Dirt cheap

[RentedMule]

I've never taken any cattle to the sale barn because we sell privately, but a buddy of mine works their and said prices are doing pretty good so why not venture out. So this past saturday I decided to get rid of our steer and my red angus heifer.This is at a sale barn in Texas just fyi. The steer was 3 years old weighed in at 1435lbs. Red angus heifer was around a little over a year and weighed in at 575lbs. Got the check in the mail and could not be more disappointed with the results. The red angus sold for a whopping .60 cents per pound and steer for .70 cents per pound. thats $1004.50 for steer and $345 for heifer. All that being said, I would like some knowledge and opinions about these prices. I think they're absolute **** and probably will never go back to that sale barn but just wanted to get opinions as the is my first time selling there. No point in being to angry cause it's life and life goes on, but still a little sour.

 

[dun]

Seems pretty low to me too. We hauled a couple to the sale barn last week. A weaned 575 red angus heifer and got 1.29 and a 1200 3 year old red angus heifer and got .93.
Ask your friend what the reason was for the crappy prices

 

[True Grit Farms]

Those prices are terrible, longhorn cattle sell higher than that. I'd go to the owner of the barn and ask him what he thinks and why. That's how you learn.

 

[Rafter S]

Welcome to the forum. It's hard to say without seeing the cattle. I agree that sounds low, but I'd think a year-old heifer would have weighed more too, so don't take this personally but the buyers might have thought that your cattle weren't top quality.
You could talk to the folks at the barn, but unless they remember your two head they might not be able to tell you anything.

 

[RanchMan90]

Both sound like packer cow prices to me. They sell Monday?

 

[M.Magis]

Welcome to the forum. It's hard to say without seeing the cattle. I agree that sounds low, but I'd think a year-old heifer would have weighed more too, so don't take this personally but the buyers might have thought that your cattle weren't top quality.

My first thought as well. Those prices are off enough that there was a reason none of the buyers bid any higher.

 

[RentedMule]

Both sound like packer cow prices to me. They sell Monday?

Sold Saturday is what I heard

 

[RentedMule]

Welcome to the forum. It's hard to say without seeing the cattle. I agree that sounds low, but I'd think a year-old heifer would have weighed more too, so don't take this personally but the buyers might have thought that your cattle weren't top quality.
You could talk to the folks at the barn, but unless they remember your two head they might not be able to tell you anything.

"first off, thank you. By no means was she top quality. I bought her from a guy and thought Id keep her around for a little and make some money.I know that what they see is different then what I see. I found a pic of her about 6 months ago..I appreciate all the feedback because learning always helps.

 

[Rafter S]

Welcome to the forum. It's hard to say without seeing the cattle. I agree that sounds low, but I'd think a year-old heifer would have weighed more too, so don't take this personally but the buyers might have thought that your cattle weren't top quality.
You could talk to the folks at the barn, but unless they remember your two head they might not be able to tell you anything.

"first off, thank you. By no means was she top quality. I bought her from a guy and thought Id keep her around for a little and make some money.I know that what they see is different then what I see. I found a pic of her about 6 months ago..I appreciate all the feedback because learning always helps.

Again, I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, but now I can see why she didn't bring much.

 

[Craig Miller]

Both sound like packer cow prices to me. They sell Monday?

Sold Saturday is what I heard

You heard? OK did you drop them off the day before you heard they were going to sale and pay yardage fees?

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Welcome to the forum. It's hard to say without seeing the cattle. I agree that sounds low, but I'd think a year-old heifer would have weighed more too, so don't take this personally but the buyers might have thought that your cattle weren't top quality.
You could talk to the folks at the barn, but unless they remember your two head they might not be able to tell you anything.

"first off, thank you. By no means was she top quality. I bought her from a guy and thought Id keep her around for a little and make some money.I know that what they see is different then what I see. I found a pic of her about 6 months ago..I appreciate all the feedback because learning always helps.

Is it me or is that a tiny cow or a giant fence?

 

[True Grit Farms]

A month ago or so we sold a heifer that was way worse looking than her for $1.02lb. My son bought her really cheap and still double his money. This may surprise some on this board, but the order buyers know exactly what their buying 99% of the time. IMO this person got taken advantage of. The bottom line is, watch your cattle sell or hope for the best.

 

[pdfangus]

A month ago or so we sold a heifer that was way worse looking than her for $1.02lb. My son bought her really cheap and still double his money. This may surprise some on this board, but the order buyers know exactly what their buying 99% of the time. IMO this person got taken advantage of. The bottom line is, watch your cattle sell or hope for the best.

you nailed it....
no one at the sale yard knew the seller and it was an opportunity to make some money at his expense....

 

[M.Magis]

Sale barns must operate different around here. Buyers rarely know who owns the cattle that come through the ring, and they sell for what they're worth.

 

[Rafter S]

Sale barns must operate different around here. Buyers rarely know who owns the cattle that come through the ring, and they sell for what they're worth.

Same here.

 

[pdfangus]

MAYBE IT IS DIFFERENT....I can not say that I have ever had a satisfactory visit at a sale barn...get a good price on some but some others get picked apart and down graded...had one yard call one a stag....happened that the vet who cut him was there and I found him and wanted him to check him but they had already run the calf thru and sold him (at quite a discount) and therefore refused to let me have the vet check him since I did not own the calf any longer and would not back off of their call. I was irate....

I worked at one in between my first two years of college and going into the army....the ones around here seemed to me to have a pretty good network between the yard and the buyers.

 

[skyhightree1]

MAYBE IT IS DIFFERENT....I can not say that I have ever had a satisfactory visit at a sale barn...get a good price on some but some others get picked apart and down graded....

Very true ... I have had satisfactory visits many times but I have also had some that was a blatant slap in the face and a kick to the groin.

 

[RanchMan90]

https://postimg.org/image/mrue0ueyp/ She looks longhorn influenced by those hips :2cents:

 

[RentedMule]

https://postimg.org/image/mrue0ueyp/ She looks longhorn influenced by those hips :2cents:

She may be. I picked her up a a while ago and thought id raise her up a little and make some money. well that didnt happen. I checked on craiglist and saw people asking more for bottle fed calves than what i got for her ... :?

 

[Boot Jack Bulls]

Why did you sell such an old steer? I'm guessing the buyers knew what they were looking at and saw a stunted heifer that will never mature to a decent kill size, and a steer that was waaaayyy to old to go in a pen of fats. Both would have likely ended up with the burger cows and you were paid kill cow price. You get what you pay for, or in this case maybe, you get paid for what you send. :2cents: