Sold steers and heifers

[Ky hills]

Sold 16 black and BWF steers and heifers today. Overall thought they sold good for the way the market is.
Admittedly was not not overly impressed with some of these calves, especially sone of the heifers. Some were light weight out of smaller framed heifer bull.
Calves by 2 different size bulls made for a uneven group should have just been 2 groups of each.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Seems like quite a big range of prices - all being black calves. $0.50 difference between 5 wt heifers and steers? Is that a normal price difference? Remember, I have NO experience selling HEIFERS with steers. And, no matter what top to bottom range I have, buyer pays me 1 price for all - some not real savvy - but, I do watch what you guys/gals post.

 

[Ky hills]

Seems like quite a big range of prices - all being black calves. $0.50 difference between 5 wt heifers and steers? Is that a normal price difference? Remember, I have NO experience selling HEIFERS with steers. And, no matter what top to bottom range I have, buyer pays me 1 price for all - some not real savvy - but, I do watch what you guys/gals post.

Yeah .50 is quite a spread but heifers are pretty much always behind steers by a significant amount though not that much.
Some of these heifers were admittedly not what I'm proud of. If given time they would probably grow out into decent sized individuals.
Thought it was interesting last March I sat and watched several red Angus type calves sell right up with the black calves maybe just back a nickel at most. Today saw some red steers that were at least .20 back.

 

[gcreekrch]

Two things I note. You 5 wt heifers outsold the 4 wts by $10 and $38 commission is awful high…

 

[Hogfarmer10]

@ gcreekrch. I'd pay that commission gladly. I sold 2 cows 2 weeks ago. $131.30 commission.

 

[kenny thomas]

@ gcreekrch. I'd pay that commission gladly. I sold 2 cows 2 weeks ago. $131.30 commission.

Your commission would have been less than $50 here. Come see me next time. Lol

 

[gcreekrch]

@ gcreekrch. I'd pay that commission gladly. I sold 2 cows 2 weeks ago. $131.30 commission.

And I complain about $24.50 cows

 

[Dave]

The commission works out to be about 3.5%. That isn't bad most sales around here charge 4%.

 

[Logan52]

Seems you did all right for the way the market is.
Did you sell in Lexington? If you did, how was it? I have never sold there, always Stanford or Richmond.
Many in my area are selling direct at a yard in northern Garrard with no commission.

 

[Ky hills]

Seems you did all right for the way the market is.
Did you sell in Lexington? If you did, how was it? I have never sold there, always Stanford or Richmond.
Many in my area are selling direct at a yard in northern Garrard with no commission.

Yes, we sold in Lexington.
Lexington is pretty much like the others I guess. It's a new facility a lot like Stanford but it has a big area for office spaces and there's a horse and tack supply store, farrier supply, western clothing and a restaurant.
We prefer Lexington, we know some of the people that work there in various roles and know the COO of the stockyard company.
The folks in the back seem to be good and proficient at what they do.
We feel like Lexington is run and managed pretty good in comparison to some others.
A lot of people around here have switched from the various Bluegrass stockyards to Paris, we tried Paris and liked it fine and would continue to go there more often but the drive and road there isn't as good as going to Lexington and we felt like we didn't really know anybody there except for a local buyer.
Bluegrass East is the closest and easiest stockyards to get to, but we got burned there several times and just don't like the way it's managed now so haven't been there in a couple of years and no intention of going back unless they change management and clean house.
Haven't been to Richmond much, went to buy one day and watched the men in the back acting like idiots with hot shots getting cattle in the ring and in a big group of 900 or 1000 pound big steers they caused a calf to get down and ran the others over it. It was broken down and had to be moved with tractor or skid steer. I've never seen cattle handled that aggressively and a wonder more didn't get hurt than did. That was several years ago and I won't be back there either.

Is the place in Garrard County Ayer's Livestock?
I know some of the Ayer's family pretty well have bought a couple bulls from them over the years. Good people, I have thought about looking into selling with them but it's again a little farther away.

 

[farmerjan]

Commissions here run around $22 to $30 a head with all the "fees" they have. Some has to do with prices and so the smaller ones are a little less and the larger/older/mature animals are a little more. I just average the charges/commissions/yardage fees out with the total number of head that gets sold since there are usually some of my animals that get sold in with son's... There are several stockyards within 1 hour or so, so that is a fair average overall.

 

[Logan52]

Yes, Ayre's Livestock. I graduated with the oldest son of Harvey Ayres. The yard is on Forks Church Road, run by one of the grandsons. This is part of the old Dixie Stock Farm of Angle Sanders, who I went to church with as a kid.
Both Richmond and Stanford have always treated me well, and I like selling at auction. A lot of medium and smaller size producers are excited about what the Ayres are doing as it seems to cater to their needs and concerns.
I like them all, just glad we have so many options on marketing our cattle.

 

[Ky hills]

Yes, Ayre's Livestock. I graduated with the oldest son of Harvey Ayres. The yard is on Forks Church Road, run by one of the grandsons. This is part of the old Dixie Stock Farm of Angle Sanders, who I went to church with as a kid.
Both Richmond and Stanford have always treated me well, and I like selling at auction. A lot of medium and smaller size producers are excited about what the Ayres are doing as it seems to cater to their needs and concerns.
I like them all, just glad we have so many options on marketing our cattle.

We've known of Harvey Ayers for many years. I bought my first Angus bull from his son Sammy and a few years ago bought another from him from a farm he manages here in the county. Sammy is a good man.
I agree I am very thankful we have several livestock market options.
We have 4 stockyards within 20-30 miles and 3 more within an hour or so drive.
One of the yards about an hour away,
Lee City Livestock in Wolfe county that buy and sell some at too on occasion.

 

[Lazy M]

I sold the spring calves last week. I was overall very pleased with the prices. I kicked around the idea of holding back all the light weights until spring, but I'm happy I pulled the trigger.
I retained 30 heifers from this group and will now have to shop around for another heifer bull. I imagine bull prices will be way higher this year.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

What age range were these calves? BIG difference in weights.

 

[Lazy M]

What age range were these calves? BIG difference in weights.

Early March thru mid May. Most of the light weights were from first calf heifers. It seems most heifers 1st calves are typically light and they make it up after that.. could be milk production or because I use heifer safe bulls on the heifers and the calves come lighter

 

[Ky hills]

Early March thru mid May. Most of the light weights were from first calf heifers. It seems most heifers 1st calves are typically light and they make it up after that.. could be milk production or because I use heifer safe bulls on the heifers and the calves come lighter

If you mind me asking what breed bulls? Do the calving ease bulls have decent growth numbers?

 

[Lazy M]

If you mind me asking what breed bulls? Do the calving ease bulls have decent growth numbers?

I use angus or hereford for heifers, and sim for the cows. The CE bulls do have above average growth EPD's but the performance doesn't usually reflect that in my experience

 

[Ky hills]

I use angus or hereford for heifers, and sim for the cows. The CE bulls do have above average growth EPD's but the performance doesn't usually reflect that in my experience

Thank you for replying. Your calves weights and ages were similar to mine, and that has been my experience with those above average growth CE bulls too.
It doesn't reflect in my experience either, be it from heifers or cows. That is why I I'm trying Simmental bulls now.

 

[Lazy M]

Thank you for replying. Your calves weights and ages were similar to mine, and that has been my experience with those above average growth CE bulls too.
It doesn't reflect in my experience either, be it from heifers or cows. That is why I I'm trying Simmental bulls now.

Agreed. I doubt I'll buy a straight bred angus bull again. Angus definitely has its place, but you give up too many pounds for a commercial operation..