Old Timer Made me Second Guess Myself

[BK9954]

I have not bought too many cattle at the auction. Stayed away until the prices went so low and I got a few years under my belt. Was there today looking for some heifers. Bid on a good looking black baldie. 600 pounds. Old guy, only does cow calf operation for a living I had been talking with before the sale looks at me after the animal left and said what are you gonna do with HIM? Put him in the freezer? This guy being in the business so long had me rather second guessing my decision. Heck they were bringing them through so fast today only giving us 10-15 seconds to look before they brought the next. Rather embarassed and not wanting to argue I said oh yes he is heading for the freezer. Told my self I was darn sure it was either a great heifer or a steer that had EVERYTHING cut off and didnt lift the tail. But I saw an udder. If it was a steer I was just gonna drop him off at the auction that runs 2 days later 2 towns over. Bought one more heifer and walked out. Went to check and it was a heifer. Talk about someone really making me second guess myself. Small town, small community, I will just let it go. Sometimes wish the auction gave you more time to look. Even getting there early at that location you cant see in every pen to look at all the animals. And they dont really seperate them too well. Bring them in all mixed up. You cant always go by what people say. I got what I was looking for today. Balck baldie heifer and a tiger stripe heifer. $1200 for both together. Not too cheap. I only got $.68 for a 2 year old 1000 pound black brangus cow
cow cull last weekend. Took a beating on that one.

 

[boondocks]

Think the old guy was maybe messin' with you? Joking?

 

[BK9954]

He seemed serious as a heart attack. He looked puzzled because I had only bid on heifers the whole time. Pretty friendy. Invited him to come have lunch on the house next weekend at my job before the auction started. I really think he didnt look to hard or assumed they were just bringing bulls the whole time. This place was bringing everything random. Calf, then a full grown bull, then a heifer, then a steer etc.... no kind of order to the system

 

[Son of Butch]

Nah, the old guy probably wasn't paying attention and just assumed what the buyer of a single was after, he was
probably just being friendly.

 

[Commercialfarmer]

I'm about half deaf, so I catch about half of what is said. Seems like I'm a 1/2 step or so behind the action at auctions. I'm not a quick decision maker either. I'd rather take a moment to mull it all over.

Auctions aren't my favorite either.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Possible free Martin?

 

[Son of Butch]

Possible free Martin?

Possible, but kind of dirty not to sell her without 'feeder' heifer announcement, but it does happen at sale barns.

 

[BK9954]

I will ask when I pick them up this morning. I have pretty good repor with the guy who owns the place.

 

[Son of Butch]

Auctions aren't my favorite either.

You can console yourself that making a mistake at an auction usually only costs you one or three bids over actual value.

 

[BK9954]

I didnt hear feeder heifer or anything like that. Talking with the guy he is only onto black angus. Maybe he didnt look at that one very closely being a baldie. The aucion down the road is bigger and the cattle sell a little higher. Paid 118 a pound for 708 pounds. That was about the going rate for heifers. If A free martin this would be high in my opinion for the poundage. Actually kinda high yesterday now that I think about it. Little black calves going over $2 a pound.

 

[BK9954]

I take that back six hundred pounds for a total of $708. Still trying to wake up this morning

 

[callmefence]

Built some fence for a old guy a while back. He had just retired, bought a little place. Went to the auction and bought 8 calves. 1 bull and 7 heifers.
He didn't have a trailer so he had paid someone to haul em home. They turned em out in a little paddock made outta 5 strand electric. They went through it like the wind.
We took some panels and after they calmed down were able to get em penned with just a truck and some cake. That's when I pointed out the steer. Poor old guy just about to bawl. We got started on his fence and come sale day I hauled the steer back to town for him.

 

[Commercialfarmer]

Auctions aren't my favorite either.

You can console yourself that making a mistake at an auction usually only costs you one or three bids over actual value.

That's probably about right.

 

[BK9954]

Well I guess this was all for nothing went up this morning to pick up my cattle and they LOADED THEM ON THE WRONG TRAILER last night!!!!!!!!!! I cannot believe the incompetency of this auction!!!!!!!!!!!! My blood pressure is about to boil over!!!!!!!!! I guess this is a message from God that these cattle are not supposed to be on my ranch. They are at the feed lot. But the guy said the baldie heifer was not a free martin. Getting my money back. I will never buy another animal at this place again. 2 other auctions within 30 minutes of me. I have other choices.

 

[BK9954]

Built some fence for a old guy a while back. He had just retired, bought a little place. Went to the auction and bought 8 calves. 1 bull and 7 heifers.
He didn't have a trailer so he had paid someone to haul em home. They turned em out in a little paddock made outta 5 strand electric. They went through it like the wind.
We took some panels and after they calmed down were able to get em penned with just a truck and some cake. That's when I pointed out the steer. Poor old guy just about to bawl. We got started on his fence and come sale day I hauled the steer back to town for him.

When my brother bought 3 calves at the auction same thing happened. Kept running until they made it through the fence into the other Ranch. Anytime I buy new cattle I keep them pinned up for about a week and feed them cubes. After that I bring in a couple of my own cattle for about a day or two then I release them into the pasture, never had a problem. First time I bought a bull let him straight out into the ranch with the herd, still went straight through the fence. Luckily it was an internal fence and he was still on my property. Learned my lesson early on.

 

[Rafter S]

This place was bringing everything random. Calf, then a full grown bull, then a heifer, then a steer etc.... no kind of order to the system

I don't know what part of Texas you're at, but around me they all mix the steer, heifer, and bull calves. They usually run bulls together, and also cows, but there'll always be a few out of order.

 

[BK9954]

Yep, owner said there is no particular order

 

[BK9954]

Been stewing about them sending my heifers on another truck. Spoke with guys around town. With their sorting system and how many pins they have there is no reason that should have happened. Wonder if the loader gets a little kick back to make those kind of mistakes to help the feed lots. Really pizzez me off. I was pretty cordial with the owner but the more I think about it I have decided I am going to let everyone know what happened. All of my veteranarians, all of my feed stores, my hay suppliers and my fellow ranchers. Some guys didnt speak very highly of this auction but I was pretty friendly with the owner so I gave them a shot. Him coming to eat at my restuarant and all. I am done with his business. The owner should have made it right, gone and got my cattle back, heck even taken them to my house. Just giving me my money back after I wasted a day off was not making it right. I work 70 hours a week and then run cattle on my days off. My time off from work is highly valued and very short.

 

[DLD]

It was probably an innocent mistake - these things really do just happen sometimes. Said feedlot obviously had a buyer there and if your heifers would have fit their order they'd have bought them in the first place. They're still going to be buying them at the same price you did if they keep them.

In your words, you were cordial with the owner about it - I'm guessing that means he said "hey sorry 'bout that, I'll just give you your money back" and you agreed. If it wasn't okay with you then you shouldn't have agreed to his settlement - it's not fair of you to decide now that your not happy with it and you're going to go smear his business over it. Go back and let him know you're still not happy. Maybe it's not too late to get them back, maybe it is but maybe the barn owner will still help you out somehow. Can't hurt to try.

 

[BK9954]

It was probably an innocent mistake - these things really do just happen sometimes. Said feedlot obviously had a buyer there and if your heifers would have fit their order they'd have bought them in the first place. They're still going to be buying them at the same price you did if they keep them.

In your words, you were cordial with the owner about it - I'm guessing that means he said "hey sorry 'bout that, I'll just give you your money back" and you agreed. If it wasn't okay with you then you shouldn't have agreed to his settlement - it's not fair of you to decide now that your not happy with it and you're going to go smear his business over it. Go back and let him know you're still not happy. Maybe it's not too late to get them back, maybe it is but maybe the barn owner will still help you out somehow. Can't hurt to try.

He was on the phone with the feed lot getting payment when I walked in. Maybe I will cool off in the morning. Maybe the cows would have been sick and died in a couple days. Maybe I saved some money. Maybe. I was cordial because when I deal with a customer who is being a complete jerk at my job, you feel less inclined to help them, even though I do. When they have a complaint and they are a jerk sometimes you are inclined to do the least. As the owner and the one at fault he should have offered. To be a good business man and grow business, and reputation, you own up to your mistakes and compensate for peoples trouble. Had this been my mistake, I would have done everything I could to make it right, and asked what can I do to make it right? I run a business. I like to make sure my customers return. I wont be back. And letting people know the truth is not smearing. I wont say what I dont know, just the truth. I dont cause trouble at a business, I am just the customer that never returns.