Is it just me?

[vc]

Is it just me or are some of the calves for sale on the BW'sale page less than desirable? I was just viewing the calves from some of the different sales and there are a quite a few that I was less than impressed with.
I do not know if it is my eye, the pictures, videos or the calves themselves but some of the calves did not look like show calves at all.
I guess not knowing what they are hoping to get for them, 900 to 1000 maybe, IDK. I know I sold a calf for 1000 that looked better in my eyes than some in the sales.
Do not get me wrong, there are plenty of good ones in the sales, I was just surprised at the quality or lack of quality of some of the calves at the bottom end.

*** let me add this: I guess if the description matched the calf a little better on some, it would not have raised any questions****

 

[DCC show cattle]

I have noticed that myself. I believe it's the increase of "steer jocks" and people just hearing the money associated with the sell of show cattle and not necessarily putting forth the effort of breeding or feeding that it takes to have a highly respectable set.

 

[GoWyo]

I think the prices are speaking for themselves.  The good ones bring good money, sometimes outrageous money, and the common ones aren't drawing the minimum bid.

 

[CAB]

Some of those that look less desirable are just a little greener & younger too. Some of the ones that look so good and stout are older than what it says and will therefore run out of gas too early in the race. It would be nice to get up close and personal with some of the greener looking calves. Those are the ones that IMO have the best chance of being a sleeper.

 

[vc]

Cab, I agree with you there, but they still need the bone and the muscle even when their green. I just do not see feed being the only thing some of those calves are missing.

 

[JSchroeder]

There's a pretty simple explanation...

Mertens Online Club Calf Sale
RMH Livestock & Hurlbut Cattle Online Club Calf Sale
Ulmer, Koski, & Schmitz Online Club Calf Sale
J/D Cattle Company Online Club Calf Sale
Sand Creek Online Club Calf Sale
Raml Club Calves Online Club Calf Sale
Dennert & Eichler Online Club Calf Sale
Hammer Club Calves Online Sale
Shaffer & Miller Online Club Calf Sale
Laufenberg Show Cattle Online Sale
Blach Show Cattle Online Club Calf Sale
Heaven on Earth Online Club Calf Sale
Oak Ridge Farms Club Calf Sale
THE CLUB CALF EVENT at the State Fair of TX - 10/8
Runkel Cattle Company Online Club Calf Sale
Hueber Show Cattle Online Club Calf Sale
Frenzen Cattle Company Online Club Calf Sale
Miller Cattle Co. Source for Success Online Club Calf Sale
Baker & Minges Fall Club Calf Sale
Weaver Show Cattle Online Sale
Brock Welshans Show Cattle Online Club Calf Sale
Mid Continent Farms - Annual Club Calf Sale
Copeland Show Cattle Online Club Calf Sale
Midwest Illinois Club Calf Breeders
Pryor Show Cattle Sale
Habeger Show Cattle Online Club Calf Sale
N.I.L.E. Club Calf Sale
DeRouchey Cattle Company Online Show Heifer & Steer Sale
KB Cattle Co Elite Show Heifer Sale
Crossroads Club Calf Sale
Appaloosa Horse Club World Sale 2010
Theobald Online Club Calf Sale
Jones Show Cattle Online Sale
Hoffman Cattle Co. Elite Heifer & Steer Online Sale
Fraker Show Cattle Online Open Heifer Sale
Wiese Show Cattle Online Sale
Sieck Show Cattle Online Club Calf Sale
Campbell Cattle Company Online Club Calf Sale #2
Weaver Show Cattle Elite Open Show Heifer Sale
Stover Show Cattle Online Sale
Reints Show Cattle Online Sale
Windy City Online Club Calf Sale
Walsh Show Cattle Online Club Calf Sale
Schneider Bros. Show Cattle Round 2 Online Sale
Farmfair Beef Show Broadcast - Nov 8 to 12
Hueber Show Cattle Volume 2 Online Club Calf Sale
Tebbe & Voegele Show Cattle
Ochs Cattle Company Online Show & Bred Heifer Sale
Easy To Look at Club Calf Sale Part II
Show-Me Polled Hereford Classic
Landgren & Hoblyn Online Open Show Heifer & Bred Female Sale
Smart Club Calves Online Sale
Ree Heights Online Club Calf Sale
JT Weber Family Club Calf Sale
Capatske Club Calves #2 Online Heifer and Summer Born Steer Sale
Geffert & O'Leary Club Calves Online Bred & Open Female Sale
Grateful Harvest Online Club Calf, Bred & Open Female Sale
May Show Cattle Online Female Sale
Prairie View Farm Angus Show Heifer Sal
Wiss Cattle Company Online Open Show Heifer & Bred Heifer Sale
Fillmore Show Cattle Heifer Edition Online Sale
Fraker Show Cattle Online Open Heifer & Bred Sale
Sullivan Farms Shorthorn & Club Calf Sale
Gray Show Cattle Heifer, Bred Heifer, & Embryo Sale

That's a list of sales with the word "club", "steer", or "show" in them between now and the end of the year.

The amount of online sales exploded this year.

 

[vc]

Many of the on-line sales you listed are places that had pasture sales and other types of sales in the past who have chosen to go a differnet rout. I think others are new and the on-line sales are a cheaper way to get your cattle seen, my only thought is make sure you have a good enough product to take out on the market before you jump in. I am not saying small new breeders do not have a good product but I also do not think if you have 20 cows you will have 20 show quality calves (at the county level) Sell your best and feed out or take the low end to the sale yard. The breeder we got calves from ran 300 cows, they did not have 300 show quality calves for sale, some went to the sales yard others went into the replacement pen, they would sell about 50 steers and the same in heifers, price ran from 1000 up to over 10,000.
If it were me I would want to be known for quality not quantity.

 

[iowabeef]

VC I completely agree.  I was suprised at the lack of quality in some of the sales I saw on line.  But I also saw more calves not get the minimum bid this year than I have before.  I believe it is a "tale of two prices" this year as some calves are bringing way over what I would consider their value and many aren't getting nibbles.  It really does have to do with more people looking to this route to reach a broader market verses waiting for people to drive to their farms to bid personally.  Which you can't blame them for, however, I would also try to only put my top pics on line and do the rest privately if I had a sale.  I still have a hard time not driving and seeing the animal in person before I bid on line.  I simply trust my own eyes more than someone else's camera.

 

[OH Breeder]

I also thought there were more calves that could not move. Their were a few sales the still pix were good and when I viewed the video some pf those calves will struggle to make 1000#s. I am with VC- I would think you'd want to put your best out there?

 

[iowabeef]

I am also amazed at how many people film the cattle in tall grass.  You can't get a true picture of feet and legs in those situations.  I always suspect those people are trying to hide something if they film in tall grass....