Well, Soapweed, they sure looked good and weighed up, you did your part. The man that got us started in this business many moons ago,
told us to do everything about the same time every year. Don't try to out
guess the market. You might not hit the high, and you won't hit the low, but you'll still be operating the next year.
We have followed his advice all this time and that was told
to us 41 years ago .
I think there has been years that it worked to your advantage to sell
when you do as opposed to contracting earlier with an order buyer.
This is just one of the years that brings down the average a bit. But
you'll still be there next year doing the same thing.
Don't beat yourself up about it. Still good prices per head.
I heard from a friend in W. Montana that the order buyers aren't
picking up some of the contracts over there. That hasn't happened
here as yet that I know of.
Oh, and another good piece of advice was given to us by a Basque
friend that lost 800 sheep in one blizzard. We had bought the place in
W. Montana and were really worried about going in debt that much
and how it would all play out. She said, "Ranching is really simple. When you make a little more you spend a little more, when you make a little less you spend a little less." They ranched successfully in some tough country for many years. They are retired now. She gave us a ledger
book and said "when this is full, you'll know you've done something."
It is full...filled the last page this year...I never fail to think of the day she
gave me that book. We've used it all these years. Time passes way
too fast.
Wish the weather was better for your preg testing. We did our second
bunch yesterday. 68 degrees and beautiful out. We do ours in a barn,
wouldn't you know?
