On Tuesdays, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays visits with Ben Hale of Western Livestock Auctions as he talks about the latest in the markets and more. Established in 1995, Western has grown into a multi-generational family-owned and operated business and stands as a symbol of tradition, excellence, and a deep-rooted passion for the cattle industry. Western Livestock Auctions operates the Western Livestock Commission Firm, which sells cattle on Mondays and Tuesdays. They also operate the livestock auction markets in Woodward, Comanche, Waurika, and Knoxville, Iowa.
Monday being the only day of the week when significant rainfall was not expected meant that numbers at the Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma City were back up. A little less than 5,000 head of cattle changed hands at the sale, compared to about 5,900 a year ago.
Also bolstering enthusiasm for the sale was the increased quality of the cattle being sold and positive prices on the futures market.
“This market just jumped $5 to $10 on the feeders and the steer calves, $13 on the feeder heifers, and $5 or better on the heifer calves,” Hale described. “It is a stout, very active market, like we’ve never seen.”
Twelve hundred head are to run through the Waurika sale today, and slightly fewer are expected at Comanche tomorrow. Hale said that for the most part, they would have to wait and see what the weather does this week and how it affects the sales.
Although the rain makes managing and loading cattle difficult, it is needed to water pastures and fill ponds.
Hale can be contacted at 940-631-2333. Check out more about the marketing options that Western offers by clicking here.
