How high it will go is anybody’s guess, but historically we are at record levels. This is the kind of market we’ve all dreamed about! Take advantage of it and get those big yearlings to market! There’s no better time or place than Winter Livestock!

The prices we are seeing today, like last fall, are great for every part of our industry. Butcher cows and bulls, calves, yearlings, and fat cattle are all enjoying great prices! The last 12 months have sure been good to everybody. We had a good wheat crop and it looks like another one coming. Cattle have gained well and made some money. The overall economy is looking good and last but not least, people like BEEF!

Are we in a new era? It kind of looks that way, but only time will tell. It seems hard to adjust to these price levels, especially if you’re trying to replace cattle, but the future looks very promising! Pairs, bred cows, calves and stockers are all good commodities to own. There’s great moisture in Oklahoma and Colorado just got two to four inches of soaking rain! I don’t think that will make the replacements any cheaper! :)

The Canadian border will be opening soon and we should enjoy the good times while they last! There will be a short term effect on the market, especially with Canadian cattle numbers up almost a million head outside of their feedyards, but I think our industry is in an excellent position to handle it. Our cattle numbers are down clear across the board!

I would like to take my hat off to Jeff Tillman. I’ve read and heard a lot about him in the news lately. He gave up a multi-million dollar football gig to go fight for America. He did what was good and right not only for himself but for everybody else. If only we all could follow his example. We should do what’s good for everybody. Maybe the packers, retailers, corporate leaders, professional sports people, etc should take note. 1881 here in Enid this week.

Steers: Heifers:

300-400 lbs 110.00-130.00 105.00-120.00
400-500 lbs 100.00-125.00 100.00-115.00
500-600 lbs 97.00-110.00 93.00-105.00
600-700 lbs 93.00-105.00 85.00-95.00
700-800 lbs 92.00-100.00 85.00-95.00
800-900 lbs 88.00-97.00 83.00-90.00
900-1000 lbs 85.00-90.00

CONSIGNED FOR NEXT TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2004:

EDWARDS RANCH

How else can you describe the American cattle industry? Fat cattle trading around $90.00, feeders up against $100.00, calves over $110.00, cows in the $50.00’s, and butcher bulls over $70.00! What about those cut-out values? All of them $20.00 to $30.00 higher than last year! The heavy choice was sitting around 165.00, which means a choice steer, yielding 63.5% ought to be bringing near $105.00! Tremendous market!

Last week’s on feed report has to be one of the most bullish ever! Placements down 11%! Marketings up 9%! The number of cattle weighing over 600 lbs going on feed is down from 11 to 25 percent! The number of cattle going on feed weighing under 600 lbs. is up 29%! Not to mention the fact that the total number of heifers on feed is up 4% from last year! What’s that going to do to our replacement heifer market?

It appears as if we have gone into brand new territory in the cattle industry. Long time feeders and experienced cattlemen are having a hard time figuring out what to do. How do you convince somebody who has been selling fat cattle these last ten years from $60.00 to $75.00 to believe a fat cattle market of $80.00 and above is sustainable? Even on the good side, that’s a big pill to swallow!

Maybe we have finally got to the point where our product is getting in the same line as the candy bars and soda pops! It wouldn’t be the same percentage wise, but maybe this year’s calf crop will actually pay for a new pickup! We can only hope!

We’re expecting a great run of wheat cattle next week! All of you yearling buyers might want to latch on, the graze out wheat and rye is drying up fast! Cattle are in green condition, and will all be gone in two or three weeks!

EARLY CONSIGNMENTS FOR NEXT TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2004:

250 Mostly black heifers, off wheat, gtd open, 700-850 lbs
150 Limo/Ang cross steers, off wheat, 700-900 lbs.
200 Limo/Ang cross steers & heifers, 650-800 lbs.

SPECIAL COW & BULL SALE NEXT WEEK:

SUTPHIN RANCH 20 REGISTERED LIMO + LIMO/ANGX BULLS 1-3 YRS OLD
M & B RANCH 50 HEREFORD/ANGUSX PAIRS, RUNNING AGES, FANCY F1
S & R CATTLE CO 35 ANG/LIMX PAIRS AND BRED COWS, 1ST CALVERS & UP

Excellent market here in Enid this week!

Doug Buller blk-str 390 @ $127.00 Glazier Cattle Co blk-hfr 488 @ $111.00
Glazier Cattle Co blk-str 447 @ $119.00 JAW Cattle Co. mix-hfr 459 @ $111.00
Doug Buller blk-str 503 @ $115.00 Tyler Sturgeon blk-hfr 500 @ $106.00
Rodney Semrod blk-str 515 @ $113.00 Gale Messenger red-hfr 515 @ $105.00
Shelby Odell mix-str 604 @ $107.75 Gaylon Brakhage mix-hfr 596 @ $99.00
Glazier Cattle Co blk-str 577 @ $107.00 Bob & Ryan Harp bwf-hfr 578 @ $96.00
Shelby Odell mix-str 765 @ $97.50 Bill Davis mix-hfr 695 @ $91.25
Virgil Roggow mix-str 777 @ $96.25 Gary Hajek brng-hfr 657 @ $90.50
Ben Walker mix-str 805 @ $95.85 Trojan Farms blk-hfr 737 @ $89.50
Trojan Farms blk-str 850 @ $91.00 Joe Johnston blk-hfr 768 @ $88.00
Virgil Roggow mix-str 922 @ $89.50 Trojan Farms blk-hfr 835 @ $85.50

Our yearling and stocker supplies are LOW! The wheat run has been over and the graze out cattle are very few in number. Replacement heifers are not just a dime a dozen anymore, and pairs and bred cows are hard to find. Not to mention the fact that a lot of these replacement heifers are going east of us. What will they cost when the west gets some moisture? Fat cattle are very current and the beef is selling very well. We’re just now getting into grilling season, so how greedy is everyone going to be?

Cutout values are $13.00 to $16.00 higher than the week before and at all time highs! Figuring 155.00 for choice cutouts and a 63% yield, that makes these choice fat cattle worth $97.65! WOW! The American consumer has spoken, and she said she likes American beef! Let’s give them what they want!

No amount of national ID, Canadian cattle or lack thereof, mad cow disease, and terrorism seem to downplay the market. Not to say that it couldn’t, but look at the wonderful market we have! Butcher cows bringing over $50.00. Calves and stockers well above $100.00. Yearlings and feeders in the high $80’s or $90’s and fat cattle worth ninety something! Christmas and Thanksgiving may have come early this year, so let’s be thankful about it! Take them to town!! 543 in Enid this week:

Mark Selix red-str 310 @ $145.00 Bingham Farms mix-hfr 408 @ $124.00
Bingham Farms blk-str 357 @ $139.00 A & M Farms blk-hfr 348 @ $122.00
Mark Selix red-bull 407 @ $130.00 Mark Selix rwf-hfr 409 @ $116.00
Bingham Farms mix-str 430 @ $119.00 A & M Farms mix-hfr 466 @ $113.00
04 Ranch mix-str 473 @ $117.00 A & M Farms blk-hfr 538 @ $105.50
Bingham Farms mix-str 490 @ $110.00 Bingham Farms mix-hfr 516 @ $104.00
Robert Bivings mix-str 552 @ $106.00 Blake Eckhardt mix-hfr 590 @ $95.00
Chris Markes mix-str 563 @ $103.50 Bingham Farms blk-hfr 642 @ $89.00
Bingham Farms mix-str 576 @ $102.00 Chris Eckhardt blk-hfr 738 @ $88.75
Blake Eckhardt blk-str 620 @ $100.00 Kevin Smith mix-hfr 680 @ $88.25
Virgil Roggow mix-str 856 @ $91.00 Kevin Smith blk-hfr 785 @ $87.35
Eldon Kennedy mix-str 800 @ $89.50 Kevin Smith bwf-hfr 883 @ $83.00
Glen Mangels mix-str 861 @ $87.35 Kevin Smith blk-hfr 936 @ $82.75

SPECIAL COW SALE TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2004!

M & B Ranch 50 BWF/WF PAIRS, RUNNING AGES
Robert Ranch 50 ANG/CHAR/LIMX BRED COWS, 4-8 yrs old
CSII Cattle Co 50 Fancy, Brangus Replacement hfrs, gtd. open, lepto-vibrio, 800lbs+-
3 Brangus Bulls, coming 2 year olds

Looking forward to some excellent sales this spring!
Please call ahead with your consignments!
Thanks again to all of our buyers and sellers!

Isn’t it nice to be wanted? The demand for protein products is fantastic! We are in a demand market for maybe the first time ever! Wholesale beef prices are 8% higher than last year while some chicken prices are almost 50% higher and this is all after the mad cow fiasco!

Perception and reality are sometimes two different things. The perception is that we have enough cattle to feed the world, the reality is that we may not have enough for our own country! Demand is greatly swaying prices. Whoever heard of cattle getting higher, when corn prices are getting higher, in March? What about these stocker cattle, they are at all time highs and are probably $20.00/cwt higher than the last several years! Maybe our industry is finally catching up with the prices of cars and schools!

Some interesting things are happening in our markets. At the moment, a 575 lb steer suitable for grazing is bringing over $625.00 a head, while at the same time a 775 lb feeding heifer is bringing $635.00 a head. It looks to me like that extra 200 lbs would come in real handy, especially since you can put a bull with those heifers! These $1200.00 to $1500.00 dollar pairs make it even more enticing! The herd buildup has really not begun yet. The west is looking at yet another year of drought and it may be another 2 or 3 years before they can begin.

Enjoy this market! This is one of the few markets where everything is bringing a great price and all of them seem worth it! Cows and calves are bringing good prices, but they are also an excellent investment! Take your cattle to town!

Luckart Farms blk-pairs 6-8 yrs 1485 @ $1225.00
Ty McMurtry blk-stbu 334 @ $141.00 Bob Clester mix-hfr 403 @ $118.00
Bob Clester mix-str 390 @ $135.00 Bennie Rogers wf-hfr 360 @ $114.00
Ty McMurtry lim-str 350 @ $132.00 Denzil Pope mix-hfr 466 @ $109.50
John Regier mix-str 438 @ $117.00 G & D Farms mix-hfr 443 @ $108.50
G & D Farms mix-str 507 @ $110.00 Bennie Racer mix-hfr 541 @ $102.00
Richard Culp brang-str 581 @ $107.50 David Hixon blk-hfr 550 @ $98.00
Jack Leforce mix-str 625 @ $105.00 Jack Leforce mix-hfr 592 @ $96.50
Keith Koechel mix-str 578 @ $102.50 Denzil Pope mix-hfr 567 @ $94.00
Richard Culp brang-str 711 @ $94.50 Nick Kroll wf-hfr 648 @ $88.00
Jere Nelson mix-str 776 @ $90.50 Butch Lorenz mix-hfr 738 @ $85.00
Richard Culp brang-str 859 @ $88.75 Steve Regier mix-hfr 690 @ $85.00
Jeff Culp brang-str 868 @ $88.35 Ross Cattle Co char-hfr 760 @ $83.50

Don’t forget our next cow sale Tuesday, April 27, 2004!

Thanks to all of our sellers and buyers!

Weston Winter

Consigned for next Tuesday, April 13: