Livestock Auctions And Sales

[Cody-n-Nancy]

Do you go, whether to sell, buy or look?

Wife and I have gone to local livestock auction, called Centennial Livestock Auction in Ft. Collins, CO. Not to buy or sell, but just to watch. We will first have breakfast at local Waffle House, which is just down the street from the auction.

When we lived in Colorado before, we could walk on a wooden walkway, overlooking the livestock that was being sold that day. The walkway has been taken down, for whatever reason. So, the only way to view the livestock is to go inside the auction arena.

 

[leanin' H]

Been to more than I can recall. Selling, buying and watching. Horse sales, cow/calf deals, bull sales and about every other type. Even some tack auctions. Always wanted to be an auctioneer until I found out ya have to be able to count higher than 10.

 

[Cody-n-Nancy]

I did work, for a very short time, at the Elk City Livestock Auction for the bull selling day. I sure learned how to climb a fence fast! Then, I found out I was much better working in the manufacturing industry on a computer. But, at least I tried it out.

 

[leanin' H]

Funny sale barn story- we went to a sale with my dad one day when I was a kid. I was probably about 10. We sat there waiting for the sale to start and a family of Vietnamese folks came in and got seats. This sale used to sell livestock other than cattle to start and then spend the majority of the sale on bovines. They ran in some sheep and a few goats. Then they brought in 5 big finished hogs. Bidding started and the husband of the family from Vietnam started bidding. Poor auctioneer was trying to convey in English that the gentleman was high bid. But the guy kept bidding against himself. Finally the sale came to a halt and somebody got him squared away. No one else bid and he was the owner of 5 fat hogs. The entire family was sure excited and promptly exited the auction to presumably pay the bill and load their pigs. Chattering in Vietnamese as they left. Everybody kinda grinned and the sale went on. We were half an hour into selling cattle when three quick gunshots spooked the heck out of everyone. This was way before the days of crazy people shooting up folks but the whole sale barn went outside to see what had happened. Right in the parking lot was the family and a big yellow station wagon. Somehow they had loaded two live hogs in the rear of the car. Then they had shot the other three and had one thrown up on the luggage rack and were attempting to load dead pig number two!!!! The brand inspector was losing her mind trying and failing to explain they couldn't do that. A county deputy was trying as well. Blood was everywhere and nobody was learning to speak anything but their own language. I'll never forget about 200 people standing with their mouths agape as that yellow and now red station wagon drove off with three dead huge hogs still bleeding on the roof. We all went back inside and the sale got started. The old auctioneer smiled and said "folks, for future reference, please don't butcher any animals ya buy in our parking lot"!

 

[Cody-n-Nancy]

Funny sale barn story- we went to a sale with my dad one day when I was a kid. I was probably about 10. We sat there waiting for the sale to start and a family of Vietnamese folks came in and got seats. This sale used to sell livestock other than cattle to start and then spend the majority of the sale on bovines. They ran in some sheep and a few goats. Then they brought in 5 big finished hogs. Bidding started and the husband of the family from Vietnam started bidding. Poor auctioneer was trying to convey in English that the gentleman was high bid. But the guy kept bidding against himself. Finally the sale came to a halt and somebody got him squared away. No one else bid and he was the owner of 5 fat hogs. The entire family was sure excited and promptly exited the auction to presumably pay the bill and load their pigs. Chattering in Vietnamese as they left. Everybody kinda grinned and the sale went on. We were half an hour into selling cattle when three quick gunshots spooked the heck out of everyone. This was way before the days of crazy people shooting up folks but the whole sale barn went outside to see what had happened. Right in the parking lot was the family and a big yellow station wagon. Somehow they had loaded two live hogs in the rear of the car. Then they had shot the other three and had one thrown up on the luggage rack and were attempting to load dead pig number two!!!! The brand inspector was losing her mind trying and failing to explain they couldn't do that. A county deputy was trying as well. Blood was everywhere and nobody was learning to speak anything but their own language. I'll never forget about 200 people standing with their mouths agape as that yellow and now red station wagon drove off with three dead huge hogs still bleeding on the roof. We all went back inside and the sale got started. The old auctioneer smiled and said "folks, for future reference, please don't butcher any animals ya buy in our parking lot"!

What a story! However, not really related to my thread, when I was on my first WestPac Cruise to Vietnam, we stopped at Subic Bay Naval Station in the Philippines. I was able to get a couple of hours of liberty (aka "free time") in Olongapo City. As I walked around, with a couple of other shipmates, I noticed something hanging from sticks. It was dried strips of monkey meat. Yes, you read right! After seeing that, I left the guys and headed back to the ship.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Great story H, Never seen that happen. I've been around livestock auctions my whole life. I was pretty little when one of the yardmen at Moose Jaw yards used to carry me around. My Dad was such a regular at Assiniboia Livestock. Had his name on the side of the building for a parking spot.
Mom and Dad did the books and sorting at 3 different community auction yards back in the 1960's.
Dad had a great eye for cattle and could really sort up a nice load of calves.

 

[webfoot]

I have bought and sold cows, pigs, horses, goats, and chickens at livestock auctions. Don't hold the goats against me. The oldest daughter thought she should be a nanny slammer about 30 years ago. It didn't work out for her, me or the goats. Here there is two sales both about 65-70 miles from me. One to southeast and one to the northwest. Wednesday and Thursday. When I am buying I go to both pretty much every week. Tomorrow I am headed southeast with two butcher cows and a failed adoption calf.

Worked at the old Tacoma livestock market nearly 40 years ago. I have a tooth that is a cap from working there. I was penning and my old traveling partner Dan Daily was pushing them into the pen. He poked a cow with a stick. The cow kicked the gate. The gate hit me in the mouth breaking off one of my teeth. A bull got even for me a year or so later. It hit Dan in the mouth with its horn breaking off his four front teeth.