If you look at the Weather Channel and look at its map of the United States there is one area that is the most extreme drought. That area is not really big as far as the most extreme drought but it is basically where I run cattle.
You’re right, it is probably me.
So if you have land next to mine my advice to you is either try to buy me out and help me move or suffer with me.
I am thankful some others not terribly far away are getting a half of an inch and others across the state having a plenty of moisture and some too much. At least we can keep some cattle in their area and hopefully raise some hay if nothing else. I can’t say we didn’t get any moisture because there was actually a mist on the windshield this morning.
I am disgusted with the futures market as I feel it is out of touch with the cattle industry or what the cattle market should be. It is easy to always put the blame somewhere else and it looks like the group we often refer to as “the big boys” are selling the market off hard forcing it to go below some stops in the futures probably to buy a lot of cattle at very low prices on cattlemen who will hedge, which most do.
One feedlot manager said, “I have never sold fat cattle in March at $10 per hundredweight more than the April board.” And he said the packers are all needing cattle bad enough he sold some steers with 96 days coming in to the feedlot at 950. He said his 800-pound heifers are selling at 120 to 130 days. That is a lot less days than we were having to feed them for several years. But no one is talking about that they are only taking about the futures going down.
A guy said to me this morning, “With all these cameras at the sale barn I guess a person better not be taking a leak out there.”
I was listening to a very successful coach who was retiring and being interviewed. He said, “Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.” This holds true in most everything. He said be sure and pat them on the back but sometimes that pat has to be lower and harder. He said you must let them know you really care. His motto was faith, family and friends. No wonder he was successful.
Editor’s note: Jerry Nine, Woodward, Oklahoma, is a lifetime cattleman who grew up on his family’s ranch near Slapout, Oklahoma.
