Shrink

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I don't think it is legal for a livestock market to do that. You should check with Packers and Stockers Administration. At the very least look at the tariff (charges allowed) sheet at the auction. They should by law have it easily visible and if they charge shrink it by law is on that sheet. Sellers are getting the shaft on that. Most of the actual shrink occurs from loading at farm to arrival at market, in worst case it's costing you 4% shrink (3% before they get to market)
 
I think that any sale barn that is deducting shrink, it's because they are weighing off the trailer rather than in the sale ring. Locally on regular sales they weigh in the ring, but on precondition sales they weigh off the trailer and apply a 3% shrink. I would check with the sale barn and I bet you'll find that they are weighing off the trailer.
 
Someone tell me when some of this $ is going to go into our pockets.... 50 bucks for a couple steaks and 100 for a brisket thats half fat..... who is getting all this money????? It sure aint the beef producers..
 
I have been to sales in TX where they are weighed after they are sold but I will never understand why they aren't weighed going into the sale ring instead of going out.
The vast majority of our sales weigh as the animal leaves the ring. A few new ones weigh prior to coming into the ring. Weighing ahead of the sale is like shooting fish in a barrel. Being able to out weigh and sort is an advantage to an order buyer. The look on one's face (like they crapped down both legs) when he /she mis-guessed a calf by 50 to 100 lbs is priceless. You just got into their head and they are second guessing themselves for the next 10 minutes. I have been on both sides of that scenario.
 
Around here if calves are to be sold in the "show alley" they will be weighed off the truck and shrink will be applied based on distance hauled. Ranches like ours that are quite a distance from the auction mart will often give up zero shrink. Guys that haul a few miles might give 3 percent. Calves that are weighed as they enter the ring have no shrink pencilled in.
Anyone that thinks they aren't paying shrink are fooling themselves. Buyers can tell a full calf from an empty one and pay accordingly.
Silver, we are in Alberta. Calves were sorted, weaned at around noon, went on the truck at about 2:30, hauled about 250km, stood at the auction over night and went through the ring at about 2 next day. I didn't expect any shrink and I'm not going to bitch at the auction mart. Because overall we are quite happy with them, not sure why we got shrink this time around though.
 
What it boils down to is you are paying the buyers fee to the eventual owner. The buyer sits there all day and buys whats on his order list for a 1% fee. The buyer should pay this but for some reason, they are passing it on to the seller. A 1% shrink is nothing but a rip off to the seller. The calves will regain 2% of their wight as soon as they are comfortable at a water trough.
I would tell the sale barn owner that I was not going to pay it or I would take my business elsewhere but since you are in Alberta you may not have the choice of going elsewhere.
We would have choice, but that means shipping them further and I don't like that idea. Because their journey doesn't end at the auction, god knows how far they go after the sale.
 
I've never heard of a sale barn deducting the either. Surely there's more to the story. I would call the barn and find out what's up and most likely go elsewhere next time.
I don't know whats more to the story. At least not on my end. I assumed we never dealt with shrink, because of the distance and the over night stay. Just noticed it this time because they went through the show alley and shrink was listed.
 
The vast majority of our sales weigh as the animal leaves the ring. A few new ones weigh prior to coming into the ring. Weighing ahead of the sale is like shooting fish in a barrel. Being able to out weigh and sort is an advantage to an order buyer. The look on one's face (like they crapped down both legs) when he /she mis-guessed a calf by 50 to 100 lbs is priceless. You just got into their head and they are second guessing themselves for the next 10 minutes. I have been on both sides of that scenario.
Here they are weighed before going in the ring, in order to group our calves in somewhat average weight/sex lots. Not sure if they weigh them off the truck or on sale day.
 
When we buy cattle direct from the backgrounder they are weighed at the ranch before going on the truck. We deduct a 2% shrink from the weight and pay on that number. I would say they are coming out ahead from weighing them off the truck at the feed yard.
 
That money goes in my pocket when I fatten my own and eat it!
No way I'm paying that for steaks!
Someone tell me when some of this $ is going to go into our pockets.... 50 bucks for a couple steaks and 100 for a brisket thats half fat..... who is getting all this money????? It sure aint the beef producers..
 
I have been to sales in TX where they are weighed after they are sold but I will never understand why they aren't weighed going into the sale ring instead of going out.
Used to be that way here but everyone mostly changed over to ring scales about 30 years ago.
 
Here, the scales are what they stand on before they open the gate to let them in the ring. A cow/calf/bull, whatever, is leaving the ring and its weight goes off the screen. A new weight goes up on the screen as the next animal enters the ring. It has been this way since the 70's at least. Back then they used an overhead projector to put the weight ticket up. Of course since the 80's or so, it is a digital display.
 
I go 2 places. Vincennes the ring is the scale, and the weight is on a big screen before the bidding starts. If they are there overnight that is announced. They sometimes announce a long haul. Shelbyville they are weighed just before entering the sale ring, and the weight is put on a big screen before the bidding starts. No shrinkage, figure it out yourself when you bid, both places
 
Silver, we are in Alberta. Calves were sorted, weaned at around noon, went on the truck at about 2:30, hauled about 250km, stood at the auction over night and went through the ring at about 2 next day. I didn't expect any shrink and I'm not going to bitch at the auction mart. Because overall we are quite happy with them, not sure why we got shrink this time around though.
With your situation I would expect no shrink. 1% at most if weighed right off the truck. I always discuss the shrink situation prior to shipping because I've been surprised in the past and didn't like it.
What part of Alberta are you in?
 
Here they are weighed before going in the ring, in order to group our calves in somewhat average weight/sex lots. Not sure if they weigh them off the truck or on sale day.
I think you just answered the question. You said the calves are weighed and sorted into groups prior to the sale. In that case, a pencil shrink was probably applied. It is quite common in the preconditioned calf sales here in East Texas, not so much in the regular weekly sales.
 
Here they are weighed before going in the ring, in order to group our calves in somewhat average weight/sex lots. Not sure if they weigh them off the truck or on sale day.
I would say what BC said above is correct. If they're weighed before they go in the ring….that's the rest of the story. Calves shrink at the salebarn, it's gonna cost you one way or the other.
 
Are your calves weighed when unloaded or when sold. If weighed when unloaded I might see a shrink but if weighed when sold your getting ripped off.
I've heard of shrink (weight loss) due to stress during sale. Is this what the term shrink means? When are the calves weighed?
 
Here presort sales have pencil shrink, there is a sliding scale depending how far they are trucked, something like 0-100km 3%,101-200km 2%, 201-300km 1%, 300+ 0% this is weighed off the truck sorted then put on feed and water.
Used to have a neighbor who weighed his calves for about 30yrs he would weigh them on Friday put back on the cows until Monday then wean and ship 35 miles for Tuesday sale with over night stand at the sale barn until weighed at sale time. Over the years they averaged 6% shrink on 5 weight calves.
 

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