Cows for sale

[42acres]

I guess i'm gonna have to sell out. No rain since May 11. Feeding hay and already missed one cutting. I am tired of worrying about the weather, staying angry when i can see rain and not get any and my family has to put up with my ill tail. Big difference from the people in the mid west.

 

[novatech]

Pastures around here are turning brown. South of here it is even worse. Most still have hay from last year but are already feeding it. That will cut them short for winter. Many culled down pretty hard 2 years ago and have not restocked. Those people still have grass in reserve. My grass is turning brown but I have always been understocked. With the price of fertilizer and lack of rain it looks as though I'll stay that way.

 

[dun]

I guess i'm gonna have to sell out. No rain since May 11. Feeding hay and already missed one cutting. I am tired of worrying about the weather, staying angry when i can see rain and not get any and my family has to put up with my ill tail. Big difference from the people in the mid west.

Differnet from the midwest "this year". We're still recoviering from drought 5 out of the past 8 years.
Like Novatech, we decreased our stocking rate about 4 years ago and have only very slowly increased it. We rent out one of the hay fields each year for 3 months after we get the hay off.

 

[grannysoo]

staying angry when i can see rain and not get any and my family has to put up with my ill tail

Selling the cows is not going to solve these problems. Angry over the weather? Come on now... you know better than that.

Put up with your ill tail? Adjust your own attitude.

Oooooouch. This is gonna hurt. The problem is not the cows, it's you. (No disrespect intended)

I've been in your shoes.

 

[mnmtranching]

The rain has turned off up here to. I don't know? 3 out of 4 years in severe drought. It's a test.

 

[bigbull338]

i agree no need in getting madd an angry over the weather.i know what it is tobe in a 3yr drought.an i never once really got madd at the weather.i was just thankful that i had hay to feed when the grass ran out.so get your mind clear hunker down an start feeding hay.

 

[TexasBred]

It's heart breaking when you see rain so close by yet you get none of it...time and time again. Can't blame you for wanting to sell out. Many of us may be doing the same. You may be smartest by doing it early rather than hanging on and "hoping". You can always start over and many times that's the best thing to do. Whatever you decide, best of luck to you. :tiphat:

 

[dun]

It's heart breaking when you see rain so close by yet you get none of it...time and time again. Can't blame you for wanting to sell out. Many of us may be doing the same. You may be smartest by doing it early rather than hanging on and "hoping". You can always start over and many times that's the best thing to do. Whatever you decide, best of luck to you. :tiphat:

Excellent advice. If you hold on till everyone else is thnning down you won;t get squat. As it is you'll at least get squat, but not much more then that

 

[angus9259]

I hate watching radar and seeing the dark green slowly shift light green and then vanish . . . except when I got hay on the ground. I sure am fickle.

 

[ToddFarmsInc]

It's heart breaking when you see rain so close by yet you get none of it...time and time again. Can't blame you for wanting to sell out. Many of us may be doing the same. You may be smartest by doing it early rather than hanging on and "hoping". You can always start over and many times that's the best thing to do. Whatever you decide, best of luck to you. :tiphat:

Ditto that. My feeling is that sanity has a price. Is it worth riding out the sinking titanic when there is a perfectly good lifeboat by you, and hey.... look out on the horizon... it's another cruse ship! Get in that sucker and start paddeling.

No really, I've come to the decision a few years ago, if I can't make a go of the operation, then I would not loose any sleep over taking a job in town. (heck probably earn twice as much working at Burger King anyway) I've already found out that I can't farm the way my dad did. It's been three years now since he died, and the operation is just about completly different than what he had. I tried to do stuff the way he did, and it seems like nothing worked the same way for me. So I have to find my own way.

I say, head out, find your own way, and contentment along the way. :compute:

 

[TexasBred]

Todds...yep...much easier to go back in down the road IF you managed to get out this time before everything was lost. I'll probably be in charge of the fries right next to you at Burger King. :lol:

 

[Texas Gal]

I hate watching radar and seeing the dark green slowly shift light green and then vanish . . . .

The only thing worse is the rain being so close you can see and smell it but dry at your place.

 

[arkcowman]

Tear some shingles off your roof to do some roof repair and it will rain.
Happened to me .... twice.

 

[1982vett]

Tear some shingles off your roof to do some roof repair and it will rain.
Happened to me .... twice.

Already tried washing the truck, leaving the windows down overnight, doors open on the shop. Would try cutting some hay if I had some to cut... :lol2:

 

[TheBullLady]

I left feed on the truck.. that usually works for me.

Dry here as well.. we haven't seen a spring this dry since the last drought.. two, three years ago? Two counties away they have flash flood warnings right now.. one little bitty rain cell has dropped 2 to 3 inches this evening. Frustrating for sure, but I guess we all know you can never predict the weather.

We also cut our herd by about half starting about 4 years ago. Glad we did. Last year was the first year we retained any heifers for replacements. Luckily cow prices are still decent.. shipped four last week.

Hope everyone that needs rain gets some soon!