I saw a quote the other day that I really liked that said, “Don’t let your income determine your outcome.”
One farmer told me that he has planted sorghum every year for a long time. But he said the last three years he had to replant it because a hard rain came in immediately after he planted it each time. So he said, “I finally got smarter and this year I simply ran the drills over my land and did not put the seed in the drills the first time so I saved a lot of money.”
Feeder cattle prices have been very good with calves selling at a good price also. Our 900- to 950-pound steers brought $144 to $147. The steers weighing 800 to 850 pounds brought $147.50 to $154.50. I want to be optimistic but, for me, I would rather be a seller. Even our heifers weighing 800 to 850 pounds topped at $145. We sold a load of Holstein steers weighing 479 to 535 pounds that brought $88.25 per hundredweight. To me, Holsteins are a group that should have more value that some packer should pick up. Even if slightly discounted but not to the degree we do. We have butchered them and they are fine. But I don’t make the rules, I just try to follow them.
Most in our area are planting wheat, in fact, quite a bit of it is up. I planted all triticale and most of it is up. I like the triticale because you can plant it earlier and it doesn’t mature as early as the wheat.
Our bred cows and pairs seem to be in more demand these past two weeks. I moved one set of cows to another pasture that I meant to move two to three months ago. And you cannot believe how good that grass looks. I told my oldest son, “You will never see it like that again.”
I saw a shirt that said, “The more people I meet the more I like my cows.”
As I was driving down the road I said, “Lord, please take the wheel.” As I drove a few more miles I saw one of my tires had come off and it flew past me and went out in the pasture. And I said, “Not the tire, Lord.”
A friend of mine said, “I want to remind you that alcohol does not solve all your problems.” And I said, “I know but neither does water.”
Editor’s note: Jerry Nine, Woodward, Oklahoma, is a lifetime cattleman who grew up on his family’s ranch near Slapout, Oklahoma.
