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Heat and rain are impacting some cattle buying decisions

The owner of one of the largest sale barns in the country says the heat has had an impact on some cattle sales.  

Jackie Moore is with Joplin Regional Stockyards in Missouri. “Those slick-haired yearlings, slick-haired calves, all those cattle that got no hair on them, they bring a premium because they get along good with them,” he says.  “All those cattle that’s got some hair on them, they discount them, doesn’t matter because they can’t handle them.” 

He tells Brownfield that the excessive rain also creates management challenges. “It’s rained 8 or 10 inches in Scott City, Kansas, and you haul one of those hairy calves out there and dump him off in the mud,” he says.  “It’s 100 degrees. He’s not going to fare very well. And they’re not going to fare very well here unless you’ve got a great spot to put them. But it just takes extra management, extra time, extra money to be able to handle those fescue-haired calves.” 

Moore says it’s not surprising that some calves are being sold at a discount. “Just for the simple reason be it takes more management, a better place to put them,” he says.  “You got to watch them a lot carefully and you got to baby them around because they can’t take that heat. They just can’t take it.” 

Joplin Regional Stockyards is hosting its annual Big Bang Video sale on Thursday, and more than 40,000 head will be offered.