Meat Price in AB

[EquineAlberta]

How can I find out what meat prices are for horses in Alberta? I have a gelding I want to sell, and I just want to price him high enough that he isn't resold at auction to go for meat. He's not a bad horse, but he isn't one I can use in lessons so he doesn't get much attention.

Karen

[dandeeqh]

Call one of your local auction markets that have horse sales. They should be able to tell you what the going price is.

[Sassy]

Yeah I think a call to an auction is your best bet or to one of the meat buyers always advertising in the Bargin Finder... Good luck with selling...

[EquineAlberta]

I was told by a friend that it is 16-24 cents per pound. Does that sound right?

Karen

[AlbertaGirl]

My neighbor told me tonight that they shipped a bigger QH mare to Fort McCloud (?) very recently, and they got a little over $400 for her, so I think it's higher that what your friend told you. Did you want me to call my neighbor to double check, and let you know?

[EquineAlberta]

Yes, please do as I advertised my gelding at $475 to keep him from auction, so if meat prices are that high i may not have priced him high enough...

karen

[lelo2006]

You're cutting it close... I've seen 1-3 year olds go for $400-$500 and the older ones go for close to $500. Right now at the auctions the meat buyers are almost going as high as the buyers... they stop at about $800. I saw an 18 year old Draft Mare go for $875 to a meat buyer... if I had the money right then and there I would have bought her. She was broke to ride and everything. Auctions are a great but not a good way to sell your horse.... especially when there are awsome sites like HT and Equine Alberta and so on to sell from.

But just make sure that whoever you sell him too won't sell at auction! Make is a stiplualtion for sale or something. Just an idea.

[EquineAlberta]

Do you know that those horses were going for meat? Often meat buyers are also dealers. I didn't think meat prices were that high.

Karen

[lelo2006]

I didn't know that meat buyers were also dealers. At the auction that I go to everyone pretty much knows who the meat buyers are, they don't try and hide it. Everyone know what there auction number is or for most of them the letters that they have. So I'm almost 98% sure that it went to the meat buyer... for what use that I don't know.

[islander]

i seen your add--he's a nioce looking horse and I pointed him out to at least 2 of my friends

[islander]

oops---i just looked at it again and u changed your price--for a reason i am guessing--but when i sent the ad to my friends it had the original price so if you get a call from someone up my way-you know why they are offering too little

[BVfan]

I know a person who has a standing order with a meat buyer (dealer), for draft broodmares. Even at 18 that price for a big draft mare was good, for someone looking to increase their herd. They will take the chance that she will be able to have a few foals. Not as good a home, perhaps, as a person looking to have one draft mare to use, but not necessarily to slaughter.

[WallyMaven]

She was 18 years old though, do you really think she'd be any good for a broodmare at that age?

[BVfan]

Obviously there would be no guarantee, unless she was in foal at the time she sold. It is not unheard of for mares to foal well into their twenties. The dam of one of our mares (quarter horse) had her last foal at 27.
Those big draft mares are not as plentiful as a person might think, it would not surprise me to see someone buy an 18 year old mare on spec.

[lelo2006]

She wasn't in foal at the time and had never been used as a broodmare. She had been at the home that was selling her all her life and they were getting rid of her know. They had all her info.