I have also heard of salebarns figuring shrink into their weights but what are you going to do? Salebarns are getting to be far and few between. Sometimes you loose just as much by trying to go somewhere else. With the price of fuel these days you may end up spending the same amount you would have lost at the closer barn.
Skrinkage on cow/calves
- Thread starter carla
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I am not for sure, but I think that this is a sale barn that should be reported to the Packers and Stockyards Adm. I believe this practice would fall under their jurisdiction.jerry27150":3icz11of said:
CattleAnnie
Well-known member
You can help cut back the shrink a bit (at least in our experience up here) by getting any cattle that you're selling off green grass and onto hay for a few days before shipping them.
Sure helps tighten them up and the buyers up here prefer it, or so it seems when you watch the price difference between calves off of grass and calves off of hay selling in the ring. (The truckers prefer it too, as less juicy mess in the liners to shovel out) ;-)
Anyone else seen this before, or is this an oddity to other locals?
Take care.
Sure helps tighten them up and the buyers up here prefer it, or so it seems when you watch the price difference between calves off of grass and calves off of hay selling in the ring. (The truckers prefer it too, as less juicy mess in the liners to shovel out) ;-)
Anyone else seen this before, or is this an oddity to other locals?
Take care.
sidney411
Well-known member
C.A.
Wouldn't changing their diet cause them to lose some weight in transitioning? How long ahead of shipping do you put them on the hay?
Wouldn't changing their diet cause them to lose some weight in transitioning? How long ahead of shipping do you put them on the hay?
CattleAnnie
Well-known member
We usually put them on hay for about a week before shipping. Mind you, we don't pre-condition our calves (just not set up for it) so we ship them right off the cow in early November.
Amazingly enough, after the long haul to the auction mart, when I check them they settle in very well. Very minimal bawling and seem to head right to the feed bunker (the mart has an understanding that long haul calves go straight into a feed pen for the remainder of the night, come off feed in the a.m. and get sold the afternoon. Usually ends up being around 24 hrs after they leave our place). No complaints.
Conversly, I've seen short haul calves sell locally that looked terrible. They just seem to stand around bawling all night. Maybe the long trip in the liners tuckers the long haul calves out enough so that they settle in better.
Take care.
Amazingly enough, after the long haul to the auction mart, when I check them they settle in very well. Very minimal bawling and seem to head right to the feed bunker (the mart has an understanding that long haul calves go straight into a feed pen for the remainder of the night, come off feed in the a.m. and get sold the afternoon. Usually ends up being around 24 hrs after they leave our place). No complaints.
Conversly, I've seen short haul calves sell locally that looked terrible. They just seem to stand around bawling all night. Maybe the long trip in the liners tuckers the long haul calves out enough so that they settle in better.
Take care.
CattleAnnie
Well-known member
Could be, except ours get hay fed rolled out in the pasture. Either way though, works here.
Does anyone else put their calves on dry feed before shipping?
Take care.
Does anyone else put their calves on dry feed before shipping?
Take care.
jerry27150
Well-known member
annie, i used to sell some cattle to a jockey in pa. & he would always want you to feed them hay for a day or two
CattleAnnie":18zkmteq said:
Pretty much the same thing. They know that food isn;t green and growing under their feet. We've never had a problem transitining the calves to hay. About the only time they see the stuff is when they're first born in the calving pens, but by the time they head out to pasture with the big kids they;ve already started eating it. Then they'll see it, maybe, when they're weaned. Same thing with a grain trough. They come up with their mothers when we bring them in with grain so we can breed whoever needs breeding. The calves get used to sticking their heads in the trough. When they're weaned they head straight to the trough.
dun
dun
