I agree. That's exactly how I felt after making the trip to their sale.
Brangus production sale
- Thread starter coachg
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I get that video sales may be less stressful for the bulls (or cows, whatever). And yes, you're welcome to walk the pens prior to the sale or watch numerous videos in advance. But I want to know how a bull reacts when he's in a stressful situation. We practice low stress handling and have an extremely docile herd, but there is never zero stress when you're rounding up & subsequently working the entire herd. Or gathering/loading/hauling bulls for their annual BSE. Or one is lame in the pasture & you have to catch him. You don't see that in a video and half the time their DOC means squat.
wbvs58
Well-known member
I don't buy it that it is less stressfull on the livestock. A bit of handling never hurt them. I tell my lazy mongrels to get off their lazy fat arses, it is time to do a bit of work and show themselves off especially if they want to go out with some nice looking heifers, the alternative is to go to the meatworks.
The speil about being easier on the animals is just ********, they just want it easier for themselves.
Ken
The speil about being easier on the animals is just ********, they just want it easier for themselves.
Ken
Very well stated. There are certain sale managers who push the video style auctions. There are still many in this area that run them through. Many PB breeders could care less what is best for the commercial breeder. Them and the sale managers want only what is easiest and makes them the most dollars. Again I have never seen dams or sires on the premises. Many times in this area bulls are in small pens and unable to evaluate them moving or separated. If video auctions are the future I will quit buying at auctions.
I really don't see the problem with selling on video. I have been to several sales where they have the cattle penned on site and sell them on tv's like yall have been talking about and bought several bulls at these auctions. I really like that set up. I really don't care how they act in the ring, the only time that they will be in a sale ring while I own them is for about 5 minutes right before someone else owns them. All of these sales that I have been to have had the cattle available for viewing before the sale in pretty large lots with shade and water. I would rather see them in a pen and around people in the open. Usually when we load these cattle, they aren't worked up.
I also have a lot of experience with the "run them through the ring", on the farm production sales. I paid my way through college working production sales and custom fitting. It takes a ton of man power to pull them off. A local sale that I attended on Labor Day had a 10 + man crew with decent facilities and easy cattle and they all stayed busy for 2 days, daylight til after dark, for 98 lots (around 160 head). Typically the cattle are on display the day before the auction, gathered, sorted, individually or group penned, turned back to pasture or at least into large traps as a group at the end of the day, repeat on sale day, plus moved from pens to sale ring, group penned again and resorted to load out. Then there is the issue of all the special pens and alleys needed to get them to the sale ring and back. Sale rings, that are only used once or twice a year, are awful expensive, too.
I don't think that there is a right or a wrong, just different ways of doing. I am just there to buy the cattle that I think will benefit my operation. I don't care how they sell them as long as I have an opportunity to see them live and on site before the sale, that's when I make my picks.
I also have a lot of experience with the "run them through the ring", on the farm production sales. I paid my way through college working production sales and custom fitting. It takes a ton of man power to pull them off. A local sale that I attended on Labor Day had a 10 + man crew with decent facilities and easy cattle and they all stayed busy for 2 days, daylight til after dark, for 98 lots (around 160 head). Typically the cattle are on display the day before the auction, gathered, sorted, individually or group penned, turned back to pasture or at least into large traps as a group at the end of the day, repeat on sale day, plus moved from pens to sale ring, group penned again and resorted to load out. Then there is the issue of all the special pens and alleys needed to get them to the sale ring and back. Sale rings, that are only used once or twice a year, are awful expensive, too.
I don't think that there is a right or a wrong, just different ways of doing. I am just there to buy the cattle that I think will benefit my operation. I don't care how they sell them as long as I have an opportunity to see them live and on site before the sale, that's when I make my picks.
Quoting my own post but @BFE, finally got a recent pic of Woody - and he's posing. Yeah, bless his heart, he is not cover potential but he's awesome!
I attend, online, several auctions a week. More and more people are doing this. Sometimes I bid online, sometimes it is on the phone with an auction rep, and sometimes I am on the phone with someone I know that is at the sale. Sometimes I have someone there to look at some cattle I may be interested in ahead of time. I see no difference in watching them online being run through the ring or watching a pre-recorded video. Of course if it is close by and I have the time, I'd rather be there live myself. Most sale barns around here have excellent food! I am watching 9 today on 3 computers on DVAutions. Man, if you hade some kind of high speed transport,. you could make $.75/lb on 700-800 pound steers, buying them in Oklahoma and selling them in Missouri!
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