Selling calves in the middlle of a sale.

[DTA ranch]

Is then any evidence that selling your calves in the middle of a big calf auction you'll have the highest chance of getting the best price?

 

[rockridgecattle]

To be honest, not sure. I know personnally i do not like to be in the first half hour, or the last few hours of a sale that goes to 10 pm or later, or at lunch time when half the buyers are out eating.
JMO

 

[dewey]

most of the time the one starting the cattle are gonna keep the purty much even no matter when they sale. alot of it depends on the condition of the cattle.

some people right before they bring them to a sale barn put them in the pen and fill them full of feed. some bring 20 calves and want 10 bales of hay put out for them. the cattle eat hay or feed when they hit the ring they are all bellied up and going to be discounted. some people maybe sitting there watching them sale and cant figure out why some are bringing 5 to 10 dollars less then others. the buyer doesnt wanna pay for all the feed and hay they are packing. alot of people listen to radio reports and read reports in the papers where the heavier cattle are bringing more. they tell them to sale the cattle heavier. most when reading or hear that think that means to pump them full of feed right before saleing them. that means hold them until they are a certain weight range and then sale them. that may sound crazy to some but i have had people ask me, should we put them on hay tonight? i tell them no they need to draw some. then they say, well i thought they would bring more heavier.

myself if you bring cattle in the day before a sale and have them put on hay or feed you are wasteing your money and costing yourself money.

 

[somn]

Is then any evidence that selling your calves in the middle of a big calf auction you'll have the highest chance of getting the best price?

Past history has showed me that I always seem to pay more about 1 hour after dinner not sure if it is because my belly is full and I'm uncomfortable or what but I always seem to spend more then than any other time of the day.

 

[Texas PaPaw]

To be honest, not sure. I know personnally i do not like to be in the first half hour, or the last few hours of a sale that goes to 10 pm or later, or at lunch time when half the buyers are out eating.
JMO

I agree with Rockridge. Seems like during the first 30 minutes or so the buyers are trying to get a feel for the market that day. When it gets late in the sale some buyers will get their orders filled and drop out of bidding for certain size/type cattle. When it gets down to 1 buyer for a certain class they will get considerably cheaper as it take 2 or more bidders for true price discovery.

Conversely, I find very early in a sale and the last hour or so to be the best time to buy. It really pays to be patient and stay late when buying calves.

 

[Dave]

In general terms I would agree however there are some conditions when this doesn't apply. Around here in the spring when the backyarders are buying their one or two calves the highest prices are in the first hour. After they get their calves and leave the price goes back to reallity. That time of the year I try to make sure my claves are at the front of the sale.

 

[PaMike]

I almost always buy the first lot of cattle through the sale that are the size and condition I want. I buy holsteins, and the guys bidding against me always want to see where the blacks are selling so that they know where the Holsteins are selling. The very end of a sale that is running late is also good. Had a buddy buy a trailer load of heifers cause they went to cheap at the end. Hauled them back the next week and they brought $10 a hundred more...

 

[dcara]

Why wait a week? If they are cheaper at the begining of the sale then just buy the first lot, run them to the back immediately to have them retagged and sell em later the same day!