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I just drove all the way across Texas, and close to half of New Mexico, and I saw more yearlings on wheat than I ever have on on one of the trips. From Texarkana to currently sitting in Alamagorda. miles

Miles, sounds like you're getting close. Sure will be good to see you.

Jeff

For better, or worse, we picked up 53 head of today, wish us luck.

Hope all you cattleman have plenty of water and don't have to break and throw ice every day, too much hay, healthy herds and twins and good markets when you sell.

Twins, shudder, nice when you sell two, a LOT, of trouble for a long while after birth.

Richard - what was the name of the owner of the sale barn in Storm Lake back in the day?

It just came to me - Gaffney, right?

good to sell and hench the healthy

John, KAYL radio, "You Know, those Gaffeny Brothers will do a good job for you."
John was the name of one brother, and I plumb forgot the other name.

Good luck Richard.


Twins...


My dad taught me that after pulling a calf out of a heifer put on a clean glove and make sure there isn't another one.

Especially if the first calf is a dink.


We had an extra calf(or two) left over this past spring after the cows went out on grass.



Pair off loads(match ear tags) and later on find out we have two 914's in the book. Tagged on different days, heifer and steer twins.

Whoops.

Always best to sell them right away if someone is wanting a bum calf. Bottle calves were $300-400 a year or two ago...


Chow line this morning.

That's pretty Sam. Better your feed than mine.
Cows have a way of keepin' a fellow busy, and humble.
Never forget where you put that wire stretcher!

When I am feeding a bottle calf, or calves, I keep telling myself, someday, should be a high dollar fat steer, or heifer.

"Mamma's don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys"!

We don't usually weigh them, but I'd guess somewhere in the upper 1500-1600's.

Ben, what is your ration for those fat cattle?

That's what I was gonna ask.

And what weight they start feeding them.

Big steers!



We just got the results from 'payday'.

On the steer side the big end averaged 788, middle made 689.

Everything averaged about $80 more per head than we figured so nothing to complain about here.

I asked Ben about his ration, but here is what I was mixing when our son was off fishing.

70# protein

1200# cracked corn

20# balancer for the dried distillers grain

470# dried distiller's grain

770# ground hay

840# corn silage

That is a half, and half ration, we are getting off the distillers grain. It seems like we write a lot of checks compared to what the fats bring, and the market price of corn.

Sam, 788, you are most of the way to having "big boys", of your own.
Ever think of retaining ownership, and having a yard finish them?

Richard, that looks like a high dollar mix!



I am not sure what ratio my dad has been mixing for the calves but it is ground alfalfa, pea/wheat pellets and corn silage.


And we rolled out a bunch of straw bales for them in the last 80-90 days.

Keep 'em comfortable.



Richard, wish we could find more grass!


Yeah, I don't know. Keep 'em, sell 'em?

All I've learned is that you never know.


I would love to get a 7-8 day advanced copy of the cattle on feed report.....grin

Wouldn't we all?

Sam, I guess we never figure it out on a daily cost.

One old story is, an Iowa farmer bought some calves.

He thought at the price he paid, the rancher made some money, the sale barn made their commission, the trucker made his share bringing them to the farm, his veterinary made some money, the elevator where he bought his feed made some money, the trucker made money hauling the cattle to the packer that bought them, as did the packer at the sale price.
See it coming(?), the farmer made nothing.

Richard, and then the tractor breaks down.....grin


What is the going rate for sales barn commission?