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May 2026 05/06/26 2:00:00 PM
5-12-2026
We have had a break in rain showers and boy did the planters get to rolling. It has been cool overnight, down to 40-45 degrees but warms up nicely during the day. The forecast is calling for 80’s today and mild until the weekend, when they’re calling for 3 days of rain chances again. It’s been a darn nice start to May from our side for sure.
Saturday brought a very pretty day and a big run of livestock to the sale. The hog market was very strong across everything except old rough boars. The fat hogs sold at $0.85 for the top. The sow market was solid at $0.70 to $0.76 for the over 500lb smooth sows. The pigs ranged from $0.85 on the 110lb pigs to over a dollar on the 50-60lb pigs. The big ole boars sold at $0.03 to $0.05 per pound.
The sheep and goat market continues to hold high values across all classes. There was 875 head total this week. Ten head of fancy 133lb lambs brought $3.40 and some 103lb brought $3.85. Those better 55-75lb lambs brought $3.50 to $3.95. The cull ewes in good quantity at $1.60 to $1.90 per pound. And old bucks brought $1.70 to $1.75.
The goat market was just as active this week. The better kids weighing 50-70lb brought $4.70 to $5.00 per pound. A fat set of boer billies weighing 58lb brought $5.25 per pound. Nannies sold at $1.95 to $2.10 per pound. Big billies sold at $2.60 to $2.85 per pound. A couple groups of feeder kids weighing 30lb brought $160.00 per head. It was a very solid and active market this week in the sheep and goat sale.
The hay run has sure fell off in volume from the big runs earlier this spring. The small squares sold from $5.00 to $16.50 per bale. The big squares were $40.00 to $70.00. There was a big run of miscellaneous items of all kinds and a big crowd out front. Used 6ft steel posts sold at $5.50. A roll of barb wire brought $120.00. Gates of various lengths not all beat up brought $120.00 to $180.00 each. Flower baskets sold at $12.00 to $25.00 each. The crew was finished up out there by 1 o’clock this week!
The cattle sale had over 700 head. Baby calves were mostly at $1000 to $1750. We sold a yearling Hereford breeding bull at $4500. Pairs were mostly 5-8 yrs old or older. The market was very solid at $5000 to $5500 on multiple groups of those middle-aged pairs. The short and solid pairs were selling from $3800 to $4500. Bred heifers up close to calving sold at $4550. Fall bred heifers also sold at $4550. Fall calving bred cows held mostly at $3600 to $4200. Feeders were active as usual with DV buyers and order buyers on the seats doing the business. Multiple cow buyers were bidding from their tractor seats while putting crop in the ground.
The weigh cow market was very active. Both slaughter buyers and feeding cow buyers were competing for supply. The younger open black cows sold over $3.00 per pound. The bulk of the bigger cows were at $1.90 to $2.08. The top bulls sold at $2.41 this week. This market is going to be exciting this summer!
We are working through the AI on a big set of 5G heifers. We are hoping to get them finished and off to grass by this evening. That gets us down to the last set of angus and the fancy red angus to get through over the next week and we will be all finished with 5G AI work!
I got a little rammy yesterday and mowed some alfalfa hay down! I hope the weather holds until we can get it up. It looks good going down anyway!
We have a very nice run of feeder cattle coming for the special this week. Come out and take a look!
Have a dandy week!
5-5-2026
Weather conditions continue to be all over the place. We have been in the 80’s, lows in the 40’s, bight and sunny, windy and pop up showers with nasty hail last night! We are used to it in Southeast Iowa weather can change pretty quick so just prepare for anything and everything! Planters have been rolling for 3-4 days and sure get over several acres in a hurry! Some were rained out and had to move to dryer ground, but were able to keep planning just a few miles one way or the other. If the weather permits, spring planting will go quickly.
Saturday saw a very good run of livestock. The hog market led things off again this week. The fat hogs were solid at $0.62 to $0.70 per pound. Sows were up a few dollars. Better sows weighing over 500lb sold at $0.65 to $0.71. Light sows were at $0.50 to $0.60 per lb. Feeder pigs had stronger interest from roaster buyers. There was 52 head of 68lb sold at $75.010 per head and 110lb were more at $90.00 to $97.50 per head.
The sheep and goat market had 540 head and an active market. The kid goats weighing from 50lb to 70lb sold from $4.50 to $5.70 per pound. Nannies ranged from $1.70 to $2.25 per pound. Big billies sold at $2.50 to $2.65. The lambs were also very active on a bigger run. The 50lb to 85lb sold mostly at $3.60 to $3.95. The ewes were selling at $1.25 to $1.70. Bucks brought $1.40 to $1.70.
The outside sale had a much smaller run of hay. The small squares were strongly effected by the shortage selling from $5.00 to $12.50 per bale. The big rounds were $35.00 to $60.00. Large run of miscellaneous items made up for the shortage of hay. The flower baskets sold from $10.00 to $25.00 per basket. Fruit trees sold at $20.00 to $40.00 with a pear tree topping the market. The tomato plants sold from $8.00 to $18.00 with bigger plants already blooming at the top end of the sale.
The cattle sale had over 1100 head this week. Baby calves topped at $1500.00. Most calves sold at $1100-1350. The bulk of the feeder cattle sale was mostly fall born calves, with a few yearlings in the mix. Some red steers weighing 315lb brought $6.65, 413lb steers brought $6.00. The top 500lb steers weighing 534lb brought $5.575, some 617lb sold at $4.925 and 725lb brought $4.06.
The heifers weighing 318lb sold at $6.20, 475lb sold at $5.075, 570lb heifers brought $4.50, some 605lb sold at $4.20 and 720lb brought $3.58. Some fleshy 813lb heifers brought $332.00.
The weigh cow sale had an even 200 head. Turn out cows and feeding heifers sold from $2.50 to $3.25 per pound. The straight pound cows on the upper end sold from $1.80 to $1.94.00 The top bull sold at $2.51 and weighed 2280lbs.
We finished up AI’ing the Hereford cows and sent them all to pasture. The baldie 5G heifers are loading now and headed to summer grass in Missouri. We still haven’t been able to get the fall bred Hereford cows worked and hauled out, but maybe this afternoon we can make time.
The alfalfa looks good, other than some old pepper weeds in it. I have seen some mowed already, as well as, some rye and triticale harvest being chopped or wet wrapped. Nothing in a dry bale for the short ter as showers, clouds and low temperatures will stop that kind of progress until we get a change. I’m road tripping north to deliver a bull today and hope to get another load delivered west tomorrow. We still have a good supply of yearling and a few 2yr old bulls looking for cows to breed this summer if you need any or have someone needing any.
We have a very good run of bulls, bred cows and pairs for this week. We are expecting over 200 head for Saturday!
Have a dandy week.
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