Clay Center Livestock Sales sees value in the alternatives

December 26, 2025
alpaca, ClayCenterKS, ClayCountyKS, donkey, goat, Highland, Highland cattle, Kansas, KCLYnews, KCLYradio, llama, sheep, small animals, small square hay bales, small squares, square bales

By Jennifer Theurer

Clay Center Livestock Sales and the Langvardt family have built a reputation for helping livestock sellers find livestock buyers. In addition to their cattle sales every Tuesday and sheep and goat sales on the first Saturday of each month, they offer alternative animal sales twice a year.

“Most of the time when you think of farms, you think of cattle and hogs — the big, large animals,” Mitch Langvardt, one of the family members that helps run the sale, said.

Langvardt said they prefer the term alternative instead of exotic “because most people jump right to tigers and bears.” CCLS may not sell those types of animals, but their alternative animal sales have featured Highland or mini breeds of cattle. They schedule those sales in the spring and fall and their Clay Center Alternative Animal Sales Facebook page offers more information.

“Because [those animals] are a little more rare, harder to find, you just don’t sell them every day,” Langvardt said.

The Clay Center Livestock Alternative Animal sale happens twice a year and often features things like Highland cattle. (Photo courtesy of Clay Center Livestock Alternative Animal Sale Facebook page.)

Sheep and goats are easier to find in this area, so CCLS hosts that sale on the first Saturday of each month and maintain a separate Facebook page at Clay Center Livestock Sheep and Goat Sales. It may be advertised as the sheep and goat sale but they welcome llamas, alpacas, and donkeys too. They also use the sale as an opportunity to sell things smaller animal producers need such as square hay bales and smaller scale feeders and panels when available.

“We try to keep it all related towards sheep and goats,” he said. “We sell hay in the morning. A lot of our sheep and goat producers like the small bales.”

The CCLS crew works to sort all of their consigned animals, feed, and equipment into lots that benefit their sellers and their buyers.

“Some people have liked how we do business,” Langvardt said. “They seem to like what service they’re getting so far, so that’s why we’ve continued on.”