CHAIN LAKES, Alta. – The fall feeder run got an early start when 13,000 yearlings were sold at a special sale Aug. 6.
Organized by the Southern Alberta Livestock Exchange, the Yearling Classic Sale sold 35 lots of commercial cattle from 17 consignors via video at Chain Lakes Provincial Park. The largest single sale of its kind in Canada, the entire event took about two hours for $12 million to change hands.
Seventeen ranches were approached to consign lots that ranged in size from 90 to 1,500 head. The 800 pound steers and heifers were displayed on video at their home ranches, with delivery to feedlots scheduled until October.
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Before each consignment was sold, auctioneer Brant Hurlburt provided a full history of the ranch. Some have been in business for more than 100 years and most are located in the southern Alberta foothills. Most consignors were customers of the Fort Macleod auction, which is part of the livestock exchange.
Justin Keeley, general manger of the livestock exchange, said there will be another yearling classic, noting how the sale ballooned in size from what was expected.
“A lot of guys thought it was an innovative idea,” he said. “We wanted to do it to put more money in the producers’ pockets.”
He said moving so many cattle this early in the season should not slow down the fall run because the exchange had already scheduled another yearling sale of 1,000 on Aug. 10.
“We need to add a bit of stability in the yearling business,” Keeley said.
Part of the attraction for feedlots and order buyers was the ability to buy large lots from a single owner at one time. Buyers were told about the ranch’s breeding, quality, health programs and whether the cattle were age verified or had received growth implants.
It also introduced the ranchers to their buyers.
“One of the problems in our industry today is the feedlot guys don’t know the ranchers,” said auctioneer Frank Jenkins, who shared selling duties with Hurlburt.
“We want to bring the personal touch back to the auction. We knew it was something that people would buy into, ” he said.
Prices were slightly better than average with the steers selling for $1.07-$1.13 per lb. and heifers fetching 97 cents to $1.05.
