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Just a scoop full
(June 6)--The fat cattle market was disappointing for the last week of May. We have continued to slip in price on fat cattle for several weeks, with most fat cattle trading at $93 per hundredweight that week. The northern states have been more willing to sell early at lower money with the south following their footsteps. I heard some say, "Well we got a dollar per hundred more than that on ours." That is simply because a lot of cattle are provided to the packer at 50 cents or a dollar over the practical top. It is not because these cattle are of better quality. It is simply for the packer to have enough cattle in his sack that he does not have to compete for. I personally wish all the feedlots would band together and say they would not price any cattle that way. Then perhaps we could go back to supply and demand and a lot more competitive market. It is no one's fault except the cattle feeder. The packer is simply using good strategy for a less competitive market to put lots of extra dollars in his pocket. The feeder cattle market is still surprisingly good despite the lower fat cattle market. Our numbers on feeder cattle will be a lot less for a while. The grass in our area is extremely good. Even pastures that were completely grazed down to almost nothing, now look great. The calf prices are holding good. They are not quite as good as they were in the spring but to hold those levels might have made it very challenging for the stocker operator to make money. The killing cow market has slipped a little but is still very good. That older cow and a medium-sized calf bring a lot of dollars. And that's a good place for that wild, hard-to-handle cow to go--slaughter. Keep your cattle gentle with a plenty of stretch and quality and you will put lots of extra dollars in your pocket. 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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