Convey of prime Alberta beef headed your way Burnt

[Blaithin]

I follow Ken Schaus on Twitter and he regularly posts about liners of calves from the prairies. Not sure I’ve ever seen him get any from Alberta though.

How many do you put on a truck Woodland? I’m assuming not the 100+ head they cram on here for jaunts from the auction to feedlots. Ken definitely promotes lots of room and bedding for that long haul.

[woodland]

I assume they are weighed on farm? Is there ever any disputes? AB trucks? Can one driver make the run or they would be short on hours?

We weigh on the truck with a pencil shrink at the Stony Plain seed plant which is about 30km away.

We’ve had two disputes in about 20 years. One was a single calf that wasn’t quite right and the other was the actual weight was 80 or so lbs lighter than we guesstimated for the sale. Both were settled fairly (I believe at least) with a couple phone calls.

These trucks were Ontario and Quebec registered. Some of the drivers lived out here though since it’s a regular run for them. The one guy said he drives straight to Thunder Bay and rests while the critters are unloaded at a large barn for their feed and water. They said in Ontario the drive thrus won’t let them walk up to order so they have to pack all their food with them. Can’t be much fun for the driver or the critters.

We love selling this way since we know what we’re getting before the trucks even show up. It also saves the stress and shrink of another haul and a day at an auction mart too. Only takes 6 minutes of watching a screen to sell a whole year’s production...........😉

[GDR]

Loaded out five loads of steers this morning and they are going to Elmwood ON after a stop for grub and water in Thunder Bay. We had one load of heifers go there about 8 years ago and the truck hauled mail out here and cattle back with a tandem trailer. This time there was three regular pots and and two convertible freight pots and all were tri axels.

There must be really good margins in feeding out there to justify the trucking. I’m curious what the shrink is on them too. I’m guessing it’ll be a little more than the 4% that we took off...........

Hopefully they make it there fine and it’s interesting how the market can make all this work. When barley is $6+ the feedlots aren’t too anxious to refill their pens here. Probably not another cattle cheque for us until July when our cull cows normally leave and maybe the market can resemble something more normal by then. 🍀

I assume they are weighed on farm? Is there ever any disputes? AB trucks? Can one driver make the run or they would be short on hours?

[woodland]

Loaded out five loads of steers this morning and they are going to Elmwood ON after a stop for grub and water in Thunder Bay. We had one load of heifers go there about 8 years ago and the truck hauled mail out here and cattle back with a tandem trailer. This time there was three regular pots and and two convertible freight pots and all were tri axels.

There must be really good margins in feeding out there to justify the trucking. I’m curious what the shrink is on them too. I’m guessing it’ll be a little more than the 4% that we took off...........

Hopefully they make it there fine and it’s interesting how the market can make all this work. When barley is $6+ the feedlots aren’t too anxious to refill their pens here. Probably not another cattle cheque for us until July when our cull cows normally leave and maybe the market can resemble something more normal by then. 🍀