Stock Jockeys

Anybody remember "stock jockeys"? That's what dad called them, anyway. Usually an older guy, with a pickup or one ton with cattle rack, would stop by your farm and ask if you had anything for sale. They were real handy if you had something you'd like to get rid of, but couldn't justify the time to take it to the sale by itself, and it wouldn't really fit in with the other cattle you had. Dad always tried to sell them something, to keep them coming around. One stopped at my place in the mid-'70's, I found a steer that was on the small side that I really didn't like, and offered it. He gave me a low-ball offer (of course), and I got him up a little bit, but wasn't really a hard bargainer, because I wanted to help the guy out and hoped he'd come back. He was the last one I ever saw. In those days (up til late '70's) there were a lot of part-timers, and it seemed like there were cattle behind every stump. Many (including me) got out in the disaster of the early '80's. Not many cattle around here anymore, as the number of guys who grew up on farms continues to diminish, and the rest are wondering why we thought farming was such a neat deal.

I had forgotten about those guys. Dad would never sell to them claiming they weren't offering enough so he would keep that money losing animal around losing even more money on it.

Yes! We had one that was a good family friend. He always had a late model 1 ton Chevy with a very nice stock bed. He hauled our cattle and hogs. I would also go to the sale barn with him and help him pick up and deliver livestock. His name was Cliff. He also had a 1 ton truck with a livestock trailer.

We had lot of those guys , seemed they made money because they had nice trucks. But the other bunch dad call pin hookers always sat right out side the sale barn lot. They would have cash and try and buy you calf or hog , they could look at a calf and tell the difference in 800 or 825 lb. Sharp guys , dad would almost always drive right on buy them.

Pin hookers reputations was the guy trying to make a quick buck would tell you just what they thought you wanted to hear. Jump on your truck before you could back up to unload. My uncle had a cow that was down in her hind quarters. Managed to get her in the truck and sure enough guy wanted to buy her. Uncle gave him the cold shoulder treatment but the guy just kept insisting he needed that cow. So he sold her to him and ask where do you want to unload her? Just backup there to that chute. Uncle said I though you wanted to keep her do you plan to run her through the sell? No no you drop her there and I'll back up as soon as you pull out and load her up and take her home. Collects his money backs up and tells the boys at the chute to drag her out, they did, uncle drove off. That pin hooker never asked to buy anything from uncle again and several farmers got a good laugh. Uncle loved to tell that story.

I remember them... out here they got tagged as Jippo buyers... they would buy anything cheap.. They would come to the farm, then be outside the sale while you was waiting in line to unload and finally be sitting at the end of the row in the sale barn..

I know of some that made a good living at it
And some lost it all..

I remember one that had a small feed lot.. he had a nice pen of up and coming beef calves, He bought a bunch of weanling holsteins and imported some sickness... ended up with nothing but a big vet bill and nothing to sell..

We called them drovers. My dad never had any use for a drover, and was almost superstitious about it. He’d say, never let a drover put a price on any of your cows, cause they only want to buy the best out of your herd, and you can’t improve your stock, if you sell the best to a drover. And dad’s other thought was if they put a price on a cow, and you don’t sell it, sure as heck something will go wrong with that cow, and you will end up with nothing. Naturally I only half listened at the best of time, and wasn’t superstitious either, but I only sold cattle I didn’t want or need. Never let a drover cull my herd for me. There used to be lots of guys wanting to buy heifers to ship south to USA and Mexico, but those days are long gone, and cattle are nearly worthless

Around here they were called Scalpers.. When I was a kid one of them stopped and talked my Dad into selling him one of his Holsteins we didn't have room for--The guys name was Fritzey --A nickname I think--Anyway Fritzey took the cow to the sale barn and it didn't bring what he paid my Dad for it and he came back mad and wanted my Dad to make up the difference--Ya Right---Tee

I often heard them called cow jockeys or cattle crooks

they were called 'pen hookers' because they 'hooked' it before it got to the pen.

They used to be around a lot going to farms trying to buy from widows and farmers that didn't keep up with the markets so they could buy cheap.

From 'pen hookers' working the parking lot of the stockyards to 'stock traders' who went door to door. My grandfather was a trader in the 20's and 30's. hogs, pigs, cows, guns, dogs, chickens, whiskey. Today, you can go to the pawn shop. Back then, the pawn shop went to you. Facebook market has been come the new version .

Doesnt' sound like someone you would want around to me. Always trying to cheat you. What useful purpose does that serve?

The only guy with a truck that would come around that I can remember did custom cattle hauling. He never came to our farm, because Dad had his own truck with a cattle rack on it to haul animals on the rare occasion he needed to sell one.