buying calf pairs at auction

Help Support CattleToday:

dkt99

Active member
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Messages
31
Reaction score
0
Location
Waller, Texas
I went to an auction last weekend and they were selling cow calf pairs. Those calfs were not weined yet were they?
 
Not if they are pairs.

Most of the time folks split them if they are commercial animals and the calves can be weaned.

Locally, if no one is bidding on the pair it usually means the cow is aged or perhaps not suited for this climate (no one is bidding the cow up). The ring man can get more by splitting them and selling them seperate. When this happens, you can get the calf to graft on to another cow or else bottle feed.

If they are not split, one bid buys them both.
 
Most of the pairs were angus crosses going from $900.00-$1025.00 a pair. Is that that I descent price and a good way to buy.
 
Sounds like a OK price, it varies from location, time of the year and demand.
Could get a three fer...cow, calf and one in the oven.
Always wonder why the pair is at the sale...a fella needs to take a good look at the pair, usually the cow has a problem. I like to sit down with the big boys in the order buyers section, heck at my age I need all the help I can get to have a real good look at the cow...may even see the stitches from the prolaspe.
Ask the guy next to you most are willing to share their expertise.
Dmc
 
Good advice! There are definitely some good cows at your local sale barn, you just need use caution when buying. I would go early and even try to talk to the vet whoss testing them. Tell him what you're looking for and I'm sure he'd help you out...atleast point you in the direction of the better cows he's examined.
 
dkt99":3nqnpnpt said:
Most of the pairs were angus crosses going from $900.00-$1025.00 a pair. Is that that I descent price and a good way to buy.

What barn are you at?
 
dkt99":3dy0x78o said:
Most of the pairs were angus crosses going from $900.00-$1025.00 a pair. Is that that I descent price and a good way to buy.

The only good thing I know about buying pairs is 1) the cow generally stays with the calf and won't bust fence on you and 2) she's fertile.

Slick angus generally bring the upper range while the fuzzy ones bring little because of this climate we live in. Personally I wouldn't consider anything that wasn't slick hided and I would only buy those if they were an absolute bargain. The few angus I have calve in the fall and do okay (they're slick).

There was one heck of a drought the last couple of years in central Texas. Folks from that area are probably going to be rebuilding. That may affect your prices some. Talked to a guy buying two weeks ago that drove a long way to get to a sale barn up here. I should have hauled a bunch of brangus cows to the sale barn that day :D
 
dkt99":3s0xrhpb said:
Yes i was at Navasota.

Those prices are a little higher $100.00 than what I saw in Comanche last month. We bought a three in one Red Angus for
$940.00 which I thought was fair. So far so good with the auction barn cows this year. The ugly duckling Angus dropped her
calf last week with no help. The only trouble so far has been when Lloyd tried to go ' find " him he took off running ! Ran all the way
into a corner and managed to get thru the neighbor goat proof fence onto his place. They got him back to the right side. He's got
legs for sure! The vet was right with his prediction ( 9 months bred) and I think we paid about 700.00 for her.
 
The auction at Navasota is a Saturday auction and sometimes the prices there are a bit higher than the weekday auctions.
The reason is that they get the folks who have to work during the week.

eta: to fix typo
 
chippie":3nbuk0is said:
The auction at Navasota is a Saturday auction and sometimes the prices there are a bit higher than the weekday auctions.
The reason is that they get the folks who have to work during the week.

eta: to fix typo

I think they also had a special replacement sale Saturday, March 27th before their regular Saturday sale.

Caldwell Livestock also had one. F1 tigerstripe pairs were going $1325 - $1500. Brangus pairs were bringing $1325 - $1500 also. Caldwell had some nice cattle, glad I didn't need any.
 
calf pairs at our auction in northwest is around 1100-1200. bred registered black angus cow(5-7years) with AI registered black angus bull sold for 5 cows in a group per 850 due september. the steer black angus around 500 wt sold for 105-108. the black heifers around 500wt sold also around 95-100. prices is started to drop. I am hoping to buy bred black angus at the low end around sept to october when little grass hay due on march or april, where prices are favorable around 550-650.
 

Latest posts

Top