Day 4: Cattle Sell

A Calf For Sale

Cattle For Sale

Cattle For Sale

Today I spent most of my day at a cattle sell. A cattle cell is exactly what it sounds like, Many people who buy and sell cows go to this event where cattle gets auctioned off. Some of the cattle is sold individually but others are sold on groups that go into the twenties. I didn't know how expensive cattle is! They auction off the cattle to the highest bidder. The cattle is sold by the pound. The auctioneer talked into a microphone and talked super fast, to the point where you could barely understand him. On a regular day there are about seven hundred cows for sale. Every single one of these cows gets sold. I thought that it was amazing that this happens every single week at this location alone. There are many other places that do the exact same thing in other locations. The cattle enter a ring and run around for about a minute while the buyers inspect the cows to see while lot looks the best to buy. These buyers look for specific things such as limping, lumps, and other genetic things such as tail length. All of these factors determine how much the cattle costs and who buys them. Many of the people who buy the cattle know what types of cattle they are buying and how much cattle they want (usually by weight).

Today was an experience unlike any one that I've ever had. I got to hear, see, and especially smell new things. I thought it was interesting to see what people do for a living in another part of the country. Tomorrow I am going to a grain elevator and a dairy. It is really exciting to have so many new experiences. Every day there is something new to look forward to.