County Fair Sales

[cowz]

One of our beef leaders and I were having the discussion about how to keep our steer sale prices from dropping further.  So far we have a better than average sale, but every year the price for steers fall as the numbers increase.  It is a true supply and demand problem.  The idea of only selling the top 70-80% of steers has been discussed at fair board, but always is shot down. 

My question for this board is:  Is it better to limit sale privelidges in hopes that the bottom end kids will be motivated to feed better?  We weigh in around 125 steers and have 10 head classes.  We sell around 65 steers in our sale.  So far every steer showman gets to sell 1 steer in the sale if it makes the 1050-1400# window.  Unfortunately, the bottom end are not finished and will not be a quality product to the consumer.

How do you handle it at your fairs?

 

[genes]

Well I think Canada and the States sales can be pretty different, but I'll comment anyway.

Everyone who shows has to sell their steer, so no limiting.  Out of the ring they go one of 3 routes:  Personal freezer beef, to the packers (bought by corporate sponsors or whatever), or the auction mart buys some (the unfinished ones) to resell or feed.  But aside from the champions, the prices are not hugely above market, and if one was going way up because of sponsors, the auction just wouldn't buy it and it would end up as beef whether finished or not.  As for getting the sponsorships, it is up to individuals and clubs about how they handle that (such as whether a club pools sponsors or everyone keeps their own etc).

 

[Joe Boy]

In our county show there is a limit by number to be able to make the sale.  Unfortunately, in recent years there have not been as many steers to show due to the expense in raising them.  When the bottom end steers bring $1500 (one of the winners at Houston was such a steer and the son of Lifeline) and then a tremendous feed bill, lots of hard work and dedication, so the numbers have really declined.  Those that make the sale only get 1.60 to 2.00 with the bulk around 1.70.  This is not real profitable.  The kids with the best calves are actually showing their tail enders as they take their better calves to Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Houston.  We have a number limit or a percentage if they go over a fixed number of exhibitors.  We have worked out a deal with a packer who has a feed lot to get the highest floor for the calves.  We pay the freight...actually it is donated by a large rancher in the area.  Once in a while we have a sub-par calf to make the sale but that is rare.  When this has happened it is greatly discussed at the board meeting and someone is always going to show a roping steer or dairy steer but that has never happened.  We always have to remember that the show is for the kids and it is a learning process and hopefully we help them to develope responsibility and learn discipline in an effort to do their best.  Personally, I would have rather my kids won the showmanship than the grand.  Winning animals can be purchased but it takes real hard work to win at showmanship.  Our middle son won 3 out of 4 showmanship awards and no one has ever done that before or since at our county show.....the board appologized that the judge did not have the guts to give him the sheep showmanship after he won the breeding showmanship.....  All of my children at some time in their life did not make a sale and none of them were the worse for it.  One won two showmanships and did not make the sale.  She is head of student loans for a university today...

 

[red]

We have a weight limit of 950 for a minimum pounds at our fair. Also they will cull any steer that can't make it to the scale & acts like a total lunatic.
Encourage kids to write than you notes afterwards. We have little banners for the buyers to display that they supported the junior fair sale. Also many kids put an ad in the local paper thanking the buyers. give away meal tickets to the beef tent (if you have one) for the buyers too.

Red

 

[genes]

Oh good points Red...we do all of that too.  There is a BBQ for families and buyers right before the sale, and they get put in the paper and back of the next year's program and stuff.

 

[ShowStopper]

In our county there is no limit as to how many claves go through the sale. However, I think that there should be. There are a few kids there that are just 'in it for the money.' (so to speak anyways) There is one in particular that is given a steer by her grandparents. She hardly feeds it and last year i cannot recall if she even watered the poor thing. It placed last in its class and was on the light side like 1060ish. (our min. weight is 1050) Steer went through the sale and went for almost market price where everything else went for at least 2.00 if not more. We send our buyer letters and bbq tickets to invite them to come and buy but sale prices and buyer numbers decrease every year. If the fair board would say, we'll let those that place 1-6 or somthing like that sell, I think that buyer numbers would grow and we would also see better prices for those that did a good job raising their steers.