When to take calves to sale barn

[tncattle]

I'm taking 6 steers to the sale barn next week. Here is what I'm trying to figure out best:

Calves will avg. around 650-675, fully weaned. The sale is around 1 pm. Tuesday and they don't weigh the cattle until they go through the ring and sell. Should I drop off late Monday afternoon or early Tuesday morning?

 

[Farmerjon]

If I were taking anything to a sale barn, I would be there to represent them and see them sell. That answers your question that I would take them Tuesday. That is a lot of work you are letting be sold without representation.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

That makes sense Farmerjon.

Which auction are you taking them to tncattle?

 

[tncattle]

That makes sense Farmerjon.

Which auction are you taking them to tncattle?

Dickson, I would normally take them to Guthrie Ky. but Dickson's prices have been as good or better and it's about 40 miles closer. Guthrie weighs them right off the trailer and Dickson when they run through the ring so they will probably be lighter at Dickson but I'll save the difference in fuel (maybe) and time.

 

[Goodlife]

Does anyone really drop off and not watch their cattle run through? I can't imagine doing that after putting that much tine into them.

 

[Jim62]

Yep. The only reason to stick around and watch them sell is if you're planning to buy them.

Other than that, it makes absolutely no difference if you're there or not.

JMHO :hide:

 

[Farmerjon]

Uhhhhhmmmmmmm, if someone has a specific question, how old, vaccinated, etc,, if you aren't there, the auctioneer generally just shrugs his shoulders. If they say something completely wrong about your calves (have the wrong slip of paper from another farm) you are there to set the record straight. I don't like my stuff or my money in someone else's hands.

 

[Goodlife]

Perhaps it was just paranoia, but I read one poster who was convinced when he didn't stick around they traded some of his steers out for shall we say less valuable steers to sell as his. He talked of them saying he got less for tumors and other descriptions he swears were not his cattle. Our sale barn seems too honest for that to me, but perhaps I am naive??

I also have to say on nothing more than a personal note, I get a certain pleasure out of watching the fruit of my labor sell.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I think I'd be a bit sad watching them go but I reckon I'd stay and watch just the same.

 

[BC]

If your calves are weaned and know what feed is and know how to drink from a trough, I would take them in the night before and take my feed and hay with the calves. They will regain the weight loss of the trip (shrink).

In our part of the world, we pretty much sell them one at a time. Unless you have a a big group of preconditioned calves, little will be said about the calves. Most of the sales down here are pretty rapid selling from 4 to 6 head a minute. Not much time to provide testimonials on each animal.

 

[tncattle]

FWIW, when I have sold in the past I simply tell them what to say about my calves and they have done it. Stuff like vaccinations, weaned etc.

 

[bigbull338]

id take them the morning of the sale if i was hauling them.an if you can stay an watch them id do that to.i normally just have a hauler pick the cattle up an i dont go to the sale.but that will change when we haul cattle this year,as we are going to haul so meny.

 

[dun]

FWIW, when I have sold in the past I simply tell them what to say about my calves and they have done it. Stuff like vaccinations, weaned etc.

That's exactly what I do. The only time I stuck around was when we sold a bunch of pairs and 3 in ones in a special cow sale. We have a copule of guys locally that haul for different sales barns and they haul them as reps for the barn. One guy gets paid by them not me, the oher charges something like a buck and half a head. Calves bring the same pretty much as they will at any other barn. The calves are sorted and go through as singles or groups depending on how they sort out.

 

[Douglas]

The last time i went, sat around for 6 hours, when out side for 2 minutes to get a cell signal, and missed mine selling. I was happpy how they sold however. All day they were sold onzies twosies, and mine we sold in two groups of 5. I lost a lot of weight with them waiting that long to sell.
I am really convinced the more uniform (same color, same sex, same size) they are the better they will sale at the barn. I think it send the message that you are a bigger producer using some management. I wish i had a way to weight them to better group them. I also wish i was large enough to sell a truck load, maybe someday.

 

[houstoncutter]

Cant speak for every sale barn, but most time first calves in are the first calves sold. This time off the year most barns will still be selling calves at 1 or 2 oclock in the morning. The only time I get hot under the collar is when I see a group of calves fresh of the trailer that get sold before mine... Most times I dont stick around, because all you could do is p.o. the calves, then what are you gonna do with em....

 

[Dave]

You need to know how the barn sells. Is it first in sell first? Is it by size and sex? If you take them in the day before what time to the pull them off feed and sort? How long do they stand around before they sell?
My local barn sells by size and sex. So light steers sell before heavy steers, then to heifers and so on.... They will sort calves that came in the night before at 8:00 in the morning. So bring them in early will cost you shrink.
The yard I sell my calves at (not too local) generally sell by the order they came in but they also sell large groups. Last week they sold 1,600 calves in 2 hours and 15 minutes. Almost an hour into the sale my calves were still on feed and water. They weren't sorted more than an hour before they sold. In that case having them there early helps eliminate shrink.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Does anyone really drop off and not watch their cattle run through? I can't imagine doing that after putting that much tine into them.

About half the time. The sale is use is on Tuesday. Sold calves there 11 times this year. That would have been 11 days vacation for me to sit through.

10 times everything went better than expected and I got more than they were worth. Once I took a hit but it had to happen.

Aint never PO'd an animal anyway.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Does anyone really drop off and not watch their cattle run through? I can't imagine doing that after putting that much tine into them.

About half the time. The sale is use is on Tuesday. Sold calves there 11 times this year. That would have been 11 days vacation for me to sit through.

10 times everything went better than expected and I got more than they were worth. Once I took a hit but it had to happen.

Aint never PO'd an animal anyway.

I routinely drop a load at Crockett and head for the house. I have never felt like I was taken as my calf's have always brought better than the average price for their weight class.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I'm taking 6 steers to the sale barn next week. Here is what I'm trying to figure out best:

Calves will avg. around 650-675, fully weaned. The sale is around 1 pm. Tuesday and they don't weigh the cattle until they go through the ring and sell. Should I drop off late Monday afternoon or early Tuesday morning?

Last Tuesday AM for minimum shrink. Should save you about 2% in weight. Let them eat their morning ration, tank up, and then load. No way they will eat that well in a strange place with a strange ration, if they get one.

 

[B&M Farms]

I load and haul the morning of the sale and head back. The sales around here sale one at a time unless you ask them to sale in groups. Calves fly through the ring and not much is said except how much per pound and what order buyer they sold to. I always check out the market report after the sale and my calves always sale close to the high end for their weight class so no complaints.