We may all be missing the boat, by not raising Corrientes!

[BFE]

All I've learned is that I ain't going to Georgia, too many overly sensitive butt whippers there.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I think we are all idiots for keeping this thread going.

Yet we do.

 

[Brute 23]

I know this is getting off topic here but if I know I'm going to offer a significantly lower price and I know I'm not going to pay asking price I will say it right up front, on the phone or what ever, before any one has too much time invested. I'll say some thing like...

If you would consider taking X amount I'll be there at this date and time with cash in hand and if it all looks good I will take it.

I rarely show up to haggle if I'm not willing to pay asking price. The exception being finding some thing that would lower the value that was not disclosed. I dont want to waste either of our time.

We had a guy that was buying pipe say he would take x mount of pipe at an agreed price and would be there in a couple days to pick it up. The morning we all show up to load him out he started trying to negotiate, holding cash in his hand... saying stuff like I'm here now... blag blah blah. I busted out laughing at the guy but quoted down when I realized I was the only one laughing. When the guy finally stopped I saw my uncle look up at my dad and I could feel the words through the silence. There was a long pause... then I heard... Get the &@#% of this property and dont ever come back... in a tone that I knew meant business from my younger days. My uncle chimed in with... it will sit here and rust away before we play that $&!% with you.... Then I started laughing again.

That blew my mind. I guess people actually do that?

I saw the guy in town at a restaurant a couple days after and he looked up at me as I walked by and I couldnt help but start laughing again.

 

[Warren Allison]

Anyone who thinks that an order buyer can't tell a high percentage Corriente from a pen of English or Continental calves is kidding themselves.

To think that you will trick an order buyer with a calf that will mature too small or too light is about as crooked as trying to be a penhooker.

I don't know of anybody that has tried to "trick" anyone. Everyone I knw that has crossed Corriente cows with Angus bulls, including my friend last week and myself several times in the 90's and early 2000's, just take the calves to the sale barn and unload them, and tell the the guys at the in take area what name the check goes to. I have never had any idea who bought any weigh cattle.. I never stick around to see. Dunno of anyone else who does, either. When I have stuck around for the first hour or so and watched the weigh cows sell ( usually because I am waiting on them to get my check for head cattle I have sold, or get my bill ready for any head cattle I bought) I have never seen buyers try to stop the auction and ask any questions. They can see the animal for the 1-3 seconds it is in the ring, and the weight is displayed when it enters the ring, so I reckon that is all the info they need ...or want...to know.

I suppose there are some on here that think that if you DO stick around and watch the weigh calves sell, and you see one of your Angus x Corriente steers come in the ring, and it starts bringing too much money you are supposed to do what?... try to interrupt the 1-3 seconds of bidding and stand up and announce " That calf is half Corriente?"

 

[Lucky]

This thread has allot to do with what's wrong with the cattle business today. Allot of talk about producing a far inferior product and cheating new guys out of their cattle instead of helping them out. It seems like everyone is alway pointing fingers at the next guy instead of looking at their own operation. Good cattle will always bring a premium price, if your not there yet maybe you need to spend more time getting there and less time complaining about why you can't get there.

 

[alacowman1]

I know this is getting off topic here but if I know I'm going to offer a significantly lower price and I know I'm not going to pay asking price I will say it right up front, on the phone or what ever, before any one has too much time invested. I'll say some thing like...

If you would consider taking X amount I'll be there at this date and time with cash in hand and if it all looks good I will take it.

I rarely show up to haggle if I'm not willing to pay asking price. The exception being finding some thing that would lower the value that was not disclosed. I dont want to waste either of our time.

We had a guy that was buying pipe say he would take x mount of pipe at an agreed price and would be there in a couple days to pick it up. The morning we all show up to load him out he started trying to negotiate, holding cash in his hand... saying stuff like I'm here now... blag blah blah. I busted out laughing at the guy but quoted down when I realized I was the only one laughing. When the guy finally stopped I saw my uncle look up at my dad and I could feel the words through the silence. There was a long pause... then I heard... Get the &@#% of this property and dont ever come back... in a tone that I knew meant business from my younger days. My uncle chimed in with... it will sit here and rust away before we play that $&!% with you.... Then I started laughing again.

That blew my mind. I guess people actually do that?

I saw the guy in town at a restaurant a couple days after and he looked up at me as I walked by and I couldnt help but start laughing again.

Old girl friend was bad at flea markets,to haggle with someone to lower the price .and once they give in to her price ..she would turn and walk away..did that a few times before I got her to quit..if you ain't buying quit haggling..

 

[bird dog]

""This thread has allot to do with what's wrong with the cattle business today. Allot of talk about producing a far inferior product and cheating new guys out of their cattle instead of helping them out.""

I don't know how many people I have talked to that are intimidated with the whole sale barn process. They don't go because they are afraid of getting ripped off. The whole process moves to fast for them. Instead they use Craigslist. I went and looked at some Craigslist heifers one time and their was a another older couple there before me, The owner was late getting there so I struck up a conversation with them. The cows were over priced trader animals so of no interest to me but the couple was interested. They said they didn't trust the sale barns and would rather buy from this guy even though he was more expensive.

I had mentioned before that there was a couple of sale barns I will not do business with. One of them is where these folks felt they got screwed. The barn I use also moves very fast at times but the auctioneer will recognize newbies and slow down to make sure they know the price they are paying and what they are getting. They try to have full disclosure and call out deformities. It annoys me to know end the barns that try to sneak a sick animal through. I know they represent the seller but like the folks looking at the heifers, it only takes one time getting screwed and you have lost the customer for life.

 

[A.J.]

Old girl friend was bad at flea markets,to haggle with someone to lower the price .and once they give in to her price ..she would turn and walk away..did that a few times before I got her to quit..if you ain't buying quit haggling..

At flea markets and yard sales you could have something worth $50 and be asking 50 cents and somebody would still try to talk you down. That's the highlight of some people's week going to them things and feeling like they got them a steal, even if it winds up being junk they will never use or do anything with.

 

[Lucky]

""This thread has allot to do with what's wrong with the cattle business today. Allot of talk about producing a far inferior product and cheating new guys out of their cattle instead of helping them out.""

I don't know how many people I have talked to that are intimidated with the whole sale barn process. They don't go because they are afraid of getting ripped off. The whole process moves to fast for them. Instead they use Craigslist. I went and looked at some Craigslist heifers one time and their was a another older couple there before me, The owner was late getting there so I struck up a conversation with them. The cows were over priced trader animals so of no interest to me but the couple was interested. They said they didn't trust the sale barns and would rather buy from this guy even though he was more expensive.

I had mentioned before that there was a couple of sale barns I will not do business with. One of them is where these folks felt they got screwed. The barn I use also moves very fast at times but the auctioneer will recognize newbies and slow down to make sure they know the price they are paying and what they are getting. They try to have full disclosure and call out deformities. It annoys me to know end the barns that try to sneak a sick animal through. I know they represent the seller but like the folks looking at the heifers, it only takes one time getting screwed and you have lost the customer for life.

I'm not comfortable bidding on cattle at salebarns and don't like sitting there all day either. Around here if you talk to the owners they'll point you to someone that will buy for you. Give them a price range and tell them what you want and they'll buy it. Generally cost $10-15 a head. Earlier this year I went and looked at 100 bred heifers at the local barn after hours. I talked with the owner and he gave me a guy to call. 10 minutes on the phone and went and picked up 15 of them the next day. Way easier than Craigslist.

 

[Brute 23]

I'm not comfortable bidding on cattle at salebarns and don't like sitting there all day either. Around here if you talk to the owners they'll point you to someone that will buy for you. Give them a price range and tell them what you want and they'll buy it. Generally cost $10-15 a head. Earlier this year I went and looked at 100 bred heifers at the local barn after hours. I talked with the owner and he gave me a guy to call. 10 minutes on the phone and went and picked up 15 of them the next day. Way easier than Craigslist.

There are some guys here that buy a lot of cows. They take the home, straighten them out, group them up, and send them back.

I have seen where people call up to the barn or call the cattle buyer and say can you watch for 20 middle aged black cows for x amount. The buyer calls to the guy with the cows and says gather me 20 middle aged black cows I can get this amount for them. The auction starts the price a little lower, another buyer goes back and forth a few times for show, but the cows get sold like they are suppose to. The buyer is getting paid by both sides.

I'm not saying it's right or wrong... but I dont trust who is actually working for who at the auction barn. I've said from the get go never think the auction barn works for you the buyer... they work for the sellers.

 

[Lucky]

There are some guys here that buy a lot of cows. They take the home, straighten them out, group them up, and send them back.

I have seen where people call up to the barn or call the cattle buyer and say can you watch for 20 middle aged black cows for x amount. The buyer calls to the guy with the cows and says gather me 20 middle aged black cows I can get this amount for them. The auction starts the price a little lower, another buyer goes back and forth a few times for show, but the cows get sold like they are suppose to. The buyer is getting paid by both sides.

I'm not saying it's right or wrong... but I dont trust who is actually working for who at the auction barn. I've said from the get go never think the auction barn works for you the buyer... they work for the sellers.

You are correct Brute. When I bought the heifers I spoke of things went a little different than normal. I'm friends with the owner of the sale barn and when I told him who normally buys for me he told me the man had orders from several buyers already and I should use someone else to get a better deal. I've met the buyers son a few times so felt fairly comfortable using him. He did just as I expected he would. The guy I normally use is an order buyer so hits 3-4 sales a week. I usually give him a call and tell him how many I want, he gathers them up and I pick them up at his place. Sometimes it will take several weeks to get what I'm looking for.

 

[Davemk]

I'm not comfortable bidding on cattle at salebarns and don't like sitting there all day either. Around here if you talk to the owners they'll point you to someone that will buy for you. Give them a price range and tell them what you want and they'll buy it. Generally cost $10-15 a head. Earlier this year I went and looked at 100 bred heifers at the local barn after hours. I talked with the owner and he gave me a guy to call. 10 minutes on the phone and went and picked up 15 of them the next day. Way easier than Craigslist.

The 1/2 breeds are not hard to pick out. We just bid accordingly and if bought correctly money can still be made with them in the feedlot.

 

[Lucky]

The 1/2 breeds are not hard to pick out. We just bid accordingly and if bought correctly money can still be made with them in the feedlot.

Good calves are easy to pick out quickly. I'm not fast enough to pick out bad bags, eyes, feet, etc when buying cows. I also can't trust myself when bidding. Plus I just don't really enjoy sitting at the sale for hours and being around a bunch of people.

 

[georgiabob]

Yep, that's what the Pineywoods cattle I have seen look like, Corriente looking as far as horns, but bigger than a Corrieente, about the size of a Longhorn. Fla Cracker sand Fla Scrubs have horns that don;t grow out all that wide, but grow straight up. A result of evolution. The same Criollo cattle from Spain that gave us Corrientes, LHs and Pinewoods were where these to Fla breeds came from. But cattle with an 8' horn spread like a LH, were hard pressed to run from the bears and Fla panthers etc in the almost impenetrable pine thickets that covered Fla until the 20th century. Cattle with narrow horns would get away to breed, and those with Long Horn type horns, would get slowed down in the trees, and the bears and panthers would eat them. What part of Georgia are you in?

Taylor county

 

[georgiabob]

I don't live in north Georgia, but I can almost see it from my front porch. I don't know anyone that easily runs a cow-calf pair per acre year round. Maybe some of those mini cows with mini calves.

I think I hear the fat lady warming up and about ready to sing.

You can run a bunch if you feed them but grass only it's acred per head not head per acre

 

[Warren Allison]

You can run a bunch if you feed them but grass only it's acred per head not head per acre

Yep, that would be true down there. If I remember right, that's down around Thomaston?

 

[georgiabob]

Just south of thomaston. I have a neighbor that runs between 2 and 300 head on strictly grass and he said it takes 2 acres per cow/calf pair. They don't rotate pasture much, though. If somebody was doing more regenerative style rotation they might be able to do a little better.

 

[Nesikep]

Just south of thomaston. I have a neighbor that runs between 2 and 300 head on strictly grass and he said it takes 2 acres per cow/calf pair. They don't rotate pasture much, though. If somebody was doing more regenerative style rotation they might be able to do a little better.

I feed hay for about 5 months a year, I run about 2 acres per pair, though that does leave hay left over for selling (usually about 40 ton/year)

 

[faster horses]

In SE MT it takes 25 acres per cow per year IF you feed hay during winter.

 

[Warren Allison]

Just south of Thomaston. I have a neighbor that runs between 2 and 300 head on strictly grass and he said it takes 2 acres per cow/calf pair. They don't rotate pasture much, though. If somebody was doing more regenerative style rotation they might be able to do a little better.

2 acres per pair isn't bad at all, compared to western states. And not everyone in north GA can do an acre per cow. You have to keep it fertilized and limed to UGA specs, spray for weeds,.etc. Pastures kept like this, most of the time you won't have to feed hay until November til March. Longer for those who don't maintain, or who overstock their pastures. What's the closest sale barn to y'all there in Thomaston?