From the Barns: Grazing season

The summer grazing season is in full swing. Holding the cows out of the pastures by grazing wheat grown in our crop fields really extends our grazing season and jump starts our permanent grass. It always seems we are woefully short on cows early in the season as our pastures get ahead of us and go to seed, but fear of drought keeps us from building numbers to keep everything grazed down where it should be — that, and my desire to increase habitat for the quail population.

I’m hopeful that holding cows out of critical nesting habitat will reap benefits of more quail, but I am fearful I may only be benefiting the local predator population. There is certainly no shortage of raccoons and bobcats. We have started our first round of vaccinations and calf processing and are looking for days when the weather is nice and help plentiful.

Our corn after wheat is planted and timely rains will get that crop off to a good start. Hay making and manure hauling are more of a recreational nature now with little projects getting completed as the weather cooperates. Recent storms have given us something to do as many trees came down, creating a mess and causing the need for some fence repair. The bulls are still on lockdown but will head to pasture in a couple of weeks to get back to work for the season. I and our facilities will be glad to be rid of them for a while; they are really hard on equipment.

Ian has been doing internships since he graduated high school back in the spring. First, on a Florida ranch through their branding season and all summer with a Nebraska purebred Red Angus outfit during their calving, branding and breeding seasons. He’s due back home in a month or so and I’m really looking forward to his return. I’m sure he will have lots of stories and experiences to share.

The fat market continues its record high price run. The $2 mental barrier has been tested and breached in a few instances, but packers are reluctant to let it happen for fear there may be no stopping point once the market gets past two bucks. Replacement feeders are sky high and the amount of cash risk has everybody on edge; nobody wants to get caught in the downturn when it comes. When was the last time we had $4 corn and $2 fats? Easy answer: never. What interesting times we live in!