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February 2023 02/07/23 9:56:00 PM
2-27-2023
A very nice week to wrap up February with! We did have close to an inch of rain over last night, even some lightening and thunder to go with it. It was 50° thru the night and was actually warmer this morning that later in the afternoon. The wind came up after lunch and the cloud cover made it feel darn chilly! The forecast looks to be mostly sunny thru the week with another chance of showers for Friday. The highs look to be in the mid 50’s all week long.
Saturday’s sale had a good run of all classes of livestock and hay. It was a beautiful day and a large crowd attended with a lot of kids under 10 years old on the bleachers this sale. The hog market was steady to higher with heavy sows over $80 this week. Butchers sold from $65 to 80 with the high end being over 350 pounds going on the sow orders again. A light run of pigs but active bidding for six head of 50 pound 4-H pigs at over $100 per head.
The sheep and goat auction drew the largest portion of the crowd. There were several quality packages of bred ewes, ewes with lambs as well as some bred does in this week’s run. Hair ewe with lambs at side sold from $100 to 140 count noses. The bred ewe lambs were especially fancy and brought from $250 to 335 per head. Middle aged ewes due to lamb right away were $190 to 250 per head. The lamb market was $2.30 to 2.75 for those weighing under 80 pounds and $1.80 to 2.40 over 80 pounds. A few fat lambs averaging 108 pounds brought $1.65 a lb. Kid goats weighing 40 pounds topped at $3.40 a lb. A couple of 80-to-90-pound kids bought $2.80 a lb. Billies sold mostly $2.10 to 2.25 a lb. Cull nannies brought from $1.05 to 1.25 a lb. Replacement nannies brought from $300 to 335 per head. Very good interest in all the breeding stock this week.
The outside sale had good quality hay in both squares and big bales. Small squares were pretty much $4.50 to 10 with several stacks at $7 to 9. Straw brought $4 to 5.50 a bale. Big rounds of alfalfa would bring $110 to 140 and grass hay at $80 to 120. Wet wrapped quality hay would range from $75 to 100 per bale. Some of those bales will weigh right at a ton. Big squares were solid at $75 to 100. Net wrapped corn stalks would bring $50 to 60. The hedge post market was okay but sure not wild. Corners from $20 to 25 and lines at $8 to 16.
The cattle sale had Holstein calves from $75 to 100 and beef calves brought $200 to 475. A sample of bred cows sold from $1000 to 1600. Light test of feeders but sure active for the small run. Weigh cows are on a march! Competitive bidding for weigh cows creates an extremely good market! 14 cows brought over $1.00 with a $1.08 top. The bulk of the run was sure $85 to 95 this week. Big bulls are on the same trail. 25 bulls sold from $1.00 to 1.28 a lb. A Red Angus bull weighing 2850 pounds brought $1.10 for a total of $3277. This market is not over. The market will continue to build momentum!
Sunday was busy getting loaded out. Cattle trucks at the chute waiting when I got there after chores at 8 a.m. Hay trailers followed right along lining up by 8:30. Colby came and helped get me caught up or I would have really struggled! Cody and Luke brought the girls and we stopped for lunch at Misty’s. Before lunch was brought to us my phone rang. There are horses out west of town. So, Luke and Colby at quickly and headed to find them. Cody, the girls and I ate, got some ice cream then we went to check on them. Colby had them started back in good shape. We took care of the cattle at the barn that needed fed, then Colby went to help Luke sort heifers at the farm. I needed them at the barn for ultrasound and yearling weights today. They brought them in about 5 and we went ahead and grabbed weights on them between loads of hay. The cow truck came at 8, so I stayed and loaded him. Next truck was a 11 p.m. and had several bulls on it and some were nasty, so Luke came in to help him. I headed home about 9:30 wore out! Eight miles up Highway 1 I capped the evening off with a friendly visit with the Iowa Highway Patrol! I said friendly, just warned me! Thank goodness I really don’t need another for a while or I might get invited back to driving school! I got home just after 10 to lights on in the barn. Now what the heck. Becky met me as I was eye bawling a new calf at the bale feeder. So with the weather coming in we moved the pair inside as well as a second that had just calved. Both were in great shape Monday morning!
I loaded yearling early this morning and hurried back to the barn to meet a bull shopper! I got him fixed up with a nice 2-year-old bull while the crew moved yearling bulls in to weigh and scan. I squeezed a quick lunch in and then went to work on the ultrasound. There was a good bull selling in a sale today so I jumped on the phone a second at 1:00 to see if I could corner him. I made one bid and now I need a ride for a bull from Oklahoma! We finished up the ultrasound and Colby got everything moved back to their pens. I am glad to have that done, mud makes it more of a challenge!
A great offering of feeder cattle next Saturday.
Have a Dandy Week!
2-21-23
It has been a very mild week across our area the past seven days. The temperatures have been in the 20’s to 30’s for lows and 40’s to 50’s during the afternoon. One rain event last week and another one expected this week will sure keep it muddy! It may freeze up Thursday evening then warm up into next weekend again. I have seen some rye greening up around and some old stock piled grass is changing underneath the old grass. It would be darn good if we could have an early spring without freezing off everything after it gets up and going.
Saturday was a barn burner from the start to finish. Sows were higher, up to $60 and 70 for the top. Fat hogs hit $75 to 80 and pigs sold steady on a light supply.
The sheep and goat sale was solid with 50 to 70 pound lambs $2.00 to 2.65 a lb. Heavy lambs were up to $1.55. Ewes brought $90 to 1.10 and bucks ran from $1.10 to 1.25 a lb. Kid goats weighing 40 to 60 pounds brought $3.20 to 3.80 a lb. Nannies ranged from $1.25 to 1.35 and billies were up to $2.40 a lb.
The outside sale had less hay but a higher market. Small squares ranged from $3.50 to 8.50 and straw brought from $4.00 to 5.50. Big round bales were mostly $100 to 120. One stack was up to $190, and a few poor bales were at $65. Stalk bales were $50 to 57.50 and straw sold from $45 to 55. Big squares were from $70 to 120. Hedge post market was solid at $5 to 20 on line post and $20 to 50 on corners and a couple of big or extra long posts brought $100 to 175 a piece.
The cattle sale had 1300 head this week. The market remains strong. The bulk of the cattle were 650 to 850 pounds and that is where most of the activity was this sale. Five weight steers went up to $2.30; six weights ranged from $2.15 to 2.20; seven weights topped at $2.00 a lb. on some weighing 734 pounds and eight weights ranged $1.80 to 1.84 a lb. Heifers in the five weights ranged from $1.85 to 2.00; six weights brought $1.78 to 1.85 and seven weights were from $1.67 to 1.76 a lb. Feeders shipped out of this sale and went primarily to Iowa farmers. A load of heifers went to Nebraska, a load of steers to Illinois and several backgrounders were going to Missouri buyers. Weigh cows went over a dollar on seven or eight big cows. These are not fed cows just heavy weight fleshy cows that have some yield to them. Bulls topped at $1.27 with nearly all of them over a dollar a pound.
Sunday was busy loading out and just a beautiful day to be outside. I did manage to slip away to look at some cattle at the farm in the afternoon. It sure is nice to have fair weather in February!
Calving has slowed for me at home now as I am down to the last 15 head. Cody and Luke are still rolling thru the black heifers getting two to six per day. The oldest calves are sure growing and loving those warm afternoons in the sunshine. Ted & Rachelle are still getting one to three a day and have about a month go to finish up. Curt and Lauren will start in the next week or so. Colby and Hannah are getting some calves out of heifers but their cows wont start for a couple of weeks yet. They have a good group of kid goats on the ground and only a handful of does left to kid.
A regular sale coming up this Saturday with several feature consignments of replacement ewes and does that will close up or have young ones at their side.
Have a Dandy Week!
2-14-2023
This week we have remained very warm and mild. The highs have been in the 50’s and lows a few mornings in the lower 20’s. It would sure make feeding better if we were at 20° every morning. It is pretty muddy in some places to get feed around when it is not froze up in the morning. The forecast is calling for some rain and maybe another snow event on Thursday this week with an over night low down to 6°. On into they weekend it looks to get back to 50° by Sunday.
Saturday’s sale had a regular run of hogs and a stronger market. Big sows hit $60 and big butchers were over $60 up to $71 on a group that weighed 295 pounds. Some 77-pound pigs brought $65 and 93 pound pigs were at $73.
The sheep and goat sale had a good run of all classes. Bottle kid goats sold from $50 to 170 per head. Bottle lambs brought from $30 to 80. A package of 3 to 6 year old bred Katahdin ewes due now brought $210. A fancy set of ewe lambs that weighed 96 pound brought $165 to 175 per head. 50-to-70-pound lambs sold from $2.40 to 2.85 a lb. A small package of 120-pound lambs brought $1.67 a lb. Ewes by the pound ranged from $95 to 1.12 a lb. Kid goats from 50 to 70 pounds run from $2.55 to 3.50 a lb. Nannies brought from $1.27 to 1.85 a lb. Big billies brought from $2.20 to 2.35 a lb. There was a big crowd for this portion of the sale.
The outside sale had slightly less hay this week creating a very steady market. Big round bales were mostly $85 to 120. Big squares were higher with the bulk at $75 to 120 also. Small squares of hay sold from $3.50 to 8.00 again and straw was $3.50 to 5.00. Big rounds of straw and cornstalks brought from $40 to 55. There was a few rounds that were older hay with wrap that wasn’t the best and weedy or brush showing in the bales that fell down to the $40 to 70 range. The hedge post quality was very good on a darn nice run. Lines were mostly $10 to 25 and corner posts were from $20 to 50.
The cattle sale had baby dairy calves selling from $50 to 100 and beef calves up to $250. A sample of bred cows in this sale saw mostly middle aged spring calving cows at a top of $2000 per head. Older thinner pairs brought up to $1500. There sure was more interest in cows to go home this week. Feeders sold steady on a light supply. Weigh cows again higher on a lighter run. Lots of cows in the upper $70’s to low 80’s with a $1.02 top. We sold a dry bag Holstein cow that weighed 2395 pounds. That is the biggest cow I can remember in the sale! Bulls brought $95 to 1.05 on over full and thin bulls.
Sunday was gorgeous here with sunshine and clear skies. We loaded out around the barn and kicked more pairs out in cleaner pastures, boy do they love that! Calving is still rolling right along with less in the calving pens than when it was cold!
I ran to South Dakota to a bull sale Monday. Tuesday I am headed to Des Moines for the IA Beef Expo Hereford sale and banquet.
A very good special feeder cattle sale this Saturday the 18th.
Have a Dandy Week!
2-6-2023
The first week of February has turned extremely warm and mild. We went from zero or -5 one night to 56 for a high today. The rest of this week looks mild with a couple chances of rain by mid to late week. If we get a couple of weeks like this it will sure shorten the rest of the winter for us!
Saturday had a good run of all classes of livestock and the seasons largest run of hay. The hog market was higher on sows at $53 to 57. A group of 8 outside Duroc boars weighing 480 pounds sold for 29¢ a lb. That is about a 20 year big boar record price! They were not going into the normal food chain! Most likely a hunting ranch in the south! Fat hogs sold at $57 to 63. Pigs were scarce with 59 pound pigs at $72.50 and some weighing 68 pounds at $72 a head.
The sheep and goat market had an extra large crowd in the barn this week. The highlight of this portion was a five day old billy kid selling for $260 a head! Bottle lambs sold mostly $35 to 75. A couple of other bottle kid goats were up to $105 per head. There were kid goats weighing 50 pounds brought $3.20 a lb., some 62 pound kids at $3.15 and a few 70 pound kids at $2.85 a lb. 40-pound lambs brought up to $2.70 a lb., 53 pound lambs at $2.75 and some weighing 72 pounds at $2.02 a lb. Fat lambs were from $1.12 to 1.30 a lb.
The hay sale had 1041 big bales and 2870 small squares. Small squares seemed a little lower with mild weather and an ample supply. The bulk of the hay was sure $4 to 6 with $7 to 8 on the top end. Straw brought from $3.50 to 5.50 a bale. Big rounds were very steady with $90 to 130 for decent quality and $35 to 75 on poor quality bales or old crop hay. Cornstalk bales were $40 to 50 and straw brought from $45 to 55. We had everything sold outside in an hour and 15 minutes. It is interesting that hay come into the sale from over 200 miles away and only one load went out more than 100 miles away.
The cattle sale had some good Holstein babies at $50 to 100 and beef calves from $200 to 350. No bred cows this week. The feeder cattle had a very strong demand for all classes. Sold some 519 pound steers at $2.19; 640 pound steers topped at $2.03; some 696 pound steer at $1.93; 735 pounds at $1.90 and 858 pound steer at $1.74. Heifers sold at 373 pounds for $2.04; some 508 at $1.94; some 660 pound heifers topped at $1.81 and some 705 pound heifers at $1.70. Weigh cow market was sure higher again this week as the bulk of the cows would have been $75 to 85. The top cows were from $95 to 1.00 and big bulls brought $94 to 1.20 a lb. Watch for the cow market to move on up over the next few weeks!
Calving has been at full speed this past week. When it was still cold earlier in the week it was a challenge to get them warmed up good. Had a breech that Luke fished out alive. Darn thing won’t suck yet. I have little patience for dumb calves. Thank goodness Becky is here for him! Most calves are kicked out in the pasture loving the sunshine this afternoon.
Special bred cow sale next week and a regular run of hay!
Have a Dandy Week!
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