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Just a scoop full(April 23)--Finally our cattle market gets a little rebound. Finally we get a cattle inventory report that looks better. And finally after getting fat cattle back to $90 per cwt. we will lose only $100 to $150 per head instead of $200 and more. I never knew that still losing that much money could feel good. The feeder cattle market has sure gotten better these past two weeks. Most cattle feeders realize the numbers of feeder cattle will be very limited these next two months. There are a few feeders coming off wheat and rye pasture. It looks like what few green feeders that are available will come back to the auction slowly staggered now through May. The week of April 18th our steers weighing 822 pounds averaged $100.46 per cwt. We also sold 199 steers in one bunch that weighed 1,117 pound that brought a little over $90 per cwt. It's a lot more enjoyable running an auction when the feeder cattle buyers are buying aggressive than it is when they all seem to have the flu. Ever since fat cattle have been losing big money--I have had a hard time getting rid of the flu also. We are in a very challenging time. Expenses are getting greater all the time. Fuel is a huge item. I have heard steel posts are going up in price more than $1 per post. And barb wire is going up a lot, also. All that is fine, as long as our products that we sell get a lot higher, also. I hear radio ads reminding families that if they are going to cut back on groceries to be sure and continue to buy the healthy foods and cut out snacks. It appears to me that in our country now more than ever--a few of the very rich are getting a lot more wealthy. And for most of the middle class and less--it is getting harder to make ends meet. However, in our area most all the gas and oil industry seems to be doing quite well. OPEC seems to control the gas and oil price. That would be a lot like asking me how high should we let cattle get In California, they have a garbage recycling plant to make ethanol. But it makes too much common sense to support that. Editor's Note: Jerry Nine, Woodward, Okla., is a lifetime cattleman who grew up on his family's ranch near Laverne, Okla. 5/5/08 Date: 4/29/08
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