Cows or calves? It’s a question to think about right at the moment. Lots of calves are delivering now at phenomenal prices, some up north near $800.00 a head! The bulk of the calves are still bringing about $600.00 a head right off the cow. At the same time, their mothers are bringing the same or less! Lots of bred cows here in Oklahoma this week bringing less than their calves!

Now, which is a better money maker, a bred cow for $600.00, or a bawling calf for $600.00? Both have unique opportunities and disadvantages, but for the most part they both look like they’ll make money! Especially if the futures board, and fat cattle continue to hold their end up. It sure seems like for the same dollars, a person could make more money buying two for the price of one!

It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few months. There is very little water in north central Oklahoma, and people still haven’t planted any wheat. Where there has been some planted, high winds have forced some folks to replant already. With the moisture situation, it will take a few weeks of good soaking moisture to make any difference in the long run. However, places in all the surrounding states seem to have good moisture, and that’s where the bulk of our cows and calves are going, not to mention what few yearlings there are!

The calf market is still very good, although several dollars lower than a few weeks ago. The yearling market is outstanding, if a person can find any true yearlings! Several seven and eight weight steers up to $114.00, with 900 to 1000 lb steers up to $105.00. Fly weight calves up to $170.00, with the bulk of the 400 to 600 lb calves bringing from $115.00 to $135.00. Butcher cows mostly from $40.00 to $50.00, with bulls selling from $55.00 to $65.00. Bred cows and pairs are selling in a wide range, from $475.00 to $1200.00.

NEXT SPECIAL COW SALE ON OCTOBER 31, 2006!

TWO SPECIAL WEANED CALF SALES THIS FALL!

OCTOBER 24 AND NOVEMBER 7

Opportunity might be knocking! We see it happen every year at this time, the calf market goes from very good to just good. Nice five weight calves a week ago bringing around $140.00, while this week it might be closer to $130.00. If you’re buying calves and can take care of them, now might be the time.

It seems like the weather isn’t helping at all, at least around here. Two weeks ago, the grass looked green, there were chances of rain and wheat was just beginning to get put in the ground. Now, the grass is brown, the creeks and ponds are dry and several of those wheat fields are blowing. On the bright side, down on the red river, their conditions have done just the opposite. Where a month ago it was brown and dying, now it looks like the middle of March!

We’re going to have an excellent opportunity here at Winter Livestock next week! Here’s something to think about, a high quality calf might cost around $700.00 a head, and his mother might cost the same. If everything else remains the same, doesn’t it make sense to turn out two for the price of one? That first calf might pay for the cow, and then you have the cow left to put money in your pocket! Generally speaking, cows don’t need to be tended to as much as calves either!

SPECIAL END OF THE MONTH COW SALE NEXT TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2006!

OVER 600 COWS AND CALVES ALREADY CONSIGNED!

Nusz Ranch 200 Blk/Bwf cows, 4-10 yrs, bred to blk bulls

200 Blk/Bwf calves 300 to 600 lbs

Powell Ranch 130 Eng/Exot x cows, bred to Angus bulls, some pairs

Gant Ranch 150 Blk/Bwf/Red/Exot cows, bred to blk bulls, 3-8 yrs old

Woods Ranch 50 Ang/Brangusx cows, 3-6 yrs old, bred blk limo bulls

Bob Harp 75 Angus/Hereford cows, bred to blk/red Angus bulls, 3-10

S & R Cattle Co 75 Eng/Exotx cows, bred ang/lim, older, fall/winter calves

There will be several pairs, fall calvers and spring calvers for this sale! If you have any questions or consignments, please give us a call! This will be a great selection of cows to turn out! Opportunity is knocking!

SALE TIME FOR NEXT WEEK IS 9:00AM!

THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SELLERS AND BUYERS!

The next few weeks will be critical for the wheat grazing regions of Oklahoma and Texas. Many parts of these states are bone dry, with some areas receiving some teasing rains in the last few weeks. The big question is whether we’ll continue to receive rain after the wheat is in the ground. A few lucky folks dusted some wheat in and now have a stand, but they are few and far between.

It will be interesting to see how the wheat grazing turns out this year. With such a large area affected by moisture, the amount of calves getting turned out could be quite different from normal. Right at the moment, it doesn’t look like there will be a chance to run 30% of normal numbers. However, that is offset by the cheap feed up north, where there are indications of a record corn crop, plus the advantages of by products coming into play.

We’ve already seen some of that action, with a large number of our cows, calves and yearlings going to Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, and other places north of here! There is tremendous demand for cattle in those corn growing areas, and they’re having to come down here for cattle. The number of available yearlings is extremely low, with the calf numbers coming to town looking the same way!

It looks like an opportune time to own cows! The cow herd expansion has not really kicked in yet, either because of drought or because of an excellent market. Many of these older bred cows are just bringing a little more than what their calves are! How can you go wrong buying two for the price of one?

COMING TO ENID NEXT TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2006:

Dildine Ranch 30 Angus cross cows, bred to Angus bulls, 4 to 10 yrs old

30 Angus sired yearlings, 700 to 800 lbs

CONSIGNED FOR OUR MONTHLY SPECIAL COW SALE

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2006:

Nuss Ranch 200 Black/Bwf cows, several with calves at side, bred to blk

150 Angus sired calves, 300 to 600 lbs, 7way blk leg

Powell Ranch 120 Eng/Exotx cows, 4-10 yrs old, bred to blk bulls, some pairs

G – T Cattle Co 100 Blk/Bwf/Red cows, bred to Angus bulls, 3 to 8 yrs old

Woods Ranch 50 Nice, mostly black cows, 3-6 yrs old, bred to black limo

The milder temperatures have helped quite a bit too. It looks like a lot of cattle have gained fairly good weight in the last three weeks! The market has gained some too! Many light weight calves up to $150.00 or better, with four and five weights up to $140.00. Stocker cattle just hanging in there, with six weight steers bringing up to $120.00, and heifers selling up t $114.00.

Feeder cattle continue to be hard to find and very sought after! Many eight and nine weight steers bringing $105.00 to $115.00, with some lighter weight yearlings up to $120.00! Yearlings in the north country are bringing even more, with an incredible amount of cattle bringing over $1000.00 a head. This just makes it even more reasonable to buy a pair or bred cow!

We’ve had some good news in our industry lately. Beef going to Japan has sold so well, that some restaurant chains over there are rationing their beef! How’s that for demand! We’ve also apparently located a rather large oil field in the Gulf of Mexico that may reduce our dependency on foreign oil by 50%! Even the rumors of these two events have dropped gas prices by as much as $1.00 a gallon, and let the futures board go up a couple dollars in just a day or two! It would be hard to believe our market being much better! Who needs imports?

What will the cattle industry do when the central part of the United States does get rain and its moisture levels back to normal? There are not enough cattle to go around right now, let alone when everyone has some feed and moisture! We’ve continued to send a lot of cows to the packing plants, and the ones not going there are being redistributed across the U.S.! Those bred cows and calves sure look like an excellent commodity to have a hold of, almost as good as land!

We will have a tremendous selection of cows and calves here in Enid in the coming weeks! In two weeks, there will be some outstanding 3 to 6 yr old Ang/Brang cross cows, bred to Blk Limo bulls, and at our end of the month special, there will be over 350 Blk/Bwf cows, some with calves, all bred to Angus bulls coming to town! Opportunity is knocking!!

Don’t forget our video sale this coming Monday, September 11, 2006! This will be an outstanding selection of native, western and mountain calves for fall delivery! Many calves and bred cows are available on our internet site also! Call us for more info!

Thank You, for all your business!