Common options for cow-calf producers to market calves include:
- Selling at a weekly livestock auction
- Selling in a preconditioned calf sale
- Selling in truckload lots through a video auction
- Selling the calves to a buyer directly off the ranch
There is no single option that is best for everyone. Some factors to consider when marketing calves include shrink, transportation costs, commission, flexibility and the potential for premiums or discounts. Don’t forget to consider how preconditioning, competitive bidding and other factors can impact prices.
For producers who can sell in truckload lots, video auctions and direct sales provide the opportunity to choose not to sell if the market is lower than expected without the cattle leaving the ranch.
When marketing calves, it is critical to consider what kind of calves will be desired by a large number of buyers. More interested buyers means better prices. When selling less than a truckload lot at a time, it is beneficial to sell calves that match a large portion of the other calves being sold. Calves that match most other calves being sold in terms of perceived breed type, color, weight, frame size and muscling generally sell better.
Calves that are fleshy are generally discounted. This is important to keep in mind when considering creep feeding or supplementation decisions during a preconditioning period. Remember, it may not be cost-effective to increase weight of calves with added feed, especially when concentrate feeds are fed at more than 0.5% of bodyweight.
Shrink is often overlooked when marketing calves, even though it can have a significant impact on the income generated per head. Most shrink occurs due to reductions in gut fill from excretion of urine and feces during periods of reduced water and feed intake. Shrink can also occur from tissue losses and from the loss of body water through respiration. Shrink is increased by poor handling, high temperatures, longer transportation times and increased time standing in pens before being weighed.
It is not uncommon for calves to shrink 8% to 12% or more depending on the situation. Weaning and properly backgrounding calves can help reduce shrink. If you are selling weaned calves through an auction market, consider visiting with the auction market about bringing the calves in a day or two early so they can recover some if not all the shrink lost during transportation.
