Sale Prices@ smaller fairs

[OhShOwEr]

For you all that have already had you fair...what are the prices been like at the sale?  With this economy, I figure ours will be down this year

 

[farmboy]

its an election year so the politicians will buy alot of animals but last year my freinds steer went for 300 dollars, pitiful

 

[minimoo38]

here in central iowa, our county fair is over labor day, and for some unknown reason, the market price TANKS!! the grand champion will rarely bring much over the market $$. we don't even sell there. we quarter up the meat between our family, and get 3x as much money.

 

[showgirl2010]

Wow, only 300!  Last year was good.  One sold for 2000.  This year ought to be great.

Jamie

 

[BCCC]

last year grand champ sold for 5600, I am thinking prices may be a little down but not because of the economy, becuase of the # of more entries :'(

 

[Dusty]

We used to just have a Ribbon auction at our county fair.  You didn't sell then animal which was nice because you could go through the sale and get some premium and still go to state fair if you wanted to.  The champion steer used to bring 1-2000 premium and the bulk of the cattle got 3-500 premium.  The champion hog and lamb got around 250-400 premium depending on who you were.  A couple times a red ribbon calf would bring more than the champions just because the kid's dad was a big farmer or something.

 

[farmboy]

if it wasnt a terminal sale, i would take him home and sell the meat, but thats against the law i guess

 

[Dusty]

if it wasnt a terminal sale, i would take him home and sell the meat, but thats against the law i guess

You can sell the meat, but you would probably have to do it though a locker.  I don't think you can butcher him at home and then sell the meat without being USDA approved.  You butcher him at home if you are going to eat him yourself.

 

[LFFASHOWER]

almost every animal at our fair Hogs, Sheep, Fat Steers and Feeder Steers sell for 1.00/lb or more.

 

[Show Heifer]

I have been to 2 county fairs (very small ones) to try and buy some critter of kids that bought them from me.
I ran 2 lambs to 500 and didn't get either. I ran a steer to 3.09 a pound and didn't get that one either.  These were not champion animals, but blue ribbon winners. I bred the champion carcass lamb and it sold. Between me, the kids employeer, the feed store owner, and her bank, we made it bring twice what the champion brought (which was 750 - so we ran the carcass lamb to 1500 to make a point!!)

Our fairs may be considered "po dunk" and way to "country"....but the community supports the kids and the youth programs to a very hefty sum.

 

[ShowmanQ]

i also think theres some politics involved in a sale, not with the actual politicians but the kids dad who knows everybody in the county. last year our GC steer brought 5ksomethin and the reserve steer brought 10k. everybody in the county knows hes a kissA** and thats how that goes, we also have another girl, no matter how bad her steer, she usually gets the same as the GC, but her uncle buys it...

Zach,
Although it may not have been your intention to come off the way it seems, you may want to review your writing before posting things. Politics are absolutely prevalent at sales, but you are old enough to understand, quite well, that politics are everywhere and it is just something you have to be mature enough to deal with it, may not be right but just don't make yourself seem ignorant. Calling someone a "kissA**" does not make you sound intelligent, just bitter and maybe a bit jealous. You may not want to seem like this, but you should consider what you are typing before you post it for the whole world to read.

Now that I have totally ruined my image of being accepting of ALL opinions of others, I will quit venting.

 

[Jill]

Local county fair auctions have nothing to do with politics or how good or bad an animal is.  The kids that complain the loudest in our county are the ones that never bothered to invite anyone to come bid on the animal they are selling, it isn't up to someone else to make sure your animal sells well, get your buyers there. 
Our fair isn't until the 1st of August, so not sure how things will bring, but something that our fair board implemented last year that worked really well was allowing add-on money, in our case we had more in add-ons than the animal actually brought in the ring.  It allows say your dentist that has 10 4-hers to give 50 to each rather than just purchasing 1 animal, or not buying at all trying to be fair to everyone.

 

[kanshow]

Jill, our county does that too.    So any given animal might have multiple buyers.   

Another thing our county does is to make sure that the blue ribbon animals bring more than the reds & the reds more than the whites.    I'm going to have to look in the fair book because I can't remember if they go by the highest premium in the ribbon group or an average.     

 

[sawboss]

The county show that my two sons participate in uses this format:
Premium Sale by the head - Exhibitor retains ownership
Add on money for show of support
$500 Bonus for calves placing 3 through 12 overall, this money is raised from raffle sales of nice prize Ex: Bad Boy Buggy.  This is done because of extreme drop off of prices after Grand and Reserve Champion.
Resale of calf at market value

My sons had #4 and #8 overall their money was as follows:

    #4 = $1400 Premium + $1350 Add-ons + $500 Bonus + $982.50 Market Resale = $4232.50 Total

    #8 = $1450 Premium = $1050 Add-ons = $500 Bonus + $960.00 Market Resale = $3960.00 Total

I approached people that we do business with on a regular basis and asked for their support, with many declining to help and many graciously agreeing to do so.  There will always be the calf who finishes low in the sale line and brings huge numbers because of the exhibitors' connections, so be it do not worry about the things you do not control.  Personally I hope my sons realize that they received more recognition for their efforts in their high placings, than the amount of zeroes on their checks.  If you are showing to make a profit, then you had better stick with chickens and bunnies.

 

[fluffer]

Ours is toally premium based bidding.  SO if you bid $500.00 the kid gets the $500.00 plus market.  We also have bidders sheets where a kid can go around and get a bunch of people to go in together and buy his/her animal.  You can not believe the amount of money that flows though our fair.  I do believe our fair has the2nd  highest gross $ from livestock action in the US, at least that is what we (the buyers) are told    The hog auction usually takes all day to do and each kid can only sell 1 hog.  Each kid can also only sell a max of 2 species.  To be honest it is rediculous!

 

[linnettejane]

The county show that my two sons participate in uses this format:
Premium Sale by the head - Exhibitor retains ownership
Add on money for show of support
$500 Bonus for calves placing 3 through 12 overall, this money is raised from raffle sales of nice prize Ex: Bad Boy Buggy.  This is done because of extreme drop off of prices after Grand and Reserve Champion.
Resale of calf at market value

My sons had #4 and #8 overall their money was as follows:

     #4 = $1400 Premium + $1350 Add-ons + $500 Bonus + $982.50 Market Resale = $4232.50 Total

     #8 = $1450 Premium = $1050 Add-ons = $500 Bonus + $960.00 Market Resale = $3960.00 Total

I approached people that we do business with on a regular basis and asked for their support, with many declining to help and many graciously agreeing to do so.  There will always be the calf who finishes low in the sale line and brings huge numbers because of the exhibitors' connections, so be it do not worry about the things you do not control.  Personally I hope my sons realize that they received more recognition for their efforts in their high placings, than the amount of zeroes on their checks.  If you are showing to make a profit, then you had better stick with chickens and bunnies.

this is a really interesting concept and i'd like to know more.....our county fair has always just sold auction to buyer, buyer takes possession of animal.....so where does the premium money and add-on money come from???? 

 

[farmboy]

we do it like a premium sale + market price

last year i got a premium of 1200 + about 1000 market price bringing my check to alittle over 2200 which was alot more than alot of animals went for

 

[Jill]

The way it works in our county, there is a meat packer that comes in and base bids all of the animals.  The day of the auction you get a sheet that has the base bid price, the auction amount is the premium money only that the kids get over and above the base bid, if you are the winning bidder you have the opion to either take the animal or not, if you do you pay the base bid + premium, if not the order buyer pays the base and the bidder pays only the premium money.  I know we are from a much larger community, but the buyers also have the option of paying for the meat and sending it to a charity. 
The add-on sheets are filled out for anyone that doesn't buy your animal from the auction but wants to donate to your animal, we go around to everyone we do business with in a year and many wouldn't purchase an animal, but are willing to give a small amount to the kids and that is what the add-ons are for.  The add-ons are a little more work for the auction committee, but it has been a huge success in our county, at the KJLS and the American Royal.

 

[Rocky Hill Simmental]

The fair where I sold steers is kind of like Jill's. Right after weigh in, you have to fill out a contract on what to do with the animal if it goes for resale (slaughter, auction, or take it home). A guy comes and decides an approximate amont that the group on average would bring at market (they used to do it individually but they stopped that). Then the day on the sale, they hand out a sheet with the list of sellers, steer weights, and the floor price.
Then the buyer can either take the animal or resale it. If they take it, the animal goes home with the buyer that weekend and they pay the full price that they bid. If they resale it, the buyer only has to pay the difference in their bid and the floor price. For example, if the floor price was $0.90 and the animal brought $1.00, the owner gets paid $0.10 for their animal and the animal goes to wherever the owner designated on their contract.
There's no guarantee that you'll get your floor price though. For example, if the steer that sold for $0.10 per lb after resale, went to the sale barn, he probably won't bring .90 per lb. So if he sells for $0.70 per lb at the auction, the individual will end up with $0.80 per lb.

There's no guarentee what you'll get. I lost $200 on my last steer after resale.  (lol) They do it like that to teach kids that if you raise livestock, you probably won't get paid as much as you'd like for your animals.

As for fair prices, I think they will be down this year. I heard there won't be many people showing steers at our fair this year because of the price of feed.

 

[DLD]

this is a really interesting concept and i'd like to know more.....our county fair has always just sold auction to buyer, buyer takes possession of animal.....so where does the premium money and add-on money come from???? 

Our county show is not terminal, we auction each animal for a premium bonus, plus they're all eligible for add ons. So ours isn't just like sawboss', but maybe this'll give you some ideas.

Several years ago, in an effort to increase monies and get some participation from businesses that hadn't been otherwise, a group was formed - called "The Cartel". This group gets out and gathers donations by selling memberships in The Cartel. A gold membership is $1000 per year, a silver membership is $500, and a bronze is $250. Although many of the members are regular buyers anyway, it has gotten donations from many businesses and individuals who otherwise wouldn't participate. Each Cartel member recieves a nice plaque with pictures of all that years grands and reserve grands to display in their business. The Cartel also gets a percentage of the concession stand money. They buy all the grands and reserve grands every year, and a few more animals throughout the sale. I think it may vary a little each year depending on donations, but typically grand steer will bring $1800, reserve will bring $1300. Each exhibitor may sell only one animal, and the sale is for market animals only - breed champion females only will be listed for add ons if that exhibitor doesn't have a market animal in the sale.

After grand and reserve it makes very little difference where you place. Most steers will get $700 - $900 bonus through the ring, and probably $200 - $500 in add ons. The difference is where and how much business the exhibitors family does, and whether or not the exhibitor made a point of inviting the right people to the sale. In most counties, there are a fairly limited number of businesses that put most of the support into the premium sale - usually banks, feed dealers/co-ops, implement dealers, automobile dealers, insurance agencies (esp. Farm Bureau and/or Farmers Union), livestock sale barns/commision companies... They are typically the buyers, and they also contribute a large amount of add ons. More add ons tend to come from smaller and/or less directly ag related businesses.

Also similar to the bonus money Sawboss mentioned, another good thing that's been happening here is that a local business has been selling chances on something like an atv or utv, and donating the proceeds as add ons divided evenly between the exhibitors. The first year, our John Deere dealership sold chances on a gator, and did a great job with it - each exhibitor in the sale got a $340 add on from it (and that's around 120 exhibitors). The past couple of years have been atv's donated by auto dealers and motorcycle/atv dealers - they haven't gone quite as well, but we're all still learning how to make it work right. Usually tickets are distributed to the exhibitors through their 4H and FFA leaders for them to sell as well, and it takes alot of work to keep up with it all. But it can be a really good deal - I hope we get the support to keep this up.

Our premium sale is in March, so who knows what could happen between now and then, but if it were next week, I wouldn't look for it to be much different than usual - maybe add ons would be off a little, 'cause everyone's tightening their belts, but not much. As far as numbers, I don't look for them to be much different than usual. The cattle projects have always cost money to do right, and though I'm not saying everyone that shows cattle in our county is rich, by any means, I do think pretty much all of the usual feeders will find a way to keep goin'...