"Ship Her" Not to my sale, thank you.

[Crowderfarms]

MikeC, what part of Alabama are you from. I'm from NW Alabama. Most everbody within a 100 miles from me buy and sell mostly at the salebarns. I normally buy from one and sell at another. I'm not exactly a old timer, but I do wear overalls. Not the fake ones LIBERTY only. I am set in my ways as I know what works, and what has worked in the past. But I am constantly tweeking my operation. Those old timers gave me one heck of a good place to start from. I use the trials and errors they have proven in the past. It sure saves me a lot of wasted time and money. Some of those oldtimers can't tell you the square root of pi, or who is the latest movie star, but they can tell you what to do if a cow has some weird condition. Chances are they have experienced it.

Bama some wisdom there doesn't take long (if you know what your doing) to see the real old time cattlemen at the salebarn.
They didn't drive up in that shiny Ford 4X4 with that big hat talking a buch of noise like these weekend ranchers.
Every one of them old boys have got enough money to burn a wet mule, and they didn't make it in the city. Pretty smart in my books think I will listen.

I just got in from the Sale barn a little bit ago. Spent the afternoon with the overall gang. We sat and watched some of the poorest cattle any of us had seen sell in a long time. I still pick up info. at the sales. We watched a bunch sell that had just sold the other day at another sale.Talk about stressed and hot.None of these fellows drive a truck newer than 8-10 yrs. old. They have more knowledge than money can buy.

 

[MikeC]

MikeC, what part of Alabama are you from. I'm from NW Alabama. Most everbody within a 100 miles from me buy and sell mostly at the salebarns. I normally buy from one and sell at another. I'm not exactly a old timer, but I do wear overalls. Not the fake ones LIBERTY only. I am set in my ways as I know what works, and what has worked in the past. But I am constantly tweeking my operation. Those old timers gave me one heck of a good place to start from. I use the trials and errors they have proven in the past. It sure saves me a lot of wasted time and money. Some of those oldtimers can't tell you the square root of pi, or who is the latest movie star, but they can tell you what to do if a cow has some weird condition. Chances are they have experienced it.

I'm outside of Montgomery about 25 miles. Stop in sometime and we'll compare overalls. I'm no spring chicken myself.
By the way, "pi are round - cornbread are square". Thanks for the tips. ;-)

 

[Craig-TX]

Mike I've enjoyed and agreed with some of your other posts but I'm not sure what to make of this one. It sounds like you started off knocking the idea of buying replacements at a sale barn and wound up knocking the idea of selling calves there.

We do both and we do just fine at it. It's not a completely bad thing for people to be scared to buy at the salebarn. Cuts down on the competitive bidding and I'll get some good sound cows cheaper that way.

As far as getting together with all my neighbors and breeding alike pedigrees, selling direct, etc., I'm not really interested in vertical integration – much less the bovine white leggern that will result. I kinda like doing things my way, when and how I want to do 'em. Don't need more rules and regs and don't need to get permission from some committee or association before I make a decision or a change. As far as the worst enemy of beef goes, I wouldn't put inconsistency at the top. Quality calves don't need to be all the same color.

Anyway, like I said, I do enjoy your posts and look forward to more.

 

[Bama]

When I go to the barn to buy I look for the ones I can make the most money on. Sometimes there will be someone that came in with a 20 foot trailer and they ain't leaving unless its full. They buy till its full. I won't even try to bid against them. I normally walk outside of the ring to look over whats upcoming. I run into the same people that do just as I do. Let that trailer get full and then go back in to see what their bringing. Some people will buy everthing that comes in the ring at any price. I like these people when I'm selling. Thats why I buy from one barn and sell at another. On several occasions I have went to buy and came back with a empty trailer. The trick is knowing when that trailer should be full and when it should be empty.

 

[icandoit]

Bama wrote:

I'm not exactly a old timer, but I do wear overalls. Not the fake ones LIBERTY only.

Well Bama, In my minds eye, as far as what I thought you looked like, I didn't even think about you wearing overalls.
Just goes to show you that your minds eye can sometimes be blind.

As far as the salebarns go, get to know the owner and the regulars, ask questions, develop your own way of knowing what to look for. Take the proper precautions when you get the doggies home, or better yet, before you buy, and most times you should be ok. I'm not saying that all the time you'll be ok, but most times. It seems to me that there are regulars that go to our barn, so just introduce yourself to them and ask questions. Pretty soon you should be able to tell if that person knows what they're talking about or whether they are there to just get rid of or rip off an unsuspecting buyer. Knowledge is the best defense against getting ripped off.
Read, Read, and then read some more.

Dick


Dick

 

[Craig-TX]

When I go to the barn to buy I look for the ones I can make the most money on... I normally walk outside of the ring to look over whats upcoming... On several occasions I have went to buy and came back with a empty trailer.

Anybody who is willing to do these things is off to a real good start.

 

[Bama]

When I go to the barn to buy I look for the ones I can make the most money on... I normally walk outside of the ring to look over whats upcoming... On several occasions I have went to buy and came back with a empty trailer.

Anybody who is willing to do these things is off to a real good start.

The barn I sell at is 12 miles to the west, the one I buy most from is 10 miles to the east. It would be harder for someone driving a long distance to come back with a emply trailer. Sometimes I can't believe what some folks will pay for one thats gonna cost a bundle to keep up.