Where’s the value? Is it in the “high quality black” cattle? Is it in the “low quality” cattle? How can a steer weighing 900 pounds be worth more than a bred cow? Is a one time deal better than a long term deal? Is the outside cover really worth more than what’s on the inside? And why are bred cows and pairs worth more in a drought than when the grass is belly deep?
Even with all the unknowns, it’s a great market for cattle at the moment! Demand for U.S. beef is outstanding and the supply is not getting any bigger! Yearlings and feeders are in great demand while stockers seem to be waiting for harvest to get over. There were lots of young pairs and bred cows only bringing $900.00 to $1200.00 this week, with yearlings selling well over $105.00. The butcher cow market is still excellent if not higher this week with cows bringing up to $65.00.
Harvest crews are already working in southern Oklahoma, and it won’t be 10 or 20 days before they get to central and northern Oklahoma. The wheat is really turning fast, even with all the moisture and wind we’ve had in the last week! According to some, the cooler weather in front of the warmer weather will help fill the heads this year. Just about any way a person looks at the wheat around Enid, it’s good!
It’s amazing how things, events, places or people can look different to everybody. A week or two ago, blk/bwf pairs could be quoted up to $1600.00 and 900 lb steers could be quoted up to $100.00, this week the exact same pairs might bring $1300.00 and the same steers might bring $110.00! It doesn’t seem to make sense that an animal that will be at the packing plant in less than six months is worth as much or more than a bred cow that will produce five to ten more of those fat cattle in the following years!
The same thing might be said of bred cows or pairs going to grass. Why is it that when there’s no grass, it’s dry and the cost of feeding one looks horrendous that everyone seems to want to buy those cattle, yet when the grass is lush, feed isn’t needed and moisture is plentiful no one wants to buy them? It sure seems like taking a little bit of time and effort when no one else will, perhaps right before harvest, might make some folks some pretty good money!
It’s interesting to watch cows sell. Everyone always asks what color the cows are first and then maybe ask what they’re bred to, what they look like, how old they are and how good the quality is. All the black hided pretty ones usually have lots of people trying to buy them while the off colored and not so pretty ones tend to bring quite a bit less. Yet, when the calves out of either set comes back to town, no one ever asks what kind of cows they came out of or what color they were and they bring the same money!.
WE WILL HAVE A SALE NEXT TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2008
NO SALE JUNE 10 OR JUNE 17, 2008
Thank You for all your business!
