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February 2025 02/04/25 2:36:00 PM
2-17-25
Winter has arrived in southeast Iowa again! We went down to zero last night and more of the same until Friday. We missed all the snow so far which sure doesn’t hurt my feelings any! The forecast looks to be cold until Friday and then winter subsides again. This time next week it will be almost 50 degrees, which will feel really awesome after this 3-day cold spell.
Saturday had a light run of hogs with just a few butchers and a handful of sows and 4 groups of feeder pigs. Fat hogs sold from $0.70 to $0.80 per pound, sows topped at $0.94 and feeder pigs weighing from 60lb to 80lb sold for $0.70 per pound.
The sheep and goat run was light also. The baby lambs sold from $35.00 to $60.00. The baby goats were mostly $10.00 to $25.00 on dairy billies. The lambs weighing 60lb to 80lb were mostly $2.50 to $2.70. Ewes sold from $0.90 to $1.35.
The dairy kids averaging 60lbs brought $2.50. Cull nannies held from $1.30 to $1.75 per pound. The fat kids weighing 50lb brought $3.60 per pound. We had a couple of nannies with kids that brought $40.00 to $75.00 counting noses.
The outside sale had several bales of hay this week and a nice offering of hedge posts. Derek made his return to help with the outside sale and settled right back into the groove. The small squares of hay ranged from $3.00 to $8.00 and straw was in high demand for this cold week at $4.00 to $6.50 per bale.
The big round bales of hay were not any better with the majority selling from $30.00 to $45.00. A few fancy bales brought $50.00 to $60.00 and wet wrapped cover crop hay brought $15.00 to $20.00. The big squares of hay were $35.00 to $50.00 and wheat straw big squares sold at $30.00. Round bales of cornstalks and straw were steady at $35.00 to $45.00.
There was a good sized crowd was around, just to get off the farm on the last warm day for the week! Folks come from all over for a visit with everyone and to maybe pick up a purchase they need for their enterprise!
The cattle sale ended up with 500 head. Baby calves sold from $500 to 850 and a couple weighing 200lb to 250lb sold at $1100.00 to $1250.00 per head. The 300lb bull calves brought $4.12. A small group of 590lb strs brought $3.41, 603lb calves brought $3.275, 15 head of 728lb strs brought $2.945 and 7 head of Hereford steers averaging 856lb brought $2.57. Red heifers averaging 323lb at $3.45, 536lb crossbred heifers brought $3.09, 658lb heifers brought $2.85 and a set of bwf heifers weighing 727lb brought $2.80.
The weigh cows were higher on a shorter run. The bulk of them sold at $1.30 to $1.40 and most of the cows were plenty full. The bulls were even poorer yielding and ranged from $1.35 to $1.50 per pound. With the cold weather keeping pound cows at home, weigh cows will continue to move higher for a while.
Becky and I ran up to Des Moines last Tuesday afternoon to look at the Hereford cattle in the Iowa Beef Expo and attend the Iowa Hereford Association annual banquet. The weather was good when we left with the temperature at 30 degrees and by the time we arrived at the fairgrounds it was 15 degrees and getting colder! We went to the banquet and decided to head for home after it was over. We had a couple of heifers close and snow forecasted for Wednesday made it an easy decision to head for home! The sale went off well even in the nasty weather averaging $5700 plus, which was up $1400 from the 2024 sale!
We had about 4-5 inches of snow, but the sale barn only had an easy 3 inches. Between here and Des Moines they had 8-10 inches of snow, but we got along pretty easy here.
Calving is rolling right along. No matter what the weather is, nature continues to keep moving right along. Calves are doing well and really, we have gotten along pretty dang good all the way through.
We are having a regular sale next Saturday and will be having another feeder cattle special coming up March 1st.
Satt warm and have a dandy week!
2-11-25
We came through the first week of February, much like the past month. Dry conditions have continued with mild temperatures and mostly sunny afternoons. The forecast is calling for a snow event from midnight tonight until Wednesday night and temperatures falling to near zero. We will hope they’re wrong about the temperature and the amount! We may have a little more snow and cold going into the weekend, but February will be half over on Friday!
Saturday was a nice day for a sale and there large crowd was on hand for everything that was offered. The sows ere higher with a top of $0.76, most were $0.65 to $0.72. The fat hogs sold from $0.64 to $0.75 and a good Hereford locker hog at $0.81. The light boars sold at $0.32 to $0.34 and big brought $0.05. We only had 5 feeder pigs, so not much test on the market for that.
The sheep and goat market is slightly lower on a lighter run. The baby lambs brought $0.40 to $0.55 and baby dairy goats were bringing $5.00 to $25.00 per head. The light lambs were mostly $2.25 to $2.75. Ewes were at $0.75 to $1.00. The kid goats weighing 40lb to 60lb brought $3.25 to $4.00 for the top meat type kids. The nannies were right at $1.10 to $1.50.
The outside sale had a good run of nearly everything. Jimmy finished up on sheep and goats and he sold the small square bales of hay. The market on them was $2.00 to $5.00 and straw at $3.00 to $4.00. The big bales of hay sold up to $65.00 on 3rd cutting alfalfa/grass mix. Most hay was $30.00 to $40.00. Some bales fall down to $15.00 to $25.00 if they’re not net wrapped or if it’s rougher type quality. The wet bales sure looked like great value last week with wheat at $15.00 per bale and alfalfa at $20.00 to $25.00. The straw round bales brought $35.00 to $52.50 and corn stalks sold at $35.00 to $37.50. The big squares of alfalfa was higher at $60.00 to $75.00 with a volume of those going south 200 miles.
The hedge posts topped at $49.00 on fancy 8ft line posts. The older cut posts and some that had been set once, ranged from $5.00 to $25.00. Several other miscellaneous items sold to an active crowd with the best interest in the new gates. They were 8ft to 16ft with an inch square type frame welded to a wire panel. They sold from $85.00 to $150.00 per gate. We are hoping colonel Derek is finished up with life saving school, so he can get back to work this Saturday!
The cattle sale had baby calves selling at $600 to $800 on beef calves. The Holstein calves brought $500 to $650. The bred cows had 20 head of 6yr old angus cows due to calve in March that brought $3550. The second calf cows that were due in March brought $3550 to $3750 for a couple smaller groups of 5 and 8. The older cows and singles third period brought $2000 to $2800. The 4 and 5 yr old pairs with November calves brought $3600 to $3800. There were nearly 100 head of weigh cows brought a $1.42 top on high yielding smooth cows. The feeding cows and young cows sold from $1.45 to $2.05. The bulls topped at $1.74. The market continues to move upward each week and I sure think it’s going to remain good going into spring and summer.
Calving is going good so far. The calves are strong and vigorous to this date. We are ¾ done with the Hereford cows and closing in on half of the commercial heifers.
Layne’s heifer “Roxy” had a dandy baldie bull calf. She was so excited to get him up and going before school that morning. She called me on a video call to show me her proud baby calf! That’s an awful good way to start your morning off!
We are hoping to slip up to the Hereford banquet in Des Moines this evening. With the impending weather I may slip back home after the conclusion and watch the sale online tomorrow! We didn’t put anything in the sale this year, so I don’t have to stay!
There is a good run of feeder lining up for this Saturday’s sale.
Have a dandy week!
2-4-25
We just finished up January with an inch and a half of rain. I’m thankful it wasn’t snow! To cap the month off, it was nearly 60 degrees here Sunday. January went by as easy as it can for southeast Iowa! We have turned colder here yesterday afternoon, back down to 17 degrees this morning. The forecast is calling for some precipitation on Wednesday evening with highs into the 30’s and lows back into the teens most nights next week.
Saturday sale had a better run of fat hogs and just a few sows. The fat hog market was from $0.64 to $0.78, with the upper end going out as locker hogs. The sows ranged from $0.60 to $0.65 and no test on feeder pigs. Big boars were scarce at $0.05.
The sheep and goat market held steady. The 40-50lb kids at $4.00 to $4.10 per pound. The 60lb to 70lb kids brought $3.40 to $3.60 per pound. Nannies brought $1.10 to $1.75 per pound and big billies were up to $2.00 per pound. The better lambs weighing 50lb to 70lb brought $3.00 to $3.10 per pound and fat lambs brought right at $2.00. Bred ewes were pretty solid at $225.00 to $2.50 per head for running age hair ewes, due mostly in March.
The outside sale had a good run of hay, posts and miscellaneous items. Philip was up to help sell all the outside sale as Col. High is continuing to attend EMT or lifesaving classes on Saturday. No, I did not fire Col. High!
The hay market was steady on small squares and slightly lower on big bales. The small square were selling $2.50 to $4.00 and straw at $3.00 per bale. The hedge post market was $25.00 to $42.00 on the good lines and smaller strait kind of corner posts. There was all kinds of gates, tools, a saddle, feeders and shelving kept them busy for over an hour.
The big bales are still selling mostly $30.00 to $45.00, with very little at $50.00 to $60.00. The round straw bales sold from $27.50 to $37.50 and corn stalks at $30.00 to $37.50. The hay market is sure stuck in a spot for a while. I’m still encouraging folks to find a place to stick it away for next year. You sure can’t put hay up for what you can buy it for right now!
The cattle sale had 850 head of feeder cattle. The baby calves had a Holstein crossbred calves were up to $600.00 and beef calves up to $825.00. There was 10 head of 8yr old blk bred cows in the 3rd period brought $2600 to $2650. The steer calf market ranged from $3.70 to $400 with a top set of 472lb reaching $3.90 and 565lb at $3.57, 616lb at $3.26 and a package of 809lb at 2.73. The heifers in the upper 300lb brought $3.70 to $3.90, 400lb heifers to $3.60, some baldie heifers at 525lb brought $3.25 and 8hd of red angus heifers weighing 663lb brought $2.95. The weigh cows moved up a little this week. The top cows brought up to $1.40 with the bulk of them in the $1.20 and low $1.30. The top bulls hit $1.70 on Saturday.
Sunday I jumped in for a quick run to Oklahoma. We dropped off a local girl back at OSU vet school in Stillwater, then bounced over to Enid airport. We jumped in a van there and went to 4B Herefords and met up with some AHA board members and Hereford breeder Cindy Prybil. We looked through sale bulls, fall pairs and yearling heifers on the red dirt! I mean it’s red, red right through there! We left 4B and headed NE for about 15minutes to see Mr. John Lowen. John is a great breeder of Hereford cattle and has been a good friend over the years. We looked through the donor cows, sale bulls and some fall pairs, as well as his yearling heifers. It was a great visit with John and Mona Sunday afternoon. I always come away with more knowledge after spending time listening to John. Thanks for the time on Sunday.
We left Enid and came back to Fairfield on a beautiful Sunday evening. We went over Kansas City in the dark and got to see how vast the lights are again. We were back to the house by 7:30pm and checked the cows. It was a perfect day to be out for sure.
We continue to get several calves everyday and have been very thankful of the mild temperatures. To get them kicked out in the pastures and started off good. We have had a couple 3 sets of twins, so are ok, some are not. I’m not a lover of twins! A handful of backwards calves, but would sure say that calving is going along normal to better so far. (But that could always change).
We are expecting some bred cows this week along with regular morning and hay sale.
Have a dandy week!
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