This is quite a year already and this year is not finished. We have had a huge drought over a very large area and because of that we already sold a lot of calves and moved a lot of yearlings early.
I think our cow numbers are shorter than the government predicts as for several years we have sold middle aged, bred cows that are heavy bred that would normally go back to a ranch and stay there for several years.
Instead they went to be processed and some of the blood of the unborn calves may be used for cancer research.
Whatever the case, it leaves less cows. Also with the price of these feeder cattle some may decide not to keep any heifers this year or any of the ones that are short bred that might get aborted and go to the feedlot. Last Thursday, we sold some nice black heifers that didn’t breed weighing 950 pounds and they brought $149 per hundredweight, which is $1,415 per head.
One item ranchers need to consider, if your area is like ours, is the fact that we are selling a lot more open cows than usual. I have asked several people who should have an idea why and most said that it got hot enough earlier than usual that the cows did not come into heat like they normally would have. One rancher sold 57 cows today and his calves weighed 350 to 550 pounds and he had five bred cows total. And his cows were not terrible thin—mostly medium flesh.
It might pay to figure what some of these calves and feeders are bringing. It might be a good thing to sell and take advantage of it.
A preacher at my church last week announced that anyone who would donate $1,000 could pick out the next three hymns. An older lady in the back stood up and said, “I will.” And the preacher said, “Thank you and which three hymns do you want?” Then she pointed at three guys and said, “I will take him and him and him.”
A cab driver reaches the pearly gates and announces to St. Peter that he is here. St. Peter gave him silk robe and a golden staff. The preacher next in line received a cloth robe and wooden staff. The preacher was shocked and asked, “Why did the cab driver get better rewards?” St. Peter said, “This is heaven and we go by rewards. You preached and people slept. The cab driver drove and people prayed.”
Editor’s note: The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not represent the view of High Plains Journal. Jerry Nine, Woodward, Oklahoma, is a lifetime cattleman who grew up on his family’s ranch near Slapout, Oklahoma.
