The number of feeder cattle and calves will definitely get smaller, probably starting with this week on. There is simply too big of an area that is dry, leaving nothing out on these wheat fields to eat and most pastureland not having too much grass left.
Several months ago there was a lot of hay available but in the past month hay prices have gone up and there is not a lot left to buy. And anytime that happens the lower quality hay is also priced at good hay prices. I remember several years ago after the drought and having to go way north several states to get any hay, one cattleman said to me, “I hope you all don’t raise any hay.” I said, “How come?” He said, “’Cause the crap we sent down here and called hay and sold to you all—I would hate to see what you would send us back.” But you have to be an optimist to stay in this business and cling to any type of good news or even predictions of good news.
This morning the radio said the El Niño has slightly changed and thought it might give us a better chance of getting moisture but then said don’t get too excited yet!
I’m still surprised calves are selling as well as they are considering we are that dry and also bred cows and pairs are at good prices. One man said if it would rain 3 or 4 inches over a big area he thought pairs and bred cows would jump $300 to $400 per head. But we haven’t got the rain yet.
One cowboy asked another ole cowboy this morning, “What are you going to do today?” He said, “Nothing. And I’m not starting that until 10 a.m.”
The man that pulled the wagon for Dad’s funeral had two very beautiful white horses. The man’s name is Will Nunn. I thought with my life my parents should have named me Nunn Will.
A guy is driving around the back woods of Montana and sees a sign in front of an old house that read, “Talking dog for sale.” He rings the doorbell and the owner tells him the dog is in the backyard. The guy goes in the backyard and sees a nice looking Labrador retriever. He said to the dog, “Do you talk?”
“Yep,” the dog replies. The guy was amazed.
The Labrador said, “I discovered I could talk when I was young. So soon I worked for the CIA working for world leaders. Soon they used me to eavesdrop on other foreign countries, as no one would expect a dog. I later got married, had a mess of puppies and now I’m retired.”
The guy asked the owner what he would take for this dog. The owner said, “Ten dollars.” The guy said, “Only $10—why would you sell him that cheap?” The owner said, “Because he is full of bull. He’s never been out of the yard.”
Editor’s note: Jerry Nine, Woodward, Oklahoma, is a lifetime cattleman who grew up on his family’s ranch near Slapout, Oklahoma.
