Oklahoma City

[Lucky]

We sold calves last Monday at Oklahoma National Stockyards and decided to make a little trip out of it. Things didn't go excactly as planned but we did have a good trip and allot of fun. We stayed in Bricktown which really has allot to do, visited the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial, went to the cattle sale, The National Western Heritage Museum, and ate at Cattlemans Steakhouse in Stockyards City.

Everyone needs to go see the Bombing Memorial to really understand what happened that day. How they put the place together and all of the information and personal items was amazing.

If you are into Western Heritage or Cowboy culture the Western Heritage Museum is a also a must. We went in thinking Cowboy culture but there was something from every aspect of west. We spent probably an hour and a half inside and the same amount of time outside. I could've easily spent double that if we had more time. Definitely too much to take in all in one day.

Bricktown was geared more towards adults but also had things for the grandkids to do. Our room overlooked the baseball field so we caught a game for free. Traffic wasn't bad and nothing was more than 15 minute drive. I'm not much of a picture taker but I'll add a few I took below.

 

[Lucky]

 

[Lucky]

 

[Lucky]

The Western Heritage Museum also had a complete old west town inside that was really cool. Didn't get any pics of it though.

 

[greybeard]

You had me at Baseball but the art and statues look really interesting too. If I may ask, which block of rooms would overlook the ball field? Is there a balcony to sit on or is the photo taken thru a window glass?

 

[Lucky]

You had me at Baseball but the art and statues look really interesting too. If I may ask, which block of rooms would overlook the ball field? Is there a balcony to sit on or is the photo taken thru a window glass?

We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Bricktown. They offer rooms with ballpark views, I didn't request one but we actually got 2 of them. We were on the 7th floor in room 722 and my mother was on the 6th floor in room 622. I think they were suites if I remember right. Probably best to call and ask. No balcony and you couldn't hear the game. The hotel has a parking garage next to it that you can ride an elevator from inside the hotel to any level and that pic is from the top of the garage. We went up there and watched for 30 minutes or so. I'd guess it's a 5-10 minute walk from the hotel to the entrance of the ballpark. The Hampton is also connected to the Hilton Inn. I'll add a Pic from the room.

 

[bird dog]

How did the calves do?

 

[Lucky]

How did the calves do?

Steers avgd 727# @ $3.125
Hfrs avgd 659# @ 3.065

This group of calves were born in a 90 day window but had a pretty large weight range. When we weighed them the week before we shipped them the weights were from 525-825 if I remember right. They looked really nice but I think them not being tighter hurt a bit price wise. Overall we did good though. 20 were off first calf heifers and we had about a 3 month dry spell last year.

 

[bird dog]

Were they sorted into like size groups? Were you pleased with the sorting? Can you tell me what your commission was per head? Total deductions divided by the number of animals.

When I talked to my commission guy last he indicated that ownership wanted more money so commission prices would probably be going up.

 

[greybeard]

Steers avgd 727# @ $3.125
Hfrs avgd 659# @ 3.065

This group of calves were born in a 90 day window but had a pretty large weight range. When we weighed them the week before we shipped them the weights were from 525-825 if I remember right. They looked really nice but I think them not being tighter hurt a bit price wise. Overall we did good though. 20 were off first calf heifers and we had about a 3 month dry spell last year.

A really really really dry spell!! I remember it being 109*F here the last part of July.....

Thanks for the motel info!

 

[Ky hills]

10 years ago we went to OKC, one day while we n Oklahoma visiting wife’s family.
We went by the stockyards, but it wasn’t on a sale day. Would have have liked to have eaten at the Cattlemen’s Steakhouse at stockyards city but didn’t.
Because wife was meeting with a friend that suggested a BBQ restaurant in Yukon where they lived.
We drove by the Express Angus ranch (EXAR)
That evening wife and I went back to OKC and took the boat tour of Bricktown.
We know a local man from here town in KY that was working in that building in OKC when the bombing happened.
He told in detail one day at church about the events and how he was rescued from the building.
Wife’s brother was still in school when it happened, and his class was in OKC on a school trip when it happened. He said they heard the explosion.

 

[Lucky]

Were they sorted into like size groups? Were you pleased with the sorting? Can you tell me what your commission was per head? Total deductions divided by the number of animals.

When I talked to my commission guy last he indicated that ownership wanted more money so commission prices would probably be going up.

They were sorted into 5 groups. 3 steer groups and 2 heifer groups. I think they could have been sorted a little differently because of the weights but Ben always gets me a good price so I trust his judgment. I'll break cost down best I can. Feed cost $375, yardage $1,145, insurance $423, Beef pro $66, commission $666, and trucking was around $4.85 a mile. The trucking surprised me. A friend hauls them for me so I don't shop around, but doubt he'd overcharge me. All in I was at around $63 a hd. The hardest thing to account for is the shrink. We sent them on Sunday to sell Monday and they lost around 40# a hd. We sent 67 and one got held over to sell on Tuesday because of an eye issue. The above numbers are on the 66 that sold Monday.

I'd guess with a $28 mil price tag commission will be going up. We have a really good local barn but the problem there is if the buyers can't fill a truck you get dinged pretty hard on what's left. We also have several guys that buy out of the pasture but that has downfalls too. At the end of the day I've done best shipping them and feel like Ben Hale at Western does the best job he can for us. I'd really like to pick his brain for 30 minutes or so about how the market really works.

 

[Lucky]

A really really really dry spell!! I remember it being 109*F here the last part of July.....

Thanks for the motel info!

Yes very hot and very little rain from July until October. The calves stalled out and it showed in the weaning weights.

 

[bird dog]

From your numbers it looks like your shrink was between 6 and 9% depending on when you weighed them up. Not good but not unexpected.
Commission was $63/ head with freight. Probably close to the local market without freight.
Your costs to sell before freight was $40.45 +/- so yes they have gone up $6 to $8 per head from when I was there last fall.

You are facing the same dilemma I am of whether its worth it or not. I have been trying to find a alternative and tried East Texas Livestock a few weeks back. Commission was similar. Shrink was way worse. Freight was higher since it was further than where I had been going.

My best luck with OKC has been delivering them myself very early on Sunday morning. I walk down into the yard and make sure they get fed before I leave. They sometimes don't feed them if they are already to fat or if they think they might over indulge and bloat. Sometimes they sort them right then if they have pen space. Most times they don't.
I also ask them to sell them early on Monday if possible. With my smaller groups, its usually not a problem. Sometimes it is.

Its always interesting and I learn something on each trip.

Usually my smallest shrink is in the hottest part of the summer. The calves don't feel like eating a bunch but since they have a trough of fresh running water, they stay hydrated. Water is heavier than feed and their weight stays level.

Thanks for the feedback on your costs.

 

[Lucky]

I'm selling 5 at our local barn Wednesday so will compare commission prices and selling prices. 4 of the 5 were supposed to go with this group but got out as we were loading them. We had a new setup and they found the kinks in it.