Lisa Kriese-Anderson
Extension Animal Scientist
Auburn University

• Options will depend on the number of feeder calves you have to market at a given time
• Options will also depend on the amount of effort you are willing to put into marketing

• Local Auction Markets are how the majority of cattle are marketed in Alabama
• 27 stockyards currently operating in AL
• Open almost every week of the year
• Can market 1 calf to 100’s of calves for you at a given time

• Auction markets are run by professionals
– Licensed
– Bonded
• Commission to sell cattle at the market, plus Beef Checkoff
– Can be paid that day as soon as your calves sell

• Marketing Options
– Weekly regular sale
– Special sales
• Get to know your local auction market owner/manager
• If you want top market value
– Bring to the auction cattle the buyers want
• Large and Medium 1’s and 2’s
• Healthy
• Mainstream breed/breed combinations
• Dehorned and castrated would be good!

• Order buyers are licensed cattle buyers that can come to your farm and purchase calves
– Will want a group of uniform calves
• Age and/or weight
• There are local order buyers as well as regional or national order buyers
– Orders buyers may/may not collect Beef Checkoff
– If not, you are responsible for sending in Beef
Checkoff money

• Organized sales of feeder calves where:
– Calves stay on farm until sold and ready for pickup
– Calves are pre-conditioned – including proper vaccinations and boosters, dehorned and castrated
– Feeder calves or stocker cattle
• Most successful if in truck load lots and at least
1,000 cattle in sale
– Cattle need to weigh 500 lb + at pick up
– Want to attract out of state buyers

• Many times producer organized and run
– May or may not have a licensed selling agent involved
• Payment is made when cattle change hands
– Usually bank transfer
• Load lots of cattle can also be sold at any time through your local auction market
– Sometimes sold same day as regular sale

• Cattle can be marketed directly to/through a feedlot
• Feedlot will want to partner with you
– Especially if 1 st time feeding your cattle
– Especially if you have no previous carcass/postweaning data to share
• Cattle will need to be
500 lbs + unless feedyard has a stockering program

• Cattle need to be marketed to the correct feedlot
– In general, AL cattle are have favorable USDA Yield
Grades and either grade Select or Choice+
• High Plains feedyards
– Favorable Yield Grades
– Select Cattle
• Midwest
– High USDA grades
• West
– High Brahman influence

• Retain feeder cattle and market as freezer meat
• Market the live animal
– Whole animal
– Half animal
– Quarter animal
• Market Individual pieces
– Require either
• AL State Meat Inspection
• Federal Meat Inspection

• Auction Market
• Order Buyers
• Tele-auctions or Board Sales
• To/Through a Feedlot
• Freezer Beef