Keosauqua Sales Co. Inc

 
October 2023  10/03/23 4:55:00 PM



10-24-2023
         The past week has been really nice with fall colors all around the countryside.  The leaves are in the height of their fall color, and they shined brightly in the sunshine the past week.   A little rain shower passed through last Wednesday and a teaser came by today but didn’t accumulate any amount of rain.  The forecast is calling for another chance in the next couple of days.  We could sure use the water here before it gets cold!
         The crew operated the sale without me this week, while I was in Kansas City.  They had a lot of stock to handle and had an active market all day!  Great work to everyone that stepped in and made it work!   The hog sale had fat hogs as high as $76 a cwt.  Feeder pigs were just 50 cents a lb. Sows were higher at $45 to 56 for all weights. 
         The sheep and goat sale was steady to higher.   Lambs from 60 to 100 pounds were mostly $1.70 to a 1.90 top.  Fat lambs were from $1.70 to 1.91.  Ewes by the pound were from 80 cents to $1.35.   A package of wool ewes exposed to start in Jan brought $210 a head.   Goats weighing 50 to 70 pounds were at $2.65 to 3.00 a lb. Those heavy wethers over 100 pounds were at $3.20 to 3.27 a lb.  Nannies were mostly  70 to 85 cents under 100 pounds and $1.00 to 1.37 over 100 pounds.   Billies brought $1.50 to 1.80 a lb. 
         The hay market was pretty steady with small squares selling at $4.00 to 10.00 a bale.   Straw brought $6.00 to 6.50 a bale.  Big rounds of hay were still at $70 on the smaller bales of plain quality up to $125 on big bales of grass.   Big squares brought $50 for foxtail bales up to $130 for alfalfa.  Cornstalk bales brought $50 to .52.50 a bale.  A pretty good-sized run of misc. items this week.  Hog huts were a highlight at $750 each!   Hedge posts ran from $3 to 10 on lines and $35 on the better-quality corners.  Several used gates and panels as well as lumber and of course a few mums at $7.50 to 15 each.
         The cattle sale had over 500 head this week.  Baby calf market was $300 to 400 on beef calves and $100 to 175 on dairy calves.  Light weight steers and bulls sold at $3.00 to 3.10 a lb.   A three head group of 425-pound steers brought $2.95.  A group of four heifers weighing 330 pounds brought $2.70 a lb.  Weigh cows made up a large portion of the run this week.  The market was sure stronger on the big heavy cows with most at $1.10 to 1.20 a lb.  Cutter and canner cows sold from $85 to 95 on the decent kind.  Big bulls bought $1.05 to 1.25 this week.  A big run of 250 head of weigh cows and bulls.
         Kansas City was a busy week of meetings and education forums.  We started at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday morning with AHA board meetings that ran until 5 p.m.  We finished the evening at the Zona Rosa in the Hereford house for supper that evening.  That place never disappoints you.  Thursday, we kicked off our forum at noon and wound up about 5:30 again.  I was invited to the research foundation’s annual meeting at Pierpont’s in Union Station downtown.  This place is an iconic building in Kansas City.   It was a true hub of the United States throughout the middle part of the last century.  Passenger trains rolled through the station delivering folks to and from all corners of the country.  The building was nearly lost and was in a run-down state when the city got together and rallied help to restore it.   It is a beautiful building with all kinds of history and has a great place to eat at Pierpont’s!   Friday was a full day of forum.  We started off with Lee Mayo from HRC and the feedlot program that gives members an opportunity to feed their cattle just like commercial cattle feeders do only on a small scale.   The day wrapped up with Iowa’s own Mark Core with Vermeer Manufacturing.  Mark has a great mind in marketing and visited about customer service.  Great information and we were sure fortunate to have him at the meeting.
         Saturday morning started at 8 a.m. we were underway with the annual membership meeting and the election of three new board members.  There were five presentations of very inspiring and legendary members into the Hall of Fame and Hall of Merit.  Those take up about an hour and a half.  Six candidates give their campaign speeches and there are several committee reports given to the membership.  We retired the three of us going off the board and I announced the three newly elected directors to wrap up the meeting that ended just before noon.  Everyone moved to the American Royal for the Hereford sale at 1:30 and the Jr show that followed at 3 p.m.
         I left Kansas City about 7 p.m. and was home before 11.  It was a great four years on the board for me.  I met so many great breeders and industry leaders that were a highlight of the time I was on.  I made it home for the little girls’ birthday party Sunday at noon, that was a treat in itself!
         A special feeder cattle sale the next two weeks followed by a bred cow special on November 11th
 
 
Have a Dandy Week!


10-15-2023
        The weather man crowed for a week about rain across our area from last Thursday through Friday night, we might get 2-3 inches. Well, it did rain but only 2-3tenths on Friday Afternoon. I have about had it with this fake news! It is cooler, only getting to 55° today and into the 30’s tonight. We look to be dry for another long week with highs forecast up to 60 and lows in the 30’s and 40’s most evenings. Maybe the weather man will be wrong again and we can catch another shower, or two!
        Saturday’s sale saw a big run of hogs again with over 600 head. Feeder pigs made up the bulk of the run and sold a little higher this week. 40# pigs brought $28 a head, 55# up to $35, 70# pigs brought up to $44, and 100# pigs at $58-60 per head. Fat hogs were mostly $54-60 per pound with 2 groups of Hereford locker pigs reaching $70 cents per pound. Sows were higher at $40 to $48 per pound.
        The sheep and goat run saw a solid to stronger market this week. Lambs from 60# to 80# were mostly $1.70 to $1.90 per pound. Only a few fat lambs, but they were $1.75 to $1.80 per pound. Weigh ewes sold 75 cents to $1.00. Kid goats from 60# to 80# were $2.50 to $2.75 per pound and heavy wethers were over the $3.00 per pound again. Cull nannies brought from 65 cents to 90 cents a pound. Big billies were scarce, a couple around 90# brought $225 per head.
        The outside sale was shy on small and big bales this week. Small squares were from $5 to $9, with one stack of wheat straw at $6. Big rounds of hay were from $60 to $120 and corn stalks were steady at $55 . Mums were $8 to $15 on a large selection.
        The cattle sale had baby beef calves ranging from $350 to $500, with Holsteins at $200. There was a very nice offering of fall cow calf pairs and a few spring bred cows. Better groups of middle aged fall pairs red or black were from $2350 to $2750 this week. Middle aged spring calvers seemed like they were not as popular at $1300 to $1550. Weigh cows held steady on just shy of 200 head again. The top cow at $1.20 with good fat cows at $1.10 to $1.15. Lean cows mostly $95 to $1.05 and shelly or lame cows at $40 to $80 cents. Bulls were $1.00 to a lean fancy Charolais bull at $1.40.
        We sorted up some sale heifers to get clipped and pictures. Colton got everything clipped up nicely on Saturday.  Robbie Davis is coming Wednesday for pictures.  The catalog is starting to come around for the Herefords, but it takes a lot of time, so I asked Rachelle to help me with it this morning.   Thank you, thank you!!
        I loaded some yearling heifers near Memphis last Thursday and then went on down to Shelbyville, MO to see some awesome cattle and good friends.  I used to go every week to that part of the country looking at the best outside feeder pigs in the world!   Great stockmen and the best folks down in that part of the country.  I had a great visit and sure need to get back there more often than I do.
        This week is the annual meeting week for the American Hereford Association.  I will be in Kansas City from Tuesday evening until Sunday afternoon.  You are free to call me, but you will have better luck calling the office while I am gone.  My years on the AHA board have gone by very quickly.  It has been quite an experience for me to serve on and be a part of!  I probably would never have gone to California if not having to go attend a meeting!   I have met so many great industry folks and breeders all across the country.  I am very grateful for the opportunity that I have had to serve on this board!
 
 
Have a Dandy Week!


10-10-2023
        The continued dry and mild fall weather around here has harvest moving along at a very fast pace.   The beans will most likely be almost finished up this week.  The corn harvest sure has a ways to go but when all the machines switch back to corn it won’t take long for the harvest to wrap up.   The forecast does have a couple of days with some rain chances this week, so we are very hopeful that we get some of that!   The temperatures may be cooler for a few days with highs not much over 60 and lows in the 40’s.   That would be standard October weather for us!
        Saturday saw a large run of livestock with 400 hogs, 500 sheep and goats and 1000 cattle.   The hog market had top sows at $35 to 40.  Light sows sold more in the $30 to 35 range.   Fat hogs sold from $45 to 52 this week.   The top hogs were an outside raised group       of Hereford hogs from Hilltop Ranch!   The pig market had more interest with 40 pounds at 50 to 60 cents and 70 to 100 pounds pigs mostly 60 cents. 
        The sheep and goat sale had a balance of all classes and a bit stronger price.   Lambs sold from $1.70 to 1.90 a lb. for 60-to-80-pound lambs.  Fat lambs were up to $1.80 a lb.  Ewes were mostly $60 to 80 a lb. Kid goats weighing 50 to 70 pounds were solid at $2.50 to 2.80 and a sprinkle of wethers around 100 pounds brought $3.00 a lb.
        The outside sale had small squares bringing from $3.50 to 10 this week.  No small squares of straw even though there have been calls asking for some.   Big round bales of straw brought $55.  The first stack of new corn stalks brought $55.  Round bales of hay were mostly $100 to 125.   Only small or rough quality hay brought $100 this week.  A smaller run of misc. items this week with harvest in full swing.
        The cattle sale had baby calves selling from $300 to 500 for beef calves and $175 to 225 for dairy cross calves.  A couple of packages of middle aged first and second period cows sold at $1400 to 1600.    There was a lighter crowd for the feeder cattle sale but you sure could not tell it in the market!  Black, white face heifers weighing 325 pounds brought $2.80; 448 pound Hereford heifers brought $2.77.  25 head of 561-pound replacement heifers brought $2.94.   A couple of different groups of six weight heifers were at $2.62 and 2.67 a lb.  Steers weighing 391 brought $3.30; 426-pound black steers brought $3.26; 528 pound crossbred steers at $3.10 and the top 687 pound steers rang the ball at $2.80 a lb.
        The weigh cow sale was steady to $3 lower.  The top cow was still at $1.23.  Most big fleshy cows sold at $1.10 to 1.15 a lb.  Cutter and canner cows were $90 to 1.05 with light, shelly & lame cows under $90.  Big bulls were $1.10 to 1.31 a lb.  
        We are starting to get heifers moved home for the December sale.  Herefords start getting clipped this next weekend for pictures the next week.  I need to get catalog put together as soon as possible and I will be in Kansas City for meetings most of next week.  
        We finished weaning the last group of black, white face calves on Friday and have them starting off well.  Doc was up and calf hood vaccinated the Hereford heifers Monday.  We re pregnancy checked a group of two-year-olds and picked up nine more breds out of that group.  
        Hannah and Colby took off to the deer stands this afternoon.   It is hard for them to squeeze in hunting time with the activity that goes on around here!
        A really good run of fancy fall cow calf pairs coming in for this Saturday’s sale. 
        We have a regular sale the next weekend the 21st, when I am gone to Kansas City then two big feeder calf sales on October 28th and the BBQ sale on November 7th.
 
Have a Dandy Week!


10-3-2023
       
        Well October arrived hot and dry! Temperatures into the 90’s the past 3 days and no rain for the past several weeks. Grass has dried up, the ponds, creeks, and rivers are extremely low for this time of the year. We have a small chance of rain tonight into tomorrow and much cooler, fall like temperatures for the coming week.
        Saturday was very warm, but most livestock moved early or late and really took the movement very well. The hog sale saw a big run of feeder pigs and was light on sows and butchers. Pigs inched up a few dollars this week with $25-30 buying 60# pigs and $40-50 buying pigs 75-100#. Sows sold $40 to 47a lb. Fat hogs sold from $48 to 54 a lb. big boars as always at $5-7 a lb.
        The sheep and goat market was mostly steady on 400 head. The bulk of the better kid goats sold $2.40 to 2.75 a lb. and the better lambs ranged from $1.50 to 1.80 a lb. big nannies were lower with most ranging from $70 to 90 a lb. Cull ewes over 120# brought $75 to 85 a lb. Fat lambs landed $1.80 to 1.86 a lb.
        The outside sale had a small square bale top at $12 on 70 bales of high quality. The remainder was $2.50 to $7 and no small bales of straw. Big round bales topped at $160, while most of the nice quality grass and alfalfa mix round bales sold from $110 to $120. Big square bales were $85 to $130. No straw or corn stalks in this weeks sale. Several miscellaneous items in the outside sale including lumber, tools, skid loader attachments, etc. Very good-sized crowd out front Saturday on a warm day!
        The cattle sale had 490 head this week. Baby calves sold from $250 to $450 for beef calves and $100 to $150 on dairy. A few running age black pairs brought $2725. A larger package of 12 black cows exposed since June 1st and were called 1st period, average weight 1145# brought $1250 per head. The open cows off the same consignment brought $950 to $1100. Lighter run of feeders this week with very strong demand ongoing for all classes. Weigh cow market was off $2 to $4 this week. Lots of members in the dry areas to the south have plants meeting daily capacity somewhat easier now than in the middle of the summer. Top cows still selling $1.10 to $1.20, with the bulk of the leans cows bringing $0.95 to $1.02. Bulls sold $1.10 on light thin types to $1.43 on lean muscled big bulls.
        We baled some nice 4th cutting hay last week and some very nice 2nd cutting grass hay. The rye is all up that we planted after chopping, but it needs a drink badly to provide some fall grazing for us. We had to move home the first group of 5G bred heifers from Missouri that were the same as out of grass. These were the BWF heifers, and they sure looked good coming off the trucks. We are weaning some commercial calves Friday and preg checking the last group of spring commercial cows and will hope that takes the pressure off the grass so we can get to December to move the rest home.
        Nice run of feeder calves coming Saturday again, expecting 800 head.
 
Have a Dandy Week!
 
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