sale barn vs private treaty

[rjbovine]

Ok its a given most buyers shy way from sale barn cows . Not saying they dont buy there just that they prefer private sale. My question how much more would you give for the same cow private sale vs buying her at sale barn ?

 

[kenny thomas]

Well I will answer and I buy cows from the sale barn almost weekly. If same is also knowing from a vet checking, their age and how many months they are bred, I will give $50 to $100 more for average cows on the farm.

 

[circlew]

Same price she would bring at the barn.

 

[B&M Farms]

The same price for the same quality of cow. Ive paid more for well bred cows private treaty not that you cant find some at the sale barn. They usually go on the top end though. There is nothing wrong with buying cows at a sale barn. I just wouldn't recommend it to someone with little experience.

 

[Mid South Guy]

I pay the same, but the seller makes more money because they don't have to pay the sale barn fees, hauling expenses, and they assume very little risk. I will pay more if the seller has a very good set of cows, provides history, health & production records, and if I think the seller has options other than the sale barn.

 

[bigbull338]

ok im going to throw the monkey wrench into it.nothing against cattle jockeys as im half cattle jokey myself.but you see farm raised stock cows for sale.some of them are raised on that farm.but most are cows bought from sales an put togather as a herd.i have no prob buying either way,as i know what they are worth to me an what ill give for them.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Ok its a given most buyers shy way from sale barn cows . Not saying they dont buy there just that they prefer private sale. My question how much more would you give for the same cow private sale vs buying her at sale barn ?

I guess that "most buyers" thing needs to be quantified in my mind. Millions of head go through a sale each week. Some go back to private treaty but they went through an auction. Don't think there is anyway in hades that many go through private treaty.

Cows huh?

I don't like people coming into my pasture and try to start dickering prices. I don't go to the grocery store and dicker. This needs to be a simple yes or no situation. Whether you buy $5 worth of gas or fill it up, the price is the same.

I don't like going and looking with expectations only to find cattle aren't what I want. If the owner starts dropping prices after I decline, I figure he was trying to get in my pocket from the get go.

I can sit through the sale and see them up close without obstructions.

Buying bulls is a different thing for me. If I can see calves out of an established sire, he's more valuable because I know what I am getting without "adjustments".

 

[slick4591]

I'm kinda in the market for an Angus cow and there's no way I'd go to the sale to buy her. I gotta talk to someone who has raised her so I can make sure she's what I want to use for breeding. Won't roll the dice at the barn for that kind of animal. If it costs an extra hundred then so be it.

 

[Dave]

I actually prefer the sale barn over private treaty. I find as a rule people think their cattle are better than they really are and are generally over priced. To me a cow is worth what she is worth, no matter where she is at. Also I can go to a sale that will have a large number of the type I am looking for giving me more oppurtunity to pick and choose the ones that will work for my program. Just last week I went to a stock cow sale where they had over 1,600 bred cows. I could have driven the wheels off my truck to look at that many cows in the country and probably still not seen the quality that was available at that sale.

 

[TxBrangus]

I personally prefer the sale barn over a private sale.

 

[rjbovine]

I want to thank everyone that replied . The cows I have all come from the sale barn . The two I bought from private sale are gone . I agree a person should watch what he is buying . But I also think that sale barns get a bad rap. :2cents:

 

[Double E]

I have bought both ways, the sale barn always seemed to me to be an honest test of the market. BUT, I have hauled home cattle more than once that develop a cough within a week, and they always seem to pass this on to my herd. Quarantine would be the best way to go, and would be cheaper to treat the new ones as opposed to all of them. I like to see them on the pasture they are accustomed to, which gives me a better feel for their docility.

 

[stocky]

I am with Dave and Txbrangus. I would not pay a penny more for a cow at private sale then sale barn. A cow is worth what she is worth. Private owners over value their cattle and the cattle are older than they remember them to be. Also, they think everything is bred, when some are not. It costs money to get them up and have them preg checked at the farm, so I would rather just buy at the barn. Yes, on the quarantine. I do not put my sale barn cows into the pasture with my other cows for about a month, usually longer, if I can wait. Bigbull has a good point in that most cattle at private sale went through a sale barn at some point in time. There is always a chance of an exception where other things are considered. I do alot of research on the cows in the salesbarn before I bid on them, so I know who brought them in and if it was a jockey or an honest person. Many times, I have even called the person to ask about the cattle, or sometimes they are in the barn and I ask them there. Not everyone is honest, but by looking at the cattle and hearing their response, it can be figured out.

 

[George]

It all depends on if i know who owns these cows,and how good these cows are.If they are really good cows i might offer a neighbour more money,just to make sure they don't go to the sale barn and go to my place instead,or if there is land also in the deal.I bought a neighbours cows this fall just before cow prices started to go up,and i offered him $200 more then what bred cows were selling at the sale barn at the time,and to get the deal done.The reason i did this was because i knew how good these cows were,and if i bought his cows i was given the offer of a long term lease of 640 acres of pasture.Now that cow prices have gone so i high,it ends up i got those cows at a pretty good price.

 

[HomePlaceAngus]

A little different subject. Buying breeding seedstock. I have never been able to buy private treaty as the price is to high. I can go to the production sale at the same farm and buy cheaper.

 

[backhoeboogie]

A little different subject. Buying breeding seedstock. I have never been able to buy private treaty as the price is to high. I can go to the production sale at the same farm and buy cheaper.

It can go either way. Some people can go nuts at auctions. Some people have too many nickels to spend.

You hear people say, "Gee I could have bought that one for $ X dollars" if I would have bid. That is never true. The person who paid $ X may have been willing to pay twice that but no one bid against them. For example, I offered $300 once of a piece of antique furniture. The guy refused to take my offer and said, "That's going to go for more at auction. Stick around if you'd like, the auction is in an hour." So I stuck around and bought it for $112. I would have paid up to $300. He thought it was worth much more than $300. Had the right people been there they may have paid much more than $300. You'll see the same thing in cattle if you stick around long enough.

 

[HomePlaceAngus]

What you say is very true backhoeboogie. I have seen people go crazy at auctions. Personally I feel that I do very well at auctions. I have had to let many lots go by as someone else was willing to pay more they I was willing to pay. The key for me is to set my max on an animal before the auction. It takes the adrenlin rush out of the bidding. I too often think, "if I would have went one more bid, maybe I would have got it." Probably NOT :wave:

 

[James T]

I pay the same, but the seller makes more money because they don't have to pay the sale barn fees, hauling expenses, and they assume very little risk. I will pay more if the seller has a very good set of cows, provides history, health & production records, and if I think the seller has options other than the sale barn.

I agree MSG! When buying mixed cattle, why pay a salebarn charge when you can do a little extra work by buying direct and save some money! The original poster did not specify whether they were into buying registered breeds or commercial or mixed. I have yet to witness registered breeds being sold at a general auction (that is, sold as registered). With the droughts we have suffered, I'm sure many registered cattle have been run through a general auction but they were not advertised as such. I only mention this because it's generally the registered cattle that have a documented history of health and production. Although I have purchased some commercial cattle that had the documentation too. Like you said, a buyer is typically not going to get such records at a general auction. Then there are the auctions that are held for a specific breed by a breeder or several breeders. You can always get records from these folks. I have no problem paying more when documentation is available as it allows me to make a wiser choice that can save money in the long run.

 

[Kingfisher]

I'm kinda in the market for an Angus cow and there's no way I'd go to the sale to buy her. I gotta talk to someone who has raised her so I can make sure she's what I want to use for breeding. Won't roll the dice at the barn for that kind of animal. If it costs an extra hundred then so be it.

I agree with that. A couple of months ago there were some show winners for what seemed to be auction prices.

 

[Stepbystep]

Does anyone know where the closest sales barn to north side of fort worth, Texas is? Would like to visit and observe