Well.......

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hillsdown

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The calves went yesterday and we just sorted the cows and they will be going tomorrow. I made some cut throat decisions even on the PB registered ...

I may be crying all the way through tagging and loading tomorrow. Some really really nice cattle are heading out. I wouldn't be so disappointed if I new that they were going to be bought and used but with the drought , most will go straight to slaughter. :(

So I will build again next year and the year after, unless we do not get moisture ,,then everyone must go. :cry2:

Wish us luck with the moving and tagging tomorrow , we had another person helping us but a job came up so it will just be Mr HD and myself.. 8)


Drought sucks..
 
Good luck with it and be careful and also be patient with Mr. HD. ;-)

Drought does suck. We are out of ours but I am still feeling the effects of decisions I had to make. I'm thinking it will take two years to fully recover.
 
agree with Jo, careful with Mr HD. He will be feeling it just as bad as you. They just hide it better. I know Mr. RR did. It is hard, and it will be hard to walk through the herd for a while. It will seem odd that the cows are not there..."Where's the rest" will pop into the head on more than one occasion. However, it does get easier. And knowing that you can rebuild is good. It will happen. It might take time but knowing you did the smart thing for your operation - what ever the smart thing for your farm is - will be a bright spot. The fed government is offering a tax defferal for drought and flooded lands for people who had to liquidate due to this issue, so taxes should be ok. Once the tagging and shipping are done....do not forget to age verrify the cows you ship out that are 1999 and younger for a bit of a premium,- all helps. We had to take the birth records from the age verification in to prove they were verified. Here, age verified cows are bringing in up to 10 cents more depending on condition.
God's peace during this time
 
rockridgecattle":11ql6fiv said:
agree with Jo, careful with Mr HD. He will be feeling it just as bad as you. They just hide it better...
God's peace during this time

Not much more can be said. But I understand even if it doesn't help your situation. I'm thankful it has gotten better here and I hope it will for you too.
 
My sympathys. It took us about 5 years to build back up after 3 years of severe drought here. The only bright spot is we were pickier about what we kept and bought then we had been before.
 
I feel for you HD, and know what you are going through. We did the same thing last fall, it was very hard. Now, I am kinda glad that we did it though, the cows that are left are the best ones we had, and their calves this year are superb!!
 
HD, I feel bad for you and wish I had something wise and profound to say to help you feel better. But I don't. You are in a tough situation and it just flat sucks. You are getting through it the best way you know how and that's all you can do.
 
Thank you everyone. The last load left about 45 minutes ago. I cried a little when I said goodbye to the girls in the trailer while filling out manifests. It sucks , most of the girls were born here from '05 on and 90 percent were under 5 years old. Now I am just sad that they had to go, they were really really well behaved when we moved them all and ran them into the corral tagged some of them (all had to be run through the chute) and ran them back into the coral. It went so smoothly ,I guess it was meant to be.

RR I have been age verifying since it first started, but when i talked to the auction house last week to book them in and start advertising they said do not even bother printing out new certs for them. The prices will be the same for slaughter or not, it seems that the novelty for paying more has gone by the wayside with all of the dispersal's from the drought. The same happened with calves when it first started, we got 10 cents a pound more for age verified and then the next year everything was all the same price.

I found out this morning that one steer will becoming home, he got hurt on the trailer when he was shipped so I will nurse him back to health and try again later.

30 c today and 31 tomorrow, I feel sorry for the girls being held over night before being sold.

I miss them all ready.. :(
 
Not much more can be said. You are part of a community here. Many of us have similar feelings for our cattle as you do or we wouldn't be here. Pain is better shared. We get tested some times but often come back stronger and better for it. Best wishes. Jim
 
CKC1586":3738i72q said:
Sure wish we could have shared some of our "wet" with you folks.

Ditto that! The rains here in KS have been just ridiculous this year.

I can understand what you mean by sending off the girls. I can still hear my mom telling me about the time we moved back to the old home sted from where she and dad had started farming down my wichita. She said that she really felt like she was home the day the cattle pot arrived with her cows.

Here's to better days. :tiphat:
 
so sorry to hear you cut your herd that deep to the bone.but droughts are rough an they can be dirty an mean.when you rebuild itll be the reg herd.we went through 3yrs of drought here.an we was lucky in that we didnt have to sell any of the herd.
 
HD...ever old smart cowman I know has always told me "Don't fall in love with your cattle". Dam near impossible not to. Enjoy the little bit more time you will now have hopefully and begin "planning". ;-) Something good is probably right around the corner. :nod:
 

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