Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for May 4, 2022
It’s a little chilly this morning as a cool front blew in and brought more rain last night. Rain totals this morning were only a few tenths in Decatur, with the east side of the county getting around a half inch on average. The west side received up to a little over an inch of the good stuff! Well May has kicked off with some good rains! The last couple of weeks has been good to us with the last two Sundays bring us some beneficial moisture. Sunday before last produced rain totals from .5 to 1 inch in the southern part of the county, to 2-3.5 inches in the center, and up north around 4-5 inches. A few isolated spots received close to 6 inches. The blasted lightning woke me up during Sunday night as storms rolled through in the early morning hours. On the west side of Paradise, the lightning struck a house down the road from me and a few miles away hit a big old mesquite tree and disintegrated it blowing chunks and limbs everywhere! It’s dangerously powerful stuff! Rain totals ranged from .5 inch in south Wise, 1-1.5 in the center, and again the north part of the county received the most at 2-2.5 inches. There was an isolated area northeast of Greenwood Community that got 3.6 inches.
The rains have sure greened up the grass and landscape throughout the county, but the summer grass is slow in coming with the cooler night temperatures we have had lately, and soil temperatures ranging from 65-67 degrees. Soil temps did get up close to 70 degrees before the rains came along. The winter grasses look better now but still thin from the dry weather leading up to the two rain events. It is headed out and mostly stems with very little leaf, so it’s done. Cattle are looking a lot better now with a little grazing available in most areas. Calving season should be over for the majority of folks and some that calve early have already worked their calves. They will be a lot more working them this month as this is the prime time in our area. The majority of the wheat crop has headed out but sure is short and thin from lack of rain most of the winter when it needed it the most. If able to harvest yields will be poor at best and some have plowed it under in disgusts and moving on. Grazing wheat for the most part has played out, but I did notice some folks with cattle still on some trying to get all they can out of it. It looks like there is a lot of wheat left from the road, but you get out in the field and its thin and stemmy with very little if any leaf area. They have some milo is in the ground and so far its been a good start for it with the moisture we have received. Some have planted Sudan/haygrazer while others were waiting on some moisture, well, Bingo. It’s a little muddy now but the rest will get it planted as soon as they can get a drill in the field. Its sure not too late to plant Sudan by any means. We have more rain chances on Wednesday and Thursday so that that could be delayed a little longer. Most everyone that was brave enough, or had a good banker, has put out fertilizer pre-rains. Boy it sure is high this year, but hey everything is expensive nowadays. Our producers are paying $600 to $1000 dollars a ton for fertilizer. The cost of inputs is sure making it tough on our farmers and ranchers this year. With all this inflation it sure is hard to make it pay, and keep the wolf away! But for now, They’re still the Boss!
Cattle Markets as of 4-29-22–Slaughter Cattle-$140, Futures–Live $133, Feeders $156, 750 lb Feeders-$162, with 550 lb Stockers-$189. Weaned 500lb str calves $190, Heifers $160
Decatur Livestock Market as of 4-25-22. A very welcome widespread rain helped maintain the prices from the past few weeks on most weight classes. Stocker heifers were a little lighter. Feeder steers and heifers were steady. Good response and demand for the bred cows and pairs that were advertised.
Marty Morgan, Wise County Ag Agent marty.morgan@ag.tamu.edu or call 940-627-3341.
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for Nov 16, 2021
We received another good rain last Wednesday of half to one inch throughout the County. We have real good soil moisture thanks to a great October where we received a total of 3-4 inches for the month, and now in November as totals so far for the month are around 2-3 inches.
We are in great shape going into the winter and winter pastures are looking their best this fall. Pasture grass is on the decline as growth is slow as expected this time of year. Many folks have quite a bit of standing grass left from good management and/or the nice rains. Some are taking advantage of the excess by holding calves a little longer. But there are some pastures that are becoming a little short due to stocking rates mainly, and frost. Officially we came very close to the first freeze of the fall this past Friday morning, but most everyone stayed above 34 degrees. There were a few low-lying areas that dipped down to freezing and nipped the grass in the bud. The wheat crop is doing great and grazing wheat has really come on in the last couple of weeks and is being stocked slowly as there are a limited number of calves being offered so far, according to my sources. As I drive through the county on ranch/site visits weekly, there are still a lot of big ole calves left in the pasture, sucking mama. As I stated last week be sure to manage for prussic acid in frost bitten grass. Visual appraisal is the best observation route to determine if you have had a frost. And that’s because official weather measurements are taken in an instrument shelter four to five feet above the ground, but frost can form even when the official temperature is above freezing. A temperature at or below freezing is not absolutely necessary to get ground frost or hoar frost (from the Bible); they can form even if air temperature is marginally above freezing point if the sky is clear. Also, if your grazing wheat or other types of lush winter pasture keep some Hi Mag mineral out at all times, so you can hopefully avoid Grass Tetany, AKA grass staggers. The only great treatment is prevention, but if needed you can treat with an intravenous dextrose-based commercial preparation of magnesium and calcium purchased from a local veterinarian, and hope for the best.
In the Cattle Market as of 11-12-21 – Slaughter Cattle, up another $2 at $132. Feed yard Closeouts at $20 in the black this week. Dec Live Cattle steady at $132. Nov Feeder off $3 at $156. 750 lb Feeder steers off $1 at $156 and 550 lb Stockers steady at $166. Local 600 lb Steers ranged from $1.53 to $1.59 while 600 lb heifers ranged from $1.19 to $1.27, both depending on quality, kind, and fill.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 11-1-21. With the wheat growing like it is, the market on stocker steers and heifers continued the upward trend that started last week – Feeder steers and heifers were steady to a little cheaper. Strong demand for good, young bred cows and pairs. Packer prices steady.
Their last sale of 2021 will be Monday, December 13 – First Sale of 2022 will be Monday, January 3 and will begin receiving cattle for this sale on Saturday, January 1. This sale will also feature the weaned segment. To be included in this segment, cattle must be weaned a minimum of 45 days and arrive at DLM yards by the Saturday prior to the sale.
Marty Morgan, Wise County Ag Agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service marty.morgan@ag.tamu.edu or call 940-627-3341
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for Nov 9, 2021
We received some more rain last Tuesday and Wednesday to start off November the right way. Rain totals were from .75 to 2 inches and was heaviest in the northeastern part of the county. More is in the forecast as a cool front blows in on Wednesday. All our grass is going south for the winter and growth is all but come to a halt. But our winter pastures are looking better by the day with all this moisture and especially grazing wheat.
Stocker operators I have visited with were looking to turn out some stockers this week or the next, if they can find some. Really not many calves have come to town according to buyers and especially the kind they are looking to turn out. According to several market reports numbers are still light but I noticed OKC West is expecting to have a big run tomorrow with a lot of Integrity Beef Calves coming to market. I look for the fall run to be heavy by end of the week and next too as we approach Thanksgiving. I suspect it will continue between Thanksgiving and Christmas with the good conditions this fall. Some weaning/shipping has been delayed because of muddy conditions as well. All cattle are in good shape and have been the entire year.
I have received numerous calls here lately about Prussic Acid and Nitrate Poisoning concerning grazing Johnson grass, Sudan or sorghum forages. This time of year, is the time to worry about these, especially Prussic acid. Several areas have received a light frost already and this will bring on some Prussic acid problems. We have several publications, and a couple of articles I wrote, on our website that well help you, so take a look at them. You can find this information at https://wise.agrilife.org/ under my Ag tab. The main thing to remember is once you receive a frost do not turn any cattle in on these type forages for approximately 14 days. This is the amount of time it will take for the Prussic acid to dissipate and become safe to graze. It only takes one bite for them to bloat up and go down. It is debatable that if you already have your cattle on, say a Johnson grass patch when it frosts, that they will be less likely to be affected. I have experienced it both ways. When in doubt, leave the cattle out!
In the Cattle Market as of 11-5-21 – Wow Slaughter Cattle, up $4 at $130. Feed yard Closeouts at $40 in the red. Dec Live Cattle up $2 at $132. Nov Feeder up $2 at $159. 750 lb Feeder steers up $1 at $157 and 550 lb Stockers off $1 at $166. Local 600 lb Steers ranged from $1.48 to $1.52 while 600 lb heifers ranged from $1.18 to $1.29, both depending on quality, kind, and fill.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 11-1-21. With the widespread rain last week, prices on stocker steers and heifers was steady to higher compared to last week. 3 weight steers/bulls experienced the most gains as wheat buyers try to fill orders. Feeder steers and heifers were steady. Active bidding for good, take home bred cows and pairs. Packer cows and bulls steady.
Their last sale of 2021 will be Monday, December 13 – First Sale of 2022 will be Monday, January 3 and will begin receiving cattle for this sale on Saturday, January 1. This sale will also feature the weaned segment. To be included in this segment, cattle must be weaned a minimum of 45 days and arrive at DLM yards by the Saturday prior to the sale.
Marty Morgan, Wise County Ag Agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service marty.morgan@ag.tamu.edu or call 940-627-3341
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for Nov 2, 2021
We received a little rain last Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Looks like we could get more today and tomorrow too. Totals last week ranged from half to one inch over the county. Coastal Bermuda hay fields are green and its even growing a little more with these rains the last few weeks. All pastures have greened up a little, but growth is slow on most of it as it normally is this time of year. It is getting cooler today and we are only about 15-20 days away from our first official freeze, but some areas have already received a little frost with the cooler weather the last couple of weeks. As temps dipped close to the freezing mark, I noticed some of the Johnson grass has been bitten back. Every time I think we have cut and baled our last bit of hay someone else breaks out the cutter. I do believe we are finished now, and everyone has an ample supply of hay going into the winter as hay is stacked everywhere. Even with the good supply of Hay, prices for 4X5 rolls are hanging around $70-75 depending on quality. Wheat pastures and fields are looking a whole lot better now with this moisture.
Grazing wheat is really looking good now and stocker operators will be looking to buy calves to put on it soon. Where farmers had Milo and corn ground it has been plowed under and getting ready for the 2022 crop. Cattle are in great shape with cows and calves mud fat, and they have been all year. If we don’t break some records on calf weights it will surprise me! We don’t see a year like this year very often as far as weather and growing conditions go! If you have not weaned your calves by now, I think I would get that done soon. Many have taken advantage of the good grass crop we have had, but you don’t won’t to wait too long as the calves could become stale, not to mention pulling down the cow before calving in a couple of months. If you’re going to hold and background your calves, be sure to get on a good value-added program and give the right shots. I believe it pays to background/precondition, if not in price/cwt it will in weight gained. Cattle Buyers are willing to pay a little more for a good program and calves that are straightened out, on the gain, and have less chance of getting sick on them. I know you will be happy with the results if done right.
In the Cattle Market as of 10-30-21 – Slaughter Cattle, up $2 at $126. Feed yard Closeouts at $35 in the red. Oct Live Cattle up $3 at $127. Nov Feeder steady at $157. 750 lb Feeder steers up $3 at $156 and 550 lb Stockers up $1 at $167. Local 600 lb Steers ranged from $1.30 to $1.55 while 600 lb heifers ranged from $1.18 to $1.28, both depending on quality, kind, and fill.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 11-1-21. Demand for weaned calves was strong as expected for this time of the year. the market on unweaned calves was steady compared to last week on most classes with 5 weight heifers gaining some ground. not many take home bred cows and pairs to test the market. packer cows and bulls were steady to $5/cwt higher.
Marty Morgan, Wise County Ag Agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service marty.morgan@ag.tamu.edu or call 940-627-3341
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for Oct 26, 2021
It was perfect weather here in Wise County last week. The rains received the week before sure was nice and will definitely help going into winter. Pasture conditions are improving a little but with the cool nights and mornings the grass is thinking about dormancy, and it shows. We are only a few weeks away from our first frost and this time of year the grass is slow to grow. Most pastures are in good shape, and this has been a year to remember! I don’t see much rain in the near future according to weather reports, but I think we are in good shape for the time being. With the ample moisture wheat farmers put a good bit more wheat in the ground last week so we are almost complete and should wrap it up this week or next. Grazing wheat looks pretty good right now, especially what was planted early. I already have reports of hogs rooting around in wheat fields and making a mess of it, go figure! Some producers were busy this past week over seeding some coastal pastures for winter grazing using no till drills. Believe it or not there were some hay producers baling up some final cuttings for the year and it was making quite a few round bales and decent quality too. One field the windrows looked like they do in the spring!
As for cattle, cow/calf producers have weaning calves on their mind. Some have already pulled the trigger, some are thinking about it, and some are taking advantage of forage left and grazing out what is left. Those that weaned off early will have a little standing forage for the cows and may get by without feeding any hay for a good while, depending on pasture conditions in your neck of the woods. There are not many calves coming to town yet so that tells me most everyone has not weaned yet, or they finally, maybe, are using a good value-added program and back grounding their calves for 30 to 45 days. This would be an ideal year to try and do it. There are lots of good value-added programs to choose from, but the main thing is how you wean them (I have found that fence line weaning is best) and giving them the shots they need to attract buyers and encourage them to buy your calves. They want them healthy, uniform, and gaining weight, and they like truck load lots. Remember Decatur Livestock Market has a great market for those kinds of calves that are truly weaned for 45 days and having a good vaccination program is a huge bonus and will help your calves top the market. The first sale of each month is the featured weaned calf segment to start the sale off. Whether you have 1 calf or 100, if they meet the minimum requirements they can be included in this featured segment of the sale – the more cattle offered the greater the buyers’ interest. DLM has a weaned calf/yearling certification form that must be completed and filled out by the seller of these weaned calves that tells them the date you pulled the calves off the cows, vaccinations given with booster date and whether shots were self-administered or administered by a Vet. You can find all the information on their website at http://www.decaturlivestockmarket.com/WeanedCert.pdf Remember , it’s as easy as that to increase your profit on your calf crop!
In the Cattle Market as of 10-22-21 – Slaughter Cattle, broken record at $124. Feed yard Closeouts at $60 in the red. Oct Live Cattle off $1 at $124. Oct Feeder cattle off $2 at $155. 750 lb Feeder steers at $153 and 550 lb Stockers steady at $166. Local 600 lb Steers ranged from $1.41 to $1.56 while 600 lb heifers ranged from $1.14 to $1.25, both depending on quality, kind, and fill.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 10-25-21. All classes of steers were higher and heifers were steady to a little lower. Their “Fall Roundup” Special Replacement Sale had 409 head. High selling bred heifers were $1400-$1775, bred cows $1300-$1650, Pairs $1550-$2150 and Bulls $1900-$2500. Good cattle!
Marty Morgan, Wise County Ag Agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service marty.morgan@ag.tamu.edu or call 940-627-3341
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for Oct 20, 2021
I celebrated my 61st Birthday Sunday! I don’t really feel that old, although I look it! Ha. Life has been good thanks to the Good Lord above! In my defense I have wrinkled and sun damaged skin from all the blood sweat and tears I have poured into ranching and building houses over the years. My office was always outside until I went to work for Extension. I have enjoyed every step He has given me and especially these last 7 years working for AgriLife Extension. I have met a lot of good folks and I really look forward to jumping out of the bed and getting started every morning so I can help someone solve their issues, problems, with sound advice, and having a friendly conversation! You folks are what makes this job the best, and when I say folks, I mean the kiddo’s too. I really enjoy helping the kids whether its 4-H or FFA and watching them grow up and succeed in learning so many new things, especially relating to agriculture and livestock. In those aspects this job is very rewarding and that is why I do it. I still have that fire to get to work at 6 or 7 every morning and stay late, answer a call, text or email, even on the weekends or before I fall asleep on the couch about 9pm daily from exhaustion. This may be a job to some people but to me its just like ranching, it’s a way of life!
We received about a half inch on Sunday and then on Tuesday night and all day Wednesday we received a very nice rain of from 2.5-3.5 inches over the entire county! It sure was a good rain and will help tremendously. Pastures are perking back up and should get a little more growth on them before frost next month. The bottom land was still doing decent as that was where our most grass was at, and ranchers were turning cattle in on it as the last pasture that had grass to graze. This rain will lengthen the grazing period now and defer feeding hay and supplements for a good while.
Cows and calves are in really good shape but a few ranchers have weaned their calves in order to avoid any slowdown in weight gain, and also to avoid the cows from being sucked down, especially from the dry conditions before the rain. Those that deferred can hold them longer now, if desired. It would be nice if the calf prices increased but usually this time of year when the market is flooded that is not the case. Wheat farmers had planted some ground before the rain especially grazing wheat and most of it had come up but was needing a drink. This rain will be perfect on it. What farmers didn’t get planted they will do so as soon as soil conditions allow. This has been one of the best years that I can remember as far as weather conditions during the growing season. I have seen all kinds of weather in 61 years and hope to see 20 plus more years of it, Lord willing!
In the Cattle Market as of 8-14-21 – Slaughter Cattle steady at $125. Feedyard Closeouts at $52 in the red. Oct Live Cattle steady at $126. Oct Feeder Futures down $2 at $157. 750 lb Feeder steers steady at $153 and 550 lb Stockers down $2 at $164. Here locally, six weight stocker steers ranged from $140-152 while heifers were from $115-125.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 8-16-21– the market was stronger compared to last week. after the good widespread rain, wheat grazers are back in preparing for the winter grazing months so stocker steers and heifers saw improvements. The packer market was $8-$10 higher. The annual “fall roundup” special replacement sale, is this Saturday, October 23 and starts at 12 noon. cattle will be available for viewing Friday and Saturday morning. visit DLM website for consignment information.
Marty Morgan, Wise County Ag Agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service marty.morgan@ag.tamu.edu or call 940-627-3341
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for Oct 12, 2021
We received about half an inch over the county on Sunday night as a cool front blew threw the majority of Texas. When the winds hit our place, it was blowing a good stream of leaves off the trees, then the rain came for about 10-15 minutes. It didn’t last very long as it was fast moving. We still have some good chances of more rain this week. I visited with a man today during lunch that said they are predicting 2-5 inches the next couple of days. I noticed we are in an area flood watch from 7am tomorrow morning until 7pm Thursday evening. It’s still awful dry out there but every little bit helps. My bluestem was needing a drink, and one of my tanks is almost dry, but the bluestem is already greening back up now.
I made a lot of ranch and pasture visits last week in many parts of the county. On Thursday I spent all day looking at cows and pastures from one end of the county to the other on the west side and I was surprised at how much grass is left out there. There are areas that are dry and short, but lots of places there are still some pretty decent grazing available. In these areas with a little grass left calves are still on the cow and could be for another couple of weeks looks like to me, maybe longer. I was also surprised at the amount of hay that was cut and laying on the ground, some was rolled up and looks like it made pretty good for this time of year, and we rarely get much hay in the fall on most years. With dew and cool mornings, it will take longer for it to dry, but dry as it’s been that has not been a problem up until this cool front.
Cows and calves are still fat as mud where there is still some grass available. In the dryer areas, I keep thinking I will see someone put out some hay but if they have, I missed it. Sometimes by this time of year most everyone is feeding some hay and supplements but as expensive at it has become, I am sure glad that is not the case this year. My neighbors’ cows were balling last night and it was that “where’s my calf kind of ball” so some folks are weaning calves now and this will continue for the next several weeks with some even up into December depending on calving dates. I visited with a farmer this morning and they have stuck some wheat in the ground over the last week or so. He said what he planted for grazing was sure coming up good as the ground temps are still warm and they had enough moisture to get it up. That half inch rain will help it out and if we get some more rain, it will be set for a while. There are still some cracks that need filling up so let’s pray we get more of the good stuff tomorrow and/or Thursday!
In the Cattle Market as of 10-8-21 – Slaughter Cattle steady at $124. Feed yard Closeouts at $45 in the red. Oct Live Cattle up $5 at $125. Oct Feeder cattle up $7 at $159. 750 lb Feeder steers at $153 and 550 lb Stockers up $2 at $166. Local 600 lb Steers ranged from $1.22 to $1.47 while 600 lb heifers ranged from $1.17 to $1.22, both depending on quality, kind, and fill.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 10-12-21. The market on stockers was a little softer today with feeders remaining steady. Not many weaned calves offered this week. Demand still strong for good, young bred cows and pairs, just not many offered today. Packer prices $5-$7/cwt lower.
The annual “Fall Roundup” Special Replacement Sale is going to be October 23. Consignments are open – to consign your cattle, call 940-627-5599 or email them at dlmteam@aol.com. For more information visit http://www.decaturlivestockmarket.com/
Marty Morgan, Wise County Ag Agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service marty.morgan@ag.tamu.edu or call 940-627-3341
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for October 4, 2021
We received a little rain in the county on Tuesday and Thursday, about half to an inch totals. It was getting pretty dry, and this wasn’t much to improve the dry conditions but it will help some, if only mentally. The pasture conditions will not improve much because of how dry it was but we may see a little green up depending on location and grass type. Grass was about depleted in many areas or sure getting short, but no one had started feeding any hay as of yet as many had some standing forage to rotate onto. Cattle still look good considering the dry spell but the gain on calves has slowed some. There have been some that have had to go ahead and wean their calves and there will be a lot more calves going to town towards the middle to the end of October as usual. I have a good online Zoom cattle program on the subject of weaning calves and culling cows to be held next Tuesday, Oct 12 from 6:30 to 8:30 so get signed up at fallbeefcattlemanagementprogram.eventbrite.com If the weaning segment don’t help you this time it will for years to come.
I will give you some sound weaning and culling strategies to help you now and in the future. I will also cover cow nutrition concerning feeding hay and supplements to help you this winter. Much of what I will be talking about is from years of experience and research on my part. Some things you just don’t find in a book or on the web and the school of hard knocks is a great teacher. When dealing with cattle we have all left money on the table that could have gone in our pockets, but instead we let the next guy put that money into his pocket.
Many wheat farmers were on the fence about planting with dry soil conditions but there were some that stuck wheat in the ground before the rain hoping for the best. And this moisture might get them to put some more in the ground this week. I visited with several big farmers last week and they were not in any hurry to plant, especially those that grow it for harvest. Those that graze wheat like to get it in the ground as early as possible to get the most grazing out of it, but its sure been a tough go this year.
In the Cattle Market as of 10-1-21 – Slaughter Cattle at $124. Feed yard Closeouts at $44 in the red. Oct Live Cattle at $120. Sept Feeder cattle at $153. 750 lb Feeder steers at $152 and 550 lb Stockers at $164. Local 600 lb Steers ranged from $1.38 to $1.58 while 600 lb heifers ranged from $1.25 to $1.40, both depending on quality, kind, and fill.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 9-20-21-With the fall temperature ups and downs, demand for weaned cattle exceeded supply – we had 282 in the weaned segment with several other consignments throughout the day. Unweaned calves experienced some downward pressure. Quite a bit of demand for good, young bred cows with prices reflecting the demand. Packer market was steady. The annual “Fall Roundup” Special Replacement Sale is going to be October 23. Consignments are open – to consign your cattle, call 940-627-5599 or email them at dlmteam@aol.com. For more information visit http://www.decaturlivestockmarket.com/
Marty Morgan, Wise County Ag Agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service marty.morgan@ag.tamu.edu or call 940-627-3341
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for Sept 27, 2021
We sure could use a rain as pastures are drying out and looking rough. There are some green spots here and there in the lowlands but for the most part the green is just about gone. One positive out of the dry weather is that where the hayfields were managed correctly and mostly where farms had received a little more moisture than others, they were able to squeeze out another cutting of hay. I saw folks out baling some Coastal Bermuda grass fields this past weekend, not sure about how good of quality it is, but it will sure beat a snowball come wintertime. The last good rain we had was on August 18, well over a month ago. We did have a few spotty showers the week of September 5th. We’re a good way off from the first frost so there is time to get a little more growth on our grass if it will rain soon. Granted its not going to set the pasture on fire as far as growth this time of year, but it will help a little.
The cattle still look pretty good as the grass has some strength to it, at least for those that still have a little grass. Most pastures are getting low on available forage, but I haven’t seen anyone putting out hay bales just yet. Calves on cows are still doing good but not sure if they are gaining at the rate they were before this dry spell. With all the good rain and abundance of grass we had before this dry spell the calves should weigh heavy come weaning time. Speaking of weaning time, it will be here before you know it as a lot of ranchers wean in October. Depending on the weather weaning could be delayed a little, that is if we get a rain soon and grass takes off again. There is rain in the forecast for this week so let’s pray we get a little. Weaning time will all depend on each individual operations management goals and when the cows will start calving next year. We don’t want to be greedy and hold them too long as it can be hard on the mama cow and coming calf if bred to calve in January or February. Ideally, we want the cow to have two to three months to dry up and flesh up before calving again. If it doesn’t rain then they will be coming to town soon enough because it doesn’t make much sense to hold onto the calf when you run out of grass and must start feeding hay, and possibly supplementing with a protein.
As for wheat, lack of moisture has delayed planting for some, while some stuck it the ground hoping for a rain. I have been out of town and have not been able to get ahold of any farmers today so not sure on the status here. For those intending to graze it, they normally try to get it in the ground around the first of September or sometime during September to get adequate growth on it for turn out. Wheat to harvest can be planted up into November if necessary, but preferably much earlier.
In the Cattle Market as of 9-23-21 – Slaughter Cattle at $124. Feed yard Closeouts at $47 in the red. Oct Live Cattle at $123. Sept Feeder cattle at $155. 750 lb Feeder steers at $153 and 550 lb Stockers at $166. Local 600 lb Steers ranged from $1.25 to $1.37 while 600 lb heifers ranged from $1.20 to $1.29, both depending on quality, kind, and fill.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 9-20-21– temperature fluctuation of 40◦ make buyers hesitant to buy fat, juicy calves with prices on stocker calves being cheaper. feeder steers/heifers steady compared to last week. bred cows and pairs steady with not many young, take-home kind of cows offered. packer prices $5/cwt lower. Our annual “Fall Roundup” Special Replacement Sale is going to be October 23. Consignments are open – to consign your cattle, call us at 940-627-5599 or email us dlmteam@aol.com.
Marty Morgan, Wise County Ag Agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service marty.morgan@ag.tamu.edu or call 940-627-3341
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for Sept 7, 2021
It was a little nippy this morning on the back porch, and the heaviest dew we have had so far. Feels like a little hint of fall until we get up in the day and the temps are in the high 90’s. Along with the high temps the humidity was brutal this weekend out working. We have lots of grass in the pastures and hayfields. I have never seen this much grass going into September in my life, it’s just unbelievable.
This has been a great year for cattle and hay. We have made more hay than one could have imagined this year! We’ve got hay stacked everywhere from all the multiple cuttings this year. As one rancher said, “finding a new place to stack your excess hay is a great problem to have”, yep, I agree sir! There are a lot of folks selling their excess hay and the prices are holding up pretty good. On top quality coastal bermuda hay that has been well fertilized and clean and test good on protein and energy, reports are its still going for $65-80 for a large round bale. The hay that wasn’t fertilized properly, or not fertilized at all, and depending on how weed free it was is going from $45-65. Sudan patches have made lots of hay this year too, and with the exception of some that got rained on, it’s been pretty decent hay. With that said the quality suffered a little on most all hay. It was tough getting the fertilize and weed killer put out, along with getting it cut and baled from the numerous rains we had throughout the spring and summer seasons, and the test results I have seen show it. Our Hay Show last week revealed that fact as most samples received were lower than normal on protein and energy with higher than normal ADF and NDF numbers (meaning the plant was more mature and tougher than we like). This was caused mainly due to delayed harvest because of rain. If you haven’t had yours tested, I would highly recommend it, so you know how to supplement your cows come winter if and when needed.
Right now, our cows are belly deep in grass like we normally only see in the spring and early summer. They look excellent and depending on the strength of the grass, their calves should weigh up good come weaning, which is right around the corner. Only if we could find calves to run as stockers as there are not many available right now, but that will change come October when more will be weaned off and put on pasture. A lot of folks may wean and hold their calves this time to take advantage of all the grass they have, and why not!
Corn harvest is over and what didn’t get destroyed by Feral Hogs or drowned out made decent yields of around 40-70 on average, some higher up north of us. Milo is almost complete with the exception of some late planted crops. Yields are all over the place and one farmer I talked to said he was averaging 2500 to 4000 pounds and test weights were near average on early planted crops. There is some late planted Milo that will be ready to go before long and it looks half decent. It’s been a good but tougher year to manage around the weather with all crops and forages! But I don’t hear anyone complaining!
In the Cattle Market as of 9-3-21 – Slaughter Cattle up $1 at $124. Feedyard Closeouts at $70 in the red. Oct Live Cattle down $4 at $125. Sept Feeder Futures down $6 at $158. 750 lb Feeder steers steady at $160 and 550 lb Stockers steady at $174. Limited Steer and heifer calves mostly steady
Decatur Livestock Market as of 9-6-21– Our annual “Fall Roundup” Special Replacement Sale is going to be October 23. Consignments are open – to consign your cattle, call us at 940-627-5599 or email us dlmteam@aol.com.
Marty Morgan, Wise County Ag Agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service marty.morgan@ag.tamu.edu or call 940-627-3341
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for Aug 30, 2021
It’s been two weeks since the “Big August Rain” and the grass has thickened up and really growing well. I have never seen this much grass this time of year, it’s just almost unbelievable. The Coastal Bermuda patches look super good with a lot of forage for grazing and those that want it will make another cutting of hay for sure, and possibly two, depending on how the fall weather plays out. The native pastures are greened up and doing very well too, it’s almost like Spring all over again. I thought my Bluestem was burnt toast but now it’s really coming on and doing great! Even the few areas in the County that were left high and dry by a lot of the earlier rains this year, or they received lower rain totals, they are looking much better after the “Big August Rain”. The pastures changed overnight it seems like, and it looks like Paradise around here now.
The cattle are fat as mud and cows are raising some big ole strapping calves this go around. There’s not many light stocker calves available right now to put on our green grassy pastures but what there is will likely go up in price from a demand standpoint. Some folks will use the excess grass as stockpiled forage for later on when folks start to wean their calves to the market this fall. If the grass stays good and holds out I figure a lot of folks will hold their claves longer on the cow, or wean, hold, and graze, to take advantage of putting some extra weight on them, and use up the grass. This is not a problem we normally face each fall so it will be interesting to see what ranchers do, and what the weather does too. Most of the time we are just trying to make it to weaning through the hot and dry summer with very little grass and it sure aint green. Some, I should say most, years we have to start feeding hay in July or August. Ok now I’m just raining on our parade, Lets not think about those years, lets just enjoy the one the Good Lord has blessed us with this time!
The corn crop is pretty good in north Texas at least where it didn’t drown out from all the rain this year, and didn’t get destroyed by Feral Hogs. As for the milo most of it made it through all the rain but yep the Wild Hogs are making a mess of it too in quite a few fields. Again, mostly in the north, north eastern part of the county. I haven’t heard any reports on yields yet.
The Fall Armyworms seem to have given us a reprieve, at least for the time being. There are still some pastures out there with Fall Armyworms doing some damage but no where near the numbers we had before the Big Rain. The hot days should help keep them in check for a while, maybe. Keep scounting your pastures because they could become a problem again from now until frost in November. When scouting, when its hot they tend to be down on the lower part of the plants or even right on the soil line under some thatch. So take a good look and if you find 3-4 or more per square foot you could consider spraying again depending on your grazing and haying needs. You may have plenty of hay and grass this year for you and all your neighbors. Ha. You may decide to just fatten up those little Fall Armyworms and save your money. It’s totally a management decision on your part but warn your neighbor. You’re the Boss!
In the Cattle Market as of 8-27-21 – Slaughter Cattle up $1 at $122. Feedyard Closeouts at $29 in the red. Aug Live Cattle up $2 at $125. Aug Feeder Futures up $1 at $159. 750 lb Feeder steers down $2 at $156 and 550 lb Stockers up $1 at $174. Steer and heifer calves sold mostly steady on limited sales.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 8-31-21– Compared to last week, our market on stocker calves was higher with feeders remaining steady. Buyers are starting to prepare for fall wheat grazing which drives the prices up on light weight calves. The annual “Fall Roundup” Special Replacement Sale is going to be October 23. Consignments are open – to consign your cattle, call 940-627-5599 or email dlmteam@aol.com.
Marty Morgan, Wise County Ag Agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service marty.morgan@ag.tamu.edu or call 940-627-3341
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for Aug 24, 2021
It was hotter than a two dollar pistol this past weekend and the humidity was a killer! We received a deluge of rain last Tuesday and Wednesday as it pounded the county on both days. Totals for the two days ranged from 4-8 inches, with a few spots near the ten-inch mark. All the creeks and rivers were out of bank, so lowlands were flooded. We were sure in need of a good soaker, and it came just in time. One of my ranchers called it a “million-dollar rain”, and I agree. Pastures were getting in thin in most areas and this rain will turn them around and produce a lot of forage for our cattle, which should put more weight on our calves once the grass gets some strength to it. Hay producers should get another cutting for sure. Gosh how many cuttings have we gotten this year in between all the moisture? If you kept good records, I would like to hear how much total rain you have received in your neck of the woods this year, along with how many cuttings you were able to get rolled up. Send me an email if you don’t mind. What a year, first in February we had the winter storm with subzero temps that killed a lot of Ash, Pine and Cedar trees and susceptible shrubs and plants, and set back a lot of our Live Oak Trees. It froze or set back some of our winter crops as well. Then the rain came in the late winter and spring going into summer with cooler than normal temperatures and delayed planting of corn and milo, and delayed wheat harvest. Now this big rain in August that saved our bacon on grazing forages. I was out in the pasture on a couple of site visits Monday morning, and you could hear the grass growing and the Fall Armyworms munching! They were a huge problem before the rain and still are in most places. You would think it washed some of them grass hogs down to Eagle Mountain Lake, but not all of them evidently, because I am still getting calls this week saying they are overrun and wondering what to spray next.
The Corn and Milo producers in north Texas got their harvest delayed by the rainstorm but didn’t seem to mind. Reports on corn is 70-120 bu/acre depending on location. While not many are harvesting Milo yet, I talked to a farmer Monday morning who said the Feral Hogs destroyed what was left of his corn crop. He said 70% of the corn drowned out due to all the rain back in the spring. Now he said they are in his Milo fields and destroying that too. He does have some double crop Milo that looks promising if they don’t eat it up as well. These feral hogs have taken over our county and most of the state. Hi-Pro Feeds has come out with a contraceptive to use, and I have put that information in my Toolbox for this week so take a look at it.
Our cattle were still looking ok with the grass dwindling in certain locations in the county while other areas have grass to burn and have had all year. The calves look great and should weigh heavy at weaning. Weaning could be delayed a little this year if you have a mind too! You’re the Boss!
In the Cattle Market as of 8-20-21 – Slaughter Cattle up $1 at $122. Feedyard Closeouts at $29 in the red. Aug Live Cattle up $2 at $125. Aug Feeder Futures up $1 at $159. 750 lb Feeder steers down $2 at $156 and 550 lb Stockers up $1 at $174. Steer and heifer calves sold mostly steady on limited sales.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 8-16-21–
The market was steady compared to last week. Had a good selection of light weight calves that were well received with prices being higher on 2-3 weights. Not many bred cows offered; pairs steady. Packer prices $1-$3/cwt higher. Our annual “Fall Roundup” Special Replacement Sale is on October 23. Consignments are open – to consign your cattle, call 940-627-5599 or dlmteam@aol.com.
Marty Morgan, Wise County Ag Agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service marty.morgan@ag.tamu.edu or call 940-627-3341
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for Aug 16, 2021
We were hot and dry last week with a little rain in sight this past weekend as a couple of isolated showers formed east of Bridgeport and west of Chico Sunday afternoon. They didn’t amount to much tho and most of the county was left high and dry. I talked to my Mom Sunday night, and she had received about 3.5 inches Saturday night and Sunday in Rising Star. My ponderosa was needing a rain there, so I was glad to hear the news. The last decent rain for most of Wise County was on Sunday Aug 1, but not everyone got rain that day, or if so, very little. Pastures and hayfields are going south in a hurry as the green is turning to brown in many pastures. There are some hayfields left here and there where it rained a little, or in the lowlands that still have some green color.
A lot of folks were busy last week frantically cutting and baling hayfields, regardless of how high or thick it was, in order to get it before it bakes or the Fall Armyworms destroy it, or both. On my drive home from work there was a lot of activity in the hayfields around Paradise. Yes, we have had our second hatch of Fall Armyworms in the last 10 days or so, and thousands of them looking to wipe out what grass we have left. Some folks are cutting to keep from spraying, while some are spraying to keep some grazing, and some are just throwing their hands up! Native pastures look pretty rough for the most part and grass is getting short depending on grazing strategies, rainfall and F Armyworms. If you have Armyworms and need some help determining threshold levels or what to spray, be sure and contact me or take a look in Marty’s Toolbox for the latest information on these little buggers, along with products that work best. They are attacking lawns too and I have calls every day about what to use around the home. I have also had numerous calls about insect eggs all over everything in sight. And guess what most of them are? Yep, Fall Armworms! Sevin is the best choice around the house as far as safety is concerned. One caller said he uses Demon Max, others Tempo, Bifen or Merit.
There were some Sudan fields here and there that were half decent, short but thick, and made some good fine stem hay. Grasshoppers have been a problem in some areas as well and I have great information on them too. Corn harvest got underway last week in North Texas. Reports from our neighbors in Cooke County right north of us, a farmer said that yields are all over the place from the 70’s, to some spots making in the 180’s and test weights are average. One farmer friend in Prosper said the same thing as yields are all over the place and mostly dependent on how well the fields held water from all the rain. If they drained well the yields increased. Test weights were right on at 56 pounds. Milo fields here have colored and matured for the most part, although there are spots that are behind. Some have combines running this week where ready, while some are waiting on it to mature or the moisture level to get right.
Cattle still look good but gains on calves have slowed due to the hot weather and lack of moisture which are drying grazing pastures out. Same goes for what stockers are left.
In the Cattle Market as of 8-14-21 – Slaughter Cattle up $2 at $121. Feedyard Closeouts at $79 in the red. Aug Live Cattle steady at $123. Aug Feeder Futures down $2 at $158. 750 lb Feeder steers up $2 at $158 and 550 lb Stockers steady at $173. Steer and heifer calves sold mostly steady on limited sales.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 8-16-21– Compared to last week, the market was steady on most classes on comparable cattle. Quality was inconsistent with quite a few crossbred calves this week. Strong demand for 3-5 weight steers as well as 6-7 weight heifers. Had several good, take home kind of bred cows and pairs this week with prices reflecting quality. Packer market little cheaper this week.
Marty Morgan, Wise County Ag Agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service marty.morgan@ag.tamu.edu or call 940-627-3341
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for August 9, 2021
The rain sure was nice last Sunday. Unbelievable it sure is green for the first of August! However, I was on a site visit about 6 miles southwest of Paradise on Friday and their pastures are burning up and have received little to no rainfall this last go around. So there are pockets here and there that are hurting for moisture but overall the rain was good and sure perked up the grass. As I traveled the south and western side of the county last Thursday and Friday on site visits there were farmers in the hayfields, some cutting, some raking, some baling, and some hauling. We have made a lot of hay this year, that is a fact, and some of it is good quality hay. But there was some that didn’t get fertilized the first go around and a few didn’t fertilize at all. Others didn’t spray for weeds because of all the wet weather, so buyer beware. It would be worth your time, and smart, to go take a look at the hay before buying it. Good hay will have some color to it, from light green to dark green, even last year’s hay may be bleached out from exposure on the outside, but on the inside should still have some green color to it. Pull some out and check it, look for weeds or grassburs and give it a smell, good hay will smell good!
Speaking of hay, our Wise County Hay Show is coming up on September 2nd so mark your calendars and get signed up to attend. If you would like to enter our Hay Contests, please bring in your samples, fill out an entry form and pay the fee. Samples must be received no later than Friday, August 20th at 5pm. Each contestant may enter up to 4 samples and the cost per sample this year will be only $15 and by entering at least one sample that will get you in the door. You don’t have to enter the contest to attend so if you would like to come just for the education, CEU’s and lunch then the Cost is $15 per person, and you may call our office to sign up.
I noticed some of the Sudan patches are looking good and will make another cutting before long. It’s not as tall, but its thick and leafy and will make some excellent hay especially if it was fertilized again. The milo has all colored for the most part and its hit and miss. To me the corn doesn’t look great, but it’s about ready to harvest, and the milo won’t be far behind. The cattle still look in real good shape with calves making good gains on their fat mama’s. Some shipping of stockers has been delayed taking advantage of the good grass but it’s a balancing act to avoid running out of grass and shipping in the Heat of Summer. A lot of good, weaned, value added stockers and calves were run through Decatur Livestock Market yesterday.
This week My Toolbox contains good information about all these insect eggs that we are seeing on everything that stands still. I received numerous calls from folks last week on the millions of eggs covering patio furniture, barns, lights and a lot of other fixtures, along with questions on what is laying all those eggs! The only way to really tell is when they hatch, but most folks don’t want to wait that long to get those stinking things off and out of their yards! I just looked at a hay field and garden north of town that had lots of tiny armyworms covering the ground. And they had some rust on the grasses caused by a fungus that is making it look like a white pasture, from the last rain I imagine! Check out my Toolbox for answers!
In the Cattle Market as of 8-6-21 – Slaughter Cattle up $1 at $121. Feedyard Closeouts at $70 in the red. Aug Live Cattle up $1 at $123. Aug Feeder Futures up $2 at $160. 750 lb Feeder steers up $2 at $156 and 550 lb Stockers down $1 at $173. Six weight Steer and heifer calves steady to hair lower.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 8-9-21– Market was good again! Not as many weaned calves so the high prices were down a little compared to last week’s weaned segment, but demand for stockers and feeders remain strong. Had a good selection of bred cows and pairs this week. Packer cows were $4-$5/cwt higher; bulls $3/cwt higher.
Marty Morgan, Wise County Ag Agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service marty.morgan@ag.tamu.edu or call 940-627-3341
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for August 2, 2021
We were getting high and dry here in Wise County, but yesterday and last night’s rain was a welcomed sight! Report totals this morning range from half an inch to well over 4 inches. Decatur Livestock Market received 4 inches in just two hours yesterday afternoon and the owner said parts of Hwy 51 was flooded. They went from dust to mud real fast in the pens for their special stocker calf sale today! I received other reports of varying amounts throughout the county and there were a few places that didnt get but a few tenths, but for most it was a surprisingly good rain for the 2nd day of August. I poured out exactly an inch at the house just west of Paradise. I tell you it has been a pretty dang good year for 2021 with the exception of the Winter storm that kicked our behinds back in February. I continue to look at a lot of trees and shrubs that were damaged and some even killed by the subzero blast. Some of the trees like Live Oaks have recovered and some are having a hard time and look awful. We lost most all Ash trees as they can only stand down to 0 degrees in our neck of the woods. Some are suckering out at the trunk but the top is dead as a hammer. You can cut it down or trim the top dead past out and see what happens but it will never be the same tree it was. Shrubs on the other hand I recommend trimming out the dead and letting them come back from the base and they should be fine in most cases. Its just going to take some time but this fall or possibly by next spring, barring another winter stormageddon, they should start getting back into shape like we like them.
As for the Armyworms they done some damage in some fields and pastures but kind of played out when it got hot. This rain may bring on another hatch so continue to scout for them. Those that had them bad went ahead and cut their hay even though it wasn’t very tall just to keep the Armyworms from getting it. Some sprayed for them and killed two birds with one stone as the grasshoppers are bad in places in the county. Just had a guy call and said they were eating him up. Check our website at wise.agrilife.org for all my good information on controlling Grasshoppers and Fall Armyworms, and other buggers. Aphids have been a problem on trees(especially Pecans) and plants so look out for them. Most Coastal Bermudagrass pastures and hayfields were still green but beginning to hurt and the native pastures were sure needing a drink. This rain will make another good cutting of hay for most, and the native pastures should green back up, but it will make the grass a little weaker for a while. The uneven Milo is in different stages even in the same field. Farmers have been battling Headworms as most have sprayed for them by now. I haven’t heard any reports on Midge so hopefully spraying for the Headworms will help with the Midge too and we can skip that bad boy this time. This rain may hatch a few insects to contend with, but we may be past the damage threshold.
From what I hear corn is all eared and dented and almost there, it should be as it is August already, but delayed planting stretched it out. It’s been a dang good year with the exception of Winter Storm Uri. Cattle were starting to lose some condition with the hot and dry weather the last couple of weeks with temps at or over 100. Calves have made good gains up to the last week or two, but now should take off again. Grass is still pretty good in some pastures, but most are short. With this rain everything should start looking better soon.
In the Cattle Market as of 7-30-21 – Slaughter Cattle steady at $120. Feedyard Closeouts at $111 in the red. Aug Live Cattle up $0.50 $122. Aug Feeder Futures down $2 at $158. 750 lb Feeder steers steady at $154 and 550 lb Stockers up $2 at $174. Six weight Steer and heifer calves $2-5 higher.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 8-2-21
Marty Morgan, Wise County Ag Agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service marty.morgan@ag.tamu.edu or call 940-627-3341
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for July 27, 2021
Well, I hear we received a shower or two last week while I was gone but you had to be standing right under it to get wet, at least that what I was told! Ha! Other folks around report they got a good six tenths to an inch over the two little systems that moved through. While on site visits this morning, I could tell where it had rained a little, as the grass is still pretty green in Bermudagrass pastures and hayfields, excluding the lowlands of course which has stayed green all season so far. The native grass pastures especially on the upper ground are short and starting to suffer. It’s nothing a good rain wouldn’t fix but this time of year I wouldn’t hold my breath. Its hard to believe August is almost here as we look out across the pastures. I don’t think I ever remember it being this green come August, well maybe in 2004, but it sure is nice for a change! We have produced a lot of forage for grazing and lots of hay this year with all the excess moisture in the late winter/spring. We should have plenty of hay for the winter, and I noticed more being cut and more on the ground today fixing to get rolled up, and some of the good Bermuda patches may make another half decent cutting. That will all change soon enough with no rain in sight and temps around or over 100 degrees in the forecast this week. Cows are still fat and happy and their calves making good gains so far. I noticed a few more ranchers weaning fall calves last week so most everyone has weaned their fall calf crop by now as many were holding out to take advantage of all the grass we have had available. While others weaned their calves on time, gave them all the shots, wormed them and turned them back out on grass to add more weight to them. Its nice to have that option and I think a very smart thing to do. I always preach value added calves are better and will put some extra dollars in your pocket. Calf weights are heavy, and they look real good coming off grass and mamma. Stocker calves are looking great too and really been putting the weight on here lately but without moisture they will run out of grass soon enough and it will be time to ship.
On the crops the Milo and Corn I have not had a chance to take a look at yet, but I visited with a good farmer down south and he said it was real uneven as I had recently reported. On the Milo he said some was headed out and beginning to turn while some was still trying to boot, and that’s even within the same field. He laughed and said it may be Christmas before they get to harvest the late heading milo. He thought this year’s crop might make average at best. On the corn I will have to take a look and see how its doing or maybe I can get a hold of one our producers soon. Everyone is busy and we’re all running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Boy its just a busy world and no one gets to stop and smell the roses anymore! It seems technology has caused all this. Don’t get me wrong I like most of the technological advances we have made in the last 50 years, but they seem to get in the way of living sometimes, if we let them.
In the Cattle Market as of 7-23-21 – Slaughter Cattle steady at $120. Feedyard Closeouts at $108 in the red. Aug Live Cattle up $1 at $121.50. Aug Feeder Futures up $5 at $160. 750 lb Feeder steers steady at $154 and 550 lb Stockers steady at $172. Six weight Steer and heifer calves $6-8 higher.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 7-26-21 compared to last week, the market on most classes calves/yearlings was steady to $10/cwt higher with 5 weight steers gaining the most ground. Demand remains strong for weaned calves. A good selection of bred cows w/prices advancing $50-$150. Packer cows steady to $10/cwt higher; Bulls steady.
*Remember next Monday, August 2, is the first Monday and will feature the weaned calf segment. To be included in this segment, cattle must be weaned a minimum of 45 days and arrive by 5 pm the Saturday prior to the sale.
Marty Morgan, Wise County Ag Agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service marty.morgan@ag.tamu.edu or call 940-627-3341
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for July 12, 2021
We received several showers last week but you had to be lucky and right under the cloud to get any significant amounts. I did run into a downpour just north of Decatur that lasted about 5 minutes one day last week, I’ll be danged if I can remember the exact day. The last real good rain we had was on June 7th so we need one and soon. Some places it slowed down some hay baling for a half a day or so, but most places kept rolling after it dried a few hours to a half a day. I did see a couple of hay cutters laying it down while it was coming a good little shower?. Grass pastures are holding up pretty good so far and hayfields are still green so there is more subsoil moisture than we realize depending on your soil type and location. We made a decent hay crop after the bermudagrass finally took off. Seems like everything is about a month behind this year because of the weather conditions. Everyone is mostly done with their first cutting on the bermudagrass hayfields and there are a lot of hay bales dotting the horizon. It’s time to haul it to the haystack and get ready for a second cutting if you’re lucky. With the high input cost not many are fertilizing a second time. It’s hard to say how many pounds per acre of forage was made with all the different size bales these days and the bale weights varying so much. Most people don’t have a clue what their hay weighs and many don’t care. I’ve always rolled mine out when feeding the cows so I always weighed it on average to help me figure out a feeding plan. No use wasting hay. With that said, reports are from 3-5 rolls per acre, so anywhere from 3000-5500 pounds of forage if your hay weighs 1000-1200 lbs.
I hear reports the grasshoppers are still a problem in many areas of the County and now guess who showed up for the pasture party? Yep you guessed it, our ole dependable enemy the Fall Armyworm has been reported in Wise County. I had been hearing reports the last couple of weeks about them in Central and East Texas so I figured it wouldn’t be long until they made their way to Wise County. I have talked to folks that reported seeing them both in the southern and northern parts of the County! We have had the ideal conditions for a lot of things this year. Grasshoppers were about to take us over for a while now this and the grasshoppers. When the Miller moths migrate, they come in from the south so that means we more than likely have them in between too. Although they can skip around depending on where they land and lay their eggs. Anyway go out and take a look at your pastures and hayfields every day if possible.
Check out Marty’s Toolbox this week on our website as I will have lots of great information on controlling armyworms and hoppers. Wheat farmers wrapped up the dismal wheat harvest last week. Yields were 0 to 60 bushels, with average at 30-40 bushels, and weights were 54-56 pounds. Corn looks decent in some fields but patchy in others and fields are very uneven from flowering to denting and everything in between. Milo is the same and very uneven with some just booting and some headed out. Sudan or Hay grazer was decent if you got it planted in between all the wet conditions. Pastures are good where it has rained a little in the last week or two but there are places that didn’t get much precipitation and its starting to go south. Most Cows are still in good shape depending on pasture type and grazing strategy. Grass has some strength to it now so calves are still making good gains and the cooler than normal temps are sure helping out too. Low to mid 90’s sure isn’t bad for middle of July. Stocker pastures are maxed out with calves that are doing pretty good so far. Pray for a nice rain soon!
In the Cattle Market as of 6-26-21 – Slaughter Cattle back down to $120. Feedyard Closeouts at $51 in the red. Aug Live Cattle down $3 at $119. Aug Feeder Futures up $2 at $159. 750 lb Feeder steers up $1 at $150 and 550 lb Stockers up $6 at $174. Steer calves $1-2 higher with heifers $3-5 higher.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 6-12-21 typically the market backs up due to the July heat, humidity, dying grass but market yesterday was good, with steer prices up $8-$10, heifers were $2-$4/cwt higher.
Marty Morgan, Wise County Ag Agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service marty.morgan@ag.tamu.edu or call 940-627-3341
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for June 14, 2021
Well it came a frog strangler last Monday as we received another 1-2 inches that morning and then a few scattered showers again on Friday. We left for 4-H State Roundup at 10am Monday and it rained hard on us all the way to Hillsboro. We run into a deluge (raining like the devil) just before Marlin and it continued all the way past Hearne, about a 40-mile stretch! It’s been a long time since I have driven in a rainstorm like that one. I tell you what, it was coming down so hard I could barely see the highway in places, and of course it was pooling too. I was going slow and taking extra precaution as I was hauling 4-H kids. I think they were more nervous than I was, Ha! Well back on the farm I think it’s dried out enough to get a combine in the field this week in places, although making ruts will be common. Yields where wheat has not been freeze damaged, sprouting or lodged, are real good, at least that is what I am hearing at 80 plus bushels/acre. I noticed several folks laid some hay down last week and this weekend. Mostly mixed grass hay containing winter grass with some coastal and other assorted grasses, some good, some bad. With soil temps around 76 last week Coastal Bermuda has taken off and thickened up to the point it may make some decent hay after all its been through, although here we are in the middle of June and just thinking about our first cutting. The rain has been nice this spring and so has the cooler temperatures, but you know summer is going to kick in before long. It can get dry in a hurry here in the Lone Star State. Its hot enough for me right now and the humidity is awful! You can break a sweat just trying to keep from breaking a sweat! But hey we do live in Texas! Sudan and Haygrazer should do well now with it drying out a little, it could head out a little early this year and time will tell, so keep an eye on it. By cutting it in the boot stage this will give you the highest protein and energy levels to make the best quality hay. Once it heads out the protein and energy levels begin to drop, and the Acid Detergent Fiber(digestibility) along with the Neutral Detergent Fiber(feed intake) begin to rise which makes it less desirable and digestible to livestock. This is due to lignin and cellulose which comes with plant maturity. Ideally, we want the ADF to be below 30% and the NDF to be below 60%.
Wheat harvest has begun but working around all the rain and muddy fields the last couple of weeks has been challenging. I look for them to get most of it harvested before long with hotter temps and very little chance of rain in the forecast. Well from what I have seen Corn and milo look pretty good to me. You can probably hear it growing this week and looks like some early corn is trying to flower. I know the sweet corn is just about ready. Cattle look good with cow’s fat and happy and giving lots of milk to those strapping calves on side. Looks like calves are making some decent gains and staying healthy. I noticed a few weaning their fall born calves this weekend, and boy the calves looked in great shape, and big! Stocker calves are doing good too on some pretty good mixed grass pastures, and forage sorghum.
In the Cattle Market as of 6-11-21 – Slaughter Cattle steady at $120. Feedyard Closeouts at $84 in the red. June Live Cattle up $2 at $119. Aug Feeder Futures up at $151. 750 lb Feeder steers up at $143 and 550 lb Stockers steady at $166. Steer and heifer calves sold up a little on limited sales.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 6-7-21– Compared to last week, the market improved this week with average prices advancing on all weight classes. Demand was active for weaned calves and yearlings with steers being in the most demand. Had several nice young bred cows and heifers with prices $75/hd higher. High demand for packer cows and bulls.
Marty Morgan, Wise County Ag Agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service marty.morgan@ag.tamu.edu or call 940-627-3341
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for June 7, 2021
Well we received another 3-4 inches of rain last week. And it is coming a torrential rain as I write this report this morning before heading out to College Station for 4-H State Roundup all week. Lord have Mercy! Major ponding on the highways and byways all over Wise County as a strong line of thunderstorms moves through this morning. It is just downright swampy, boggy and muddy with water standing everywhere and all creeks and rivers out of banks. Starting to remind me of 2015 when we received 80 plus inches of rain that year with 30 plus inches just in June alone. I’ve lost count on how many inches we have had so far but will try to gather that info for next time. But I’m not complaining, just stating the facts. Ha. Wheat harvest got started with one day in the field last week, but they were making ruts, and that was on high ground. Ha. Besides the freeze damaged wheat, it seems like the yields and weights are going to be pretty dang good this time if they can get in there and get it out. Just hoping that there is no lodging from this round of storms. From the farmers I talked to, what little was harvested yields are from 70-80 bushels and weights are right at 60 pounds/bu, which is great. I sure hope they can get it out but now farmers are worried about it sprouting in the head. If that happens it will become feed wheat and not nearly as profitable for them. Some farmers are making hay or silage out of the damaged wheat, so at least they are salvaging something out of it. The corn and milo look real good so far but with it standing in water its bound to yellow a bit if it hasn’t already. We are behind where we normally are in the growing season because of rain delays in planting. But with the weather like it is this year that might be a good thing. Hay grazer and Sudan fields look good too where it is not drowned out. Pastures are green and lush with all this moisture and coastal bermudagrass is finally growing like it’s supposed to, well generally speaking. It took forever seems like for the soil and nighttime temps to get up to 70 degrees but we are there on most days. Average soil temp last week was 71. Spraying for weeds has been a challenge this time and weeds were sporadic in coming up. Cows and calves look real good and most everyone has worked their herd by now at spring branding in between the rain events. Some are weaning fall calves here in June and July and will be interesting to hear the weights. A lot more stocker cattle on the horizons now although not sure how the gains are with grass being so washy. It’s been a tough year getting anything planned and carried out, but we are thankful, as it could be just as dry as it is wet!
In the Cattle Market as of 6-4-21 – Slaughter Cattle steady at $120. Feedyard Closeouts at $112 in the red. June Live Cattle are at $117. August Feeder Futures are at $150. 750 lb Feeder steers steady at $139 and 550 lb Stockers steady at $166. Steer and heifer calves sold mostly steady on limited sales.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 5-31-21. The market this week was somewhat softer compared to last week – mostly due to the high number of Xbred calves/yearlings we had on hand. 5-7 weight heifers were steady. Several young bred cows and pairs came to town driving prices higher. Packer market advanced $2.50 on high yield cows and $11/cwt on high yield bulls.
Marty Morgan, Wise County Ag Agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service marty.morgan@ag.tamu.edu or call 940-627-3341
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for May 24, 2021
Well it rained everyday but Wednesday and Thursday last week. Rain totals were from 3-4 inches over the entire county. We are set to get more today and sprinkled on me coming into work early this morning. I was out doing site visits all day Friday and I tell you what, its dang sure wet! There was standing water just about everywhere I went from one end of the county to the other and especially in all the bottomland. Pastures and hayfields are green as a gourd and grasses are starting to take off now. With the extreme cold weather, we had this winter setting back all our grasses this time, but especially our Bermuda and other improved grasses, it has been slow to grow this year. But with soil and nighttime temps near 70 the last few days we should see an explosion of all warm season grasses now. Here it is almost June and by now we would normally already have our first cutting rolled up and growing the second. Along with the growth of our grass comes our weeds, and populations are above average this time. All the moisture as caused pretty much every seed laying out there to sprout. Most everyone has already applied a herbicide with their fertilizer to their hayfields and grazing pastures and some got a decent kill. As we always say it’s all about timing on controlling weeds and unwanted grasses and this year it was tough to know the right time to apply. With all the rain and windy conditions this spring some folks just rolled the dice and ended up with a decent kill while others did not fair as well. Some got lucky and hit it just right and got a near 100 percent kill. Then there are those that were not so lucky and will need to do a second application as they missed a lot of weeds. With the high prices they may just shredd the weeds or bale it up with the first cutting especially if using for cow hay only. The inputs this year are pretty darn high so folks are just doing what they can without breaking the bank. The Corn, Milo and Sudans fields I have looked at are coming on good right now. I did see a little yellowing here and there in places because of all the water recently. Wheat fields that will be harvested are turning browner with each passing day now, so it won’t be long until farmers are ready to get the combine out. I hope there is no sprouting going on in the head from these wet conditions. I really don’t know how many acres of wheat were rolled up for hay this time because of the freeze but would think it was about a fourth to a third that was intended for harvest. I think the wheat not affected by the freeze will do pretty well as far as yields and weights go. Time will tell. I looked at a lot of cattle Friday and they are fat and happy with winter grasses belly deep, but it has headed out, losing strength, and will go away soon. Cows are huddling together, walking the fences, battling the flies, which are bad this year, along with ticks and mosquitos, and every other bug under the sun. It’s been the perfect spring for all the insects and boy are they thick. The calves I took a gander at on Friday look great and are making good gains seems like. I look for a lot of stockers to be added to the inventory now for summer grazing. Fall born calves look like they are ready to wean and ship, that is unless your smart–wean, vaccinate and background 45-60 days. Value-Added is the way to go Boss!
In the Cattle Market as of 5-22-21 – Slaughter Cattle steady at $119. Feedyard Closeouts at $95 in the red. June Live Cattle up $2 at $117.50. May Feeder Futures steady $137. 750 lb Feeder steers steady at $139 and 550 lb Stockers steady at $164. Steer and heifer calves sold mostly steady on limited sales.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 5-10-21– With all the rain, we expected the market to be softer, but it was steady compared to the prior week. Still high demand for weaned calves. Bred cows and pairs were steady. WE WILL HAVE OUR REGULAR SALE, MONDAY, MAY 31 – MEMORIAL DAY! REGULAR HOURS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY TO RECEIVE CATTLE.
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for May 17, 2021
Well we received from 1-1.5 inches of rain last week, last night about 1 inch or so and still raining this morning. The good stuff is in the forecast all week according to the weather folks. Its dang sure wet out there!! Soil temps are around 65-66 degrees for the last 5 days and nighttime temps still a little cool averaging 58 degrees last week. Warm season grasses are primed to take off we just need both aforementioned a little warmer for good growth to take place. For those that had not fertilized, the majority of you got it out before this last rain so most everyone has fertilized and sprayed for weeds. Kill on weeds is sporadic at best with not enough drying time before a rain or heavy dews being the main culprit, and too much water the other. Timing is critical for controlling those unwanted broadleaf and grassy weeds, and the chemical needs to stay on them long enough to get in the plant to get the job done. Choosing the right product for certain weeds is also a big player in control. Drift should be paid close attention to so as to minimize damage to nontarget plants. The wheat that was frozen was about a third of our crop to harvest. I think more than that was affected, and seed heads are sporadic at best just depending on the severity. Some fields the seed head is void of seed dough and some fields are about half or less dough in the pod. Where damage was the worst farmers tried to cut and bale for hay but mother nature didnt want to cooperate as far as rainfall is concerned on many days. Not sure how much we got put up in between the rains. Milo, Corn, Sudan and Haygrazer all look good for the most part but may yellow a little with all this rain. Cows are fat and happy, calves gaining decent on whats left of the winter grasses. Breeding season is in full force and cows are in good shape for that. Make sure your bulls are still getting the job done. Check daily for injuries and if you have one come up lame or something that affects his ability to breed the cow then pull him out and send to the lot or Vet if needed, to hopefully recoup. Yes, If you only have one bull then you’ll need to buy, borrow or rent you another one to replace him. Don’t wait on the lame bull to get better unless you don’t mind your calf crop being spread out. If you season your bulls for 60 to 90 days you should have a backup bull or two anyway, depending on the size of your herd. A mature bull can breed 25-30 cows, a two-year-old 20-25, and a 18-23 month old 15-20 cows. Never turn out a young bull with an old bull as the young one will likely get hurt, at least that has been what I have seen over the years. Bulls are a necessary evil to most folks so take care of them even though sometimes you’d just like to knock em in the head! LOL! My Dad always said bulls can tear up a brass anvil! Stockers look decent too and operators are just waiting on the summer grasses to take off to add more numbers. Cattle prices have been below parr a good while in all areas. The price of feed corn is high, although it too took a little hit last week down to $6.44. Are we going to sell all our corn, soybeans and everything else to China? Who is the Boss here? Money?
In the Cattle Market as of 5-14-21 – Slaughter Cattle steady at $119. Feedyard Closeouts at $98 in the red. June Live Cattle steady at $115. May Feeder Futures up $5 at $132. 750 lb Feeder steers up $3 at $139 and 550 lb Stockers up $2 at $164. Six weight calves lightly tested for a trend, but a higher undertone was noted with demand moderate.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 5-10-21-The market on most classes was $4-$6 lower to begin the week. Still high demand for weaned steers/heifers to fill orders for grass grazing. Fat, juicy calves right off their mamas are being discounted some due to the ups and downs in the weather, which is typical for this time of the year. Bred cows and pairs steady compared to last week. Packer cows and bulls were stead
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for May 10, 2021
Well it was pretty quiet last week weather wise with some cool mornings and just right sunshiny days! Kinda felt like Fall to me! Only exception was Monday we had a few showers here and there and especially the eastern side of the county. We have good soil moisture and so we can put the ugly word “drought” out of mind. If we never heard that word again it would be fine with all of us! On our grazing wheat it’s pretty much done for, and seed wheat looks pretty decent where it didn’t get freeze damage. Quite a bit of wheat hay will be made if you can get it rolled up in between the rains and not get it wet. Some of the best hay I ever fed was wheat hay so it can be good if you can get it put up right. But if you haven’t already rolled it up that may be hard to do with more rain in the forecast for first of this week, and next week too. Winter grasses are playing out, headed out and making seeds whether you want them or not. Warm Season grasses are still sitting there waiting on some warmer nights and a little warmer soil temp, to explode. Soil temps are up to 68 degrees over the last 5 days so that is good but hey it was cool last night at 50 degrees, and forecast are for more of the 50–60-degree nights to come. Most everyone has put out their high-priced fertilizer by now and just playing the waiting game on the grass to pop. Weed control is hit and miss this year as some are up and some are not. If you used a good pre-emergent you might be ok, but if using a post-emergent then who knows. If sprayed too early you will more than likely miss some and might require a second application if desired. It’s been tough to get the timing right this go around. Cows look to be in real good shape for the most part with calves making some gains on the winter grasses, especially if fertilized. A lot of ranchers have worked their spring calves, and some have it to do in the next week or two, but after that I would say your behind.
I want to talk about mobile apps that are available for farmers and ranchers to use, and they can be a good tool when you figure out which ones are reliable and accurate. They make one for just about everything nowadays. I have a lot of them as it helps me with my job. I especially like the plant ID apps although there are some out there that are not very reliable in predicting what it is you just took a picture of, especially the free ones. The one I use the most is a yearly subscription of $39 but it is right on the money at least 80 % of the time. Besides the weather apps, some of my favorites I use are Cattle Market Mobile, Barchart, Pocket Rain Gauge, Plant Snap, Picture This, Snapseed, even Gasbuddy when traveling. There’s Livestock, grass, fertilizer, calibration, soil, producer, and hundreds of other apps you can choose from that might be helpful to you at some point. Our agency has several mobile apps such as Grazing and Pond Calculators, Farm Pond mgmt., Aquaculture, Quail, Feral Hogs and more. TPWD has Texas Outdoor Annual for hunters and fishermen, and even a State Parks App-Guide. Some are very useful, some not. You just have to find one you trust and that works for you. You’re the Boss!
In the Cattle Market as of 5-8-21 – Slaughter Cattle steady at $119. Feedyard Closeouts at $100 in the red. June Live Cattle steady at $116. May Feeder Futures down $2 at $132. 750 lb Feeder steers down $2 at $136 and 550 lb Stockers down $2 at $162. Six weight calves to lightly tested for an accurate trend, however a lower undertone was noted on the limited supply available.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 5-3-21— The market rebounded from last week’s downward trend. Widespread rain across the state certainly helped improve the outlook for grass grazing. Average prices on every weight class were higher with much demand for weaned cattle. Bred cows and pairs steady to $50 lower with mostly older cows coming to town. Packer prices on cows $65-75, bulls $92-97
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for May 3, 2021
Well looks like Old lady La Nina took a few days off this past week and Wow, what a nice stretch of rain we received! It was dang sure dry there for a while, thanks to Her, but now it’s pretty dang wet! We need to get her out of town more often! Ha! We received anywhere from 2–4.5 inches all total depending on your location, at least according to individual reports, my weather apps, and our Agency’s Texas Weather Connection. I received almost 6 inches at my place in Eastland County, so it filled all the stock tanks up there! Most of our stock tanks here are in a lot better shape now too, although some are still not full. So, Is the drought over?? Thank the Good Lord I think so!!! At least for now!! According to the Keetch-Byram Drought Index Monitor all of North Texas, and most of North Central Texas and East Texas are in the blue and that’s a good thing. It’s still dry as a bone in far South and West Texas though. The only bad thing about the rain here in North Texas is that a lot of wheat farmers were trying to salvage their ruined crop by cutting and baling it for hay. Yes, that freeze we had back that Wednesday a couple weeks ago, caught the seed head development just in the right stage. It gets complicated trying to explain so if you want further explanation, may I suggest reading our publication called “Wheat Freeze Injury in Texas”. This is a great publication put out by TX A&M Soil and Crops Sciences Department and can be found at https://wheatfreezeinjury.tamu.edu/ It didn’t get all of our wheat but did damage quite a bit in northern Wise. A lot of damage reported from our neighbors up in Cooke County too. Our other seed crops, milo and corn, got leaf tips burned from that freeze but should recover and not be set back much at all. Our native and introduced grasses should be taking off after this rain event if we can keep the soil and nighttime temps above 65 and 60 degrees, respectively. We need both to be a little warmer at the moment for some sustained growth. As for Sudan quite a few have not put any in the ground yet, but I would be ready to sew it as soon as it dries out enough. As for our cattle it’s that time of year for working our spring calves and some have, and some haven’t. I always liked branding time and having the cowboys out to help with spring roundup. The key is having good help and I was blessed in that department and it always went smoothly for the most part. The cowboys like to drag the calves of course, but I always used a calf table as it goes a lot faster, especially if your working hundreds of head at a time. Whatever your method, and whether you’re working a handful or hundreds, DO IT RIGHT-cut your bull calves, give them a blackleg shot, a respiratory shot, a fly tag or two, and I always wormed mine if big enough. Working your cows and bulls annually is just as important and give them the above regimen too, but add a Vibrio Lepto vaccine to that respiratory shot to protect against reproductive diseases. You should have your bulls turned out by now, unless you’re one that never takes them out. It will pay you to season your bulls to calve in a smaller window. So “Get r done”
In the Cattle Market as of 4-30-21 – Slaughter Cattle off $1 at $119. Feedyard Closeouts up at $93 in the red, April Live Cattle down at $116. May Feeder Futures steady at $134. 750 lb Feeder steers steady at $138 and 550 lb Stockers down at $164. Feeders down $1-3, Six weight calves sold $6-9 lower with not a lot of movement. High corn prices are still taking their toll on the cattle markets.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 4-26-21—The market continued the downward spiral that started last week. Between the futures market being down all week, the large number of fresh, unweaned calves and the price of grain on the rise, not many active orders on calves. Bred cows and pairs steady to $75 higher. Packer cows steady compared to last week. High yield cows $63-73, bulls $91-103
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for April 26, 2021
Well ole Jack Frost paid most of us a visit last Wednesday morning as temperatures hovered near or below freezing. I had ice on my windshield and noticed a lot of frost as I was heading down 287 North headed to Vernon for District 4-H Roundup right about 6:15am. It makes one wonder how much damage if any it did to our plants, fruit trees and vegetables. I did get word that it froze a lot of the wheat in the north part of the County. Doggone its always something kicking our farmers and ranchers on the shinbone! The general rule of thumb is that most plants freeze when temperatures remain at 28°F for five hours, but that is for mature plants. It can sure get the young plants with their tender new leaves, and they often give up the ghost when temperatures dip to 32-33°F. We are seeing some damage from the Arctic Storm back in February especially on some of our shrubs. Some are dead and some barely hanging on but hopefully will pull through. They are going to look bad this year, but I wouldn’t cut anything down as to give it a chance to recover. Well thank the Lord we got some more rain on Friday! It seemed like it rained a whole lot more than it did at my house. I poured out 7 tenths of an inch with water running down the bar ditch and reports range from .5 to 1 inch throughout the county, with a few spots receiving a little more. Hopefully our cold weather is over but not the rainfall, we’ll take all we can get, well almost all we can get, I remember the flooding in 2015 when in rained 34 inches just in June! Good Lord that was a train wreck! Wheat and winter grasses have headed out by now for the most part and don’t look as good as they typically do this time of year. The warm season grasses are just sitting there waiting on warmer nights, and soil temperatures to rise. Some of our dependable weeds are going full blast and then some are slow like the grass they compete with. It’s been a strange winter and spring as far as weather and growing conditions are concerned. Our cattle look pretty decent right now as folks move them around to top off the winter pastures before they play plumb out. Some have some winter grass and some don’t have as much. Wheat grazing pastures have just about played out too thus reducing our stocker cattle supply, at least until the warm season grasses take off or Sudan is ready to turn in on. Some Sudan has been planted with more to come as soon as it dries out enough to get back in the field. I noticed a few more folks put out some fertilizer last week ahead of the rain on Friday. When to spray for weeds has been a challenge this year as some are up and some are just coming up. If you put down some weed killer with residual you should get the most of them. That’s why I like products with the active ingredient Aminopyralid, like Chaparral-62%, Milestone-40%, GrazonNext-8% and Pasturall has a little at 2%. They provide some residual of 10-25 days depending on what percent they have of the good stuff, rate used, conditions, timing. Check it out, You’re the Boss!
In the Cattle Market as of 4-24-21 – Slaughter Cattle off $1 at $120. Feedyard Closeouts up at $89 in the red, April Live Cattle down at $118. April Feeder Futures down at $134. 750 lb Feeder steers down at $138 and 550 lb Stockers down at $167. Feeders down $2-5, Six weight calves sold $2-6 lower with not a lot of movement. High corn prices are taking their toll on the cattle markets.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 4-19-21— Overall the market was a little cheaper mainly due to inconsistent quality this week compared to last week. Long weaned yearlings were well received as were light weight calves for grass grazing. Bred cows and pairs a little cheaper but not as many fancy take home cows as were offered last week. Packer prices $2-$3/cwt lower.
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for April 19, 2021
Well praise the Lord we finally received some rain last week with totals ranging from 1-2 inches for the most part, with a few spots in the northern part of the county coming in closer to 2.5 inches for the week. It was a welcomed sight as it was becoming rather dry and worrisome for producers. It has downgraded us to Moderate Drought status. The wheat and winter pastures have perked up a little but with it trying to head out, grazing is coming to an end. Some producers have had cows on their wheat pastures while a few have had some stockers turned out, both trying to make it last until the warm season grasses take off. From what I have seen, wheat to harvest looks half decent but we’ll wait and see how heads fill out and seeds develop. Corn and most of the Milo has been planted and should come on nicely with this recent moisture. We are in a freeze watch for Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, so hoping that doesn’t burn the corn and milo that’s up. Even if it does it should recover ok with only one night of below freezing temps. I don’t know of anyone that has planted any Sudan yet, I am sure someone has by now, but if they have it could get burned too. Most folks are wisely taking their time putting in Sudan and Haygrazers this year. Some are plowing up grazing wheat that has pooped out and looking to sew in some Sudan. The weather has been a little strange so far this year, really for the last couple decades or more, but who’s counting. I noticed quite a few folks have sprigged some Coastal Bermuda this year here and there throughout the County. Newly sprigged and established Coastal are both slow in coming on this time and could use some warmer days and nights to help it get along better. Boy this rain will save your bacon if you did put some sprigs out! And a lot of folks fertilized their Coastal last week and are happy about the rain as well. Some put out weedkiller and some didn’t. Some of our weeds too are slow in coming and I wonder about the old Grassbur? But there are some folks patently waiting for a warmup and some more growth to put out fertilize and weedkiller. This time I really don’t know which is better to tell you the truth. I do know fertilize prices are anywhere from $75-125 a ton higher this year so our input prices are through the roof and may deter producers from putting out as much as they normally do. As of a week ago Liquid (UAN) 32-0 was at $450/ton, 24-6-12 is a popular blend of dry and at $535/ton, and if you need some 18-46-0 (DAP) well its $700/ ton! Urea (46-0) is at $500/ton and if you use this, I would recommend adding a Nitrogen Stablizer to it to reduce volitization. It’ll cost you an extra 3-4/acre but with the price of Fertilizers so high we want to make sure our Nitrogen stays put.
Most of our cattle are looking a lot better now although there are some that were overstocked, or stay overstocked, fed sorry hay, didn’t supplement enough, or something, and they look a little rough. Those that had some decent winter grass, and did not fall into one of the previous categories, the cows are in good shape. Time to turn the bulls out to our spring cows if you like to calve right at the end of January. Always works for me, but hey, You’re the Boss!
In the Cattle Market as of 4-10-21 – Slaughter Cattle steady at $121 Feedyard Closeouts down at $68 in the red, April Live Cattle down at $121. April Feeder Futures down at $140. 750 lb Feeder steers steady at $142 and 550 lb Stockers up $1 at $176. Feeder heifers traded few dollars lower. Six weight Steer calves sold steady to $2 higher while Heifer calves sold steady to $1 lower. Real mixed market this week
Decatur Livestock Market as of 4-5-21—Another good week for the market, Calves/yearlings were steady on all classes. Demand strong for grass grazing calves. The 240 head in our mini special was a good start to the day for bred cows and pairs. Big, fancy cows sold $100-$150/hd higher than last week and that continued to drive the prices up during the regular sale. Packer cows/bulls steady.
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for April 5, 2021
It was quiet last week weather wise and we are in a severe drought category now. The moisture from the last round of rains was sucked out fast by the winter grasses and wheat crops. Coastal Bermuda is starting to come out in pastures and hayfields but at a slow pace. At least it is alive for the most part, after many were worried about the arctic storm and extreme temperatures damaging bermuda pastures and thinning or killing stands. The live oak trees that we were all worried about being killed by the arctic storm, from what I see are putting on new growth, slowly but surely. We did lose quiet a few shrubs that got froze out, especially Indian Hawthorns and others that are not very cold tolerant. All in all I think we were fortunate to escape even more damage to our plants and grasses. The native grasses are trying to come on too, but the soil temps are just not warm enough to allow much growth on either type of pastures and hayfields just yet. We all tend to get impatient waiting on the spring grass but we have to remember we don’t control the weather. The few corn farmers we have got their crop stuck in the ground over the last couple of weeks and it too has been slow in emerging. Milo farmers followed suit and hoping for good germination rates. And Boy Howdy, everyone could use another good rain at the moment. The cattle look decent and are chasing what green stuff there is. With the slow growth on grasses there are those still feeding hay and supplements trying to get to some substantial grazing on native and introduced pastures. Grazing wheat with stockers on it is struggling and numbers are still low. Spring calving season is all but over, and of those that calve real early, some have already worked their calves. If they wormed their cattle they may have missed the mark on controlling worms, and flies too. Well at least they got the lice. Giving vaccinations to calves under 2 months old is a waste, you might as well just squirt it on the ground as their immune system has not fully developed until past 2-3 months of age. Old habits die hard!
If you have not registered for our 2021 Wise County Landowner Workshop to be held during lunch on Tuesday the 6th and Thursday the 8th, this week, please do so. Cost is $15 one time fee and you get all four sessions. This will benefit all landowners and even those that lease or manage land. We will be talking about Soils, Fertilizers, Herbicides, Grass Establishment and Care, and lots of information on Weed Control and what herbicides work best on certain weeds or grassy weeds. Then the next week on April 13 & 15 is Ag tax exemptions, guidelines, and restrictions along with some good general livestock management information on keeping them healthy and in good shape. This is for all you landowners, big and small, so get signed up on Eventbrite at https://wisecountylandownerseries.eventbrite.com You can find the link to register on our Wise County AgriLife Website at https://wise.agrilife.org/ Please register today and join us! I will email you a Zoom Link to join the meeting the day before each session.
In the Cattle Market as of 3-27-21 – Slaughter Cattle traded at $117 Feedyard Closeouts were $100 bill in the red, April Live Cattle at $120. April Feeder Futures at $144. 750 lb Feeder steers at $140 and 550 lb Stockers at $172. Feeder heifers traded steady to $3 higher. Steer calves sold steady to $lower under 600 lbs but Steers weighing more than 600 lbs. sold steady to $5 higher. Heifer calves sold $3-$8 higher.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 3-29-21— The upward trend that started last week continued with prices on light weight calves taking the lead and advancing $5-$20/cwt. Make plans to join us Monday, April 12, for our Mini Special Sale. Be sure to check out our website for consignment info. Cattle will be available for viewing on Saturday, April 10, and Sunday, April 11.
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for March 29, 2021
We received around 2 inches of rain last week, give or take a little, from two different systems on Monday and Wednesday, just depending on your location. That makes about 4 inches we have received in March which is a little above our average March precipitation of 3.5 inches. The moisture has the winter grasses coming on strong and the wheat is looking much better and finally getting some growth on it. Ryegrass and other winter grasses are growing fast and providing a little more grazing for the cattle. It’s almost to the point of getting to stop feeding hay soon. Cattle will be getting into better shape with the grass starting to get a little strength to it now. What cattle I saw this morning look pretty good for the most part. Grazing wheat is finally producing some needed pounds on stocker calves. Cows are finished calving mostly and bulls should be going out to the cows the next week or two. Some warm season grasses are trying to break dormancy with the soil and night temps getting to where they need to be for that to happen. Most producers using pre-emergents have already fertilized pastures and hayfields but those spraying post-emergents should be waiting on all the weeds to emerge and get a little bigger before applying the liquid gold fertilizer with their herbicide. There are many different management options when it comes to fertilizing and controlling broadleaf weeds and weedy type grasses like Grass Burrs.
If you need some help deciding what fertilizer or weed killer to use give me a call, or better yet join us next week for our 2021 Wise County Landowner Workshop during lunch on Tuesday the 6th and Thursday the 8th. We will be talking about Soils, Fertilizers, Grass Establishment and Care, and lots of information on Weed Control and what herbicides work best on certain weeds or grassy weeds. Then the next week on April 13 & 15 is Ag tax exemption, guidelines, and restrictions along with some good general livestock management information on keeping them healthy and in good shape. This is for all you landowners both big and small, so get signed up on Eventbrite. $15 includes all 4 sessions
You can register at https://wise.agrilife.org/ Please register and join us!
In the Cattle Market as of 3-27-21 – Slaughter Cattle traded at $116 Feedyard Closeouts were $110 in the red, April Live Cattle at $120. April Feeder Futures at $145. 750 lb Feeder steers at $140 and 550 lb Stockers at $169. Feeder steers/heifers sold steady to 4.00 higher, with most increases on stocker calves
Decatur Livestock Market as of 3-29-21—The upward trend that started last week continued with prices on light weight calves taking the lead and advancing $5-$20/cwt. Demand for grass grazing calves was very active. Demand active for good take home breds and pairs, just not a lot being offered. Packer prices also continued the upward trend that began last week. Make plans to join us Monday, April 12, for our Mini Special Sale. Be sure to check out our website for consignment info. Cattle will be available for viewing on Saturday, April 10, and Sunday, April 11.
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for March 22, 2021
It’s raining this Monday morning with a 100% chance all day. Totals are predicted to be around an inch when all said and done. Last week we had a few thunderstorms and some much needed and appreciated rainfall. Amounts were not great and ranged from half to one inch, but at least we got a little moisture to help some. It was shocking to find out on Wednesday last week that there was a blizzard warning for the northeastern part of the panhandle and the OK panhandle. It was snowing to beat the band up there! While It was 31 degrees in Amarillo, it was in the 60’s here in north Texas. We did have some thunder in February, so I expect a freeze sometime in April, at least according to the old wives tales and what the old timers say. Wheat is recovering from being burned from the arctic blast in February and looks decent considering what it’s been through. It is taking off growing now and getting some dark green color back in it. It has not been an ideal year for wheat farmers and winter pastures of any kind with getting a lot of it in the ground late, lack of rainfall and some cold weather. Our pastures with winter grasses, especially rye grass and others, are coming on slowly. I noticed the Common Bermuda is beginning to break dormancy in some locations but at a slow pace. Soil temps have been in the low to mid-sixties this past week, so I look for all Bermudagrasses to start coming on soon. There are some weeds, but most are winter weeds so far. There is a lot of Henbit, Thistles, Chickweed, Spurge etc…and yes some consider Ryegrass a winter weed too. You either love it or hate it depending on your pasture management strategies. April showers bring May flowers – and weeds too!
There are some that want to be the first to put out fertilizer on spring pastures and hayfields whether the timing is right or not. Those that are getting antsy and jumping the gun on putting out fertilizer with weed killer on warm season grasses will likely miss a lot of the summer weeds if applied too early. Only exception is fertilizing using Pre-Emergent herbicides and the window is closing fast on that now. It just depends on whether you are spraying your weed killer using liquid or attaching it to granular fertilizer. Some of the products like Grazeon Next and Chaparral have good residual so you could luck out and get some of those pesky warm season weeds even if applied too early. I have a lot of good information on pasture management and weed control our website under my ANR Tab so check it out. Cattle look pretty good but sure not fat, mainly because they’re out there chasing the green stuff and leaving the hay feeding area, on top of being a milk factory for that calf on side. You may need to continue to feed supplements for a little longer while the grass is getting some strength to it. Fertilizing in the fall or late winter always pays off this time of year. Calving season is about over for most and it will be time to turn the bulls out here in a few weeks. Be sure to do a BSE (Breeding Soundness Exam) on your bulls before turnout. You don’t want them out there on bad wheels or shooting blanks. It’s well worth the money to make sure they are sound, fertile and ready to go to work. TCB because, You’re the Boss!
In the Cattle Market as of 3-20-21 – Slaughter Cattle traded at $114.50 Feedyard Closeouts were $130 in the red, April Live Cattle at $118.50. March Feeder Futures at $135. 750 lb Feeder steers at $138 and 550 lb Stockers at $167. Texas steer and heifer calves sold 2.00-6.00 higher across the state.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 3-15-21—A good run and 3 weeks in a row with prices being steady to higher on each weight class. Strong demand for lightweight steers and heifers to finish grazing out some wheat that came on later than normal. Bred cows and pairs were $50-$150 higher. Packer prices steady.
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for March 11, 2021
Well, how about this spring like weather? Pretty nice out there with daytime temps from the middle to upper 70’s! The winter grasses are popping and trying to come on. While on several site visits this week, I noticed more and more cows out chasing the green stuff. The old boss cows and lazy ones were still hugging the hay pile. Everyone is sick of putting hay out and looking forward to all the grasses perking up. The rye grass is coming on now and you either love it or hate it. It’s will sure hog up all your nitrogen if you fertilize your Bermuda fields to early. It just takes some intense management to make it work with Coastal. Speaking of Coastal Bermuda Fields, I looked at several yesterday along the way and no sign of it breaking dormancy as I suspected, but it sure won’t be long now. Fingers crossed we didn’t suffer any winter kill on our Bermuda grass pastures when the temps dropped below 10 degrees, even down to 6 below zero that one night. Some Bermuda is more cold tolerant than others so depends on what variety you have but if it is Coastal, you may have some winter kill. I pray not but only time will tell. If you haven’t done a soil test, YES, you’re behind! It is important to know what type, blend and how much fertilizer to apply. I have heard several say they are fertilizing this week hoping to beat the possible rain, but if you have a weed problem be sure to let your weeds get up about 4-6 inches tall before you spray your herbicide. They need some leaf area to get an effective kill rate. On the other hand, if you are thinking of applying a pre-emergent herbicide you better get it done real soon. I get a weekly update on soil temps and this week it was from 55-60 degrees depending on soil type. Some weed seeds will germinate when soil gets to that range at a two-inch depth, so heads up. Bermuda grass needs the soil temp to be near 65 degrees or higher, at a 4-inch depth to break dormancy. And that usually happens when we have nigh time temps above 60 for several days.
I looked at several wheat pastures and there were tell signs of the winter storm a couple weeks ago. The wheat in the northern part of the county shows more leaf burn, mainly tips, than that in the southern part, but no yellowing, which is good. From what I could tell very little if any had jointed at the time of the coldest temperatures. Jointing and flowering is where we see the most damage on wheat from a freeze. We had damage last year during flowering after a late freeze. One wheat grower said he thought the damage this time from the arctic blast was around 15-20% which will decrease yield a little. The majority of wheat slated for harvest still has a good green color to it, it was the grazing wheat that looks a little pale. It too incurred damage and will yield less grazing forage. I have a good publication from our small grain’s specialist on Wheat freeze injury in Texas. Go to our website and look under my Ag/pasture management tab. I have put a lot of great information there over the past year to help you so make use of it. It’s a great resource for you. The last thing I will mention is I have received a lot of calls wondering if the sub-zero weather killed the Live Oak Trees. Everywhere you look the leaves are brown and falling off and yes, they do look dead. According to the experts after they should survive but may look sickly for the rest of this year. They should leaf back out and green up come spring! I Hope!
In the Cattle Market as of 3-6-21 – Slaughter Cattle traded at $114 Feed yard Closeouts were $181 in the red, April Live Cattle at $119. March Feeder Futures at $135. 750 lb Feeder steers at $134 and 550 lb Stockers at $165. Steer and heifer calves traded mostly steady.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 3-8-21— The supply of weaned calves diminished this week compared to last week which resulted in average prices being $4-$8/cwt lower on most classes. 6-7 weight steers and heifers were steady to $2/cwt higher this week. Bred cows averaged $50/hd higher with a good selection of take home cows. High yield packer cows were $3/cwt higher; low yield $2/cwt lower.
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for February 22, 2021
What a difference a week makes! Last week’s winter storm of the century was rough on everyone but especially our farmers and ranchers and their animals. It all started as the arctic front moved into North Texas and brought us a record daily snow of 4 inches by Valentine’s Day. We broke other records as well like record lows and highs on February 14,15 and 16. It was brutal and Wise County temps dipped down as far as 6 below zero in most areas on Tuesday morning with wind chills in the negative 20’s all day. All water sources were frozen up most of the week and that forced everyone to have to break ice on water troughs and stock tanks, and even some had to haul in water from an alternative source, where available. Water was the biggest problem as most everyone was able to get plenty of hay and supplements out to their livestock. Thank goodness for the ample supply of hay so everyone was able to feed extra to get livestock through the Arctic Blasts. In most cases having enough hay was not an issue, but quality may have been. A lot of supplements mainly in the form of cubes were used to help build up and regulate the animals body temperature. The local feed stores were selling feed like hot cakes for those that could get to town. They were running low or out of inventory on many items by weeks end because trucks couldn’t deliver more, and some feed mills shut down to save natural gas. The winter storm lasted about 10 days and by Friday it finally got above freezing in the afternoon. By Saturday it started to thaw and by Sunday afternoon all snow had melted, and the high temp was at or near 60. Only in Texas, Right!
I thought that cattle coming out of the storm look pretty decent considering the snow, ice and how brutally cold it got. Those that didn’t were more than likely a little starved for protein and energy from crappy hay and not the right amount of, or no supplements. Most everyone had their cows in good body condition heading into the winter storm so that was a plus, and that helped to get them through in decent shape and helped to save a few animals as well. As with every winter storm we did lose a few older weak cows, some sick cattle, and a lot of folks are calving so there was some death loss on calves born in this mess. But for the most part we came out fairly well as far as death loss is concerned, at least according to the reports I am getting.
If you lost any livestock or suffered any damages, please let me know. We are assessing the damages and losses that occurred during the winter storm, if you don’t mind sending me your reported losses, needs, and assessment of damages, I would appreciate it. Your assistance with this request will help secure potential recovery support for our producers through the USDA disaster assistance programs, as well as other programs designed to help farmers and ranchers recover from this once in a lifetime winter storm.
Agriculture-Response-Assessment-Form
Winter Storm 2021 Damages
In the Cattle Market as of 2-20-21 – Slaughter Cattle traded at $114 Feedyard Closeouts were $165 in the red, Feb Live Cattle at $116. March Feeder Futures at $139. 750 lb Feeder steers at $134 and 550 lb Stockers at $163. Market not tested on 600 lb Steer calves-weaned at $—–, unweaned at $—–. 600 lb heifer calves-weaned at $—– and unweaned at $—–. Best grade Slaughter cows steady $2-5 higher.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 1-25-21—No Sale was held last week due to Winter Storm, so market was not tested. Check out their website for next sale date–http://www.decaturlivestockmarket.com/
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for February 1, 2021
Well, we received from half to a little over an inch of rain over the last two weeks, for a total of 1.5 to 2 inches for January. It’s nothing to write home about but it did provide some much-needed moisture for our winter pastures. Talking to a couple of farmers last week they said their wheat pastures that got planted early look ok, but a lot of fields are just sitting there with not much growth, or at least not the normal growth they usually see. They said that’s what happens when it gets planted late and its dryer than normal. It looks like a hint of spring weather is all that will spur it on now. Others said their winter pastures drilled into native or improved pastures look the same way, even volunteer Ryegrass. Stocker operators report calf numbers being low for this time of year with limited grazing available. One said he was using up a lot of his excess hay reserves, after making a bumper crop last year. Most everyone is feeding lots of hay and some supplements too depending on how good their hay is this time. That is why I preach about testing your hay so you know what you have as far as crude protein and energy (TDN), and therefore know how to supplement, or if it’s needed at all. We made a lot of hay in 2020 with most of it being good quality but you never know just how good it is unless you have it tested.
Cows look to be in decent shape and calving season has started for some while others will be starting any day now. Those that season their bulls shape their own calving window while many other ranchers leave their bulls out all year and therefore usually calving season is strung out, sometimes all year. It really depends on your particular situation and the number of cows you run that determine your management style. When we season our bulls there are many advantages to calving in a 60-to-90-day window, whether you have enough calves to put together truckload lots or a trailer load to send to market. The major one being you will have a uniform calf crop and buyers like calves to be close to the same age, size and painted the same color. Buyers also like calves with good proven genetics that will perform well all the way from stockers through the feedlot. They like calves that are on a value-added program with all the necessary shots and weaned for 45-60 days, and they are willing to pay a premium for those kinds of calves. I know that many ranchers use a continuous grazing system with no cross fences, and they lack a good place to keep their bulls when not in use servicing cows, and that creates a problem for many. Those that lease pastures likely will keep doing business as usual because landlords are not willing to fork over the money to build cross fences. Encourage them to check with their local USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service as they may have some programs that will help with some needed cross fencing. Cross fences will allow you to take advantage of a good rotational grazing system that will benefit you in a variety of ways. You can also have that pasture to store your bulls, in order to help eliminate the problems that come with not seasoning your boys! But Hey, You’re the Boss!
In the Cattle Market as of 1-30-21 – Slaughter Cattle traded at $113.00. Feedyard Closeouts were $124 in the red, Feb Live Cattle at $115. Jan Feeder Futures at $137. 750 lb Feeder steers at $136 and 550 lb Stockers at $166. 600 lb Steer calves-weaned at $146-151, unweaned at $136-140. 600 lb heifer calves-weaned at $130 and unweaned at $120. Best grade Slaughter cows steady to $3 higher.
Decatur Livestock Market as of 1-25-21–With not as many cattle making it to town due to the weather the past weekend, it’s hard to compare this week’s market to last week’s. Demand was still strong for lightweight calves with average prices advancing $3-$6/cwt. 5-7 weight steers and heifers were steady. Breds and pairs steady. Packer cows were $1-$4/cwt cheaper with a high ratio of low yield cows on hand; bulls were $2-$3/cwt higher. Check out their website–http://www.decaturlivestockmarket.com/
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for January 25, 2021
Well it was wet all day last Wednesday, but it didn’t impress the rain gauge much. The totals were from a few tenths to half an inch over the county in the form of a very light rain. Same thing happened all day Sunday plus a cool front. Boy was it foggy yesterday! These rains reminded me of when I was a youngster in the 60’s, it would come one of those slooooow rains in early spring that would last for two weeks. You talking about a muddy mess trying to feed and check cows, it was a booger. I could write a book on just getting stuck in the mud. I also remember that week or two long winter snow storm every January or February and feeding lots of square bales and burning lots of Prickly Pears. We don’t get those type weather events much anymore— why? I guess it’s because of global warming from all the greenhouse gas cow farts, you reckon? Wait, we had cows and feedlots back then too but maybe we didn’t have the means to measure it, or maybe, we just didn’t care. Cattle have been here since the beginning of time and yes cattle numbers have increased over time. Since 1935 our cattle numbers have doubled in our nation from 42 million plus to a little over 94 million head. The large feedlots for the most part began in the 50’s and have grown to over 26,500 nationwide. That is significant growth but nowhere even close to the astronomical number of automobiles in the last 100 years. I mean it doesn’t take a rocket scientist, or even a test, to figure out that fossil burning fuels would be and is the most obvious cause of greenhouse gas emissions. Have you driven in the metroplex lately? It is solid cars and trucks on the highway, every highway, all day long, all over this country and around the world too. It gets pretty busy here in Decatur! Transportation, Electricity, and Industry make up 77 percent of greenhouse gas emissions here in the U.S. while Agriculture only contributes 10 percent. We can all live with the 10 percent because the difference being, we don’t eat cars, but we do need Agriculture to eat. Yes, we do need transportation to farm and ranch, get to work, operate our businesses, haul the mail, and especially to haul and deliver all the food and products we need to live. There are a lot of people in this old world to take care of now. Today, there are over 7.8 billion people on earth, up from just under 2 billion in 1920. That’s almost a 6 billion increase in 100 years. Wow, talking about exponential growth! From humans to cattle to vehicles these last 100 years have been extraordinary, and I haven’t even mentioned technological and medical advances. In 1920 there was no phone, internet, computer, TV-you get the picture! As for rural houses there was no rural electricity, no running or hot water and you guessed it no indoor toilets, although we did have rolled toilet paper by 1890 that replaced corn cobs! We have come a long way in 100 years, and it makes one wonder what the next 100 will bring. One thing is for sure we must eat. Will it be from traditional Agriculture, or food manufactured and grown in a laboratory? Time will tell but I like to think Agriculture is here to stay the test of time! The real question is can we produce enough product in the future to feed the exploding population growth!
In the Cattle Market as of 1-23-21 – Slaughter Cattle traded at $111.00. Feedyard Closeouts were $182 in the red, Feb Live Cattle at $117. Jan Feeder Futures at $137. 750 lb Feeder steers at $135 and 550 lb Stockers at $165. 600 lb Steer calves-weaned at $145, unweaned at $133. 600 lb heifer calves-weaned at $130 and unweaned at $123. Slaughter cows steady to $2 higher.
Decatur Livestock Market–With a week of nice weather, customers were able to get their cattle to town. We had a good market with lightweight calves being $12-$30/cwt higher; 6-8 weights were steady to $4/cwt higher. Bred cows and pairs were steady to $125 higher. Packer cows and bulls steady with cows at $50 to 63/cwt and bulls at $78-85/cwt.
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for January 11, 2021
Well, a lot of us received some of the white stuff Sunday and accumulations were from not much, to a little more than others. It just depended on your location and at my house on that ole bald hill it did stick to the grassy surfaces for a couple of hours and then just like that, it was gone. Temperatures were right on the borderline of freezing or just above freezing most of the day which prevented it from hanging around very long. I was surprised it stuck at all. I really don’t mind the snow as one can navigate around in it pretty good, but I hate ice storms that break tree limbs and power lines, and cause power outages. I remember going for 8 days without power from the worst ice storm I have ever witnessed when I was on a ranch near Lampasas back in the mid-nineties. I stayed on the tractor (no cab) and in the feed truck most of the day feeding cattle, and breaking ice on the tanks and water troughs twice a day. We had to move cattle around so they would have water. It was downright miserable as the temps stayed around 10-18 degrees with a blustery north wind. My wife and I had generators that kept our refrigerator, lights and microwave going, and thank God for a gas stove to cook on and for heat. We also had two butane heaters we used to help warm the kitchen and living room where we camped out for the duration. Thank goodness we had plenty of Ozarka bottled water (5 gal kind) since the water tasted horrible and the well don’t work without electricity. One can do without a shower for days on end too, and It made both of us appreciative and grateful for electricity when it finally came back on! So, believe me it can get country in a hurry! But we survived and spent the next week or so after the storm getting the cattle back where they belonged and cleaning and cutting up tree limbs and branches from the mess it made, and mended a lot of broken fences. Needless to say, we used a lot of hay bales and feed keeping the cattle in decent shape and from freezing to death. That ice storm is one of the reasons I now hate winter so much as I have never in my life been that cold before. It was truly beyond miserable! But that is what we do as ranchers so we can provide good nutritious beef for the world. I know most of you have experienced many types of weather conditions and know exactly what I am talking about. If folks could experience some of the conditions we go through out on the ranch to put beef on their table, they would come to appreciate, in a hurry, what we do for a living. Sometimes we feel unappreciated for the sacrifices and trials we go through as ranchers, but hey, at the end of the day, we love what we do and wouldn’t want to do anything else! So hang in there, winter shall pass and spring will be here soon to revive us, and then the hot summer and possible droughts will come and take us to the refreshing weather of Fall! This is who we are and This is what we do!
In the cattle market as of 1-8-21 – Cattle markets were mixed and tenuous last week amid plenty of uncertainty: everything from the potential demand impact of continually rising COVID-19 cases to the relentless rise in feed costs. There were no weekly calf and feeder cattle price summaries from the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) last week.
Decatur Livestock Market – Consignments from January 4, 2021, were 1650 head including: 40 Bulls, 323 Cows, 26 Calves, 145 Longhorns, 403 Stocker Heifers, 328 Stocker Bulls/Steers, 123 Feeder Heifers, 262 Feeder Bulls/Steers. A good start to the new year! A much welcome, widespread rain and snowfall helped make for a good market. The calf market was steady to $7/cwt higher with the 459 head in the weaned segment being well received. Not enough take home breds or pairs to test the market. Packer cows were $4/cwt higher.
Wise County Crop and Cattle Report for January 4, 2021
Well, 2020 went out with a bang weather wise! A lot of you had a mixed bag of winter weather the last couple of days of 2020 but most everyone received some form of moisture, whether rain, snow, sleet, ice, or yes, even thunderstorms with quite a bit of lightning. I received the latter at my house and poured out 3.5 inches of the good stuff for the week but missed out on the frozen precipitation thank goodness! Depending on your location in Wise County most received from 2-4 inches of rain the last couple days of 2020. Out west in Rising Star TX, my Mother received 3 to 4 inches of snow, and enough ice to break tree limbs. On the Ponderosa maybe it self-pruned my pecan trees and saved me the trouble. I left and drove back home in the rain on Wednesday to avoid the winter weather coming Thursday to that area. On Thursday, the further west one went the worse the conditions became and I-20 out west of Odessa was a booger! The worst of it was around Van Horn on I-10 and it brought back nightmarish memories of me driving in those same conditions back in the 80’s when my sister and her husband lived in Sierra Blanca. An experience I don’t care to repeat!
The moisture we received in whatever form was much needed as winter pastures were looking rough. The wheat sure hasn’t done much really, but hopefully this rain will help to give it a boost. Overseeded pastures and hayfields are in the same shape with little to no grazing available. Stocker cattle numbers remain low until the winter pastures decide to take off and produce some more growth. Hay feeding is in full swing as what standing forage there was, has been depleted. Most of our hay is decent enough and requires little to no supplementation yet there are some that are feeding different types of supplements from cubes to liquid feed and protein tubs to meet the required nutrients for their cattle. Cattle receiving the proper nutrition are in good shape but there are some cows out there that don’t look very good and those producers should reevaluate their winter-feeding strategies to meet their cattle’s requirements. Spring calving will begin soon enough, and cows need to be in good shape going into the season. Ranchers still have time to get their cattle into shape to start off on the right foot. One great place to start is with a forage test to see what you have in your hay! Its not too late to pull samples and have it tested as there are a lot of days left to feed this winter. I have the forage analysis forms if you need me to send you one. I recommend using number 4 on the form which includes calculating Protein + Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) + TDN(energy), and it costs $14/sample. Knowing what is in your hay will help you not to short your cattle on crude protein and energy they need to maintain the correct body condition and perform well. On the other side of that, if your hay test good enough to meet requirements it will help you not to feed or overfeed costly supplements when they are not needed. Testing your hay/forage is on you and believe me it is well worth the effort and costs!
In the cattle market as of 1-1-21 – No comparisons due to the holidays on calves, slaughter cows and bulls. Feedyard Closeouts were $114 in the red. Slaughter Cattle traded at $112.00. Live Cattle futures closed at $113. Feeder Cattle futures at $139. Stocker Calves at $161. Cattle sales cranked up again this week after the holiday break. Firmer numbers for next weeks report.