I sometimes question how much cattle futures resemble reality in our business. Cattle futures are probably a necessary tool as it takes so much money to operate with no protection.
But with the funds in-out business and a lot of trading going on without a person making the decision and a computer often trading on the speed of trading down to a millisecond, where does it leave an ol’ farmer like myself, trying to use the brain God gave me–or the lack of brain—that I was given?
On most feeder cattle futures we are $20 per hundredweight lower than we were a few weeks ago. Maybe we were too high then, but even at $250 per hundredweight that is a lot higher than I thought we would get several months ago.
We could use another rain, but in our area that is fairly common.
A lot of those grazing cattle that were brought costing $1,800 per head and more had better hit a high market when they sell them as the interest on that calf adds up quite a bit.
Most cattle auctions on Monday quoted their cattle under 700 pounds to be $3 to $7 per hundredweight lower. Our cattle on feed estimates show cattle on feed at 102% with placements at 92.1% and marketings at 88.2%.
A man said at breakfast this morning, ”They just figured my taxes, and I owe the government $1,500. My brother-in-law hasn’t worked in two years, and he is getting a healthy check from the government for $6,000.” He said something is wrong with that picture.
A friend just picked up a sale bill that had lots of vehicles for sale. He said to me, “Here is what you need. Here is a Vesheer car 1957 for sale.” Then he said, “Wait a minute, I guess that says Classic not Vesheer.” I’m guessing his eyesight has gotten worse in those 65 years.
Several years ago, one of my boys came home and said he got a part in the school play. He said, “I will play a man who’s been married 25 years.” I said, “Son, next time maybe you will get a speaking part.”
My older sister sent me several recipes of ways to cook with a Crock Pot. Most all of them were recipes that my other sister had sent her. So I texted her and said, “You should put out a cookbook and title it ‘My sister’s favorite Crock Pot recipes.’” She quickly informed me that several of those were hers.
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.
