How to Buy at a Livestock Auction
People looking to thin their herds, get rid of an animal they don't want or wanting to get out of the livestock business bring their livestock to auction. You can find great deals at a livestock auction, but beware because there are plenty of bad deals, too. Learn how to buy at a livestock auction by following these steps.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
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1
Know what kind of animal you want. Livestock auctions sell many animals including horses, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, chickens and other farm animals.
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2
Call livestock auction barns near you to find out times and dates of auctions selling the type of animal you want. Many auctions sell different types of animals on different days of the week or only on certain weekend days.
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3
Bring a trailer to hold the animals that you buy at a livestock auction. If you buy an animal, it is normally available to take home with you immediately. Have an area at your home set up for the animal also.
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4
Arrive at the auction early so you can look at the animals before the auction begins. The animals are held in pens and corrals on the auction grounds and have numbers placed on them. You can look around at animals you are interested in and write down their number. When they enter the ring, you can recognize them from the number.
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5
Get the attention of the auctioneer when you want to bid on an animal. Wave your arm or stand up so he can see you want to raise a bid. Some auctions pass out number cards for you to hold up when placing a bid. Bidding is open to anyone, so keep track of what the auctioneer is saying and what the prices are.
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6
Buy an animal by placing the highest bid. When you are finished bidding on all of the animals you are interested in, go to the counter to pay for your purchases. You are given information and a ticket to take to the loading area of the auction grounds. Take your ticket and have your animals loaded into your trailer.
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Tips & Warnings
Decide how much money you are willing to spend before heading to the auction. Don't over spend just to outbid someone.
