Baymule’s Journal

[Baymule]

I brought 2 ram lambs to the auction in Livingston, an hour from where I live. I lived in this town for 30 years and never had cause to come to the livestock auction barn. Now I see why. I checked in my 2 lambs. ONE guy showed to check them in and help me unload. One. At Emory where we used to take them, a half dozen people were checking in the livestock and about that many just to unload sheep and goats.

I see 6 buyer tags saving their seats. 6. I hope some more show up for this podunk place. So far I’m not impressed. I got a red plastic cup of sweet tea. It tastes old. There’s nowhere to toss it and I sure don’t want to give up my ringside seat to this myriad of 7 people plus the absent owners of the buyer tags! No sir! I got a primo seat and I ain’t giving it up!

My misery ought to be over darn quick. I counted 6 boer goats, plus my 2 lambs and somebody pulled up with what looks like a 4-H or FFA show sheep in the trailer. The lackadaisical employee that checked me in said last week they had FIFTY goats and sheep!! WHEW! I don’t know if I could have stood the excitement!! Be still O my Heart!!!

 

[messybun]

I brought 2 ram lambs to the auction in Livingston, an hour from where I live. I lived in this town for 30 years and never had cause to come to the livestock auction barn. Now I see why. I checked in my 2 lambs. ONE guy showed to check them in and help me unload. One. At Emory where we used to take them, a half dozen people were checking in the livestock and about that many just to unload sheep and goats.

I see 6 buyer tags saving their seats. 6. I hope some more show up for this podunk place. So far I’m not impressed. I got a red plastic cup of sweet tea. It tastes old. There’s nowhere to toss it and I sure don’t want to give up my ringside seat to this myriad of 7 people plus the absent owners of the buyer tags! No sir! I got a primo seat and I ain’t giving it up!

My misery ought to be over darn quick. I counted 6 boer goats, plus my 2 lambs and somebody pulled up with what looks like a 4-H or FFA show sheep in the trailer. The lackadaisical employee that checked me in said last week they had FIFTY goats and sheep!! WHEW! I don’t know if I could have stood the excitement!! Be still O my Heart!!!

Wow. Sounds like so much excitement. Are you sure you can take it?

 

[Mike CHS]

I love the setup where we go in Columbia. The workers are very professional and there is always several hundred sheep and goats even when we go before the "season". They have a couple of sales each year that is by invitation by the house so there are some quality breeders available. Last year we had one farm by a half dozen of our ewes. The sheep on those days are still culls but they are always better than what you would normally see at a sale.

 

[Baymule]

I’m back home. If I were looking to BUY weaned calves, I could have picked up some nice ones for $200-$275. Anywhere else, those calves would have been a $450 calf.

More people showed up, maybe 100 or so. Bidding was lively, lower than whale poop (at the bottom of the ocean) but lively.

My ram lambs brought $95 and $120. After commissions total $192.25 At least they are gone and I don’t have to fool with them anymore. Hey! I got 2 tanks I’d diesel out of the deal……. Or maybe 1 1/2 tanks, prices are rising!

A Houston fireman sat next to me, we talked sheep. He was as disgusted at this auction barn as I was. He just moved from west of Houston to Segno.
Why Segno?
Because city people don’t know where it is.
I do.
You’re not city people.
LOL
LOL
He and his wife have 5 kids, she home schools and he wanted his family OUT of the Houston area. Don’t blame him. Since idiots threw open the borders, Houston’s MURDER rate is higher than CHICAGO!

Anyhoo, he said Navasota is a good auction and they even broadcast it live. He spoke glowingly of it, very professional, organized, nice place, lots of buyers. I’ll go check it out when I’m recovering from knee surgery.

So the day wasn’t a total loss, unloaded 2 ram lambs, got enough money for 1 1/2 tanks of diesel, make that 1tank……. prices ya’ know…..and a lead on an auction that promises to be maybe even better than the one we always went to in Emory. It’s only 100 miles away!

 

[Margali]

It sucks that local sales barn was bad. I was pleasantly supprised by the Johnson County one which is 5 min from my place. Sheep were around $200 for lambs and $275 for ewes.

 

[Baymule]

It sucks that local sales barn sucks. I was pleasantly supprised by the Johnson County one which is 5 min from my place. Sheep were around $200 for lambs and $275 foe ewews.

Those are good prices. This place was lousy. If I was looking for scrawny cow calf pairs, I could have picked up some bargains. The highest was a big black cow with a nice calf that went for $1450. Most went for under $900.

 

[Mini Horses]

We have few auctions really close because I'm in an area which is outskirts of huge housing and tourist areas....Hampton Roads....Norfolk. VA beach, Hampton, etc. The amount of military, shipbuilding, ship/cargo ports, hotels and coming casinos, creates a need. So the livestock community is here but dwindling. The one auction we have is only 10 miles out and has a good group of buyers who accumulate and supply the areas near DC, 3 hrs north. There's another popular one in Blackstone, maybe 1.5 hr from me. Haven't been there but may go to check it out this summer.

Anyway, sales are good for sheep and goats, poultry here. Most cattle are in the Blackstone area. It works for me. I can take a trailer load and be done!

Because of area dynamics, butcher facilities are few. Also makes less unavailable dates. In fact one place which used to be "the" place 40 yrs back, is now only a store sales, surrounded by tract houses. I've watched dairy farms turn into same, over the years. . I use a butcher 40 miles out.

 

[Mini Horses]

@Baymule .... Closing still on for this week??

 

[Baymule]

@Baymule .... Closing still on for this week??

Last I heard, it was still on. I'll call tomorrow to check on it. I'm ready to pile in and get started!

 

[Simpleterrier]

Just a question do u have to have scrapies tags in your sheep to sell them?

I have never heard of scrapies tags until a month ago when we found out we have to have them in our goats for 4h. So started the process with the USDA on them. Does the breeder your getting your goats from have tags? No. Tell them to call and get a state number? No. Why not? They are Amish. Can I get a state scrapies number? Yes. Ok sign me up. Ok will take 2 weeks to email u and 3-4 weeks to get your tags. Ok I need tags in 4 weeks. Sorry can't help u any faster. Why didn't u have tags already? Never heard of such things. Why not how do u sell your goats? Online and at auction. Really how with out a tag? Never been asked. What auction you go to? None of your business. Just sign me up for tags.

Got email yesterday stating tags will be here this week we are picking up wethers for 4h this Saturday so should have them in time.

Did research on scrapies it is genetic. So a market wether can't pass it. Try to explain that to the USDA . I guess they want to find out the herd and parents of the wether. But these wethers will be numbers 0001 and 0002. I guess they fell from heaven.