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April 2026 04/08/26 6:18:00 PM
4-14-2026
Saturday brought a good run of all classes of livestock. The hog sale kicked things off as usual with over 200 head. Fat hogs sold from $0.52 to $0.65 and one cut up to $0.75 for locker hogs. Sows were lower with Jimmy Dean down for the week and some large depopulation in PRSS infected barns in other parts of the nation, putting large numbers in the chain. Feeder pigs sold at $1.00 back to $0.85 on some 110lb pigs. Boars sold at $0.09 to $0.10 for over 350lbs and light boars brought $0.35 to $0.40.
The sheep and goat sale had a good-sized run. The kids goats topped at $5.35 per pound on a fat set of billy kids at 53lb. Most of the market was at $4.10 to $4.75. Nannies sold at $1.40 to $1.95. Big billies sold at $2.10 to $2.60. Lambs were solid at $3.80 to $4.10 for 50lb to 80lb. There weren’t any fat lambs this week. Cull ewes sold at $1.20 and the bucks sold at $1.35 to $1.40. We hope to see this market remain steady the next few weeks.
The outside sale had a good run of hay again, but no straw. The small squares sold from $3.50 to $8.00 and mostly at $4.00 to $5.50 per bale. The big rounds were mostly lower on grass and rougher hay. Some fancy alfalfa or hay out of the barn was steady. Grass hay sold at $25.00 to $35.00. Alfalfa second or third cutting alfalfa sold from $50.00 to $60.00. Big squares were pretty much $60.00 to $80.00 for grass and alfalfa both. It seemed like most buyers were picking up small quantities to make it through and one guy buying larger volumes of hay to help for summer.
The cattle sale had a large run of pairs and breds, as well as, a few bulls. Baby calves sold mostly at $1200 to $1600. The younger pairs were bringing $6000 to $6500. Middle-aged pairs sold form $5000 to $6000 and aged pairs sold at $3500 to $4300. Fall bred 3-6yr old cows ranged from $4000 to $4600. First period cows sold form $3300 to $4250. The big crowd and buyers were making sure they had inventory to put on the grass this summer! The feeders were still in high demand on a light run. There were 250 head of weigh cows and bulls made for several transactions in the late afternoon. The market was $4 to $6 higher across most of the cows and $10 to $15 higher in places. The bulk of the better cows were at $1.80 to $2.00. We had young cows as high as $3.20 at 950lb and several at $2.70 to $3.00 from 1000lb to 1200lb. The top bull weighed over 2300lb and brought $2.66! The bulk of the bulls brought $2.20 to $2.35. Packers are sure willing to bid on cows and bulls to keep chain speed normal when they are offered them in the auction! If you call any of them and try to sell them direct they will bid you a strong $20 per hundred weight less or $200 to $300 per head less!
We have had a couple 2-3 tenths showers the past few days and warmer up to 85 degrees. The grass and cover crops are really responding and growing faster now. We are forecast to see more showers and warm towards the weekend then it may cool off some into next week. Planting here is sure on hold for the next week. I have heard from guys that are running in Illinois and sure south of us in Missouri. It’s just too wet here to get anything started yet. Alfalfa looks great if the wevils or frost doesn’t get it.
Last Tuesday, the doc let me start walking again in a boot on my new ankle. It’s kind of tender but boy does freedom feel darn good! I’m back to driving and started physical therapy in Fairfield and the team up there is getting right after it to help get it limbered up and moving again! It’s twice weekly for a while. I can feel improvement already and very thankful for that.
The crew sent the first couple of loads of pairs to the pasture this morning. We should be able to get another group moved later this week. Then we will be AI’ing heifers next week and getting them in summer pastures as we finish each group.
It looks like the dang ticks are sure going to be trouble again. Our winter wasn’t cold enough to freeze them out and this early warm spring has them up early. Mushroom hunters are really battling them already. The big thing to watch on the cattle is a sever infestation as you kicking out. Ticks on the underlines, ears, udders of cows and the tail. Pour on insecticides, ear tags and longrange, oilars and dusters can all help prevent them. I don’t believe we can stop ticks, flies or mosquito bites from spreading Theileria, but I do think we can sure mitigate our loss of cattle or production from we have learned from the past year and from others that have had it before.
Looking forward to a great run of feeder cattle coming this Saturday April 18th and another bred cow/pair sale on April 25th.
Have a dandy week!
4-8-2026
Another up and down week of weather has been here the past 7 days! We have been warm and sunny in the 70’s and rain and chilly in the low 30’s. We even had snow flurries here on Tuesday! The forecast calls for a chance of rain here on Thursday, but warming up nicely towards the weekend. Folks are starting to mow yards in the area, as the grass is growing everyday!
Saturday’s sale was sure a good one, with an extra large crowd here. The hog market was lower on sows with a $0.60 top. Fat hogs sold from $0.57 to $0.65. Several packages and groups of feeder pigs sold at over a dollar per pound for 40lb to 60lb pigs and $0.90 on those 70lb to 100lb pigs. Roaster and feeder buyers were both active.
The sheep and goat market was steady to slightly lower on a little run. Bottle lambs weighing 50lb to 75lb sold at $3.40 to $4.00. Cull ewes sold at $1.10 to $1.40. Kid goats topped at $5.05 for 45lb kids. Cull nannies were $1.10 to $1.60a pound. Big billies sold at $2.15 to $2.85. Randall Burkholder came early this week. He filled in the right until the Mathes boys arrived, then he sold for a while in the morning. He’s doing great! Thanks for helping.
The outside sale was lighter after the rain we had. Small squares didn’t really get brought in until Saturday morning and only a light test. The bulk of the market was at $4.00 to $6.00, just a few bales reached up to $7.00. Big rounds sold at $30.00 to $55.00 with the bulk of them at $45.00 to $50.00. Big squares of alfalfa was very solid at $55.00 to $65.00 per bale.
The outside sale had an outstanding run of high-quality hedge posts. The market started out good and got progressively higher as we worked through the various piles. Line posts sold from $20.00 to $50.00. Corners and braces sold from $50.00 to $110.00 with 2 piles of 20 and 25 about 10ft long sold at $200.00 and $205.00! That is a Keosauqua Sale company “all time” record! It’s good to see the fellas that doing the work of cutting those things, get rewarded for those efforts!
The cattle sale had just less than 1000 head this week. The baby calf market was steady at $1250.00 to $1600.00 on the nice kind. A few bred cows and odd pairs were getting steady interest. The feeder cattle sold to an aggressive set of buyers. Some 280lb steer calves brought $2000 per head, some 393lb sold at $6.05 per pound. A few 415lb brought $5.90, 510lb sold at $5.00, 607lb bwf steers brought $4.70, 675lb steers $4.15, some 704lbs brought $4.05 and 770lb sold at $3.86 and some 898lb steers brought $3.40.
Heifers weighing 280lb brought $1900 per head. Ten black heifers weighing 400lb brought $5.25 and 503lb red heifers sold at $5.00, 640lb sold at $3.80 and 700lb brought $3.40 to $3.50.
Weigh cows sold steady at $1.85 to $
3-31-2026.00 on the high yielding end. The top bulls got to $2.40 this week.
I made the trip to Des Moines with Becky on Monday. We dropped bulls off at Nichols for collection, then went to West Des Moines for a doctor's appointment for my ankle. The doctor said it looks good. So, we start therapy and quit being lazy! It was all good news for me, but even more for Becky!
We are all finished up calving black heifers and Herefords. Colby still has an ongoing co here calving and Ted has a few black cows left. The first heifers get lutalyse coming up the 19th. The boys have been busy working groups through the chute for pre-breeding work and only have the 5G heifers left to do. The calves are sure doing well, running out in the pastures.
Saturday is a special bred cows, pairs and breeding bull sale. We have several nice quality consignments sure to be worth a look in Keosauqua this week!
Have a dandy week!
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