York Sales - Poor

oakwell · Post by **oakwell** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 10:13 pm

Just returned from York, and could not believe the prices.
sheep are making better prices.
cows as little as £120.00 and Bulls as low as £100.00
how can the commitee justify the registration fees.
Maybe this is the credit crunsh hitting. Jack Russell pups
make better money. registration they need to think again.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 11:43 am

Doesn't make sense does it! We've sold youngstock for finishing at £1.65 a kilo liveweight no problem and we have just decided to send an unused and nice beef bull to the abattoir because we'll get £1.90 a kilo deadweight (£450'ish), which considering there will be no costs involved other than 20 minutes transport and a 2 minute phone call, makes it not worth even worth trying to sell him. We're selling finished steers for £650-£780 as well! I suppose no-one wants more breeding stock; they're breeding their own replacements...just guessing.

nuttalls · Post by **nuttalls** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 12:05 pm

dear oakwell, i posted the same as you yesterday to the dcs survey, ageeing with what you said and reg,s have gone up £3.00 per calf, at york entries 7.00 each then commission on top, plus registration fee,s. Just glad i was only selling piglets. jean jordeth

Post by **Mark Bowles** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 1:01 pm

Unfortunately dexters at York in the spring sale have always stuggled with good prices. I don't know why, i have never been myself.Dexter sales in general in the spring seem to struggle. I have heard that a autumn sale in the south west may take place, also of course Melton Mowbray always seems to attract good stock and good prices.

Louisa Gidney · Post by **Louisa Gidney** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 10:45 am

For me, the spring York sale is too early. I'm still lambing and thare won't be spare grass for another month. So, no incentive to buy stock, even if I could get, & no point entering as everything is still looking scrawny after turn out.

rodmet · Post by **rodmet** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 12:15 pm

Last Saturday at York was a dismal day for Dexters. Most of the stock were quite frankly a disgrace to the breed in conformation,condition, and presentation. What a massive sickener for many of us trying to do our best to promote the breed, because anyone thinking of coming into the breed would be totally put off. It must also make a number of people(like me) wonder why they are in the breed.

I do not want to imply a lofty condemnation of the people that had cattle there - I understand and sympathise with their pressures and difficulties.

It comes back to the most important issue affecting the future of our breed and that is how do we make it more attractive economically across the whole range of owners and stock? I know there is a section in the Society who would not be disturbed if numbers and registered owners declined steeply (which is where we are going) but most of us think that it would be a medium/ long term disaster.

I have long advocated a Group/Committee dedicated to trying to solve this one problem should be set up centrally.

At the least Council needs to consider how we can limit the very real damage Sales like the one at York inflict on us. Could we instigate a minimum bid price to put a floor under prices? Could we offer some kind of assistance to those who must sell but whose stock is in poor condition - should we not be doing this generally on welfare grounds in any case??

I dont have the answers and in many cases there probably arent any but dont we owe the reputation of our Society, our cattle and their owners to having a good go at trying to find them?????

Woodmagic · Post by **Woodmagic** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:04 pm

Amongst the reasons for sale can be shortage of fodder after the dismal summer, which in turn could imply poor condition, and inability to insist on a fair price. Another would be the owner’s demise or sickness so the cattle arrive poorly presented. Neither can be easily combated. We cannot insist on a minimum price unless we are prepared to underwrite it, where would the money come from?
Such poor prices certainly need addressing but there are no easy answers. Louise had a point when she talked of bad timing, even in a good year there will not be a lot of spare feed about at the tail end of winter. Prices depend on the mood of the buyers, and the Dexter is still not generally considered as commercial, prices depend on a whim as the vastly fluctuating figures of the past year confirm.
Beryl (Woodmagic)

Ken Hobbs · Post by **Ken Hobbs** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:18 pm

A few years back the Society tried to get the autioneers at York to allow us to have the animals inspected and graded, but they would not allow it ( it is well minuted by Couuncil). In my opinion the only way to have cattle and do the breed justice is to conform with the rules as they are at Melton.
On the dismal prices at York, perhaps those who put the animals forward were a little niave as to there own available stocking density, we as a Society still make issue of how little land the breed requires to sustain an animal.

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:19 pm

Another reason for poor condition and sudden sale is that the Dexter is the chosen cow of the newby and not every newby bothers to find out what a cow requires before going to a sale and buying in the first place!

Before having me hung for my comments - I know a good few do learn first- but I also know some don't!!!

At least when buying an animal direct from the farm there is a golden opportunity for a bit of education before it leaves.

Stephanie

Louisa Gidney · Post by **Louisa Gidney** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 3:59 pm

I think, at this time of year, that buyers also need to look beyond what the stock look like on the day to what they will look like in 6 weeks time on fresh grass. Everything, that isn't stuffed with cake, looks manky at turn out with clarts in the coat and hair falling out. That's why I say the York spring sale should be a month later. After all, the traditional turn out date up here was 15th May.

Woodmagic · Post by **Woodmagic** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 4:08 pm

Absolutely right Saffy, the breeders who keep Dexters for a living are very much in the minority.
Beryl (Woodmagic)

Penny · Post by **Penny** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:25 pm

Steph is absolutely right, it is a problem which I am constantly encountering when approached to bail someone out. This is why I personally never sell at sales, as I like to know potential purchasers and give them as much advice as possible before they commit themselves. I am also aware that I make much more money beefing my heifers nowadays than selling for breeding, so some really nice heifers have gone this way, which I find very sad for the breed.
Comments given as to why the stock at York were in poor condition and poorly presented could be so, but the fact of the matter is that other breeds are represented and, at the sales I have managed to get to, they are in completely different condition. If they can manage it, why cannot Dexter owners? As Ken said, we make too much about how thrifty a Dexter can be.
I did not manage to get to York this time, but the last 2 spring sales have left me very depressed about the state of the breed.
There has to be a place where people can sell their surplus breeding stock, whatever the quality, but sadly the York sales have become this..........a clearing ground.
I have some ideas, which I will put forward to the Northern Dexters committee regarding sale of good quality stock. In the meantime, let us hope that all those sold have now found good homes.

Post by **Mark Bowles** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 6:21 pm

No matter which breed it is, there will always be rubbish prices for rubbish cattle, no matter where they are for sale.
The society does and always will suffer from that turnover of members every year that have got involved for the wrong reasons, lost ground or whatever and sold up.
Education is there if people want it, this site, a network of field officers, local support groups, literature, Dexter beef online, what more can you do. If people are not interested or that irresponsible there is not a lot we can do.
ps
I am still getting some cattle on this site sold within 24hs, so something good is happening.
Also DCS membership is currently on the same level now as it was this time last year.

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 6:58 pm

I have no doubt that the information is there but as with all animals, people can be terribly arrogant and think that they will automatically know what to do!!!

Incidentally I have just finished writing an article on Dexters for a magazine and I have praised this fab site for its usefulness to us all but in particular new owners needing advice on tap.

Louisa I agree with you to a point, it is always good to buy an animal on the lean side at a good price and feed it up to be worth a better one! However I strive hard not to be the person selling the lean animal. Also is it good for the breed to be seen to be - "down at heel" - too often?!

Stephanie

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 6:02 am

We find that we can get good prices for our long-legged (6-7 month olds) weaners at the salesyards, if we time the selling at the right time of the year. The sales are weekly, but there are also special weaner sales a couple of times a year. We got just over $2 per kilo for our four weaner steers. They'd been reared on their mothers and were sold a week after weaning.

Short-legged steers aren't well accepted at the salesyards. We've also found that we get a much better price per kilo, if we sell our steers as weaners, rather than rising 2 year olds. So we've found that for us, there's no point in carrying them through their first Winter. It leaves more grass for the heifers.