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November 2021 11/03/21 11:27:00 AM
11/29/2021
Boy, it is hard to believe we are walking into December and our weather is so beautiful! We were 60° and sunny this afternoon! We have been colder earlier in the week, down in the teens one night, but it warmed up nice in the afternoon. The forecast looks good for the remainder of this week with highs in the 50’s and mild. This has been really perfect weather for livestock.
Saturday was nice as well, chilly in the morning but it warmed up thru the day. The hog sale had just under 300 head this week. Sows were lower with the top heavier weights topping at $63. Lighter sows sold mostly in the upper $50’s. Fat hogs sold $57 to 64. Feeder pigs were scarce this week. Some 54-pound pigs brought $64- and 108-pound pigs brought $83. Sure missed Bobby Harris this week as his mother passed away. Condolences to him and we wish all the family the best.
The sheep and goat markets were sure strong again this week. Several Boer cross bred nannies brought from $300 to 425 with buyers making choice picks out of each lot. Cull nannies sold from $1.75 to 2.50 per lb. 50-pound kids sold at $3.65 a lb. and good 70-to-80-pound kids brought $3 to 3.50 per lb. Lambs were as high as $3.57 for some weighing 63 pounds and $3 on some 76-pound lambs. The fat lambs brought from $2.30 to 2.57. Cull ewes ranged from $1.09 to 1.32. Bucks were about the same.
The outside sale had a large rum of hay. Demand was solid all the way thru the hay sale. Small square bales were mostly $4.50 to 7 and a $10 top! We had no small square bales of straw. Big round bales were $40 to 67.50 and big squares hit $80. Cornstalk bales sold from $27.50 to 32.50. Round bales of straw sold from $27.50 to 35. Most all the hay stayed very local this week.
Logan Wells was back in control selling everything but the hay this week. All kinds of misc., items out there again this week. Steel T posts sold at $4 each. Barb wire was selling at $55 to 65 a roll. Firewood brought $15 to 25 a stack. No hedge posts this week.
The cattle sale had 650 head of mostly cows either bred or open. Bred cows are starting to generate more interest. A Large liquidation out of the Northwest United States and to a point cow herd reduction across the country is setting up to create 2013 and 2014 all over again! Cows are dang sure a good investment at this time! The better end of the bred cows due in January to March ranged from #1300 to 1600. Older cows ranged from weigh up price to $1200. Feeders were short in supply but a couple of nice groups of calves right off the cow drew good interest. Steers weighing 523 sold at $1.67 and some weighing 560 pounds brought $1.64. Lighter heifers weighing 550 brought $1.55 and a few 600-pound heifers sold from $1.46. Weigh cows held steady on 300 cows. The top cows sold from $73 to 80. Lots of cows sold from $52 to 62. Bulls sold from $70 to 88.
A skeleton crew did the best they could to keep the sale moving. Nearly half of the crew was gone for all kinds of excuses! One fella wanted to quit after a bull-headed sow frustrated him into an unstable mental state! After some serious counselling and Curt’s help, we defused the swine generated rage and got the fella to finish the sale with the crew! We are not just livestock market operators but social workers on the side!
Dr. Hudson started at our house this morning at 7:30 re checking all the heifers for the sale a week from Wednesday. Ted & Rachelle helped at home. We spend longer doing the Herefords with lot tags and getting all their ID tags straightened up. When we finished, they all headed to Keosauqua and hooked up with Luke, Cody, and Colby to start on the commercials. Lauren had lunch at the sale barn and even with that sit down, we were finished by 4 o’clock. It was a beautiful day to process the sale cattle.
Saturday will be a good special feeder cattle sale along with a good run of everything else!
Have A Dandy Week!
11-22-2021
Southeast Iowa has been blessed with a beautiful past week! Temperatures made it up in the 60’s and not much wind, while staying dry all week. Sunday cooled off to a low of 21° here Monday morning. The forecast is calling for cooler temperatures thru the week but warming up again towards next weekend. We sure like the dry conditions for handling stock and getting chores done!
Saturday was a dandy again! Lots of stock and a big run outside as well. The hog sale had over 500 head this week. Big sows were mostly $65 to 73. Fat hogs sold from $57 to 65 and a few heavier hogs at $70 going on sow trucks again. Feeder pigs sold for around a dollar a pound on lighter pigs and even a fancy group of 94-pound pigs brought almost a dollar a pound! The hog market sure continues to hang in there well as we approach the holidays.
The sheep and goat sale tallied 500 plus head this week as well. The market softened up slightly this week. Good lambs weighing up to 70 pounds were still $2.85 to 3.25. Fat lambs were even at $2.35 a lb. Ewes sold mostly from $1.05 to 1.20 which was up slightly, and bucks were up to $1.26 a lb. Goats were over $3 a lb. up to 60 pounds while those 80-to-90-pound kids sold from $2.50 to 2.85 a lb. Nannies ranged from $1.75 to 2.05 a lb. and those big finely scented billy goats brought $2.25 to 2.35 a lb. The market will most likely begin to strengthen again going into December.
The outside sale caught me with a handicapped situation! Logan was gone to school this week, so I had been watching for someone that could fill in all week. Finally, Friday evening an auctioneer from east of here pulled in with some merchandize and I asked him if he would be able to come at 11 and help sell outside. He said yes and we made plans for him to be here just before 11 Saturday to get rolling. It gets to be almost 11 and son of a gun I can’t find him. I hollered over the PA and couldn’t find him. So, Plan B! I started looking around and found Col Terry Hester! He consented to go to work and away we went. I sold hay and Terry & Colby went to do everything else! It worked out great. Terry fell right in and did a fantastic job out there! Watch out Logan, He may be after your job!
The hay sale was stronger on a larger run. Big bales sold from $50 to 77. Straw rounds sold from $30 to 45 this week. Corn stalk bales sold at $37.50 to 41. Big squares of mixed hay sold at $65. Small squares of hay were from $3 to a $7 top. All kinds of misc. items out front this week from rabbit cages, tools, net wrap (new), chain saws, elevator, used gates and lumber. I am pretty sure Terry is ready to go full time out there now! It was great help, and I sure appreciated his time!
The cattle sale sold over 1700 this week. Quality and condition were outstanding once again. Area producers continue to produce very high-quality feeder cattle! The market was very good and solid until late in the sale. The fat cattle market is trying to put a solid foundation under itself, and futures market are attracting folks into the market. 475-pound steers sold at $1.89; nice 508-pound steers were at $1.80, and some 580-pound steers brought $1.74. Quality was sure good in the 6 & 7 weight cattle this week. A set of 636-pound steers topped at $1.6825 and some fancy 781-pound steers sold at $1.53.
Heifers held their ground well in the market. 461-pound heifers were at $1.61; 500-pound heifers sold at $1.52, and some 742-pound calves sold at $1.44. A good group of Red Angus heifers averaging 970 pounds brought $1.39 or $1353 per head going to the feed yard! Weigh cows were steady to a couple of dollars lower, just as the bulls were. We finished selling at 8 o’clock selling 80 transactions an hour. My voice hasn’t fully recovered from two weeks ago and I ran out of gas again by 3:30 and Jimmy stepped in and sold until 8. Boy, was I proud of him!
I shipped a couple of nice loads of yearlings heifers out of the country this morning and have some fellas shopping for some more.
I am hoping to get fall pairs worked and turn bulls out this week. The calves are sure growing and cows are cycling right along.
Everyone around here is hustling around to get heifers and facility ready for our annual female sale coming up on Dec 8th. The phone is starting to show more interest in both sales already this week.
As we come into Thanksgiving this week, I can find so many things to be thankful for! The blessings that four little girls have on our family! God’s miracle of life is so precious and wonderful. We are so thankful for the health of all our family. We are truly grateful for the great customers that pass thru the market every year. Some come the first time, and some have been here for over 30 years with us. We are incredibly thankful for all the crew and staff that keeps the market moving every week.
Often in the evening when I am riding around looking at cattle, I am so thankful for the beautiful land that we have to work and hopefully make better for the generations that come after us. Life goes by so fast, enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday and thank the good Lord for the great things in each and every one of your lives!
A regular morning sale next Saturday and a good offering of bred cows and pairs in the afternoon.
Looking ahead, Christmas is on Saturday this year and we will not be having a sale. But January 1st will be a big sale of everything to start 2022.
Have a Dandy Week!
11-17-2021
This week has been another very busy week around the market. This time of year, we barely get cleaned up and bedded down before it is time to go again! The boys are busy with chores around and have received most of the new replacement heifers in and have all the bred heifers home getting them ready for our Dec 8th sale. We have been lucky and have had the nicest weather over the past week for November! There have been a couple of windy and cloudy days but more 50 & 60’s during the day and clear. The lows have remained above freezing all week. The forecast is calling for lower temperatures into the weekend but still fairly mild for November.
Saturday had a good run of hogs again. The sows topped at $86 this week. Light sows ranged from $70 to 80. Butchers sold from $57 to 63. A pen of 340 heavy butchers went on a sow order at $70! Feeder pigs ranged from $35.50 for some 34-pound pigs up to $76 on some weighing 97 pounds. The majority of the pigs are going into the roaster market now.
The sheep and goat sale was solid with the better boer kids weighing 62 pounds hitting $3.70 a lb. Nannies ranged from $1.70 to 1.90. The big billies ran from $2.25 to 2.90. Lambs weighing 50 pounds topped at $3.40 while some 72-pound lambs topped at $3.25. Fat lambs were mostly $2.25 to 2.45 a lb. Ewes sold for $1.05 to 1.10 by the pound. Bucks ranged from $1.05 to 1.20.
The outside sale had a larger run of hay this week. Small square bales were steady at $4 to 7. Straw brought from $3 to 4.50 and cornstalks topped at $5 a bale. Big round bales ranged from $50 to 70 and rye bales brought $30. There were no corn stalk bales this week. The 656 IH tractor brought $3750, and the truck brought $2850. Logan sailed thru the misc. items in fine form again this week. He is sure a good hand out front!
The cattle sale was mostly bred cows, pairs, and a large run of weigh cows! Beef calves sold mostly $100 to250 and Holsteins brought from $35 to 75. The top group of young cows sold from $1675, and the top pairs brought $1800. The weigh cow market was just steady. They are wanting to get lower as the run across the country continues to grow. The top cows brought $77 on fleshy high yielding cows. Lots of cows sold from $50 to 60 this week. Pound bulls sold mostly $75 to 90.
Sunday was an awfully pretty day! We loaded out around the barn and most everyone else drifted off to hunt or spend time with their family. I did extra chores around the barn and home so I could leave early Monday morning.
We left Fairfield about 6:30 a.m. and flew down to a small air strip at LaBelle, MO picked up two passengers and then went to Thedford NE to the Hoffman Ranch Fall Bull Sale. Boy was it nice out there, spitting a little rain and 38 with a nasty wind when we left and it was 74, sunny and no wind when we landed. The bulls sold good as always with an average over $6000. The heifer I wanted brought $13,500 and I didn’t get her. I guess I need to raise commission at the barn! Bette yet, I have been thinking of charging buyers a commission! I bet I find out who reads the news this week!
A nice run of feeder cattle coming in for this week’s special sale, expecting over 1500 head.
Have a Dandy Week!
11-8-2021
Boy, I don’t remember November being any nicer than the past three days. We have been in the 60’s, dry and little to no wind. The leaves have turned but the grass and cover crops are all still very green. It has just been perfect for getting work done starting cattle and finishing up harvest. The forecast is calling for showers on Wednesday and cooling down towards the weekend. The harvest will be almost finished by the time the weather changes on Wednesday. There are a few stray beans and some cornfields to finish but its pretty much wrapped up here this year.
Saturday was a beautiful day outside and a dandy day in the market as well! The hog sale lead things off again with sows dropping off of last week’s wild price to $80 to 83 on the better five weight sows and $60 to 70 on light weight sows. Fat hogs were solid at $58 to 64. Feeder pigs sold from 75 to 85 cents a lb. for most weights.
The sheep and goat sale had a good run again. The market was pretty steady with kids weighing 50 to 60 pounds brought $3.10 to 3.35 a lb. Big kids were at $2.75 to 3. Nannies sold up to $2 a lb. and billies were up to $2.25 a lb. Lambs from 60 to 80 pounds were at $2.60 to 2.85 and fat lambs sold up to $2.25. Cull ewes sold up to $1.15 and bucks were at $1.20 a lb.
The outside sale had round bales with a $70 top, most sold from $50 to 65. Rye straw sold at $25 to 29. A light test on big squares. Small square bales brought $3.50 to 6.50 this week and wheat straw brought $3.50 to 5. Col Logan Wells answered the call of duty even though he was fighting a cold! The outside sale had our usual wide range of goodies out there! The Meyer wagon type feeder sold for $5100. A New Idea manure spreader brought $900. Hedge posts sold for $20 on some nice line posts and $30 on the best corners. Some mulberry disguised as hedge brought firewood price. Mulberry will rot like pine here if you put it in the ground. The wood is off yellow and can confuse some into thinking it is hedge. Hedge is more orange in color. Logan made it thru, and man was I glad he was there to help this week!
The cattle sale was one of the best of the year with nearly 2000 head thru the ring. Quality and condition was sure good all day long. The buyers were in gear to put feeders in to have some fat cattle inventory ready for what the futures indicate may be the highest fat cattle price in nearly ten years! The better end of the 475 to 500 steers were at $1.84; the six weight steers topped at $1.67, and those fancy 890-pound steers brought $1.58. Heifers kept up their end of the market way better than some weeks. Four weight heifers were up to $1.68; five weights brought up to $1.61; six weights up to $1.50 and even some 735-pound yearling heifers up to $1.51. weigh cows were very steady with fat cows in the $70’s and four cows in the $80’s. bulls sold from $80 to 88.
We finished up just after 8 o’clock. We fed nearly 300 people for lunch and by noon Sunday we had most everything loaded out again. The crew did a terrific job getting stock moved thru the market Saturday. The buyers were awesome in providing a strong market all day long. The consignors delivered a very high-quality outstanding lineup of livestock. Running the market is so much easier with high quality livestock. Thank you to all for a great sale.
Our weekend also brought a new grand daughter to the family. Lauren and Curt welcomed Lucille Mae (Lucy) into the world Sunday morning. Mom, baby, and I think Curt are all doing well! Grand kids are such a blessing. Thank you, Lord, for the blessings of life!
A scheduled cow sale is coming up next Saturday, expecting a nice run. A very nice feeder cattle sale is lining up for Saturday Nov 20th as well.
Have a Dandy Week!
11-2-2021
Heavy rains fell across this area over the past week. The first showers early in the wee left 2 to 3 inches, then a long slow two-day event left another inch to inch and a half by Friday night. It got very muddy from that amount of rain. It stopped harvest and made it a challenge to get cattle fed that weren’t coming to a line bunk. The sun came out over the weekend, and we started drying out. Cold and freezing temperatures the past couple of nights have helped get the ground dried out and let harvest get started again today. The forecast is to stay cool and dry for the next week which should really allow most all of the combines to finish up. The first freeze after November 1st is sure late, I haven’t heard any old wives tales but sure there is one!
Saturday saw a very large run of hogs with 700 thru the ring. Sows jumped back to those early summer highs of $98! The sow run was very light. Fat hogs sold from $58 to 62.50. Pigs made up a significant portion of the hog sale. Some 36-pound pigs brought $34; 53-pound pigs sold at $43; 73-pound pigs brought $60.50, and some 86-pound pigs sold at $71. The big boars topped at $17 and light boars under 300 pounds brought $38 to 46.
The sheep and goat market had a smaller run and prices were moving higher. 50-to-60-pound lambs and kids brought $3.00 to 3.55 per lb. and 80-pound goats brought $2.50 to 2.85. Cull nannies brought $1.75 to 1.90. 90-pound lambs brought $2.39. Cull ewes topped at $1.10 a lb.
The outside sale had a light run of hay. Small square bales sold from $4 to 6.50. Small squares of corn stalks sold from $4.50 to 5. Big round bales of hay brought $45 to 55 and big square bales of average grass hay sold from $35 to 50. Big round bales of wheat straw sold at $50 and dry cornstalk bales brought $35. Logan sold all the misc. items to a great crowd. The last of the mums, I would think, sold from $3 to 27.50 on a big one! A couple of gravity wagons brought $400 to 1000. The old green feed truck brought $3250. It was a very pleasant day for the outside sale.
The cattle sale had some nice quality calves and a big run of weigh cows again. The baby calf market was weak with dairy calves only from $20 to 60. Feeder calves were steady to a little lower this week. The best light steers weighing 380 pounds brought $1.85; 603 pound black white face steers brought $.155; steers at 793 pounds brought $.150 and some weighing 833 pounds brought $1.49. The heifers weighing 416 pounds sold at $1.6850 and some at 505 pounds brought $1.49. 19 head of black white face heifers weighing 581 pounds brought $1.52 and some gelbvieh cross heifers weighing 639 pounds that were not weaned brought $1.40.
Weigh cows were strong for what the market is. It is great to see 5 or 6 active weigh cow buyers here every week. The top fat cows went over $80, lots of fleshy cows were $70 to 77. While most leans cows sold from $55 to 62. Pound bulls sold from $75 to 95.
I took off Sunday afternoon to Madison, Georgia to look for a new Hereford bull. Ben & I left about 11:30 and had a 3 hour and 15-minute ride down with a big wind! Wyman met us and we took a quick drive thru town on the way to the farm. There is lot of history in that part of GA! Old homes, all kinds of business and lots of trees! It was really pretty and nice there Sunday afternoon. We took about 3 hours looking at cows and grabbed a bite to eat. We were home by midnight! I didn’t find the next great one but sure enjoyed the visit and a look around!
The boys are in high gear to move heifers home from pasture and take car of all the new calves they have put in over the past couple of months. The next 30 days are the busiest time of the year for the boys!
Lauren and Curt are getting close to adding a new addition to our family! Stay posted, next week and maybe I will have an update!
This week’s sale will feature a very awesome display of high-quality feeder cattle. Some of the area’s best cattle will be here for this week’s Customer Appreciation sale and BBQ. Come buy with confidence in these cattle.
Lunch starts around 11, come enjoy and watch the sale!
Have a Dandy Week!
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