms

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Alan

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What is a cow class at the auction yard as a "back to country cow"? and how would the auction yard know the difference between a slaughter cow and a back to country cow? Reason I asked is last week the top slaughter cow went for 54 cwt and the btcc went for 66 cwt.

Thanks,
Alan
 
It's just a colorful term the auctineer uses. Different auctioneers have their own colorful terms for different things. In other ord, it means whatever the guy that hears it wants it to mean

dun
 
When I took my cow in last week, she was in good shape, she was young, 4yrs old and compared to most of the skin and bones cows in there she stood out a bit.

I did just drop her and walk through the yard to see what was there than headed home. I did not sit through any of the auction. I saw in the paper the auction report stated the prices of the top 10 slaughter cows, then the top 100. she was close to the top ten in price. But then the paper listed back to the country cows which bought a dime more per lb.

I guess I'm trying to figure out how they determine one cow is slaughter and one is bttcc. Who knows it could be a price break thing or a known buyer thing. I would have rather had the 62 cwt instead of the 52 cwt..... although I'm happy with what I got for her.

Thanks,
Alan
 
There are buyers who do good on younger, heathy, but thin cows.
These thinner cows will bring a dime less than tops. Take them back to the country add a couple hundred pounds then sell them for slaughter. He paid .40 for them and sells them for .55. This works better when corn is cheap.

The ones that go back to the country like the heiferettes. A cow that has had one calf but lost it or weaned early would maybe sell as a heaferette. She would bring .60-.70. But feed out would bring almost as much as a heifer, maybe .10-15 less than tops.

There are a couple guys up here that buy cows at slaughter auctions, lots like 3 or 4 hundred on hand most of the time.
Looking mainly for health and udder. Put the cows on good feed, preg test. If the cows are doing well, let em calve. The one's that aren't bred put on some weight and resold. They end up with lots of $500 dollar cows weaning $600 calves. Then the cows are sold for slaughter most of the time for more than their purchase price. They keep a bull around for the cows that do exceptionally well. 8)
 
Alan,

My guess is the "back to the country cow" is a cow going back to the farm versus a one-way trip.

Don't ever get caught up in the hoopla of the actioneers. Jargon speak is going to vary from sale barn to sale barn. If there is something I don't understand, and I am interested, I get a clarification. If someone gets a laugh out of me, that's okay too. Believe me, those boys want my nickels - and it is my nickels we are talking about.

I've seen guys buy the whole pen when they thought they were bidding on choice of the lot. In fact, if you hang around those sale barns, you'll see practically everything, and you'll hear it referred to in all kinds of terminology. Best thing is to be sure you understand before you act. They know if they tick you off, you won't be back.

Edit: Shucks. I misread mnmtranching's post. That was a good explanation.
 
One of the smaller auctions here, the ring man or auctioneer will start any better looking cows out at per head price but if no one is biting on that he will say well lets sell her by the pound then. And go that route.
 
At the sale barn i go to if they run a old poor cow in the ring the auctioneer says , show cattle boys, show cattle.
 

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