Hop Along "Calf"ity

[Hippie Rancher]

The problems you are saying get passed onto someone else very seldom get passed onto some one who doesn't know what the problem is.

How can you say that? Read the posts on this board ,it is full of people that don't know what the problem is.

Larry

These boards also frequently warn newbies to avoid buying young calves at the sale barn and to purchase with someone local they trust. As hopalong says, there IS a market for some of this stuff and that they are "shippable". Auctions are always buyer beware, no matter what is being sold, I don't think there is as much need to provide "perfect product" in that environment as in a private treaty sale, although if you consistently send garbage you will get the reputation of having garbage.

 

[rockridgecattle]

But the question begs to be asked. Why ship poor sickly animals?
Why would we as farmers with all the recalls of meat, BSE, F&M, and anything else out there want to give a "greenhorn" reason to want to for go eating meat or jump on the cruelity to animal band wagon. Why not ship direct to the packers for anything less than "perfect". I'm not talking about a healthy cull, but sick, very arthritic, poor doer. May be if we as producers took responsibility for what we ship, wanting to put our best product forward we would not be in the mess we find our selves in now.
As it is in the Restraunt business (know becasue working in it for many a year) its customer service and then PRESENTATION IS 9/10 OF THE LAW

 

[Hippie Rancher]

But the question begs to be asked. Why ship poor sickly animals?
Why not ship direct to the packers for anything less than "perfect".

I don't ship really bad stuff (I usually just shoot them and figure they are contributing to the mineral cycle on my land) but I don't have a packer to ship directly to, so that may be a factor.

May be if we as producers took responsibility for what we ship, wanting to put our best product forward we would not be in the mess we find our selves in now.
As it is in the Restraunt business (know becasue working in it for many a year) its customer service and then PRESENTATION IS 9/10 OF THE LAW

Well I don't know if presentation has much to do with LAW, but yeah customer perception goes a LONG way towards good reputation. I just quibble a bit with a sale barn being a primary place most customers of meat have much experience?

 

[hopalong]

But the question begs to be asked. Why ship poor sickly animals?
Why would we as farmers with all the recalls of meat, BSE, F&M, and anything else out there want to give a "greenhorn" reason to want to for go eating meat or jump on the cruelity to animal band wagon. Why not ship direct to the packers for anything less than "perfect". I'm not talking about a healthy cull, but sick, very arthritic, poor doer. May be if we as producers took responsibility for what we ship, wanting to put our best product forward we would not be in the mess we find our selves in now.
As it is in the Restraunt business (know becasue working in it for many a year) its customer service and then PRESENTATION IS 9/10 OF THE LAW

Problem is a lot of folks do not have access to a packer, and a lot of packers do not want to mess with a 5-10 lot package as far as driving a few miles to pick them up.
That is where order buyers and sale barns come in. if I can pick up a load or two at the barn it is more cost effective for me to arrange shipping from one location than 4 or 5 stops to get a decent sized load!

Sickly animals it does't pay to ship for the most part, yet some do. POOR animals? Well I need a defination of POOR.
If you are refering to skinny, there can be several reasons for being skinny other than lack of food or care!

As i read the original post the calves were 150 to 200 lbs and other than dragging back legs seemingly in good health and active and just a little slow in the rear. As I stated before I know people that buy calves like that for locker beef, but they know what they are doing too!

Yes presentation is 99% of the sale (not the LAW) that stands true in any business but a live sale is a whole lot differentthan a burger on a plate.
Let me ask you again. Do you think that the hamburger at teh local burger joint is made from 100% GREAT looking cattle???
Do you honestly believe that stew meat is from prime or choice cattle? Unless you raise it for your own consumption then do not know!
Once again from the information given I cannot say that these animals should not have been at the sale barn because they were too sick!!