For months now, I have been watching this sale online every week. This is a sale on the border, with a USDA facility on one side ( where the auction barn is) and another on the Mexico side, operated by the Mexico counter-part to USDA. This is where Mexican cattle ae sold, and all quarantine and health requirements are met and certified before they are crossed. American buyers get these cattle with all health requirements, certificates etc, they need to transport anywhere in the US . Some weeks, there will be sellers from Texas or New Mexico as well.
These cattle are heifers and steers, sorted by sex and weight class. Mostly 400 wt, 500 wt, and 600 weights. Never see any sorted by breed or color, except when PB and registered Brahma heifers are sold. The Brahma groups will be either grey or reds, never seen a group of mixed color ones yet. Only time you see singles or maybe two sold, is when they are these registered Brama.
There are about 8 Mexican ranches that have cattle about every week. The name of the ranch, its location, and its elevation above sea level are announced for each group coming in. They announce if the dams were commercial or registered cows ( one ranch sells registered red angus) and announce the registered bulls that sired them. The most popular bulls seem to be Limousine and Simm, red ones, not the black ones. Next most popular are red angus, followed by red and black Brangus. Never have I heard of a Gert, Braford, or Charolais bull used. One ranch that is there sometimes, does use registered Lim and Beefmaster.
The groups look like most mixed groups sold in the US. A lot of black, also red, bwf and rwf, and some yellow, smoky and a few white Charolais , Very few eared cattle surprisingly, except for the pure Brahma and the occasional group of Brahma crosses. The majority of the crosses, appear to be Brahma x red Limousine. Some of these calves may have scurs. But one thing interesting, is that just about every Char or Char cross yellow or smoky has small horns. You know those little paper , cone-shaped cups you'd see by a water cooler? They look like they have those attached to the side of their head. Wonder why that is?
You will see some that, judging by the color patters, were out of Corriente type, or part Corriente type, cows. But they will be the same size and body type as the others in the group in the ring.
When they announce the vaccinations, worming etc, for each group, it is a lot more, often 3rd or 4th round, than you see in US cattle. And they are all weaned 90 days or longer. And all are dipped. I'd say these cattle are as healthy and safe, if not more so, than any you'd buy at other US sales.
For each weight class, the calves will be some what taller and longer, than the same weight class of US calves there. They are not poor, by any means, but not what you would call fat either. They are well -conditioned, almost athletic looking. I wonder if this is because they have to travel more each day for food and water?
Another thing I noticed, which brings me to the question I want to put out there: These Mexican groups tend to sell for maybe 20 cents or more, higher than the same weight Texas or New Mexico cattle. Why do y'all suppose that is? I am thinking that maybe the buyers see more potential to add weight and marbling to these, than to the shorter, fatter, US beef calves? What do you think?
These cattle are heifers and steers, sorted by sex and weight class. Mostly 400 wt, 500 wt, and 600 weights. Never see any sorted by breed or color, except when PB and registered Brahma heifers are sold. The Brahma groups will be either grey or reds, never seen a group of mixed color ones yet. Only time you see singles or maybe two sold, is when they are these registered Brama.
There are about 8 Mexican ranches that have cattle about every week. The name of the ranch, its location, and its elevation above sea level are announced for each group coming in. They announce if the dams were commercial or registered cows ( one ranch sells registered red angus) and announce the registered bulls that sired them. The most popular bulls seem to be Limousine and Simm, red ones, not the black ones. Next most popular are red angus, followed by red and black Brangus. Never have I heard of a Gert, Braford, or Charolais bull used. One ranch that is there sometimes, does use registered Lim and Beefmaster.
The groups look like most mixed groups sold in the US. A lot of black, also red, bwf and rwf, and some yellow, smoky and a few white Charolais , Very few eared cattle surprisingly, except for the pure Brahma and the occasional group of Brahma crosses. The majority of the crosses, appear to be Brahma x red Limousine. Some of these calves may have scurs. But one thing interesting, is that just about every Char or Char cross yellow or smoky has small horns. You know those little paper , cone-shaped cups you'd see by a water cooler? They look like they have those attached to the side of their head. Wonder why that is?
You will see some that, judging by the color patters, were out of Corriente type, or part Corriente type, cows. But they will be the same size and body type as the others in the group in the ring.
When they announce the vaccinations, worming etc, for each group, it is a lot more, often 3rd or 4th round, than you see in US cattle. And they are all weaned 90 days or longer. And all are dipped. I'd say these cattle are as healthy and safe, if not more so, than any you'd buy at other US sales.
For each weight class, the calves will be some what taller and longer, than the same weight class of US calves there. They are not poor, by any means, but not what you would call fat either. They are well -conditioned, almost athletic looking. I wonder if this is because they have to travel more each day for food and water?
Another thing I noticed, which brings me to the question I want to put out there: These Mexican groups tend to sell for maybe 20 cents or more, higher than the same weight Texas or New Mexico cattle. Why do y'all suppose that is? I am thinking that maybe the buyers see more potential to add weight and marbling to these, than to the shorter, fatter, US beef calves? What do you think?
