Full-Service Cattle Sales & Marketing serving the Fallon, Nevada and Outlying Areas.

SALE EVERY WEDNESDAY

Begins at 12:00

It’s not uncommon for bawling October calves to have a 5% to 7% death loss and in spots, a much bigger wreck than that. You can see it in the market reports nationwide, weaned calves with 2 rounds of respiratory shots are bringing a premium over bawling non-vaccinated calves. As a rancher, a sale barn operator and a guy that buys feeders, I see all angles of this feeder market situation. Buyers want the seller to give a live virus to his calves. The seller says “when I wean these calves and give them a live virus they get sick, go through a sweat and lose weight. If I don’t vaccinate them, they don’t get sick”.  Yes, they usually don’t get sick at home because they haven’t been exposed to all the bugs yet. However, put them on a truck and haul them 300 miles and then see what happens. Oftentimes ranchers will wean their calves and then life happens, and they won’t get around to vaccinating those calves for a week or so. After a few days of walking the dusty corrals, they run them in and give them a live virus. A live virus doesn’t kick in and start giving immunity for 14 days. So you just gave a stressed calf with a 7 day wean a live virus and no protection. It is critical to give the shot the day you wean or ideally you would bring them in and vaccinate them 14 days before you wean so they have that protection kicked in when you do wean. I encourage people to use weaning rings so the calf is still with the mom. On big Nevada desert operations weaning rings aren’t a great fit for everyone, but if you come into some meadows to wean, they might work for you. Get your calves weaned, get 2 rounds of live virus respiratory in them and come to the market as late as possible. Last year we saw a 40 cent jump in prices on 350 to 550 pounders between December and January. No guarantees it will happen this year, but in the 13 years we have been in business here in Fallon, I have never seen light cattle drop in price in January. California usually has rain by then and eastern buyers start looking for spring turn out calves.

Jack Payne, Owner/Operator

Have a great day and we look forward to seeing you soon!

Random Cowboy Quotes

• “Don’t squat with your spurs on.”
• “The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back in your pocket.”
• “It don’t take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of sheep.””
• “Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.” – John Wayne
• “There never was a horse that couldn’t be rode; Never was a cowboy who couldn’t be throwed.”
• “You live in hell? HA! I ride him everyday.”
• “Grass is for bulls, what do you ride?”
• “A gun is a tool, Marion, no better or no worse than any other tool, an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that.” — Shane
• “Talk slowly, think quickly.”
• “Sometimes you get and sometimes you get got.”
• “Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction.”