Livestock producers converged on the Sulphur Springs Livestock Commission Wednesday to market their cattle in the May Northeast Texas Beef Improvement Organization pre-conditioned stocker and feeder calf sale.
A total of 241 producer/members of NETBIO shipped nearly 5,500 head of calves and yearlings to the sale. Those cattle were purchased by 36 buyers who paid an average of $795.17 per head.
Sellers, buyers and visitors from throughout the region — and some from neighboring states — attended the sale that featured a lot of excellent quality cattle.
“We had a lot of good cattle consigned to the sale and there was a lot of interest from the buyers — both those at the sale and some buying over the Internet,” said David Fowler, co-owner of the livestock commission. Buyers bidding over the Internet purchased 1,042 head of cattle.
Fowler said feedlot buyers were well represented, along with many buyers from throughout the region. “It was a very good offering of cattle and buyers recognized the excellent quality,” Fowler said.
Most of the cattle purchased were going to feed yards in the Panhandle. However, Fowler added that quite a few were purchased to go back to grass out west and to local pastures.
Cattle prices held up well under “not so good world marketing conditions,” primarily because producers shipped in quality pre-conditioned cattle and the demand for all weights was good.
The NETBIO Pre-Conditioned Stocker and Feeder Calf Sale gives producers a market to offer their pre-conditioned calves and yearlings in load lot quantities. NETBIO holds eight pre-conditioned calf sales per year, which is the marketing arm for members of the organization.
The next sale will be held at the Sulphur Springs Livestock Commission on Wednesday, July 17. The weaning deadline for calves consigned to that sale is June 2. The last date for booster shots is June 17.
That sale will be followed by sales on Sept. 18, followed by a sale on Oct. 16 and the anniversary sale on Nov. 20.
