Manager's Message

JANUARY 13, 2020

WHAT A GREAT SET OF YEARLINGS AND CALVES WE WERE PRIVILEGED TO REPRESENT YESTERDAY AT SOUTHEAST MS LIVESTOCK. DUE TO THE WEATHER OUR NUMBERS WERE OFF A LITTLE, BUT BOY WAS OUR QUALITY GOOD! WE HAD OVER 200+ UNTAGGED LONG-WEANED CALVES THAT HAD A GOOD HEALTH PROGRAM. THESE YEARLINGS CAME FROM PICAYUNE, BROOKHAVEN, SEMINARY, WIGGINS, LUMBERTON, AND HATTIESBURG. PAUL COOK, BILL WALLACE, AND MCMAHON FARMS WERE AMONG OUR PRODUCERS WITH QUALITY CATTLE.

THE MARKET REPORT SHOWS THAT KILL COWS AND BULLS WERE SLIGHTLY HIGHER. TOP KILL COWS, THAT I SAW, WEIGHED OVER 1,600 LBS. AND BROUGHT $52.50. WE DID NOT HAVE OUR USUAL OFFERING OF PAIRS BUT THE TOP BRED COW BROUGHT $1,300.00. OUR AVERAGE PER HEAD WAS $80.00 HIGHER THIS WEEK AND WE SOLD SEVERAL STEERS WEIGHING 750 LBS. FOR OVER $900.00.

LOTS OF MOISTURE AND LOTS OF MUD. A FEW DAYS OF SUNSHINE LAST WEEK SURE WAS ENJOYED. THEY ARE CALLING FOR MORE RAIN THIS WEEK BUT WE WILL JUST WAIT AND SEE. IN THE FUTURE, THERE WILL BE A TIME WHEN WE NEED RAIN DESPERATELY – SO BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR. THE AMOUNT OF RAIN WE HAVE HAD NO DOUBT HAS LEACHED SOME OF YOUR NITROGEN OUT OF THE SOIL SO THE FIRST CHANCE WE GET, I WOULD THINK WE NEED TO TOP-DRESS OUR WINTER GRAZING. ONE ALTERNATE METHOD IS TO USE LIQUID N AND ADD 2=4D FOR WEED CONTROL. THIS WORKS GOOD FOR THISTLE CONTROL.

I ENCOURAGE YOU TO KEEP YOUR MOMMA COWS IN AS GOOD A SHAPE AS POSSIBLE. WE HAVE AVOIDED A LOT OF FREEZING WEATHER SO FAR, BUT IT IS ESPECIALLY HARD ON THIN CATTLE. IF YOU HAVE NOT TURNED BULLS OUT YET, IT’S MONEY WELL SPENT TO HAVE A BREEDING SOUNDNESS EXAM EVERY YEAR. REMEMBER WE ARE STARTING THE SALE AT 11:30, WITH KILL COWS/KILL BULLS SELLING FIRST AND THEN REGULAR SCHEDULE AS SOON AS WE FINISH THEM OR AT 12:30. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND HELP.

SINCERELY,

MIKE KEENE