Need to Sell Steer

WJMartin · #1 09/30/13, 05:38 PM

This will be the first steer that I need to sell, we've butchered all the others.

Thought I would finish him out and sell on craigslist as ready to butcher but I would like to hear from others who do this. I thought I had two buyers for him but now that it has come down to putting up the money they are having second thoughts. Have any of you sold on cl and what was your experience?

Would I be just as well off profit wise to just take him to the sale barn and let someone else finish out? I've never bought or sold at a sale barn but I can find someone to walk me through.

Steer is a black limo 16months old, guessing he weighs 1,000 or more, he looks huge next to my Dexters, well fleshed looks really nice on good grass.

Allen W · #2 09/30/13, 09:58 PM

I don't know but that is a lot of dollars standing there right now.

CIW · #3 09/30/13, 10:48 PM

You have already put the most inexpensive lbs. on him. Sell him as is, or offer to finish him for a price, if you have the facilities. Let someone else pick up the bill for the expensive lbs. The last 250 to 400 lbs. cost the most.

ramiller5675 · #4 10/01/13, 06:21 AM

I sell my cattle at the Oklahoma National Stock Yards in Oklahoma City and from the last market report 1000 lb. feeder steers were selling for about $1.40/cwt. Lighter weight feeders (850-900 lb) were selling for almost the same per head ($1300-1400)

Personally, I'd rather haul a group of steers down on a Sunday afternoon, have them sell on Monday for $1400, and then get my check that probably isn't going to bounce from the commission company, instead of dealing with a bunch of people from Craigslist looking for cheap beef.

CIW · #5 10/01/13, 09:33 AM

Isn't it more likely $140/cwt. (centum weight or hundred weight). I would like to buy all the cattle that can be bought at $1.40 per hundred weight.
Just one those typing errors I'll bet.

mary,tx · #6 10/01/13, 12:16 PM

oh well we all knew what it meant

WJMartin · #7 10/01/13, 12:35 PM

Thanks for the conformation on what I knew I should do. So has anyone here sold at the Perkins sale barn, it's a lot closer for me.

Allen W · #8 10/01/13, 01:36 PM

How many loads of heavy feeder calves do they sell at perkins every week? He might get knicked a little for being a single any where, but if they don't sell a lot of heavy feeder calves there he might really get hammered.

jwal10 · #9 10/01/13, 02:45 PM

The reality of the beef business. I would go check the sale barn and see what one like yours are going for. Advertised auction prices are always the best price for the best animal(s) for that day, if reported honestly. A single doesn't bring as much as a bunch to a cattle buyer. You need someone that needs 1. Did you sell the others hanging weight, live weight or guess? Auction will bring what it was worth on that day if there are buyers for what you are selling, minus commission, and a GOOD check....James

jwal10 · #10 10/01/13, 02:47 PM

I reread your post, looks like maybe you have not sold a beef before, just raised and ate your own, the rest stands....James

ramiller5675 · #11 10/01/13, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WJMartin

Thanks for the conformation on what I knew I should do. So has anyone here sold at the Perkins sale barn, it's a lot closer for me.

Perkins is a whole lot closer to me than Oklahoma City, but there's a heck of a lot more cattle sold, a whole lot more buyers, and multiple commission companies at the Stock Yards. I'd rather have more buyers bidding on my cattle, and I figure I'm making a decent amount of money per hour by driving a little bit farther and getting a little better price.

But I've have never sold at Perkins, although I've sat in on the sale once, so take it for what's it's worth.

Texas Papaw · #12 10/03/13, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramiller5675

Perkins is a whole lot closer to me than Oklahoma City, but there's a heck of a lot more cattle sold, a whole lot more buyers, and multiple commission companies at the Stock Yards. I'd rather have more buyers bidding on my cattle, and I figure I'm making a decent amount of money per hour by driving a little bit farther and getting a little better price.

But I've have never sold at Perkins, although I've sat in on the sale once, so take it for what's it's worth.

+1

Haul mine 275 mile to Ok National as they sell a lot better there especially those really big ones. I highly recommend Western Commission there as they have really taken care of me. Recommend taking them in on Saturday so they can get them filled back up and minimize your shrink. IMO you will be paid well for time and mileage to Okc. FWIW- I attend 2-3 auctions a week and there are significant differences in both prices and shrink from auction to auction. There are "buying" sales and "selling" sales. Generally speaking the larger, higher volume sales are selling sales and the smaller, low volume sales are buying sales. Ok National is the largest cattle auction in the country and is a "selling" sale.

Just my 2 cents worth.

WJMartin · #13 10/04/13, 08:02 AM

I've talked with a few locals and they all said if they just have one they go to Perkins, easier in and out, and they felt like they got just as much as if they would have gone to OKC, but only if it is a single. So that is what I'm going to do. I've been to the Perkins sale several times and I'm familiar with the setup and think I can get in and out without having a wreck. If I ever have a lot of steers, three or more, I'll try OKC.

WJMartin · #14 10/15/13, 07:18 PM

Got check back today from Perkins auction. $1.24 per lb. for 1060 lb. steer. Probably would have gotten $100 or so more in OKC but would have spent a lot more time and gas doing it. Hoping next year to have a load of 3 to take and will then try OKC.

collegeboundgal · #15 10/15/13, 07:24 PM

Sounds good!

copperhead46 · #16 10/17/13, 08:46 PM

sounds like you did good...........it's hard to sell just one, buyers think something is wrong with it. they think everyone has a large herd of momma cows.

Annoth · #17 10/22/13, 04:34 PM

To be honest the Farm & Garden section isnt that bad. I bought a show steer (has amazing genetics form Monopoly) on cl and others were trying to outbid me for it. Just depends on your market area. Have you tried just asking around neighbors or bringing him to a farmer's market?

COWS · #18 10/22/13, 05:44 PM

You did well. Pocket the money and don't look back. I went to a SC sale today, see my thread above. Your price was pretty much in line with what I saw.

As for getting less for sale of singles, I never have seen much difference. Almost all the sales are by the individual head. Sometimes a seller will group a bunch of calves of uniform weight together to save on the sale bill. I can't see much if any difference on the price. They may think differently in OK. Buyers look at quality first. They generally look at how they think the calf will perform on the feedlot. Large cows, steers and bulls are generally going straight to slaughter so the slaughter house buyer is looking at yield.

COWS