ZANESVILLE, Ohio — Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) Vice-president Lindsey Hall, has been involved with the female replacement sale since its inception. “The sale started when my dad was the beef extension specialist for the State of Ohio,” Hall said. 

Hall, a passionate advocate for Ohio’s cattle industry, has served as chairman of the sale in the past and is very proud of what the event does for Ohio Cattlemen.

“I think it’s a great event, one of the best member services that we offer,” she said. “It’s just a great way to get in front of a lot of cattlemen and share the story of how the OCA is always working for the cattlemen of Ohio.”

The 2024 edition was the 12th sale. “It’s been around for several years and it’s finally, in the last couple of years, really kind of hit its stride,” she said.

The impetus for the sale was a way for the OCA to offer another service to its membership, particularly the fairly small producers who can market their cattle but can’t do a full production sale.

“The average herd size in Ohio is fairly small — I believe it’s less than 20-25 head,” Hall said. However, that doesn’t diminish the caliber of the animal. “Even though our herd sizes are small, there’s still a ton of really high-quality cattle in the state of Ohio,” she said 

The sale is always the Friday after Thanksgiving at the Muskingum Livestock Auction in Zanesville, Ohio. “Which is the heart of cow country in the state,” Hall said. The site has hosted all 12 sales. “There’s a lot of cows in that part of the state — a lot of cattlemen,” Garth Ruff, OCA Replacement Female Sale Manager, said. “It’s been a good location.” 

n addition to looking to add new genetics, capitalizing on the market, and adding value to their herd, some buyers mark the “Black Friday” sale on their calendars. “We get a lot of repeat buyers, a lot of volume buyers, and based on conversations I’ve had with folks — they look forward to it,” Ruff said. “It’s an annual event for some of them.”

Hall added, “It’s a perfect recipe for success — the location, the time of year — it’s a great way for smaller producers and OCA members to capture more value for their animals.”

Only OCA members may offer cattle for consignment, however, bidding is open to anyone. “Anybody can purchase,” Hall said. “Most of the cattle stay in Ohio but I believe we’ve had some from this sale that went to Pennsylvania and West Virginia.”

This year’s sale featured 82 lots of bred heifers, bred cows, and cow-calf pairs. Past sales have seen 100 to 125 lots. The cattle market dictates the number of people willing to consign cattle. “Right now it’s up,” Hall said, referring to the cattle price. “The last 2 to 3 years have been strong because prices have been good.”

Consigned cattle must be registered females of any breed or cross-bred females bred to a registered bull with confirmed EPDs. 

“Lindsay’s been a great help the last couple of years,” Ruff said. “She’s on the OCA committee and her father helped me get the ball rolling.”

Ruff ensures all consignors have submitted the appropriate paperwork and met the health requirements for vaccinations and testing after consignments have met the October 1st deadline. In addition, he tries to get videos of all the cattle to help advertise the sale.

This year’s sale results included 54 lots of bred heifers that averaged $2,961, three cow-calf pairs that sold for $3,333, and 24 lots of bred cows that averaged $2,804. One open cow sold for $1,250. 

The 82 total lots grossed $238,250 for an overall average of $2,905. The females sold to buyers from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Col. Ron Kreis served as the auctioneer.

According to Ruff’s summary, sale prices were higher year over year driven by current cattle prices and the quality of the females offered. The 2024 sale represented a $458 per head price increase over the 2023 sale. Demand was very strong for quality females as 72 lots sold for at least $2,500 and 34 of those sold for $3,000 or greater.

Sale highlights

Erv-N-Del Farms of Louisville, Ohio, consigned the top-selling cows. A Purebred Simmental sold to Zackery Jones of Freeport, Ohio, for $3,600, and a Purebred Simmental sold for $3,300 to Circle H Livestock from Dundee, Ohio.

1840 Angus Farm of Homerville sold the high-selling pair to LinJus Farms of Duncan Falls at $3,700. VanHorn Farms from Malta sold a LimFlex pair for $3,500 to Gail Williamson of Warsaw.

Crum Cattle Company of Wooster, Ohio, consigned the top-selling bred heifer, a commercial half Simmental heifer that sold to Rose Koehler of Lancaster, Ohio, for $3,700. The second highest-selling bred heifer sold for $3,600. 1840 Angus Farm sold the Sim/Angus female to Zakery Jones of Freeport, Ohio. 

In addition, Crum Cattle Company sold a pair of 50 percent Simmental heifers for $3,500, and a Registered Angus heifer from 1840 Angus Farm sold for $3,500.