Teresa & Mike CHS - Our journal

[greybeard]

Did you take them to the Livingston sale barn?

Yes.
But Only because they are closest. Usually better prices and a more modern facility at Navasota, but with the heat as high as it's been, I didn't want to haul that far since tarp is mostly missing off that gooseneck trailer. The shrink going to Livingston is bad enough as it is.

 

[Mike CHS]

I wouldn't ask Fred. We don't expect many of these things to be easy to arrange.

 

[farmerjan]

We hauled 18 calves last friday. Several holstein and holstein crosses that were on the nurse cows. They weighed in the 3 to 4 wts and averaged $.80 which is about right. The 450 lb steers brought $1.44; the 2 that hit 500 $1.59; and some 350 wts brought about $1.47. Couple of not so good ones in the 1.20's and was glad to see them gone. Got 10 cull cows to go but prices here are not great on them. At least 8 will go this week. All are open, 2 were not rebred due to age, as in no teeth and we just sold the calves; 2 had dead calves back in the cold crappy weather and are old, 1 is pushing 4 and has been confirmed preg twice and slipped the calves, one is a total high headed, fruit cake, nut case, 2 others were confirmed preg and due to calve this spring and either slipped them or had dead calves we couldn't find as they were just rechecked and called open. 2 raised calves, were checked preg but now have shown a heat. They may go back with the bull as we now have grass coming out our ears.
No moisture, cold, until last month. Then warming up way too fast, but with frost inbetween 80's, and now it won't stop raining. So we have more grass than we anticipated, as well as culling more cows than we planned, so may just give those last 2 a rebreed. There is a bred cow sale on Wed that we are going to go to....may buy a few more if prices are right, to replace some that have been culled. We have culled alot this year, many due to age and purposely not rebreeding. We just put 6 at a pasture that have calves and they will not get bred back, They have nubs or no teeth at all. They will raise the calves and can be sold if it gets dry, or held til late fall and sold when it is time to ship other cattle. If we like any of the heifers, they can be weaned and kept, but that will be determined later.

 

[greybeard]

The 450 lb steers brought $1.44; the 2 that hit 500 $1.59; and some 350 wts brought about $1.47.

Good prices!!
3 & 4 wts here were bringing more than the heavier ones, the few minutes I sat and watched. From my notes, $1.38 was the average in about 30 minutes of sales.
I didn't include a big group of corriente and LH ropers they ran thru.
I didn't stay for mine.

Saw 2 bulls go thru I thought were interesting. A 2 1/2 yr old papered, trich tested and performance tested Brangus that only brought $1.45/lb and the owner 'no sale' him....don't blame him, and then a BIG Braford bull that was 1760lbs brought $.95/lb.
Both looked really good, but I think the Braford had some age on him.
Smokies and red steers were bringing about the same as the blacks, just a few cents difference.
One nice looking mare was the only equine..no bids at all on her.

 

[Mike CHS]

I was cutting our biggest paddock today to get rid of the woody tall grass and had the bejeebers scared out of me. We have this huge Hackberry tree in the middle of the paddock and has a lot of low branches that is about the same height as the canopy on my tractor. I went under some really low branches and a few seconds after I cleared the tree this big snake came falling off the canopy and hit the back fender on the way to the ground. I just about left the tractor as fast as the snake did.

We broke the axle on our golf cart a couple of weeks ago. We got the replacement a few days later but we had other projects in the works. Here is a picture of my Baby taking care of business.

 

[mystang89]

I'd have had a heart attack!

 

[CntryBoy777]

Did ya care to see what kind it was?....I had one jump out at me cutting the other day....sure got my attention....it was a 6-7' gray rat snake.....

 

[Mike CHS]

He was moving pretty fast and the grass was tall where it was. It was either a rat snake or King snake but it all happened too fast to get many details.

 

[farmerjan]

Just a note, sold 8 of the cull cows tuesday and they brought in the mid 50's to mid 60's. Average weights were 900's, 1050's and 1150's. A few of the smaller cows did in the 50's, the bigger more fleshy ones did in the upper 50's low 60's. About what we expected, better than a month ago when they were barely $.50.

I know a snake coming out of a tree would have scared me and I am not all that bothered by snakes. I have been known to catch and move and release some of the black snakes around here since they are great as "mouse control", but they can get into the chickens and get the eggs. I used to "raise" the common garter snake when a kid up north for school projects. But out of a tree..

 

[Baymule]

The tree threw a snake at you! The unexpectedness of having a snake taking a spin on my tractor would have me letting the snake have it too!

I like Teresa. She can do anything! Boys and their toys and Girls and their tools to fix the toys!