Question About Sale Barn Auctions

[TexFarmer]

At the cattle auction, what happens if no one bids on a cow? Does the barn or someone else buy the unsold cows at a certain price?

 

[Nesikep]

Usually it's just a no sale, it's stays owned by whoever brought it in.. I'm sure different barns have different policies

 

[kenny thomas]

It would be very very rare that someone didn't bid. Maybe not much but there are a lot for gamblers out there.

 

[TexFarmer]

Usually it's just a no sale, it's stays owned by whoever brought it in.. I'm sure different barns have different policies

Does the farmer have to come back to the sale barn and pick up his unsold cows in this situation? I've got a really old cow that needs to be culled and I'm concerned no one will bid on her.

 

[Bigfoot]

Someone will buy it.

 

[Nesikep]

it's exceedingly rare that you get no bids.. about the only time it might happen is if it's too lame to transport.. In which case the sale barn will probably not accept it to begin with

 

[BC]

TexFarmer, at most sales here in Texas your animal will be sold either to a buyer or the sale barn will catch her. The only time I have seen an owner have to come back and pick up an animal was when they had set a minimum bid they would accept and no one would give that for the cow.

 

[A.J.]

As others have said, if she can walk, someone will buy her. Are there any slaughter houses close by to you? My wife's grandfather had an old, arthritic cow that walked extremely slow and gingerly. After her last calf, he put her up in a smaller lot and helped her gain some condition back. He was afraid she would get down if he ran her through the sale barn, so he sold her to the local packer, and got a decent check.

 

[Son of Butch]

TexFarmer, at most sales here in Texas your animal will be sold either to a buyer or the sale barn will catch her.
The only time I have seen an owner have to come back and pick up an animal was when they had set a minimum
bid they would accept and no one would give that for the cow.

Yup
Here if they walk off the trailer... the sale barn has then taken responsibility for her care, custody and control.
If she then goes down before entering the ring you get an insurance check and when that has happened to me the
insurance check has been bigger than I expected to get in the ring.
BUT I have seen sale barn employees look in the trailer and close the door back up, refusing to take custody or allowing
the hauler to unload on their property when they deem the animal too risky.

You might only get 10 cents lb but if she walks off the trailer you will at least get something.

 

[Caustic Burno]

TexFarmer, at most sales here in Texas your animal will be sold either to a buyer or the sale barn will catch her. The only time I have seen an owner have to come back and pick up an animal was when they had set a minimum bid they would accept and no one would give that for the cow.

Lone Star will buy her for dog food or Wolf Brand Chili, might only be for
.30 per pound she will sale if she can walk and travel.

 

[DLD]

Weak, unsound or unhealthy cattle may be taken "as is" at sale barns around here, at least. If the receiving personnel think your cattle are high risk, then they will mark your receipt "as is" and you will need to sign it acknowledging that the sale barn will not be responsible for loss from death or further deterioration of condition of your stock. If you choose not to sign it, you cannot leave those animals for sale.

But, as others said, if they can make it through the ring, almost certainly someone will buy them at some price.

 

[TexasBred]

TexFarmer, at most sales here in Texas your animal will be sold either to a buyer or the sale barn will catch her. The only time I have seen an owner have to come back and pick up an animal was when they had set a minimum bid they would accept and no one would give that for the cow.

BC I haven't been to a sale barn in ages but most use to have a guy that would set a cow or calf in at a certain price and that price would be an actual bid made by the barn. If noone else bid the barn bought it. Have seen some where they set an animal in at a price and if they don't get a bid they keep reducing the opening price until they do get a bid. I figure when it gets cheap enough the barn probably will buy it on purpose. :shock:

 

[talltimber]

They do that at every barn here, I thought most every where. Someone has to set them in. Usually it's the barn owner or manager, and that's his bid. Makes him look silly, and greedy, when he keeps backing up. It also gets him pissed at the order buyers when he has to do that it seems.

 

[TexasBred]

They do that at every barn here, I thought most every where. Someone has to set them in. Usually it's the barn owner or manager, and that's his bid. Makes him look silly, and greedy, when he keeps backing up. It also gets him be nice at the order buyers when he has to do that it seems.

Makes you wonder if he's really staying on top of the market for his area.

 

[DLD]

It just depends. Barn owners aren't going to floor things like old shelly cows, or bad cripples unless they have a place to go with them, and not everyone does. In that case the auctioneer's going to back down 'til a packer buyer or some other gambler bids. A cow that's just old and thin will get along okay if she's strong, but if she's weak, you take what you can get and be happy you got anything.

 

[talltimber]

Yes, that's true. Not many have a close quick market for the kind that don't need to stand around. We had one here close, that was a real good thing for us. It closed of course. There is a place in the market for a shop like that around here.

It just looks odd sometimes. Like he is having a hard time reading the buyers, or the buyers are changing the game on him occasionally. He will sure get torqued at them though after he has to back up on a few. lol