I really feel for those in Tenn. and to the south that are selling their cattle due to the drought.
At the sale barn in Hollis, OK they were full on Saturday and some who arrived on Friday evening has not sold at 3:00 p.m. due to the large numbers of calves that were scheduled to run on wheat.
I will be selling some of my cows in two weeks due to a lack of hay and no pasture. I will wean my late Spring or early summer calves and sell some of the cows in two weeks. I have used over 1/2 of my hay and the winter has not arrived. I sold most of my older cows in last years drought. I have some registered 14 year olds, 4, a 10 and a 9, with the rest either heifers or with a second calf. I will sell some second calf cows too. My best cows are some I didn't register, as far as ransing show steer prospects. I want to try and hold them together. I also will sell all the cows with bull calves, most with AI calves. I have kept 7 or 8 bulls to run on wheat pasture and have not planted wheat. Most are AI sired Spring calves that I had hoped to sell as bulls next Spring or early Summer. We thought about putting them in a feed lot but I really do not want to sell my bull calves after they have been with other people's bulls. Dreams and plans do not always come to a pleasant ending. We have not had more than 2 tenths in any rain since the first week of August here north of Vernon, TX. Even those that have had up to 5 inches did not get any lasting good from it due to all the high winds and hot weather. Some of them have half a stand of wheat to the east of Crowell. It looks like we could have lots of sand storms. I have been vaccinating the baby calves for pneumonia due to the dust their mothers stir up walking in the pastures. I got more medicine from the vet lady today....
I know we are not nearly as bad as we were a year ago but are quickly approaching that stage. I have 3 tanks dry and 2 really large ones that are less than a 1/3. It does not look good as we seldom have much moisture in the winter. By selling these cattle I will be able to buy some hay for the remainder.
One good thing about it I will not need as much semen as I bought and will have some carry-over.
At the sale barn in Hollis, OK they were full on Saturday and some who arrived on Friday evening has not sold at 3:00 p.m. due to the large numbers of calves that were scheduled to run on wheat.
I will be selling some of my cows in two weeks due to a lack of hay and no pasture. I will wean my late Spring or early summer calves and sell some of the cows in two weeks. I have used over 1/2 of my hay and the winter has not arrived. I sold most of my older cows in last years drought. I have some registered 14 year olds, 4, a 10 and a 9, with the rest either heifers or with a second calf. I will sell some second calf cows too. My best cows are some I didn't register, as far as ransing show steer prospects. I want to try and hold them together. I also will sell all the cows with bull calves, most with AI calves. I have kept 7 or 8 bulls to run on wheat pasture and have not planted wheat. Most are AI sired Spring calves that I had hoped to sell as bulls next Spring or early Summer. We thought about putting them in a feed lot but I really do not want to sell my bull calves after they have been with other people's bulls. Dreams and plans do not always come to a pleasant ending. We have not had more than 2 tenths in any rain since the first week of August here north of Vernon, TX. Even those that have had up to 5 inches did not get any lasting good from it due to all the high winds and hot weather. Some of them have half a stand of wheat to the east of Crowell. It looks like we could have lots of sand storms. I have been vaccinating the baby calves for pneumonia due to the dust their mothers stir up walking in the pastures. I got more medicine from the vet lady today....
I know we are not nearly as bad as we were a year ago but are quickly approaching that stage. I have 3 tanks dry and 2 really large ones that are less than a 1/3. It does not look good as we seldom have much moisture in the winter. By selling these cattle I will be able to buy some hay for the remainder.
One good thing about it I will not need as much semen as I bought and will have some carry-over.