Livestock auctions are fascinating places to visit

Many interesting things happen at a livestock auction.

One buyer was telling me that another buyer had bought a set of feeder heifers that were not guaranteed open. When he had the veterinarian preg check them they were all bred. So he resold them and didn’t say anything about them so the second buyer bought them. After he preg checked them and found out that yes all were bred so he hauled them to another sale.

Well, guess what, the first buyer bought them again. Then that first buyer approached the second buyer and complained about all those heifers being bred. He said, “Yes those are the same heifers you sold me.” Then the second buyer reminded him, “Hey I only bought them once but you bought them twice.”

 The U.S. Department of Agriculture will spend up to $750 million to build a facility in Texas that produces sterile flies to combat New World screwworm. Secretary Brooke Rollins also said the Mexico/United States border would stay closed until the screwworm was pushed farther south into Mexico.

I did a little checking on what the ranchers in Mexico requirements were to deliver cattle to the border. I was told to deliver cattle at the crossover their cattle had to have a health permit and it couldn’t be more than 45 days old. That makes sense when the United States opened the border for a short time why there wasn’t an overload there. Plus you would be taking a risk on getting your cattle to that point and it closing again.

This closing has definitely helped our fat cattle and feeder cattle market. I’m sure it has devastated Mexican ranchers. Plus many Texas feedyards have solely relied on Mexican calves and feeder cattle.

 Many people get set in their ways and hate change. Remember if some people had never had a vision we might still be riding a buggy. And how about living without electricity? And indoor plumbing?

My Dad said as a kid he could farm all day and still jump over what he farmed. Heck most of us get tired with a 45-foot sweep.

Remember in heaven there are no stepsons or stepdaughters.

If at first you don’t succeed then sky diving is not for you.

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.