MANCHESTER LIVESTOCK AUCTION, INC.
Marketing Tips

Marketing Tip for Tuesday slaughter sales: All livestock delivered sale morning (fed cattle, butcher cows, slaughter bulls, sows & boars) should be delivered as early as possible and preferably no later than 10:00 AM to obtain full participation of all buyers (yards open @ 6:00 AM).  Industry wide, the lower numbers of market ready fed cattle have supported strong prices. Fewer numbers is a normal trend this time of year and is even more magnified by higher grain prices that increase cost of gain therefore driving cattle to town at a quicker pace than normal. While this trend makes for profitable levels for producers, it also makes for smaller runs at every fed cattle auction in the midwest.  Each week 90% of the fed cattle are delivered on Monday and approximately 50% of the butcher cows & slaughter bulls are also delivered on Monday. The Tuesday sale starts @ 8:15 AM with overnight delivered butcher cows & slaughter bulls followed by fed cattle @ 9:00 AM, then followed by day delivered butcher cows & slaughter bulls, then sows & boars.  With our livestock handling facilities we can sell 600 to 700 fed cattle plus the cows/bulls, sows & boars and the buyers will be gone by 12 o'clock noon, or before.

Don't take it for granted.   Too many times we do take things for granted and a percentage of those times it doesn't work.  When you deliver your livestock, bring along a piece of paper with your name and correct mailing address .......... or, ask our people at "check-in" time and we can give you a pad designed specifically for accuracy.   All this will make it more accurate and quicker unloading.

Why is there such a difference in the prices of fed Holsteins?  Quite frankly there's quite a difference in Holsteins.  They are a "dairy breed" as opposed to a "beef breed".  That alone causes a great difference making a percentage of them difficult to "finish".  Combine that with silage versus corn  .......... and mud versus cement .............. and sheds versus no sheds ......... and the problem compounds  Additionally, each year we see more and more "stags" in Holsteins (way more than with beef cattle).  A portion can be attributed to banding versus knife castration .............. but a significant portion can be attributed to incorrect follow-up implanting.  There are also many other variables to be considered when feeding Holsteins.  Just like you can't throw your seed corn on the ground and hope it grows - - - you can't put cattle in a yard and hope they get finished.

What's the best weight to sell feeder cattle?  As always, it depends on your "program" and your financial needs.  From birth to 500 or perhaps 600 lbs, the calf will grow naturally, gaining weight with frame size.  From 500 or perhaps 600 lbs, additional assistance via feed supplement is needed.  This year, unlike any year in history, that feed supplement costs considerably more.

When's the best time to sell bred dairy heifers?  Is it the same for a cow?  A sizeable percentage of heifers are purchased for shipping to large dairy operations in the south and the west.  Ideally, dairy heifers sell best at 6 or 7 months bred.  If they are "bustin close", the shipper buyer cannot handle 'em because they don't want heifers dropping calves on the truck headed to Idaho.  Bred cows are different.  The majority of bred cows are purchased by local dairy producers and they sell best if they are within a few days of freshening.  As a matter of fact, you might even consider freshening them, then bringing the mama and the baby.

Are you leaving a correct "income trail"?.   Check with your C.P.A. for correct procedures.  Most often livestock is checked into our market as John Doe rather than John and Mary Doe.  To provide the correct trail for income tax purposes, social security purposes, or other purposes, it may be advisable to have both the husband's name and the wife's name on the check.

Does It Pay To Have My Vet "Green Tag" My Calves?.   Whether right or wrong, it would seem in today's society, all consumers prefer "arms length" verification.  Home buyers many times want a qualified inspector to view the home; many times used car buyers want their mechanic to inspect a vehicle before purchase; hiring a new employee usually means a phone call to the previous employer; and so on.  So ................ normally it "pays" to have a certificate from your vet AND the green tag in the ear.

The best way out of a "down" fed cattle market.   or, we might say, what's the best way to keep a market active.  It isn't the number of head being slaughtered each week (though that's important) - - it's the number of pounds.  Right now (mid September) producers are busy and may not take the time to market cattle AND the weather is certainly better for cattle to gain weight.  That extra 10 to 20 pounds per head multiplied nationwide can make a HUGE difference in the meat pipeline.  So, what's the best way out of a "down" fed cattle market?   Sell our way out, not hold 'em.

Why do steers normally outsell heifers in a feeder cattle sale?  Besides going in and out of heat making it difficult to mix with steers; etc.  Generally a steer coming to market will average 1300 hundred something and a heifer will average 1100 something so there's 200 something pounds difference.   200 pounds @ $90.00 CWT equals $180.00.  So if a 500 pound steer costs $100.00 CWT and a 500 pound heifer is $80.00 CWT that computes to $100.00.  Subtract the $100.00 from the $180.00 and you've still got $80.00 in your pocket.