DICKINSON, N.D. — The crew at Stockmen’s Livestock Exchange tossed out bags of sawdust after the first few groups of calves went through the ring at the Stockmen’s West barn.
By the time the Tuesday, Oct. 24, sale was over, the barn had sold 3,755 calves.
It’s a similar story to the west, at Miles City Livestock Exchange in Miles City, Mont., and to the east, at Kist Livestock in Mandan, N.D. Due to drought conditions that limited feed supplies, big runs of calves have started weeks to months earlier than normal.
The Drought Monitor showed 5.92 percent of South Dakota in extreme drought, 12.72 in severe drought, 30.42 percent in moderate drought and 24.09 percent abnormally dry.
Schnell said Stockmen’s Livestock Exchange has been busy since dry conditions started.
This is the normal time of year for calf marketing, but the big sales have started earlier than normal.
Schnell said producers are selling down until they get to the number of cattle for which they have feed.
The Monday, Oct. 23 cow sale had 900 cows, which Lachenmeier said was probably 300 to 350 more cows than would sell in a normal year at the same time.
"It seems like when guys sell their calves, the next week we see their cows," he said.
Maged, said there’s "a little higher percentage" of cull cows being sold in Miles City, but most producers are holding onto as many cattle as they can.