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Just a scoop full(April 9)--The Northwest Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association had its all breed heifer, cow and bull sale at the Woodward Livestock Auction this past week. The nice bred cows and pairs sold very well but also deserved to bring a good price. For the past year, the demand has been very strong on cows that are 6 years old and younger, with a more conservative market on the middle-aged and older cows. However, I understand that as it doesn't take long for a middle-aged cow to soon be old, cattlemen, in our area, have done a very good job on improving their cow herds and saving replacements that are very nice. Pairs that were from 2 to 6 years old brought $1,200 to $1,700 per pair. Seven-year-old pairs brought up to $1,275 and eight-year-old pairs brought up to $1,175. In our area, we have some very nice herds that are selling bulls of very high quality. But we also have a lot of individuals trying to raise bulls that need to sharpen their pocketknives. I don't know whether it is a matter of pride to be able to say they are raising breeding bulls or what. But if you are keeping a bull, plus fertility testing that animal, plus paying a premium to sell that bull in a special sale, and selling them for a dollar a pound or less--you had better be raising steers. The Northwest Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association gives $10,000 in scholarships away each year to students pursuing agriculture. With cattle prices where they have been these past five years--there is nothing better than owning good, high-gaining cattle. And if you will help sort cattle at the sale barn for any length of time, you will soon realize the importance of gentle cattle. There are a lot of cattle that are easy to handle when you are simply caking them in the pasture. However, when you corral them, load them on a truck and then sort them--sometimes their dispositions change. Editor's Note: Jerry Nine, Woodward, Okla., is a lifetime cattleman who grew up on his family's ranch near Laverne, Okla. 4/21/08 Date: 4/16/08
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