Whether you are looking to buy or sell livestock public auctions present the most secure way to do it. Many companies and farms have moved their auctions to online bidding, but that presents a new level of complications with veterinarians, the health of the animals, and transport. In the article below we will discuss how to find local livestock auctions near me, how they work, tips for online bidding well, how to get your livestock to auction, and my experience with livestock auctions near me.
Map of Livestock Auctions Near Me
For “Livestock Auctions Near Me” or “Cattle Auctions Near Me”, see below for locations…
How to Find Livestock Auctions Near Me
Everyday across the US, there are public and online livestock auctions. Some auctions occur at auction houses, while others are open, auctions are at open and at farms and ranches. Certain auction companies even use live video services to make a public auction reach a broader market.
These events and auctions feature the auctioning and sale of cattle, horses, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens (although technically not livestock), etc. Each auction is slightly different where some animals are sold by the head, some are sold by the pound.
While many people are there to bid, there is a huge social and community element as well. Some folks come out to eat, watch the bidding, and socialize with their friends. If you are new to buying livestock at auction, you may not know how to find these events.
Here is a list of free resources that I use to find vehicle auctions near me:
Google Search and Yelp Listings
Google and Yelp typically yield the fastest results with a search of “Livestock auctions near me”. This will generate a list of farms and auction houses that hold livestock auctions near me. What I like about Yelp is this is more exclusive to finding live public animal and livestock auctions near me. You can read reviews on how the events are run.
Also, a search on Google using “Livestock Auctions in [Your Zip Code] on [The date you want to bid]” page will bring up pop-up events in your area. These events may be more localized and not run by an auction company, page or website.
Pro Tip: One of my best secrets is using Google “Events” to find the livestock auctions near me. A lot of people do not know how to use this feature in Google, which is why they don’t find these auctions. Fewer participants means less competition. You will see popular auctions listed on Google Events, but there will also be “pop-up” auctions. These are smaller events, at smaller venues, and many of them are special events. You can go these locally and be the livestock bidding pro!
Try Google Events here: Livestock Auctions Near Me This Week
Farmers Markets
If you live in a rural area, there will be ads and flyers out at your local farmers market to attract buyers and sellers to the auction and sale. They want to market to get people who buy and sell livestock to come. In my experience, farmer’s markets in urban areas don’t get many livestock auction sales and sale ads, but in the country there are.
Shows and Meet Ups
Horse shows, Rodeos, cattle shows, etc are great places to identify where the livestock events and sales are in your area. Some auction houses will even by sponsored at these events. These offer a great place to find out about other local events, sales and auctions in your locale.
Newspapers
You may not think anyone reads the paper much, but many auctions still advertise in the classified section. This often captures local events that aren’t as broad-reaching as an auction house. Small local events often present big opportunities for bargains as there is less competition to bid against.
How Do Livestock Auctions Near Me Work
Livestock auctions can vary. Some involve every type of livestock, some are just cattle, there are show pig auctions, and there are also sporting horse auctions. All are varieties of livestock auctions near me. These events are for both buyers and sellers of animals.
Sellers
Sellers drop off their animals such as cattle, pigs, goats and sheep. The owner of the animals fills out paperwork and provides buyers and sellers a brief description. The sellers and buyers’ animals get tagged and inspected by a state-brand inspector. Cattle get sent holding pens and/or sorted by size/sex before being sold.
All of the livestock is sold at auction or here on consignment, which means the auctioneer or company gets a percentage of the sale price. There are varying rates depending on the animal. For example, dairy cattle might be sold for a 5% commission, while horses, sheep, hogs, and goats fetch a 12.5% commission.
Buyers
Buyers of livestock need to register before the online bidding is. This involves presenting a valid ID and getting a bidder number in return. By registering you are agreeing to legal terms that if you bid and win it is a legally binding agreement that you will pay. Some places only take cash as payment for livestock.
As a buyer, you need to make sure you are visible to the auctioneer and pay attention. Some animals are sold by the head and others are sold by the pound. If you bid and win, you own it and must pay. A key here is that if you want veterinary work completed, you should tell the auctioneer before you bid or leave the seller’s ring. There will be costs associated with vet work but is often a good idea if you want to check the animal’s health.
If you plan on bidding you also need to plan for transport. Some places can house your livestock overnight for a charge, but would much rather prefer you bid and transport your animals the day of the sale.
Flow of the Event
Most auctions will have a registration period. This is where you sign up and get your number. At popular auctions, the line can get long, which means you may miss the animals you wish to bid on. Get early and get a good spot to see the action and participate.
When the event begins the auctioneer will state the rules. Next, they will bring out the first animal, read a description and then announce what the bidding price will start at. People raise paddles or hands to bid. Each bid raises the price in ascending order.
The auctioneer talks fast and rattles off numbers. Some people yell “here” or “yep” in order to place their bids. The online bidding only ends when the website or auctioneer says sold.
Tips for Buying Livestock At Auction
Choose Healthy Animals
Any animals with signs of disease or health-related issues are supposed to be pulled before an event. Sometimes an animal will make it through with bumps, bruises, thrush, scours, and patches of hair missing.
Now of course some of these issues could have occurred, during transport, but could be signs of health issues. You should avoid purchasing any animals with questionable health unless you are an experienced livestock buyer.
Animal Age Estimates
Looking at an animal and knowing its age by it’s characteristics is a skill for most cattle and horse buyers. With horses and cattle, you can estimate age by looking at their top line or back and at the eyes and legs. This shows signs of aging. You need to be able to tell what healthy livestock look like and be able to do a quick age estimate.
With cattle auction here and horses auction here, they will be grouped and auctioned by age and breed, but you buyers and sellers can assess your bids much faster and save both time and money.
Setting Up for Success
Most auctions only take cash, so come prepared with enough. You should come to the event with a truck and trailer. Additionally, if you know you are coming home with animals, you need to have made space available for them.
You shouldn’t wear nice clothes if you are going there for business. Wear warm clothes and boots. Bring a pitchfork if you are buying horses, bulls, calves, bison calves, or cattle
Bidding Tips for Livestock Auctions Near Me…
- See The Flow of Bidding Before You Take Action. Veteran livestock buyers often use hand signals to bid. They know how to weed out inexperienced buyers. You may want to avoid bidding against them if you are new.
- Don’t Be Eager to Bid First. Relax and let someone else start the action.
- Identify the Experienced Buyers. See how they bid and what they are bidding on. They sometimes only buy from certain lots or ranches. There is a reason, they do that…they know how to look for quality and value. Also notice who they don’t bid on…that can be telling as well.
- Don’t Stand Up, Make Gestures, or Movements. The auctioneer may think you are bidding and you may end up coming home with an animal you didn’t want.
- Beware of Low Starting Bids or Little Action. Auction houses are here to make money. Sure the seller could be motivated to sell, but it may be you get what you pay for. Livestock that are well underbid are a sign of an issue.
- If this is Your First Cattle Purchase, Buy Two. These are herd animals and need a friend to be happy. Happy cattle gain more weight.
What to Do Once You Have Won
When you have won pick-up may vary depending on the type of animal. You need to go to the admin desk pay and get a sales receipt. Small livestock will be in cages, while large animals will have chutes that you pick up from. To pick up the animal you need to present the bill of sale. You can load your animals as long as you have paid. Back up your stock trailer to the chute and some handlers will help you load large animals.
It’s also important when you get new animals, you need to ensure you have the health papers. These tell you which vaccinations the livestock have had. They will also denote any current or previous health issues for each animal.
How Public Livestock Auctions Work and Following the Auction Price
Here is a video I like from a livestock auction in Kentucky. You can get a sense of how a local auction flows and how much community and fellowship there is…
Online Livestock Auctions vs Public Livestock Auctions
Many farms, ranches, and auction houses are making the switch to online bidding. It certainly has its place for convenience. Some venues are running live video feeds to simulate public auction settings and then they take proxy bids on the phone or computer. While it is certainly a way to market to a broader audience I still feel live public auctions are the most secure way to deal in livestock.
Seeing the animals in person at livestock auctions near me is FAR BETTER than viewing pictures, videos, and reading descriptions. A lot can be told from the animal’s demeanor, gate, and coat. You just can’t see these things clearly online. There is also the challenge of transport. Once you win the animal is yours and it’s your responsibility to transport it.
Read our 13 Tips for Public Livestock Auctions.
What Kind of Livestock are at Auction
Some livestock auctions are open and general, meaning they feature all farm animals. Others are open and very specific like cattle auctions, sporting horse auctions, and show pig auctions.
Here is the types of animals though you can find sold at a general livestock sale or auction near me:
- Baby calves
- Dairy cattle
- Feeders/beef cattle
- Slaughter cattle
- Slaughter bulls
- Bison
- Hogs
- Sheep
- Goats
- Chickens
- Horses
Livestock Auctions Near Me
Livestock Auctions are fun events to attend both for buying cattle and selling cattle, but also for coming together as a community. It’s important to understand that if you are bidding on livestock auctions, a bid is a legally binding contract. You need to understand what you are bidding on.
Auctions present great opportunities for buyers to get animals below market value. You need to know though how to identify healthy animals in order to make that value complete though. In my estimation, the only way to truly evaluate cattle for that is at a live auction event. This next page is what I have learned from livestock auctions near me.