We are very fortunate for a big area to have gotten the rain we did. A lot of people I have talked to received from 3 to 5 inches toward the end of last week.
Even an area that had told me they had missed a lot of the rain before got a little over 2 inches—making all of us happier.
Every time we get some momentum in the cattle prices then here comes another on feed report. The cattle on feed report showed total on feed at 104 percent, which was guessed to be at 103.4 percent. The placement was at 100 percent, which was expected at 95.8 percent.
The actual marketing was 105 percent and the guess was at 105.2 percent. I think the real positive thing is beef is moving very well. And over a large area there has not been many heifers that are being kept for cows. It is simply too dry over too big an area.
Last Friday we did receive some nice rain but also in the process we got some very high winds of 80 to 90 mph. I had an overhead bin that should have been tied down (and wasn’t) that got moved about 80 feet and laid down by the house within about 5 feet. And at the sale barn we have five overhead bins tied together and down and it ripped the one on the end out from the chain and moved it some.
I am very thankful it didn’t destroy the three mobile homes and that everyone was safe. Another rancher said it destroyed a 110-year-old barn that had withstood a lot of other storms.
Even with the futures falling on Monday after the on feed report Friday—it didn’t seem to affect the prices much on the auction at least on Monday. I think most all feedlots realize the numbers are very limited for the near term.
The cowboy sitting beside me and my mom after the sale Tuesday asked my mom if she ever wormed me. She said, “I don’t remember it if I did.”
He was referring to me being scrawny or thin. But I guess that was after I poked him and asked mom if she thought he was fat.
I was told at the sale today, “You know what you have when you have a lawyer buried up to his neck in sand?” He said, “not enough sand.”
He must be mad at lawyers because he said also, “You know what you have when you have a busload of lawyers with two empty seats going over a cliff? A crying shame to waste two seats.”
Editor’s note: Jerry Nine, Woodward, Oklahoma, is a lifetime cattleman who grew up on his family’s ranch near Slapout, Oklahoma.
