Reality of selling Longhorns at the AB

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Last fall I was at the sale. They start with a different owners calves. They announce the owners name and home town. I know him. I know he has a box of crayon 80/90 head cow herd which includes some LH and Corrients. Sitting directly behind me is the head buyer for an outfit that has 5 or 6 feedlots, probably 150,000 head on feed. There is another buyer sitting beside him. This head buyer has no problem topping the market. In comes a pen of steers. The guys behind me don't bid. After the calves sell I hear them laughing to each other and discussing the guy who did buy them. The one comment that stuck in my head was, "he didn't see that there was 6 LH crosses in that bunch." These are guys who buy thousands of calves every year and pay the top of the market. They sure pick out the LH crosses and they don't want them.
You can't beat a guy at his game.
 
Things do tend to work a bit different up your way. Same with the whole greater upper west and Midwest. With tens of thousands of larger operators hanging around, they never have to reach to make a potload.
I do realize it is a big world with lots of differences. But it is not about making or not making a potload. They don't want to feed them. The margins feeding cattle aren't that great so anything that goes against that they simply don't want.
 
We all tend to repeat our same messages, probably due to the fact that we believe and have confidence in them. So, I will repeat one of my thoughts.

So many smaller operators in the cow business. Our system allows and encourages that. Lot's of reasons to have different kinds of cattle, some economic based and some pleasure based.

The chicken and hog business by and large have figured out where the efficiency is in genetics and management, where the consistency is and where the money is. Ain't many independent mom and pop chicken and hog owners/producers. Plenty of backyard flocks for a few eggs and meat which is part of the american dream. But, those don't drive the main market.

Produce the cows that you enjoy or admire or want. Just don't complain that you get cheated when you sell them or that they are worth more. At the auction, the buyers set the price. Find someone who wants them and there is your market. If they are super efficient, then that should help offset a lower selling price. Color, weight, carcass, location, appearance, reputation, etc all figure into what a calf is worth. Buyers pay for what they want and what they believe they can make money on. We had emu's and ostriches years ago. Everyone was supposed to get rich. Maybe a few did. Not every cow fits the main market and brings top price. Most every chicken and hog come close. For the majority, they don't sell the chickens and hogs at auction.
 
Not a demand for roping cattle in this part of the world.
I haven't seen roping stock in ages through the barn, no one can afford the horse.
I haven't seen a horse through the barn in several years.
cant be that way everywhere there though..majority of rodeo cowboys live in Texas..that's not including the weekenders and trainers ..cowboys go there to die..
 
I'm not a keeper of LH. Wouldn't be opposed, not a bad thing to do if you've got a timber property or something. Seen it work out fine for too many people, several of whom are on here.

As far as your rant goes, nobody tried to infringe on your rights. People have every right to call you out on being a jackwagon, just like you have a right to be one. Long way around the barn on your end.
Easy, fella.
 
He is the owner so he is speaking to what buyers at his auction barn will pay for not to niche markets. Are you saying you understand what buyers at his barn want more than he does?

Its not my game but I know several guys here that cross LH and corriente cattle for steers and calves to rope. A good friend of mine is one of them.
I think it is very honest of him to say don't expect to sell Longhorns, at beef cattle prices, at his auction barn.
Not saying I know more what the buyers at his barn want than he does at all. I just took issue with him saying they have no value. I guess he meant no value at his type of auction, and I agree. And, no one uses Longhorns for team roping or bull dogging. Horn shape and size are not conducive to either. They use Corriente, and I figured this man didn;t know the difference in the two. That barn that @callmefence posted about, does know the difference.

Absolutely should no one expect a LH to bring what they sell for in the proper market, at a sale barn. Just like a 6-figure top bull won;t either. You market him at special breed events or through private sales. Back when Booger Barter was putting on those awesome events, he'd have a few 1/2 LH 1/2 Corr steers as "prize steers", but I have never seen a pure LH in a rodeo or roping. Horn shape and size prevents it.
 
Easy, fella.
My children use that same tactic, thanks for letting me know what I can expect from you.
Well that what Saul is getting to haul from the salebarn north.
Being ranchers we are blessed in getting to pay the freight both ways.
I know a hauler a little lower than that but I'm further north. Probably makes a difference.
 
Thats about what we sold the Kudzu Corriente herd for in Febuary or might have been 1st of March. $95k for I think 86 pairs. More than 85 but less than 90...I'd have to go look it up to see. At that sale barn that day in Lampass, we would have had to pay 2-3 times more for replacements than we had in those cows we sold. And damn what a good price the roping ready Corrs brought! More and more people are learning about what we have been doing for 20 years, and the price of Corriente cows has gone up. Especially solid colored ones and most especially solid black ones. People pay more for the solid black., because they don't realize it isn't neccesary with a homozygous black bull.
 
cant be that way everywhere there though..majority of rodeo cowboys live in Texas..that's not including the weekenders and trainers ..cowboys go there to die..
The majority would be over 50%. It is not even close to that. Are there more than any other state? Well yes. Texas is biggere than any other state other than Alaska. Not a lot of cowboys in Alaska. But there are a lot of cowboys in other states.
 
Thats about what we sold the Kudzu Corriente herd for in Febuary or might have been 1st of March. $95k for I think 86 pairs. More than 85 but less than 90...I'd have to go look it up to see. At that sale barn that day in Lampass, we would have had to pay 2-3 times more for replacements than we had in those cows we sold. And damn what a good price the roping ready Corrs brought! More and more people are learning about what we have been doing for 20 years, and the price of Corriente cows has gone up. Especially solid colored ones and most especially solid black ones. People pay more for the solid black., because they don't realize it isn't neccesary with a homozygous black bull.
Yes warren the secret is out.
That's a once a year special sale. But it does show what's possible.

Those top pairs and breds you can be pretty sure where off char bulls.
 
Not this cowboy. I have been to Texas. When I left I didn't leave anything behind that I need to go back for.
The majority would be over 50%. It is not even close to that. Are there more than any other state? Well yes. Texas is biggere than any other state other than Alaska. Not a lot of cowboys in Alaska. But there are a lot of cowboys in other states.
The majority would be over 50%. It is not even close to that. Are there more than any other state? Well yes. Texas is biggere than any other state other than Alaska. Not a lot of cowboys in Alaska. But there are a lot of cowboys in other states.
not saying they're not in other states but a lot move there to be closer to the rodeos ..I followed a lot of the IRA and PRCA ropers and they will be from so and so state ,but says currently making they're home in Stephenville or some other area around..and some are in Oklahoma as well..
 
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