By Hunter Secrest
Special to Tiger Media Network
Since the early 1800’s stockyards and sale barns have been a crucial part of buying, selling, and trading livestock. Sale barns play a very crucial role in the livestock market, bringing buyers and sellers together to help bring producers top dollar. Frank Seidel, owner of La Crosse Livestock Market, when asked what to look for in a sale barn, “A company that listens and pays attention to their customers and employees. It is important to keep up to date with the industry and keep a clean facility. Lastly, a good barn should encourage the youth to be active and involved in agriculture.”
Sale barns operate just like any other auction service, charging a commission and or fees which tends to be consistent across the country. Typically, a barn will charge a chute, bangs (Brucellosis), and pregnancy fee if checked for cows and bulls. All animals that stay on feed and water are charged a feed bill and yardage (similar to facility use) fees. Having your cattle sell at the right time during a sale is important. By consigning your cattle with a barn before you sell them will help benefit you by getting your cattle in the ring when the momentum of the sale is rolling. In order to do this, barns tend to recommend bringing your cattle in the day before the sale, so they have time to sort and prepare them for the ring. Also, by taking advantage of early consignment, the sale barn can promote your livestock to buyers.
Just like any market knowing when and what to sell or timing the market is very important for producers to bring top dollar. The constant changing of the cattle market can be tricky for some to figure out. When talking to Ryan Zeltwanger, manager of La Crosse Livestock, on what the market tends to demand he said, “There’s always a demand for 500 and 800 lbs. steers along with 300 and 700 lbs. heifers”. As producers, it is important to know what the market demands. Not only is timing important, but the condition of your livestock is also another factor to consider. As producers, we think we want our calves as full as possible that way they weigh the most to bring the most money. Having your cattle too full can hurt you just as much as having your cattle too lean. Buyers look for cattle that have a healthy condition, but they can still put some gain on to grow. Zeltwanger said, “Buyers like their cattle green and clean”. Bringing calves in that already have a round of shots, weaned, and castrated tends to always help sellers bring more money. Little things like these can help cattle producers bring a couple more dollars per hundredweight.
Cattle producers tend to bring open or cull cows and bulls to sale barns to get a weigh price versus feeding a cow for a year that will not produce. When bringing crippled or cull cows and bulls to the sale barn it is important to realize if they are not capable of being sold you will be charged a disposal fee. Cows that have ruptured eyes, cancerous eyes, or cows that are too weak to walk are not able to be sold. Also, bringing calves that are on early consignment that consist of loads a couple of hours before they sell is frustrating for barns. Having a good sort and packages of calves ready for the ring is hard to do within the last few minutes before sale time.
In conclusion, it is important for producers to recognize what the market demands from them as well as sale barns. Sale barns want to help producers receive their maximum price, but in order to do that producers need to keep up with the market. Getting your calves ready for market is one of the most crucial factors as well. Knowing what your cattle are gaining to time the market to hit the peaks is crucial. Vaccinating, castrating, and weaning your calves to keep them healthy and ready for buyers can help raise your maximum price. Letting your sale barn know what you are bringing and when so they can advertise your cattle will also help your odds of topping the market. Having high expectations for a barn to top the market every week might be your goal, but the sale barn expects just as much help from you to get you there.
Hunter Secrest, a 2017 Pleasanton High School graduate, graduated in spring with a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural business from Fort Hays State University. He is the son of Jesse and Kathy Secrest, Pleasanton.