Market Reports --Exaggerated Prices--

[gulfso]

I have noticed several times in the past that when I sell, the price I get never seems to match the Market Report from that particular sale. Last week I sold at a different market (darn cows know when sale days typically is and refused to go to the pen lol.) Only about 250 sold that day and when I compared my results, several of mine were lower that what was reported as their low prices; for that size and sex animal. I have suspected this several times at another location but due to them having 1100-1200 animals it was hard to prove.

I know the markets are competing for animals but this should be controlled. I plan to speak to the market manger regarding this. Has anyone else noticed this happening?

Note: I do think the price was decent but just not as advertised :2cents:

 

[TexasBred]

Sales seldom report the absolute highs or lows for any group. Were your calves inferior to what you saw sell or do you think you simply got screwed?? Down this area buyers seldom know who the animals belong to so it's hard for them to discriminate.

 

[gulfso]

Just irritating for them to fake the reports. I was not dissatisfied with the price but I did pick that particular market based on their Market Report.

 

[kenny thomas]

Many markets post their own prices but in some there is a state person there during the sale taking notes and doing the reporting.
One market near here might report 400 lb bull calves to bring from .65 to 1.65. Thats not much help either. The .65 was probably blind or crippled and the 1.65 probably belonged to someone that had inside help. I watch the reports from most of eastern 1/2 of KY and TN and one in VA and still really don't have a handle on what might happen. I can tell if they are higher or cheaper but thats about it.

 

[highgrit]

In GA. there's a USDA-GA man at all the sales. His job is to keep track of the weights and price. I have also notice that they miss the light one's. I sold 2 pot bellies and they went cheap like they should of. And they were not listed on the sales report. I brought it up to the owner at a cattlemen's meeting and he explained how it works. "If you don't have anything good to say don't say nothing at all." $$$

 

[Howdyjabo]

I have seen it several times-- and have no explanation for it.
that being said the market reports are representative of what the sale was.

 

[Bigfoot]

It's entirely plausable that a yard could get a particular buyer to run a pen of calves to say 1.65 when they would normally bring 1.60. Then later in the office the yard could pay the .05, which would be cheap advertising any where the report is viewed. The buyer could pay 1.60, and get the calves. This scheme would work perfectly in a state where the department of Ag does the reporting. Every week they are the high seller in the region. Next week everybody chases the premium.

 

[Tim/South]

The sale we use is digital. The weight, gender, color and price comes up on screens. It is then loved into the computer program that generates the USDA report. The condition of the cattle is listed as well as frame(1,2 & 3).
The cheap cattle with special circumstances are not listed.
High selling cattle will have a footnote of Value Added. This could be for weaned calves, shots or some other health program.

 

[mncowboy]

I've never known a sales barn to post their "lows" or lowest prices.

 

[Limepro]

Your in Alabama. The market reporting is conducted by a state/federal employee not the sale barn. You can find him in the crowd during the auction. Ask him how he grades and assess the cattle. What you're going to find out is that doesn't report the upper high end or the low end of each class of cattle. Normally they will report a price spread on the average cattle in each weight class and frame size. That what he's been instructed to do. Your tax dollars at work, yes people we pay someone to watch cattle sale!!! You might even ask him why your calves didn't measure up. The next thing to do is start Conversation with one of the predominate buyers at that sale ( after the sale is over ) and ask him what they didn't like about your calves.
Former stockyard owners advice take it for what it's worth . I constantly saw the same peoples cattle year after year top the market and unfortunately in some other peoples cases bring up the rear of the market. I also argued with the state market reporter until I was blue in the face for not reporting the high selling cattle in each weight class, his reply was always the same.... " I don't report the low selling ones either".

 

[gulfso]

Good information. I do not think mine were top price calves but would have been very surprised that they were the bottom either, just an aveage. My own fault for not staying to watch them sell. I had one several years ago go dirt cheap. I quested the barn manager and he said he was blind. I even called the buyer, who got one hell of a deal, and he said he couldn't see anything wrong with him. My opinion is the barn manger may be blind.

I will say this for this particular market. I was impressed to see the sale managers outside greeting sellers and thanking them for bringing their cattle to them. I will go back.

 

[tnwalkingred]

I had this happen to me as we'll last week. I sold 4 calves (2 bulls 2 heifers) and they all four were sold in different weight groups. The weird thing was I couldn't find any of the four listed on the market reports with the prices mine brought. This concerns me as all four brought lower prices than even the lowest price listed for their weight division. One calf was definitely a scrub but the other 3 were really nice. Is it possible they knocked all mine because of the one. Why would they not report any of the four?

 

[gulfso]

That is kind of what mine is and has been. Based on them doing this who says the other numbers are correct?

 

[tnwalkingred]

I think the lesson learned here is to stick around and watch your cattle sell. That way you know exactly what they bring and if there is a issue with them when they come through the sale. One that I had sell was sooooo much cheaper than the rest that the only thing I can think of as to why it was cheaper was that it got hurt in the pens. But seeing how they didn't note this on my ticket should that not have been the sales responsibility? She was 100 percent healthy when I dropped her off.

KW

 

[Gunner]

Twice I have had calves injured at the sale barn. Both times, I have called the sale barn manager and explained the situation and they have paid me the difference.

 

[BC]

Most of the sales here in East Texas will have the following disclaimer - "Some plain cattle are below these figures"

 

[machslammer]

Our market fluctuates at some of the barns here so bad from one calf to the next it's not even funny. At one barn I think it's who you know or who knows you. One of their buddies calves bring 1.50 and the very next calf that looks identical and sold by someone else brought 1.35. I don't get it. And every calf or group gets announced by who's it belongs to which I think is a mistake..Opinions?

 

[Tim/South]

A few years ago I had a yearling not bring much. I was sitting next to an order buyer who is a friend. He told me the calf had a crooked back. I had kept the rascal all that time and never noticed it.

I like for them to announce the group belongs to me. The order buyers see me at the sale and know who I am. My steers are knife cut and have the shots, are weaned the amount of time I say they are. The buyers who know or recognize me know things are as I say they are. Those buyers will pay more.
My pastures are visible from the road. Sometimes I will be at the sale and one of them will ask me when I am going to sell the yearlings in the side pasture?
I am a one man operation, not big time. I do what I can to get the most bang for the buck.

 

[highgrit]

Tim, do you sell at Mid-State stockyards?? I think that's the name it's about 25mi south of Montgomery just off I-65.

 

[3waycross]

I have noticed several times in the past that when I sell, the price I get never seems to match the Market Report from that particular sale. Last week I sold at a different market (darn cows know when sale days typically is and refused to go to the pen lol.) Only about 250 sold that day and when I compared my results, several of mine were lower that what was reported as their low prices; for that size and sex animal. I have suspected this several times at another location but due to them having 1100-1200 animals it was hard to prove.

I know the markets are competing for animals but this should be controlled. I plan to speak to the market manger regarding this. Has anyone else noticed this happening?

Note: I do think the price was decent but just not as advertised :2cents:

Our barn reports EVERY animal that goes thru the ring. We still had a couple of malcontents question the reporting last week after the two dumbasses hauled their calves to LaJunta and got essentially the same price as they would have got here only without the lost day, gas, and shrink.

These two are the same fellas who go to a sale and buy the skinniest bull so that he won't melt, and also the cheapest bull and then badmouth the breeder when he can't make their shytty, crazy cows wean off 750lb steers.

Bottom line here is somebody is always gonna bytch no matter where you are or what you do. Get used to it!