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Just a scoop full(May 30)--On Wednesday we received another rain. It's hard to think that we really live in northwest Oklahoma. The grass is very green and looks great. With the rain we received a week ago--some are having to replant their cane while others are having to cultivate the ground because of erosion. But for the most part most farmers and ranchers are in good shape. There were some huge rains around Perryton, Texas, with some receiving as much as 11 inches of rain. This definitely caused flooding and big problems. This not only took out the fence at watergaps but also lots of other fences that normally would not have problems. The feeder cattle run for May is winding down with this week being the last week of any size. Some grass pastures that I put yearlings on have called and said with this extra rain that they could take in more cattle than normal. The killing cow market this past week looked a little cheaper but is still good. It is still a good time to cull undesirable cows. A big cow will bring a lot of dollars and it would be a good time to replace her with a moderate sized younger cow. I personally like a cow that weighs 1000 to 1050 pounds. To me a big cow that weighs 1400 pounds eats too much grass. I would rather use that moderate sized cow and an excellent growthy bull and still wean a very big calf. Milking ability is a huge item to get big weaning weights. We tag all our cows. Then if you have one that needs culled it is a lot easier to find her again rather than trying to find that black cow that has a little extra black on her nose. Also I like to number the cows starting with the year that they were born. On a cow that is bought, it is a guess on the year they were born but that is better than nothing. Listen to your neighbors and learn from them. Sort out what might work in your operation. And also be helpful to other neighbors. There's room for a lot of people to do well and succeed. Life is very short and most people reap what they sow. Editor's note: Jerry Nine, Woodward, Okla., is a lifetime cattleman who grew up on his family's ranch near Laverne, Okla.
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