Coffee anyone ?

[farmerjan]

I also had 22nd down for your birthday @Mini Horses on my calendar. Of course this cold has addled a few brain cells. Sooooo HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY.

 

[SageHill]

Missed the B-Day party --- Happy B-Day @Mini Horses I'll try to waft some of our "warm" air over to you!

So, we took 7 lambs to the auction yesterday. I saw a lot of cute goaties unloading - super cute but OMG teeny tiny (probably part of the cute quotient) and of course being goats there were a few that took routes unplanned. LOL I even helped herd them up. The guys trying to catch them didn't seem to have a clue about "herding".
I don't have a lot of take to auction experience, so I have a question. Every time we've taken lambs up someone ALWAYS tries to buy one or two off the trailer and before they are identified for the auction. Yesterday same thing happened, I have no idea what the going rate is, so I tossed a number out for one, then the guy asks what I want for all of them (7).
Then I got to thinking - would the guy buy all of them from me and then put them into the auction to make $? Like I said, this happens every time. I don't see it happening to the folks in front of me. So any ideas? Is it common for that to happen?
The guy doing the paperwork said lambs are bringing in good prices - that was nice to hear, and I'll see what is in the check when it gets here.

 

[murphysranch]

Happy Belated Birthday, Mini!! Another run around the sun!!

 

[farmerjan]

Oh @SageHill ... yes that is common some places... here it was called "pen hooking"... and yes, they will often sell through the sale for a profit as they know what they are worth from frequenting the stockyards... or has a buyer on the side that they can sell to and turn a profit if they buy from you outside... no commissions and all that. It is often done to "less experienced" sellers that only come to the stockyard with a few animals and come infrequently...

Therefore, it pays to keep up with what prices are doing for several weeks before you are ready to take stuff to the sale so you have an idea of what they SHOULD be worth.
Don't throw prices out to them... unless it is something totally ridiculous like $500 for a lamb that weighs 50 lbs....

Also, people like that are betting on you not having a clue to the approximate weight of the animal, so often you think they don't weigh what they actually do, so you are way undervaluing them.
That is why they aren't doing it to the people in front of you... they know the general range the lambs should bring... they are educated about the prices being paid... and they probably told him not interested... or they are regular sellers and the pen hooker knows not to bother them...

Advice... don't sell to penhookers unless it is a sick animal that you don't think will bring much and you can "hook them"....

 

[Mini Horses]

Thanks for all the b,'day wishes I'm sure wanting that warm air @SageHill. Hope your lambs did well.

Some of your offers may be from buyers looking for a profit but, also from buyers looking for better prices on conditioned animals for market. Yeah, meat buyers. You just never know. I'm taking to auction for sale feeling most of them are meat destined. I raise meat animals My few favs just "retire" here. Mostly an old dairy one whose developed a meaningful life with me. Handful, at most.

 

[Mini Horses]

conundrum is they must drive a grader 20 miles through snow to attach the blade.
Seriously, wouldn't you want to attach the blade before you try to drive through snow?

Can't fix stupid! poor storage planning.

 

[SageHill]

Oh @SageHill ... yes that is common some places... here it was called "pen hooking"... and yes, they will often sell through the sale for a profit as they know what they are worth from frequenting the stockyards... or has a buyer on the side that they can sell to and turn a profit if they buy from you outside... no commissions and all that. It is often done to "less experienced" sellers that only come to the stockyard with a few animals and come infrequently...

Therefore, it pays to keep up with what prices are doing for several weeks before you are ready to take stuff to the sale so you have an idea of what they SHOULD be worth.
Don't throw prices out to them... unless it is something totally ridiculous like $500 for a lamb that weighs 50 lbs....

Also, people like that are betting on you not having a clue to the approximate weight of the animal, so often you think they don't weigh what they actually do, so you are way undervaluing them.
That is why they aren't doing it to the people in front of you... they know the general range the lambs should bring... they are educated about the prices being paid... and they probably told him not interested... or they are regular sellers and the pen hooker knows not to bother them...

Advice... don't sell to penhookers unless it is a sick animal that you don't think will bring much and you can "hook them"....

Yeah that's kinda what I was thinking. I just need to find where I can see what lambs are going for. I do however know the weights of each animal as I pop them on my scale a couple days before hand.
Always learning! Getting smarter by the day.