|
|
Just a scoop full(Aug. 8)--On Tuesday, Aug. 7, cattle futures fell from 120 to 200 points. Some referred to that as simply profit taking and said we were due for a correction. Either way, we are still at very good levels on calves and feeder cattle. Fat cattle have gotten a little higher, selling at $92 to $92.50 the first week of August. With futures down on Tuesday, some fat cattle sellers sold at $91 to $91.50 this past week. I asked a friend of mine who manages a feedlot if he had any advice for cattlemen. He said, "Yes, buy cheap and sell high." Perhaps that has been my problem. I wished he would have told me that a long time ago. This is an extremely interesting year. We had received enough rain, that most feeder cattle were actually coming back to the auction thinner than expected. Now that the grass is drier, most seem to think that these feeder cattle will start gaining more. Calf prices are holding in there as well. A lot of that will depend on whether we can receive some good moisture in the next month in order to have hope for wheat pasture. Grain prices have gotten cheaper, so some might be willing to feed a calf again. It looks like there are aplenty of options for cattlemen to consider. West of Woodward about 15 miles, for the year of 2006, they recorded 15.89 inches of moisture. This past week, so far for 2007, they have received 22.85 inches of rain. We are getting dry again, but at least now we have a lot of grass. My dad has always been very fond of dogs. He has a black dog now that loves to go feeding with him. Normally he will stay on the back of the pickup for a long time. But the other day he jumped off and dad started home without him. After discovering the dog was no longer on the back of the pickup, dad immediately drove fast, back toward the pasture he had just come from. My brother-in-law said, "I'm not real sure that my father-in-law would be that concerned if I was lost. One rancher spoke up and said that he understood as a good dog is very hard to find, and he could surely find another son-in-law. Editor's note: Jerry Nine, Woodward, Okla., is a lifetime cattleman who grew up on his family's ranch near Laverne, Okla.
Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2012. High Plains Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com |
|
