Coffee anyone ?

[farmerjan]

You will only learn from experience going to the auctions. You will also get an "ear" for the different auctioneers as you go and listen to them. Maybe compromise with the neighbor and go with him once, you might pick up some things from listening to him talk too much. Then just not make any commitment to go again.... be vague about going. Possibly mention that you are going to be in "town" or wherever, was he going to the auction, maybe you could meet him there?????? I know some people can be a PITB and not wanting to start something that you can't get out of..... but if he is from there, you might get some insight....or some "ins" with someone there. And he might be considered a PITB by other people and it can create a little sympathy for times you are there without him.... and he might just be lonely.

Just a note. $.65 /lb for a big boar hog is a HUGE price..... they are worth about $.25/lb here. Real big ones are not in demand because they get too big to breed younger gilts. Anything over about 2-250 lbs is usually sold for slaughter unless it is a good purebred and someone needs it for breeding pretty desperately. A big boar that has been castrated is usually taken home and fed for 60 days or more to get the "taint" out of the meat. They are ususally ground up mostly into sausage.

 

[Baymule]

Just rebuild and wait for the next "Harvey"? People should be allowed to make a flood insurance claim ONCE. After that, no flood insurance for you if you live in a flood likely area.

Half of Houston would be abandoned, including part of the Medical Center.

 

[Baymule]

Haha I like big boars that nobody wants. That’s a lot of meat-real cheap!

 

[Bruce]

Half of Houston would be abandoned, including part of the Medical Center.

I know. And WHY were people allowed to fill in all the flood water "paths"? Property tax money is my guess.

 

[Baymule]

I know. And WHY were people allowed to fill in all the flood water "paths"? Property tax money is my guess.

My Mom always said to build your house on high ground. She was a wise woman.

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

@Mini Horses ; great on the buck, I know that you feel better that he is going somewhere for breeding purposes even though you knew well that slaughter was an option when you took him. Hopefully you mentioned his escape tendencies so they could be a little prepared.... and that he will be occupied enough to not get into too much trouble until they fall so in love with him that they will also put up with it for a few years !!!!!
Glad that he did good price wise also.

Going to the auction was always my "social life" in some ways too. I thoroughly enjoyed it and made a point to go even when I did not plan on nor needed to buy anything. I actually worked for over a year at the one sale barn because I liked the interaction and you get a few good ins on stuff too. Very little in chickens or ducks or turkeys or rabbits here at the sale barns. Sheep and goats very popular at the place I used to work up in Harrisonburg and the best place to sell as far as prices go. There are too many cattle at the sales for them to get into small animals much although you will occasionally see some. Saturday is the best place for that as there are more "weekend farmers" and more people are off work.

This particular sale barn does a once a month "bred cow sale" and a once a month "dairy cow sale" since it is in more dairy country than we are here further south. There are still alot of mennonite farmers up there ( about an hour north of me in Rockingham county) but the dairy sale has been getting smaller due to so many selling out. They also have a "graded" feeder sale once a month on a Saturday. Your cattle are graded as they are weighed and those that make the grade will be sold conmingled in a group. They bring a little more that way and that is where we sell our "colored cattle" that are good. Black is basically what sells here at the closer sale barn and other colors get discounted even if they are good cattle.

You are right about the first and last parts. With the cattle it is a bit different as they are sold according to size/weight..... Baby calves are mostly sold first although the one sale will sell sheep and goats, then go into steers. They will sell baby calves while the steers are being sold because there are buyers that just go for the baby calves. They are sold out in the "barn part" where the calves are penned.
But for the most part it is baby calves, then any "head cows" , cows that are bred, cows with calves, then the steers. Then they usually sell heifers, then the cull/pound cows then any cull/slaughter bulls. Sometimes they will announce that they are having a "cow sale" which normally is someone selling out or cutting down or something.....Here it is often on tuesday night because their tuesday sale is much smaller than friday. Sales are usually at 6 or 6:30 p.m.. Sometimes they will have a small group of cows or even a few breeder bulls at the friday sale and they get a bit of advertisement ahead of time so it will draw more people.
There are certain buyers that are at every sale. They buy for other people and go to sales several days a week. That is their job. They pay what they are "alloted" by the companies/people that they are buying for. They might pay a little less for some and a little more for others, but they know that they have to buy within the range that these companies allow. They can look at cattle in 10 seconds make a decision and buy and know what they are going to give for those animals in the ring. Most buy for a couple different people, and know that these not so great cattle will work for this person, and that these real good cattle will go to that person, and that the dairy cross cattle will only be accepted by this other person. It is big business.

Why do they switch between selling per lb and by the head...it was confusing..we were paying.0.55 for a pig..then it was gone then next the pig was giant at 385 just castrated, so he was sold for $14. By the head. It kept switching back and forth all night. That was confusing. At the end of a sale we didn’t know if the guy paid so much a pound or what, it was confusing...guess we need more practice

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

You will only learn from experience going to the auctions. You will also get an "ear" for the different auctioneers as you go and listen to them. Maybe compromise with the neighbor and go with him once, you might pick up some things from listening to him talk too much. Then just not make any commitment to go again.... be vague about going. Possibly mention that you are going to be in "town" or wherever, was he going to the auction, maybe you could meet him there?????? I know some people can be a PITB and not wanting to start something that you can't get out of..... but if he is from there, you might get some insight....or some "ins" with someone there. And he might be considered a PITB by other people and it can create a little sympathy for times you are there without him.... and he might just be lonely.

Just a note. $.65 /lb for a big boar hog is a HUGE price..... they are worth about $.25/lb here. Real big ones are not in demand because they get too big to breed younger gilts. Anything over about 2-250 lbs is usually sold for slaughter unless it is a good purebred and someone needs it for breeding pretty desperately. A big boar that has been castrated is usually taken home and fed for 60 days or more to get the "taint" out of the meat. They are ususally ground up mostly into sausage.

We couldn’t understand why she was so happy about her price?

i said we could go with Tim a time or two..in dirFB ent cars hopefully...he doesn’t believe in utilites and has no water or gas..I thought he had a stove, but maybe not if he’s so against utilities..ugh!! Anyways. I’ll go with him as long as he stops talking down to us...he does that to everyone, but worse to me. Yes...I am very nieve and malleable...but in a positive way. I am always happy. But he thinks I know absolutely nothing about farming..wel..I must be doing something right! He’s just made because I haven’t run to him for help. But my hubby knows a lot o& this stuff.

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

But my hubby said mo

Haha I like big boars that nobody wants. That’s a lot of meat-real cheap!

st of it will be fat so what you’re mostly paying for is his fat to get cut of, and then you get the real stuff you want to eat.

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

Well we went to our sunday night dinner and told our rooster story...I thought everyone would proud of me abnd give me a high five....it was the total opposite!! Everyone was shocked appalled that I could do such a thing. Vaugh’s...who I love dearly said she’ll never think of me as that nice sweet city girl that Chris brought up to date....I tried to explain..it’s still me...he just need to go!! But they kept feeling sorry for Chris having to sleep at night with me...jeepers people...he was a mean old rooster..we have a fram now...he’s not needed any longer, I fired him, the end. But of course the story got pretty detailed...the ladies thought they wanted to know, so Chris to odd them...I am a goodie shoo shoo. My friends can’t picture me this way, and are disturbed when the do... well, I showwed a bunch of bunn pictures to make up for it!

 

[farmerjan]

Sounds like that the neighbor isn't one I would want to spend alot of time with either. Most men that are that "old school" don't think a female can know about farming. I got alot of that when I first moved here. But you just go about things quietly in your own way and if it keeps working, then slowly they will grudgingly give you some credit. Some never do. He might be one of them.
I think you might be better off not getting anymore involved with him other than neighbors. Plus if he doesn't have running water I can imagine there is the personal hygiene thing too.....

It is really better to NOT get too descriptive when you are disposing of an animal. People just don't get it, unless they are like ones on here. Better to just do it and quietly and not get into it with friends that are from a former life time and life style. Most will not see the humor in that unless they are true farmers.
Don't know why the auctioneer would switch from selling by the head to selling by the lb unless the ones bringing in the animals have requested that. And since I don't small animal auctions like that I really can't tell you.