Where do you sell your calves?

[lazyhill]

There has been a lot of discussion lately on the sale barn issue. Do I buy from a sale barn or should I buy from a private person or should I buy form a production sale, etc.

Here is my question for discussion: Where does everyone sell their calves each year? I am assuming everyone here is in the cattle business to make money and I am also assuming that none of us have unlimited space to keep everything we ever produce.

 

[Anonymous]

There has been a lot of discussion lately on the sale barn issue. Do I buy from a sale barn or should I buy from a private person or should I buy form a production sale, etc.

Here is my question for discussion: Where does everyone sell their calves each year? I am assuming everyone here is in the cattle business to make money and I am also assuming that none of us have unlimited space to keep everything we ever produce.

Salebarns.... I like going to salebarns, its exciting. Usually I can spot a couple cute girls or two there haha... BUT they are either way too young, too much makeup, or they got a date with them... hehe.

 

[BLACKPOWER]

There has been a lot of discussion lately on the sale barn issue. Do I buy from a sale barn or should I buy from a private person or should I buy form a production sale, etc.

Here is my question for discussion: Where does everyone sell their calves each year? I am assuming everyone here is in the cattle business to make money and I am also assuming that none of us have unlimited space to keep everything we ever produce.

The majority of cattle sold in "Cattle Country" are sold through sale barns. In the fall up to 14,000 head are sold in one day. Sale lasts from noon till midnight. I challenge you to find better quality commercial cattle anywhere than what walks through the sale barns of cattle country.

 

[Randyman]

The majority of cattle sold in "Cattle Country" are sold through sale barns. In the fall up to 14,000 head are sold in one day. Sale lasts from noon till midnight. I challenge you to find better quality commercial cattle anywhere than what walks through the sale barns of cattle country.[/quote]


I agree totally. unless you are buying seedstock there is no better place to buy or sell than a quality salebarn. We have a lot offeedlots in my area and they all buy their calves from salebarns. Oddly enough most of them come from Good ol' Blackpowers' area. Why? BEcause they raise good cattle.

 

[Hawk]

Sale barns are the primary market place where ranchers in my area sale their annual calf crop and it's been that way for many years. With all due respect to those that like to say that you should never buy anything from a sale barn, that is where most of the cattle are sold. If you are convinced that sale barns are evil then you are depriving yourself of a viable market for you calves and for the purchase of replacement animals. I would be the first to admit that the principal of "buyer beware" is in full effect and you need to proceed with due diligence. Auctions are not for everyone and if you feel uncomfortable buying there, don't go. It does get a little tiresome that some of the more vocal regulars on this board keep spouting the same tired old line that sale barns are bad placed to buy or sell. If you don't like them, fine, but I wish you would quit insulting those of us who do and advising the beginners not to even visit them and make up their own minds.

 

[dun]

We sell a few heifers private treaty as commercial breeding stock, those that aren't up to those standards or are to small go to the salebarn. The rest we market through our marketing association made up of about 50 producers.

dun

 

[Anonymous]

Actually a sale barn is a great place for a beginner to learn a lot about cattle. Watch what the big buyers and try to tell why they buy the ones they do. Study cattle that cause the buyers to sit on their hands and again figure out why. Ask a few questions but mostly watch and learn.
As for the people here who are down on buying at a sale barn... well most dog breeders will cuss mutts from the animal shelter. But you can find a mighty fine dog there if you take your time and know what you are looking for.
I buy everything but breeding bulls at the sale barn. That includes bred cows. The last three years my February born steer calves have weaned at a 700 pound average in September and they are all out of sale barn cows.
Dave

 

[PATB]

We sale the cattle in three ways: private treaty, Co-mingled feeder sale, sale barn. We sale a certian amount of breeding stock and feeders private treaty. The majority fo the feeder cattle go thru the Maine beef producers Co-mingled preconditioned prevacinated feeder sales. Cull animals are shipped to the flames livestock auction/meatpacking plant. The heifers that are not good enough to go back into our herd are sold via the feeder sales. They may end up as feeders or as replacement in somebody's elses herd. Your cull animal may be better than someone whole cowherd.

 

[Oldtimer]

Up here on calves its probably a 45/45/10 split- 45% through the sale barns- 45% through contracting with order buyers- and 10% retaining ownership through the feedlots and selling them as fats.

The majority of culls, dispersions, and seedstock bulls and heifers are by auction.

 

[donnaIL]

im guessing that those cattle that go to your marketing association may show up at a sale barn????? i really didnt understand your answer

 

[donnaIL]

sorry that post was a ? to dun

 

[dun]

They're marketed directly to feelot in potload lots. The last bunch (3 1/2 pots) we had 5 feedlots bidding on them.

dun

im guessing that those cattle that go to your marketing association may show up at a sale barn????? i really didnt understand your answer

 

[Campground Cattle]

Sell 25 to 30% private treaty remainder to the sale barn.

 

[Beefy]

i'm glad i'm not the only one who feels this way i was beginning to think i was. ive been biting my tongue for some time now.

Sale barns are the primary market place where ranchers in my area sale their annual calf crop and it's been that way for many years. With all due respect to those that like to say that you should never buy anything from a sale barn, that is where most of the cattle are sold. If you are convinced that sale barns are evil then you are depriving yourself of a viable market for you calves and for the purchase of replacement animals. I would be the first to admit that the principal of "buyer beware" is in full effect and you need to proceed with due diligence. Auctions are not for everyone and if you feel uncomfortable buying there, don't go. It does get a little tiresome that some of the more vocal regulars on this board keep spouting the same tired old line that sale barns are bad placed to buy or sell. If you don't like them, fine, but I wish you would quit insulting those of us who do and advising the beginners not to even visit them and make up their own minds.

 

[dun]

i'm glad i'm not the only one who feels this way i was beginning to think i was. ive been biting my tongue for some time now.

Sale barns are the primary market place where ranchers in my area sale their annual calf crop and it's been that way for many years. With all due respect to those that like to say that you should never buy anything from a sale barn, that is where most of the cattle are sold. If you are convinced that sale barns are evil then you are depriving yourself of a viable market for you calves and for the purchase of replacement animals. I would be the first to admit that the principal of "buyer beware" is in full effect and you need to proceed with due diligence. Auctions are not for everyone and if you feel uncomfortable buying there, don't go. It does get a little tiresome that some of the more vocal regulars on this board keep spouting the same tired old line that sale barns are bad placed to buy or sell. If you don't like them, fine, but I wish you would quit insulting those of us who do and advising the beginners not to even visit them and make up their own minds.

I too had foound it interesting that all sale barns had were junk and sorry culls and yet most folks sold they're animals there.

dun

 

[TLCfromARK]

We sell most of our calves at a sale barn, a few go to friends/family for freezer beef and a few heifers go for replacements to people who have bought from us before or are starting out.

Most of us have a limited amount of grazing and if you keep too many replacement heifers you have to "cull" your herd of cows. While some of these are true "culls", a little slow to breed back, doesn't milk as well as you'd like, teats are getting bigger every year, etc. most are sold just because something has to go to make room for younger stock. It could be because of color, size, getting a little older, not quite as gentle as another or even because your wife/grandkids likes one over the other. As my old Dad likes to say,"You can't keep them all".

Bottom line, you can find good cattle at a sale barn ( as more than one poster has said " One man's culls is another man's keeper") but if you make a mistake and buy something that doesn't work out for what ever reason, send them back down the road.
;-)

 

[Campground Cattle]

i'm glad i'm not the only one who feels this way i was beginning to think i was. ive been biting my tongue for some time now.

Sale barns are the primary market place where ranchers in my area sale their annual calf crop and it's been that way for many years. With all due respect to those that like to say that you should never buy anything from a sale barn, that is where most of the cattle are sold. If you are convinced that sale barns are evil then you are depriving yourself of a viable market for you calves and for the purchase of replacement animals. I would be the first to admit that the principal of "buyer beware" is in full effect and you need to proceed with due diligence. Auctions are not for everyone and if you feel uncomfortable buying there, don't go. It does get a little tiresome that some of the more vocal regulars on this board keep spouting the same tired old line that sale barns are bad placed to buy or sell. If you don't like them, fine, but I wish you would quit insulting those of us who do and advising the beginners not to even visit them and make up their own minds.

I don,t think anyone was saying the salebarn was an evil place. It's just a lot easier to get burned if your new or inexperienced. You can get your butt burned private treaty also. Its a buyer beware market. I have seen some kick butt cattle come through the ring, as when the old rancher down the road passed away. The kids didn't want to mess with the cows loaded them up and off to the salebarn.

 

[Tman]

Dun,

What is a potload lot and if it is not too much trouble can you explain how you were able to get 5 feedyards bidding on your lots ? Many thanx

 

[dun]

A potload is a pot trailer, 47000 lbs. Our marketing group has been doing this for about 4 years, when we have any cattle to sell we send out flyers to feedlots that have bid before or have expressed an interest in the cattle.
Th why we get those kinds of responses is simple. We have developed a reputation for quality healthy cattle that have been vaccinated, backgrounded and co-mingled. No more then x%, I don;t know what the x number is because we aren't affected by it. Muscle score 1&2 and medium to large frame.
All bids are faxed back and are opened and evaluated at the same time. This was a program that originally was started in several places in MO by the University Extension Office @ Columbia. There were 4 or 5 set up in the state and there are only 2 still functioning. The other group doesn't alwasy have a group put together each year. Our group has 2 offerings a year, fall calves and spring calves.
http://agebb.missouri.edu/commag/beef/premierbeef/
may help explain it better.

dun

Dun,

What is a potload lot and if it is not too much trouble can you explain how you were able to get 5 feedyards bidding on your lots ? Many thanx

 

[thebeav]

Let me see if I got this right..........
Sale barns are bad........
Most folks sell at sale barns???????
LOL