Okc stockyards

[Ky cowboy]

With Kentucky livestock market being in the crapper I'm seriously thinking about buying a pot load of weaned feeders and having them hauled to okc and sold the following week. I know its risky but there seems to be about a $.30 difference across the board on calfs ky to okc. I've talked to people at okc they accept cattle all week so they go straight from ky to okc and be fed till the sale the following week. This would be a huge investment for me and makes me sick thinking about it but I feel like I could make some money. Any thoughts opinions previous experiences. Please talk me out of it or into it

 

[bird dog]

If you are thinking about going to the stockyards, pick your commission company first and call them, They can tell you what weights you might want to buy. They would also need to know when you are shipping so they could have someone there to feed them. The feeders are not automatic, they have to be cranked manually.

If you take them to OKC West, they act as their own commission company and would feed them for you but it would be best to call first.

Do your barns have enough calves sale to buy a pot load at one location? You are also going to have the problem that all of your calves will have sale tags on them, so the buyers will know they are trader cattle. How much this hurts is anyone's guess but it is not preferred and will be discounted some.

 

[JParrott]

If you can't afford to lose a chunk of it, don't do it. If you can, give it a shot.

 

[Ky cowboy]

If you can't afford to lose a chunk of it, don't do it. If you can, give it a shot.

I could but would prefer not lose money, that goes without saying. I could get a couple of loads a year off local farms that were vaccinated long weaned and on feed. I would prefer to do that over sale barn but I feel theres money to be made on both scenarios

 

[Bigfoot]

I have had the same thought. My plan includes a 48' ground load, and something to pull it. Need to keep them longer than a week though. I'd think youd see some death loss, with that much floating around in that short of a time.

 

[JParrott]

If you can't afford to lose a chunk of it, don't do it. If you can, give it a shot.

I could but would prefer not lose money, that goes without saying. I could get a couple of loads a year off local farms that were vaccinated long weaned and on feed. I would prefer to do that over sale barn but I feel theres money to be made on both scenarios

You may be on to something. If you can afford the loss, do it. Take your shot and see what it gets you. You'll learn something and maybe find there's a need you can fill for a profit.

 

[shaz]

Can you pool with some other guys and spread the risk around? Maybe include some of your own calves?

 

[Ky cowboy]

I've got a few buddies that all have good cattle, just small numbers itd probably take 3 or 4 of is to get a pot load of like calfs. I've talked to one of them about it he said he was in. Haven't reached out to the others yet. I've been kicking this around for a while, think it's time to see where it lands.

 

[kenny thomas]

It will be much smarter to try your and your buddies calves first. You can't imagine how many have tried the market to market deal already.

 

[Ky cowboy]

It will be much smarter to try your and your buddies calves first. You can't imagine how many have tried the market to market deal already.

That's what I'm leaning towards. We have to buy some to add to ours to make a full load. Thinking of buying some lighter weight and give them the full work thru. Get everything weaned vaccinated and on feed and ship a load

 

[Dave]

Starter fluid and a curry comb gets rid of that sale tag and just as important the glue spot in a hurry. Make sure that they are weaned and eating well on their own. That will help a lot with the shrink loss. I use to buy some to add into my calves when I was in Western Washington. I shipped to Toppenish in Eastern Washington where the price was often 30 cents higher. I have a friend who did it almost weekly but Toppenish was only 200 miles away so he did it with stock trailer loads.

 

[Ky cowboy]

Still working on getting my new farm fenced, so itll have to wait if I dont go from sale to sale. And I like the idea of buying some lighter calves to feed for a while and take a load

 

[darcelina4]

I'm in central Oklahoma. I've been to okc stockyards a couple of times. The prices were much lower than the prices at mid America in bristow Oklahoma. Payne county stockyards were even higher than okc. Maybe I've gone on off days but it seemed like the place to buy was okc but it was not the place to sell.

 

[ccr]

don't know anything about this, but if your going to have a pot load what about selling direct to a feedlot or backgrounder?

beefeater posted info a little while back on difference of payne county and okc.

toward end of thread:
https://cattletoday.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=121057

 

[elkwc]

There have been those who send in loads to auctions in OK and KS for years. I assume it works as they keep doing it. The buyers say those cattle have more sickness and they don't bring as much as a local calf.

 

[Ky hills]

There have been those who send in loads to auctions in OK and KS for years. I assume it works as they keep doing it. The buyers say those cattle have more sickness and they don't bring as much as a local calf.

That is logical, even when buying local calves through the stockyards here that most calves come from within a 40-50 radius at most there is sickness to be expected. For me personally I can attest that the drive from east central KY to southeast Oklahoma where my wife is from and where a lot of her family still live, that is a near 800 mile trip and it takes a toll on a person . I can only imagine the stress that a recently weaned calf would be put through. For several years there have been various types of preconditioned feeder calf sales around here that require that calves be weaned a minimum of 45 days and have had two rounds of specific vaccinations the second of which is an MLV vaccine. The calves are soused to be eating feed from bunks, on specific mineral programs and drinking from waterers so that in theory they are in a better position for upcoming shipping and transition from weaning, also supposedly they are supposed to bring a premium on this end as well.

 

[Beefeater]

Something you may find useful. I'm sure they're all good to work with, just nice to have an idea...

 

[Lucky]

Watch the online sale feed from OKC stockyards some time. Not all cattle bring what the market report shows. You can always straighten out calves and sell them on video. Allot less risk with video, if you don't like the price don't sell. I've sold at OKC through Western Livestock Commission I think the owners name is Ben Hale. He gives a real deal market report on their FB page every week.

 

[elkwc]

Western Livestock Commission also has auctions in Comanche and Fairview. Have heard good things about the Fairview auction since they have took over. The Caldwell, KS Livestock Commission took over the Enid,OK sale and it has really improved. We are fortunate to have several excellent options all within 80 miles.