Full-Service Cattle Sales & Marketing serving the Fallon, Nevada and Outlying Areas.
Feeder Sale March 17th. 1600 head. Grass calves higher again this month. Definitely cracked the $3.00 ceiling on 4 weights with a nice set out of Winnemucca bringing $3.30 @ 440. Have not broken $3.00 @ 500 yet but hit $2.98 @ 499 so that’s damn close.
It’s been a long winter, and everyone is ready for spring. California has stayed unusually cold, and the grass is coming slow. Our cows on the desert are ready for spring as well. Luckily the fall rains germinated most of the grass and it is trying to grow. It had a snow insulation most of the winter. If it hadn’t started last fall these cows might not have seen green until May as the night and day temperature combo doesn’t hit 100 til way late April. Which is probably a blessing in disguise if it keeps the deep snow on the mountains from coming off all at once. Regardless, flooding will be inevitable with 55 foot of snow in the Sierras and a lot more to come. With a lot of irrigation water maybe hay will cheapen up. High cattle, and cheap feed wouldn’t that be something!! Lots of Northern yearling operations haven’t started buying spring turnout cattle yet and I think California will still be players in April due to such a late season. If you have any calves left to sell don’t let these country traders sneak up and club, you over the head. Call around and get a feel for the market. I recently heard of a guy who left $50 on the table on 200 head of 5 weights. Good way avoid paying taxes.
I will give beef checkoff a rest this month but stay tuned for a United States Cattlemen’s Association meeting in Reno around July 11th. They are telling me the focus of the meeting will be to address Ranchers concerns about misuse and non-effectiveness of the checkoff. Supposedly top dogs in the checkoff will be there to answer your questions so please come to the meeting, join USCA if you are inclined to do so, and let’s come up with some good questions. I personally would like to see a vote at the meeting for who supports the current system and who would like to see healthy changes. One thing I can say for sure is that the ones who set up the checkoff made it as complicated and as hard to understand as possible. Was that on purpose? I will leave that up to you to decide. The State Federation side of the checkoff is mind boggling. You can send your States $.50 on to NCBA in order to buy votes? Those are the questions we need answered in Reno.
Next Feeder Sale April 21st. That will be our last Friday feeder sale until the fall. Can’t be many left out there to sell. Butcher cow numbers continue to decline, and we should be seeing record high prices soon.
Our sales can be seen live at www.DVauction.com
| Mr. Jack Payne currently serves as the regional director for California and Nevada at the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association. He owns and operates Nevada Livestock Marketing in Fallon, Nevada. |