When to take calves to sale barn

[Goodlife]

It is good to hear the good feelings for trust and honesty with your Sale Barns. I have always felt I could trust a cattle person more than most. Sure, some are gonna cheat you, but it takes a certain character to be willing to work so hard for so little money. I suppose a greedy person would likely find a more profitable venture than cheating an honest rancher out of so few dollars.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Why do calves sell one at a time in the south?

 

[BC]

Why do calves sell one at a time in the south?

We have a lot of cattle in the hands of small operators. According to USDA Census of Agriculture figures, there were approxiamately 58,000 beef cows in our county (Van Zandt) and a little over 2000 farms with beef cattle as an enterprise. The average herd size in my county was 31 head before the drought. The sale barns around here do not have a lot of small pens to handle each consignor's cattle seperately. Take the sale at Crockett last week, 1971 head sold by 210 sellers. That is a little over 9 head per consignor. The calves in those consignments may vary in weightr by 300 lbs as a lot of those producers only pen two or three times a year.

 

[Brute 23]

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:

:nod: Yup...

There is alot to be learned by hanging out but I wouldn't do it for any other reason than gaining knowledge. If I have to hang around to be sure the barn isn't screwing me I will find a new barn. Don't have time to baby sit.

If the runs are small and demand is high I take them the night/ evening before. On these big runs like we have been having in the drought no problem being a full day or so before the sale so they run thru early. Prices can get pretty bad at the end when the buyers have what they need.

 

[B&M Farms]

Why do calves sell one at a time in the south?

We have a lot of cattle in the hands of small operators. According to USDA Census of Agriculture figures, there were approxiamately 58,000 beef cows in our county (Van Zandt) and a little over 2000 farms with beef cattle as an enterprise. The average herd size in my county was 31 head before the drought. The sale barns around here do not have a lot of small pens to handle each consignor's cattle seperately. Take the sale at Crockett last week, 1971 head sold by 210 sellers. That is a little over 9 head per consignor. The calves in those consignments may vary in weightr by 300 lbs as a lot of those producers only pen two or three times a year.

Also, alot of producers in the south run bulls with cows all year and drop calves all year. Its up to the order buyers to put together pens of same size calves for stockers and feedlots.

 

[Caustic Burno]

You are correct on the average herd size in Texas 55% of producers run 25 to 30 head. Less than 4 or 5% run over a 100 head. antoher 25% are less than 25 head. Weather is not a factor in calving year around here either. If you walk the cat walk in Crockett you will see they have sorted calves by weight in the pen's. When I haul many a time I will have 2 or 3 neighbor's calves on the trailer. I haul for neighbors and the fuel bill is split by the number of calves on the trailer as some of my neighbors are up in age and are not comfortable with thier driving skills.
Most I ever ran was 37.

 

[Brute 23]

You are correct on the average herd size in Texas 55% of producers run 25 to 30 head. Less than 4 or 5% run over a 100 head. antoher 25% are less than 25 head. Weather is not a factor in calving year around here either. If you walk the cat walk in Crockett you will see they have sorted calves by weight in the pen's. When I haul many a time I will have 2 or 3 neighbor's calves on the trailer. I haul for neighbors and the fuel bill is split by the number of calves on the trailer as some of my neighbors are up in age and are not comfortable with thier driving skills.
Most I ever ran was 37.

That is how you make money in the cattle business... car pool.

 

[kenny thomas]

I know many people can not do it any different and thats fine but I love buying cattle that were brought in the day before. I challenge each of u to weigh a load of cattle that you take in the day before and then compare it to the sale weight.
We take cattle from 3-6pm the day before the sale. We put them on hay and water and feed them if the owner brings his own feed. Sometimes I will weigh a big calf, cow or bull just to see. Had a bull last week loose 100 lb by the time he was sold. Most of the calves loose a lot if not weaned because about all they do is stand and bawl. Hay and water is there but during the first 18 hours or so all they seem to want is momma.

 

[tom4018]

In the last several years i have only taken mine once before the day of sale. I like to make sure mine are weighed correctly and get the tickets before I leave. Had them stick a steer in the heifer pen opnce had I dropped them off the day before I would have gotten paid for a heifer and not a steer. Sometimes I stay, just depends on what is going on.

 

[backhoeboogie]

There's no doubt about that Kenny. It is especially bad when calves are weaned on the trailer and spend the next day bawling for momma. Stress makes them empty all of their internals as well.

When I haul a load a day or two ahead of the sale, I take it all into account. When I am buying at a different barn, it is time to take that into account as well. Generally, the lower the auction number is, the longer that calf has been there shrinking.

 

[crimsoncrazy]

We sell in Oklahoma City through a commission company. We've been selling with them for over 20 years and have a good relationship with them. In OKC the sell calves every monday and you almost never see single calves come through. That would take all week when the run is 6000 head on a slow week.

 

[backhoeboogie]

We sell in Oklahoma City through a commission company. We've been selling with them for over 20 years and have a good relationship with them. In OKC the sell calves every monday and you almost never see single calves come through. That would take all week when the run is 6000 head on a slow week.

I hate to buy in those situations. It is okay when they give you choice on the lot on high bid but then they wind up auctioning again and again. I took the best 6 once and the rest of the group didn't fare so well.

 

[B&M Farms]

We sell in Oklahoma City through a commission company. We've been selling with them for over 20 years and have a good relationship with them. In OKC the sell calves every monday and you almost never see single calves come through. That would take all week when the run is 6000 head on a slow week.

That sale in Crockett Caustic refered to sold 2575 head in 1 day last week, 1 at a time. Not much is said about them, they sale them fast.

 

[Dave]

Toppenish last Tuesday they sold 1,600 in 2 hors and 15 minutes. The biggest lot was over 100 head. I forget the exact number but I remember they weighed a little over 90,000 pounds. Counting and weighing took maybe 3 minutes selling took 30 seconds at the most.

 

[tncattle]

Well. O had to take them this afternoon because of my schedule so we'll see how they do. I weighed them before I loaded them so I can tell y'all the difference.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Well at least I know how to plan my Tuesday morning, LOL!

 

[kenny thomas]

Well. O had to take them this afternoon because of my schedule so we'll see how they do. I weighed them before I loaded them so I can tell y'all the difference.

Yes, please let us know. I know a lot of times because of work or whatever people have to do their best just to get them there when they can.

 

[BC]

Did you take feed and hay with the calves? If your calves were weaned and used to eating, they should regain most of the weight (shrink) lost in transport.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I don't know if he took any feed or hay with them BC but I do know they are weaned and on their own.

 

[1982vett]

So everyone believes a "full" calf brings the same $ as a "drawn" or "empty" calf.....