Rat tailed calves

keh · Sep 18, 2009

Can somebody tell me why cattle buyers discount rat tailed calves? BIL had the buyers take 20 or 30 cents per pound off a otherwise nice calf.

KEH

Case e · Sep 18, 2009

its a marketing tool they use, should it matter- no but its like the red calves or the dairy calves, they get discounted because that isnt exactly what the packers want. Now if fed properly they all taste great! I always take the "less desireable" calves and feed them for my own family use. You may be able to find others that would like a half or a quarter also to help you get those calves marketed.

Jerry/MT · Sep 18, 2009

My neighbor raises Simmental cattle and, as I understand it, rat tails are gentically inferior calves that do not perform well in the pasture or the feedlot

730 virgil · Sep 18, 2009

it's the same thing for selling a Highland at the sale barn.
i have a Highland bull calf that needs a new home,but if i run him thru sale barn i know i'll get beat up on price.
i think he should go somewhere to be herd bull.

cj in wisconsin · Sep 18, 2009

They docked me 20 cents per pound for a calf that had his ears cropped by 35 below weather, calf looked great and was healthy as could be, but they will always find a way to beat you out of a few cents.

Tom in TN · Sep 18, 2009

KEH,

I have a rat-tailed black Angus yearling heifer that I'm going to keep around to see what her progeny look like. If she breeds good calves I'll keep her. If not, she goes regardless of the price.

Tom in TN

keh · Sep 18, 2009

Thanks for replies. I don't recall having a rat tailed calf. I'm curious about what their progeny would look like too.

KEH

Anonymous-0 · Sep 18, 2009

I guess that they do not make good Oxtail soup.. Yes, just another way for the buyers to get a cheap calf.. Years ago, we had a fine Angus steer, but dogs had gotten a good part of his tail. He brought about half price at the sale. Lesson learned, after that we fed out any odd stock for the freezer.. Meat tastes the same.

da-bees · Sep 18, 2009

Buyers will not pay same price for animals with"any" defect,when they can get normal animals. 20% seems eccessive for some tail problem unless it is linked to other problems. Dairy animals will not convert feed and marble meat any more than angus will produce milk equal to dairy animals. Not many years back,bull calves went 50% of steers and worn out breeder stock hardly paid fuel and time spent hauling to sale barn. Means of shipping mass #s changed that.

Walterdavies · Sep 19, 2009

I took two identical Limousin calves one red one black I got 10 cents per lb. more for the black.
Walt

kyplowboy · Sep 19, 2009

I had an old man who ran about 3,000 stockers a year tell me one time that he loved one eyed calves. He could buy them one at a time at 60% market and the feed lot he sold too did not mind getting one or two a load. A one eyed calf would eat and gain just as much as one with two eyes. Of the 3000 a year, he might only have one loose the other eye.

There are alot of folks who make their live'n putting calves together. A few rat tails or froze off ears won't lower the price of a truck load pen but sure does knock the price down when they go throught the auction one at a time.

Dave

2x4 · Sep 20, 2009

Highlands have the leanest beef of any breed & many desirable features except looks (to the buyers). Run'em thru the sale barn & you're lucky to make the haul bill & commission.

Rat tailed calves

keh

Well-known Member

Case e

Member

Jerry/MT

Well-known Member

730 virgil

Well-known Member

cj in wisconsin

Member

Tom in TN

Well-known Member

keh

Well-known Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

da-bees

Member

Walterdavies

Member

kyplowboy

Well-known Member

2x4

Well-known Member

Similar threads