Cattle Auction Preparations: A Sale Day Checklist for Ranchers
One of the biggest days of the year for most ranchers – sale day – is much anticipated, yet stressful.
When it comes time to take calves or cows to the sale barn, the laundry list of items to prepare and complete for the event may seem daunting. Here’s some helpful tips and considerations in the days and hours leading up to sale time.
Several days or weeks before:
• Consign your cattle. Take the time to call the sale barn a few weeks before sale day to consign the cattle you plan to sell. This allows the barn to advertise your cattle and have a general idea of the total cattle numbers that will be sold that day.
• Line up help. Prepare to have extra hands on deck, if needed, to efficiently load cattle and haul them to the sale barn. How many head will you be taking? Make sure you have adequate trailer room to haul cattle comfortably and help minimize shrink.
• Move cattle closer to working facilities (if possible). By moving the consigned cattle closer to the working and loading facilities, cattle will have less exercise and stress on sale day, resulting in less shrink. This also allows them extra time to become acquainted with a new water source and stay hydrated.
One or two days before loading/hauling:
• Check your facilities. There is nothing that can put a damper on the day faster than an injury. Especially when a lot of cattle will be entering the facilities and when new or extra hands are helping with the process. Ensure the facilities are ready to use and all help understands how the facilities work.
• Check your trailers. Your crew will not want to wait on fixing a flat tire or other equipment hiccups. Take some time to make sure the trailer tires are full of air and the pickup or truck is fueled and ready to go. The more time the cattle stand and wait to be loaded, the greater the shrink.
Hauling and/or Sale Day:
• Communicate with your crew. Ensure all help understands your goals and plans for the day, including the time round-up begins, what to bring and where the cattle will be hauled and sold. It may seem redundant, but it’s better to over-communicate so everyone is on the same page.
• Manage your mindset. With the anticipation and excitement of the day, keep in mind the importance of low-stress handling. Stress equals shrink when it comes to cattle. As Bob Larson, DVM, professor of production medicine at Kansas State University says, “Three percent shrink is probably unavoidable. The question is, is it going to be worse than that?”
• Prepare an affidavit. Is there information that should be shared with buyers when your cattle enter the ring? What shots have they had and when? Prepare an affidavit sheet to give to the auctioneer’s stand, ensuring your cattle bring the most money for the time and effort you have put in. This may include a list of items, such as:
-Calving date or timeframe
-Weaning date (specifically, how many days the calves have been weaned)
-Preconditioning information (date, vaccines given, etc.)
-Implant information
-Specific genetics
-Any other information that may help the cattle bring a premium
• Share split information. Notify the livestock auction accountants of split information (if applicable), ensuring you and other partners are paid accurately after the sale.
Last, but not least, when all cattle have successfully made it to the sale barn, go grab yourself a hot beef sandwich and a piece of pie at the sale barn café and take a deep breath. The hard work is through.
Best wishes to all cattlemen and cattlewomen on sale day in the coming months!
