At the Woodward Livestock Auction we try to stay progressive and run the best sale we can.
I bought cattle full time for 20 years before buying the livestock auction. And one thing customers, both buyers and sellers, should appreciate is the fact we are 100% honest. We do work for the seller but we never lie to the buyer or try to stick him with unmerchantable cattle. Weaned and how long is a big item and extremely important in September and October but important at other times too. We already had a display showing total head count, total weight and average weight being sold and another display showing the draft previously sold.
About a year ago we added some more features that we felt were very important. Those displays show days weaned and guaranteed open or not. There are two more showing steers or bulls. I really like the new displays even for myself because I always get the mail showing seller and info and hand it to the clerk. But by the time I announced what it was turn cattle around, decide what price to set them in at and then run back to open gate again it was easy to forget one of the most important items and that was days weaned.
Then often the buyer or myself would have to stop the sale and ask again or make sure buyers knew heifers were guaranteed open. Still a lot of sellers get confused on that. Some say I can’t give them my word on that. It’s not a matter of giving your word, it is simply allowing the buyer to give the most he can and not have to take anything bred. Often guaranteed open heifers will bring $10 per hundredweight more. Guaranteeing them open almost always makes the seller money. If not the buyer assumes several will be bred.
A minister decided to do something a little different one Sunday morning. He said, “Today in church I am going to say a single word and you are going to help me preach. Whatever single word I say then I want you to sing whatever hymn comes to your mind.”
The pastor shouted out the word “cross” and immediately the congregation started singing in unison “The Old Rugged Cross.” The pastor then hollered out the word “grace.” Then the congregation began to sing “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.” The pastor said “power” and the congregation sang “There is power in the blood.” The pastor then hollered the word “sex.” The congregation fell in total silence. Everyone was in shock, looking around, afraid to say anything. Then all of a sudden an 87-year-old lady sitting in the back of the church started singing “Precious Memories.”
Editor’s note: Jerry Nine, Woodward, Oklahoma, is a lifetime cattleman who grew up on his family’s ranch near Slapout, Oklahoma.
