REMIMDER: TODAY Athens Stockyard Preconditioned Sales

[Sir Loin]

The Athens Stockyard Preconditioned Sales

Any Product Brand
2 rounds- Respiratory Vaccine IBR, PI3, BVD, BRSV
7-way Black Leg
Weaned 45 days, adjusted to feed bunk & water tank
Castrated & Dehorned, or Tipped
Dewormed

Thursday, January 18 - 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 22 - 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 21- 7:00 p.m.
Special PVP Sale-Thursday August 23- 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 30 - 7:00 p.m.

For directions:http://www.athensstockyard.com/
See you there!
SL

 

[Mongoose]

Man, I forgot ALL about that sale. I was on my way to school today, and I go right by Athens Stockyard and I saw people haulin cattle down there, and I was seriously stumped on what sale was going to on. Thanks for the post Sir Loin.

 

[Sir Loin]

Mongoose,
Did you go?

I haven't been to a pre-condition sale for probably 10 years and this one had all the reasons why I stopped buying at them.
I don't think even half those calves were pre-conditioned.
I've seen better calves go at their regular auction.
And they wonder why no one is willing to pay a premium for them.
Who the he11 do they think they are fooling.
SL

 

[Mongoose]

No I didnt go, I was going to but was just to tired. But yes I know what you are talking about. About what were they going for?

 

[Sir Loin]

Re:

About what were they going for?

About what they would bring at the regular sale.
Blks and baldies were running about $.20 over whts and others.
But I didn't stay for the entire sale.
It should be posted on their site soon. Unless they are too embarrassed to post it.

SL

 

[VanC]

I don't think even half those calves were pre-conditioned.
SL

How can you tell a calf is pre-conditioned just by looking at it?

 

[Sir Loin]

Van,
Re:

How can you tell a calf is pre-conditioned just by looking at it?

Well first when you see 2 steers with one nut each that's your first clue.
Second when they look like a drunk who has sleep in his close all night, that's another clue.
Calves that have been bunker feed and de-wormed for 45 days should at least look a little slick and shiny, not dull and frumpy.
And they should have ear tags in them that look fairly new, not old small birth tags.
And they should not be coughing.
Then there is their poop. It should not be runny and smeared all over their butt. It should be firm and you should be able to see signs of grain in it.

And that is just what I could see by only seeing the 3 or 4 at the ends of the pens.
This barn in set up very well for working cattle but it is not set up for buyers to inspect the cattle.
The pens are about 15 feet wide and 100 feet long and the only way to inspect the cattle is to walk along the ends of the pens outside the building.
Yet the sign over the arena say: " BUYERS LOOK @ THE CATTLE" "what you buy is what you get".
Now if you can't see them in the pens and they only run 6 – 10 out of 70 into the arena, how the he11 do you know what you're buying?

As a former buyer I can tell you if anyone had real pre-conditioned cattle there they got docked because of the condition of the rest.
Just my

SL

 

[M Gravlee]

Mongoose,

Who the he11 do they think they are fooling.
SL

If I had wanted you to be able to use hell on the Boards I would not have taken the time to add it to the bad words filter.

Stop using other characters to use language that I think is not appropriate for the Boards.

 

[Jogeephus]

Sounds much different in Tennesee than here. But I guess it depends whether you are looking at from the standpoint of $/lb or $/head. $/lb means little to me since I don't care if I top this slot or not. I'm looking for the top $/head cause that's what I'm selling. Of course my operation is different than others but if someone wants to check the numbers for themselves they should weigh a few preconditioned calves and a few truck weaned calves on their farm and carry them to the stockyard and do a little number crunching of their own. I think it might be educational.

 

[Sir Loin]

TNMasterBeefProducer,

Let's get this one straightened out first. Then we can discuss the rest of your post.
Re:

So Sir Loin by saying that you get docked for preconditioning is nothing but misinformation.

I haven't got a clue where you came up with that assumption as I never said anything of the kind. I NEVER said that so please don't put words in my mouth I didn't say.!
I did say:

As a former buyer I can tell you if anyone had real pre-conditioned cattle there they got docked because of the condition of the rest.

Now I never claimed to be a master of the English language but I think my statement is pretty clear in its meaning.

It is my position, as a former buyer, that if you produce a "REAL" pre-conditioned animal, you will and should, receive a premium for your efforts.
Have I made myself clear? ;-)
SL

 

[Sir Loin]

TNMasterBeefProducer,

Re:

I used to sale in the merial sure health sale at the Athens Stockyards. My calves brought top dollar with the order buyers. I made sure that they were weaned at least 60 days and broke to feed bunk. They already had automatic waterers their whole lives so they were broke to waterer/stock tank to. Then we would vaccinate them with Merial products and worm em with ivomec. We made sure the tags were new before we took them over there. Then we would take them over there and run them through the sale. They always brought top dollar.

And that is as it should be, when you "actually" bring pre-conditioned calves to the sale. But you may still suffer because of those who do not bring "real" pre-conditioned calves to a pre-condition sale, especially if they commingle yours with others that are not pre-conditioned.

Then there is the fact that buyers are human and if they drive 3 hours + to get to an advertised pre-conditioned sale and don't see all pre-conditioned cattle, it sets their temperament for low bidding. Plus they may not even bother to come to the next pre sale, which then limits your potential buyers.
It's the old story of: "Don't tick the fairy off" or you won't get what you want.

Re:

Secondly you must also realize that alot of the cattle man around here are the type that wean them on the truck. All they care about is selling the calves and they dont care whether the calves live or die once they are off their place.

Then they shouldn't be allowed in at a advertised pre-condition sale, now should they?
Re:

I can tell you this I know Dean Williams and Jim Tollett personally. I can tell you that they have always grouped all my cattle together and ran them through the sale.

Well, that's good and the way it should be. But I would still dock all your cattle because they were in the same barn, or in the pen next to the CharX that was doing all the coughing.

Re:

I never got docked for preconditioning the order buyers bought em up and paid top dollar for them.

Yes, you probably got top dollar for preconditioning, but did you get top dollar for a pre-conditioned calf. I think not.

Re:

I run some old cows through there
snip
facts that some of the information that sir loin was giving was totally inaccurate.

First, we are talking about an advertised pre-conditioned sale, not their regular sale.
Second, were you at this pre-conditioned sale?
C. Exactly what "information" that I have given is "totally inaccurate"?
SL

 

[Sir Loin]

Re:

Pre conditioning does pay more.

You are absolutely correct.
And I will add the cost of pre-conditioning will be more then compensated for in the sale price, provided they are in fact pre-conditioned cattle and you're not trying to pull the wool over the buyer's eyes.

Re:

If the producer says they are preconditioned they have to take the producers word for it. They cant very well call their customers liars. If they did that they wouldnt have any business.

Wrong! You forgot the real customer. The buyers!
What they wouldn't have is a bunch of cattle being sold as pre-conditioned when they are not.
True, they may lose some producers but they will surly gain some buyer's confidence.
Now which would you rather have at the next pre-condition sale, more liars who cost you money or buyers who will make you money?


Re:

Just a little something a bird told me Jimmy Tollett cleared 1 million dollars last year as did Dean Williams. Pretty good for two fellas that grew up in ram shackle shacks huh?

Very good regardless of where they came from.
My question is: On who's back did they make it? The producers or the buyers?
If lining their pockets is all they are concerned with, that's fine with me.
I would have no problem with driving to the other side of I-75.

TNMasterBeefProducer,
Now you're the one who opened this can of worms so please take what I said as corrective criticism and please don't forget to answer my questions.
Thank you
SL