Saturday, November 8, 2008

TheCattle Auction


While I was at the ranch on holiday, my Dad and I attended the cattle auction. He was selling some yearling that day. Here is where the person pulls their trailer up on the scales. The guy hustling into the shed is a good friend. The gentleman standing by the trailer with a stick in his hand puts stickers on the cow so that they all can be sold in the same lot.

The cow enters through a mechanically controlled door. The arena is actually a scale so as soon as the cow steps onto the scale it calculates the weight of the animal or animals. You can see some chairs in the corner that is where the buyers, sellers, and people who are just curious sit.

The was the auctioneer who speaks a crazy language as the cattle come through the sale. I always have to listen closely to be able to follow the sale and where the price is. It is a language spoken and hand signals like none other.

The gentleman standing in the ring is know as a ring man he keeps the cattle moving so that the buyers can see what they are bidding on, the type of cattle, the condition and and sex of the cattle.

Two long horn cattle came through the ring. The didn't bring a great price because they aren't really a great beef cattle. But my thought my son would sure love to try roping those critters!!

It was a great day at the auction. You sit for hours and smell like cowpoop at the end. But the best part for me was my good friend Dixie was there with her husband so she and I talked and talked. The second best part was having lunch in the cafe downstairs. Burger and fries.

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