Selling calves to feedlots

[Stocker Steve]

Anyone that depends on the salebarn to sell their calves isnt going to make much of a profit anyway--that is why the guy that owns the salebarn has a new truck every 2 years and you are driving dad's hand me down with the 1980 dew eze on it.
Have you ever wondered why the buyers aren't interested in your cattle? I can tell you why------ because you have no data on your calves. They need data and without it you are stuck with making the local livestock exchange guy richer-- shame it is.
So you are a small operator-- why cant you small operators get together and retain ownership on 500 head thru the whole process keep your data as it will help you decide what you should be doing if you need to change at all -- The packers all want a consistent product and until you provide it with real data you will make the guy at the Livestock exchange richer.

I think reputation cattle sell well - - either private treaty or at the salebarn.
I realize it takes your data or the buyer's data to get a reputation, and that data takes time.
Do you have any recommendations on how to make retained ownership work for less than 500 head?

 

[mnmtranching]

Why pay a feedlot to feed Your calves? Why split the little profit there might be with another middleman. Why not feed the cattle Yourselves?

 

[somn]

Anyone that depends on the salebarn to sell their calves isnt going to make much of a profit anyway--that is why the guy that owns the salebarn has a new truck every 2 years and you are driving dad's hand me down with the 1980 dew eze on it.

The statement may be true in your area but it is very regional. Those ranchers in SD, ND, WY, MT, and NE would absolutly go broke without sale barns to sell the cattle. each and everyone of those barns will sell between 4 and 5 thousand head of feeder cattle everyweek. That amount of cattle would never get sold thru private treaty everyweek. The man buying all those cattle would be doing nothing but driving from ranch to ranch everyday. To get to all those ranches there isn't enough time in a day. Maybe salebarns are evil where you are from but in other parts of the country they are essential to turning a profit.

 

[Howdyjabo]

Boo me all you want.
History has proven me right and will again.
If any independent segment gets permanently damaged it will eventually hurt the MAJORITY of the other segments.
Minus a few individual winners.

i am not saying that there are places where cutting out the middleman is not cost effective- But I think there is a long term price to be paid if everyone starts doing it.
Stock yards are a great stabalizer- and the industry will be hurt if they are pushed out. Once gone its not easy getting them back.

Look at chickens and hogs........

 

[gerardplauche]

Stock yards are a great stabalizer- and the industry will be hurt if they are pushed out. Once gone its not easy getting them back.

Look at chickens and hogs........

I don't much about the chickens and hogs, but I agree completely with the stockyard statement. A long term problem will be created by a short term profit. But, that's how we do it around here....