We had three very cold days this week, with that being the topic of conversation most anywhere you go. It looks like after that we will warm up, at least for several days. That is good because hay piles will soon be getting short, even though most farmers and ranchers started with quite a bit of hay.
There is a lot going on with the federal government and trying to cut expenses. Will that hurt some people? Absolutely. But it happens in the private sector all the time if the owners want to keep their company solvent and prosperous. When the government offered buy outs to retire or find another job and pay for several months, some acted like that was unheard of. I have seen that many times in the oil field business. You either take it, or you don’t. If you don’t, then later you either have a job, or you don’t.
As of this past Tuesday morning, feeding cattle is “cold cold.” As long as you can get in and out of the pickup to warm up, it’s not as bad, but with the wind it will even make a preacher cuss. Most cattle auctions in our area have canceled their sales, starting with Tuesday sales. I’m just hoping my bred heifers and cows decide to wait until next week to have their calves, but often that is not the case when these temperatures drop.
Remember that on feeding cattle and any livestock in the cold weather, it takes more feed just to keep the body warm, so feed extra feed.
A friend of mine read an ad selling a Christian horse. He asked the owner how he knew it was a Christian. The owner said, “When you get on him, if you will say ‘Praise the Lord,’ the horse will start walking and soon trot. And if you want the horse to stop, simply say ’amen.’ ”
So he bought the horse. He got on him and hollered “Praise the Lord.” Wow, that was great, and he started running fast. But soon he ran up to a huge cliff. He hollered ‘amen’ just in time, and he stopped at the edge. He was so thankful he said to God, “Praise The Lord.”
Our family has a group text with 20 or more people. They labeled it the Big Nine Family. Of course then I had to text and say,-“I can’t comment because I haven’t gained enough weight to get into the Big 9 Family.” Then you have those who definitely qualify for that group who want to send you hate mail or perhaps their version of the story.
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.
