Hurt at the Sale; Who's Responsible

[AngelaFromAbilene]

This past Tuesday, we took a very nice Angus heifer, top breeding and excellent EPD's to the local sale barn. She was fine when we dropped her off. When I picked up the check, it was noted she had a "Big Foot." My husband spoke with the salebarn owner and he said "she came in that way, the man that bought her always buys junk and she was junk."

We breed and train racehorses for 20+ years and are well versed in leggs. We go over every animal with a fine toothed comb before loading them for the 15 minute drive to the sale. There was absolutely nothing wrong when she was dropped off. There were no notations on the drop-off sheet concerning a "Big Foot." I maintain she was hurt there and they are responsible for the injury and the price difference. Isn't that what the insurance fee is for?

I have been quite disgusted with our local salebarn for some time now. Last year I was considering enrolling in Angus Source. I asked the sale owner what kind of return I could expect from Source verifying and was told "my buyers aren't interested in that." How could a buyer NOT be interested in a Source verified animal? Doesn't Source verified open up a whole new market?

I would love to hear any thoughts, comments or similiar experiences.

 

[piedmontese]

sounds like bs to me.i know at my salebarn if an animal is dropped off and has a physical problem it is noted right then and there.too bad but i dont really know what u can do about it except not go back there anymore.

 

[thommoos]

It seems to me that a single animal at the BARNS will usually get docked or something, basically you got screwed. It is possibly at some sal barns to have the animal returned, raise total heck and ask for you animal back. A friendly call to the Agriculture Commissions does not hurt either. Heck I called before and they straighten up, it seems to me if your not well known they screw you. Been there a time or 2 :bang:

 

[pdfangus]

sale barns operate to make money....everybody there is trying to make money....
if you are not a player ....
then you are the game....
players make the rules.....
you lose....

 

[kjonesel]

The first thing to remember is that the sales barn are there to make money. If your animal sold for a lesser amount they lost money. If they lose you as a seller they lose money in the future. If you can make it without the sale barn you make their money. If they continue this way they will make no more money off anyone.
Sometimes I can't figure sale barns out. In Louisville KY we had Bourbon Stock Yards it became all about the buyers and now there is nothing left except a housing project. We have a local sale barn that is owned by the producers and it is still operating and seems to be doing quite well.
It seems to me some people who run the facilities are just stuck on stupid.

 

[BC]

Last year I was considering enrolling in Angus Source. I asked the sale owner what kind of return I could expect from Source verifying and was told "my buyers aren't interested in that." How could a buyer NOT be interested in a Source verified animal? Doesn't Source verified open up a whole new market?

I would love to hear any thoughts, comments or similiar experiences.

When you sell individual animals, the age and source deal gets lost in putting together a truckload lot. Here is an example using 500 lb steer/bull calves. Your one or two calves of age and source verified animals get bought and put with 15 more calves that a buyer buys at Abilene salebarn. Another buyer for the same company gets 14 head at Eastland, another buyer gets 23 at Emory, another gets 26 at Crockett and another gets 8 head at Milano and another gets 6 at Corsicana. All of these are Tuesday sales in north and central Texas. The 94 calves are hauled into the cattle company's pens where they are processed and made ready to ship to the customer in truckload lots.. A truckload is around 48,000 lbs of same sex, weight and quality animal.

 

[Cattleman200]

Not all Sale Barns here charge an insurance fee but most do. Some are more than willing to pay you an adjustment on something like this and some will balk on you. If they did not make a notation on your receipt that your heifer had a big foot I would press a little harder on the Sale Barn owner. He is the one that has the ability to make things right with you if he wants to do it. Sounds like he does not want to bother with helping you. The entire issue is that they did not notate she had an injury when she was checked in. Best of luck...



Circle H Ranch

 

[Hang'n A Cattle Co]

Often at the sale barn the back tags used to ID the consignors animals will come off before they go through the ring. The yard then waits until the end of the sale to see what they can match up.
Do you know what your heifer weighed when you dropped her off? If so, compare it to the weight on your sale ticket. You might have gotten paid for someone else's animal

 

[TexasBred]

Hate it that this happened to you but just one more reason to hang around and watch your animals sell, observe what's going going on and have the opportunity to PO them if necessary and take them back home.

 

[Warren Allison]

I am sure there is some kind of small claims court in Texas? Here in Ga, it is the Magistrate Court, and you can file claims (Law suits) yourself up to $15k. Go down top your court and file one for what the cow was worth. Don't get stupid: don't go down there with some sales results from some kind of registered Angus sale or anything. Just see what the top selling open heifers her age were bringing that day. There will be a court costs, but the sale barn will have to pay that too.

 

[M.Magis]

This thread is 10 years old.

 

[anewcomer]

Even so, I would like to thank BC for explaining what very few people on this board understand. The vast majority of calves in America are sold this way.

 

[jltrent]

Maybe not 10 years ago, but a lot of sale barns now have camera/video systems. If it happens now maybe you could ask to see the video of the calf sale. I had one get a broke leg at the sale barn. They paid me the price per pound the highest calf brought that day.

 

[farmerjan]

We now stay and watch everything get sold that we take in to a sale barn. I don't know if the sale barn here local has a video... I do know there is more of the "good ole boy" BS going on with higher prices paid on animals from certain consignors..... and it is getting to be more of just a "clearing house.... buying station" for the new owners. There have been a few conversations overheard about how much the different buyers are making on some of the cull cows. It is sad to see some of the favoritism now....

 

[Hippie Rancher]

I would have asked why the poster was selling "a very nice Angus heifer, top breeding and excellent EPD's" at the local sale barn? Was it a special replacement heifer sale?

 

[SBMF 2015]

There have been a few conversations overheard about how much the different buyers are making on some of the cull cows.

Cull cow seller's names don't get announced to the buyers here. Kill cows are bought strictly on quality and weight.

 

[farmerjan]

I didn't think they announced them either, but they did here local just a week ago.... and the ones that had no name announced were bringing 10 cents or more per pound..... It is one thing for the feeder steers and stuff... but it was a joke on the cull cows. We will not take any back there....never used to be announced on anything unless you wanted it....

 

[Allenw]

Cull cow seller's names don't get announced to the buyers here. Kill cows are bought strictly on quality and weight.

Most slaughter cow buyers are working directly for a slaughter house. Some are buying on speculation they can find somewhere to go with the load. It's nothing for any of them to be buying with two or more numbers.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Most slaughter cow buyers are working directly for a slaughter house. Some are buying on speculation they can find somewhere to go with the load. It's nothing for any of them to be buying with two or more numbers.

I agree, but that's the buyers. I was referring to the sellers.
i.e. Our sale barn would sell your mrkt cow with out announcing that she came from Allenw ranch, after she sold they would run mine in and never announce that they switched sellers. Pound cows sell on their own merits, not the owners name.

As to the buyers. Most packer buyers buy under several numbers. A buyer may buy for more than one plant. Or they sort quality as they buy. That way the plant has some idea of what they are getting.

The buyers to watch out for are the ones that speculate and buy for a plant or two. They can play every angle and know how to make money on anything that walks in the ring.

 

[alacowman1]

Get them to replay the video for you,when she was ran trough..infact insist on it ..