Progress Through Performance Bull Sale

Dressed weights corrected lower and fell back below the five-year average and back to last year’s level. Weights – on average – aren’t suggesting burdensome supplies this spring. Combined with reduced slaughter, domestic supplies should support prices.

The struggles of lamb demand and consumption has led to the building of cold storage stocks.

Cold storage supplies hit almost 30 million pounds in November, according to the latest available report. This is equal to the fiveyear average and more than the 23.4 million pounds in November 2021. It will be important to see stocks drawn down by the spring holiday demand.

Imports have remained large. The seasonal decline in imports from March to September was muted. Imports in November hit almost 25 million pounds. Imports combined with cold storage stocks will offset any moderation in domestic production.

One area of interest for future domestic production is mature sheep slaughter.

Throughout 2022, weekly slaughter was about equal to the 2016-20 average. Slaughter in 2021 was elevated and contributed to a smaller ewe flock. Restrained slaughter in 2022 suggests any change in the ewe flock in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s inventory might be small.

Wool and lamb trade

The industry is highly dependent on trade. Rarely would talk about markets not include some discussion of imports and exports or action in the Australian wool market, which determines prices worldwide.

Often these discussions would mention exchange rates. A stronger U.S. dollar versus Australian and New Zealand currencies leads to more meat imports. Changing exchange rates leads to changing relative prices in each country.

In general, the U.S. dollar has strengthened against most major trading partners’ currencies this year. Higher U.S. interest rates have boosted the dollar, and differing prospects for economic growth around the world have similarly helped the dollar.

Using monthly average exchange rate data, the U.S. dollar versus the Australian dollar was 1.48 in December compared to 1.4 in December 2021 – about a six percent appreciation.

The U.S. dollar appreciated about seven percent compared to the New Zealand dollar in December.

This rate of appreciation was similar to the Euro. Compared to the British pound, the dollar was about nine percent larger in value.

While the dollar has gained in value year-overyear, the appreciation has moderated in recent months.

For example, in October 2022, the U.S. to Australian dollar rate was 1.57 compared to 1.35 in October 2021.

This exchange rate had declined to 1.48 in December 2022. But, both remain higher than the 1.39 in January. This general increase in value of the dollar through much of 2022 and some moderation in November and December holds for most major currencies.

It’s likely the U.S. dollar remains relatively stronger than our trading partners’ currencies compared to the prior year in coming months. This will act to keep meat imports large. It will affect relative prices in the wool market.

Summary

There is some reason for optimism for lamb prices in the new year, but a lot depends on demand recovery.

Higher seasonal live lamb prices should be expeted as we move closer to the spring holidays. Imports and stocks will most likely restrain price growth.

Dr. David Anderson is a professor and Extension economist for livestock and food product marketing at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. ASI originally published this article in Sheep Industry News To read the current edition, visit sheepusa.org/magazines/february-2023

CAUCUS continued from page A1

“I call the Western Caucus a three-legged stool. There is the Senate Western Caucus, which is now over 10 years old. There is the Congressional Western Caucus, which is in its 30-year anniversary, and then there is the Western Caucus Foundation,” Henry stated.

“The foundation is a section 501(c)(3) charitable organization which works with the House and Senate Western Caucuses and promotes their agenda, communication and education, while also helping put boots on the ground out West to learn about policy issues,” he added.

Following Henry, Lummis took to the stage to address attendees.

“The Western Caucus allows all of us to work together for the betterment of the Western states, to bring profile to Western issues and to solve issues unique to the West, our Western lifestyles and the natural environment in which we live, as well as the rural way of life which is frequently underrepresented here in Congress,” Lummis said. “This group provides the opportunity for all of us to work more closely together to make the issues we care about front and center, and I couldn’t be more delighted to serve as the new chairman of the Senate Western Caucus alongside my friend and former colleague Dan Newhouse.”

Senate Western Caucus priorities

Lummis also presented the priorities for the Senate Western Caucus, which include defending the Western way of life by reestablishing American energy dominance, fostering economic development and promoting smart public land management.

First, she noted the Senate Western Caucus will be working on natural resource and energy independence.

“We should be focused on the goal of having clean air and water and a landscape matching the great people who live in the West,” Lummis stated. “There is a way to accomplish this if we focus on clean air and not on the sources of energy used –to utilize all of our natural resources, whether it’s coal, gas, wind, solar or nuclear. All of these have to be a part of our energy mix.”

Lummis said this goes hand-in-hand with the second goal – economic development – as well as the third goal of smart public land management.

“Public lands are such a dominant presence in the West,” Lummis said, noting nearly one-half of Wyoming, one-third of Montana, two-thirds of Utah and seven-eighths of Nebraska are public land. “We have to be able to work together to ensure we have responsible shared use and multiple uses of this land.”

She then shared she had spent a weekend with Wyoming county commissioners during a training session they held on how to engage cooperator agency status giving them a stronger voice and more robust seat at the table.

“These are exactly the kinds of things we want to incorporate into best practices all over the West,” she concluded. “Western voices and boots on the ground are driving factors to make the West the best it can possibly be.”

Congressional Western Caucus priorities

During the press conference, Newhouse also took a turn to discuss priorities of the Congressional Western Caucus.

“I am delighted, excited and really looking forward to some of the things we are going to accomplish in the next two years,” he began. “I am also very proud of what we have been able to accomplish the past two years, and a lot of this success was due to many of our partnerships with people in this room. I can’t express how critical it is for us to have this support.”

The first priority Newhouse brought to light is to ensure every paying member of the Western Caucus is seen, heard and receives a return on their investment.

“As humbly as I can say, I think we have been successful with this. Everyone feels good about the accomplishments we have made and the focus we have been able to place on certain issues,” he said.

Newhouse further noted issues outlined by Lummis, such as water, land and energy regulations, are also top priority for the Congressional Western Caucus.

“We need to unleash America’s energy capacity so we can be a dominate force again, and so we don’t have to be dependent on foreign sources, some of which are not so friendly,” he noted. “Additionally, things like Waters of the U.S. and the upcoming farm bill are important issues for us.”

“Just so people don’t forget why we exist – we represent rural areas of the country from sea to shining sea. In fact, we have a representative from almost all 50 states, which is incredible,” he added. “Whether it’s Georgia or Washington, rural Americans share a lot of things in common, which is what we represent here in the Western Caucus.”

For more information on the Senate Western Caucus, Congressional Western Caucus or Western Caucus Foundation, visit westerncacucus.house.gov or westerncaucusfoundation.org.

Newhouse continued, “We do what we do in order to amplify and raise up the voices of these people we represent. Not all rural Americans can come to Washington, D.C., but this is why we are here. We go out to see them faceto-face and listen to their voices to find out what is important to them. Then, we bring their voices back here to Washington, D.C. so they can be heard.”

Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Feb. 7-8 35th Annual High Plains No-till Conference, Burlington, Colo. For more information and to register, visit highplainsnotill.com

Feb. 7-9 Montana Soil Health Symposium, Billings, Mont. For more information and to register, visit mtsoilhealth.org

Feb. 7-9 Thunder Basin Research Initiative Hybrid Meeting, online. For more information, e-mail dave@rswyoming.com.

Feb. 8 U.S. Department of Agriculture Cattle Contracts Library on the Agricultural Marketing Service Webinar, 9 a.m., online. For more information, visit ams.usda.gov/market-news/livestock-poultry-grain/cattle-contracts-library or contact Michael Sheats at michael.sheats@usda.gov or 202-690-3145.

Feb. 8 National Women’s Business Council Public Meeting, 12 p.m., online. For more information, e-mail nwbcouncil@sba.gov.

Feb. 8 State Trade Expansion Program Legal and Technical Questions Webinar, online. For more information, visit sba.gov

Feb. 8-9 Farm and Ranch Days, Fremont Center (Armory), Riverton. To reserve a booth space or for more information, contact the Extension office by e-mailing rfiskl@uwyo.edu or call 307-332-2363 or 307-857-3654.

Feb. 9 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Calculating Annual Cow Costs Webinar

6:30-7:30 p.m., online. To register for the webinar, visit go.unl.edu/cow_costs

For more information, contact Aaron Berger by e-mailing aberger2@unl.edu or call 308-235-3122.

Feb. 9 Wyoming Collaborative for Healthy Soils Survey Results on Soil Health Meeting, 10 a.m., Zoom. For more information, visit groundupconsulting.us/wchs

Feb. 11 National Historic Trails Interpretive Center Tour Guide Training, 10 a.m., National Historic Trails Interpretive Center, 1501 N. Poplar Street, Casper. For more information, call Jason Vlcan at 307-261-7783.

Feb. 11-12 Hell on Wheels Rodeo Queen Competition, Laramie County Community College, Cheyenne. For more information, visit cheyenne.org/hellonwheelsrodeo/rodeo-queen/

Feb. 12-16 Society for Range Management Annual Meeting, Boise, Idaho. For more information, visit rangelands.org

Feb. 13 Bureau of Land Management Public Scoping Virtual Meeting, online. For more information, visit planning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/

Feb. 16 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Calculating Annual Cow Costs Webinar, 6:30-7:30 p.m., online. To register for the webinar, visit go.unl.edu/cow_costs For more information, contact Aaron Berger by e-mailing aberger2@unl.edu or call 308-235-3122.

Feb. 16 University of Wyoming Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership Seminar, Sheridan College, Sheridan. To register, visit uwyo.edu/uwag/ rmal or contact Anne DeMersseman at ademerss@uwyo.edu or call 307766-3206.

Feb. 22 Cattle Market Update and Free Meal, 6 p.m., Beeman-Cashin Building, Evanston. For more information and to RSVP by Feb. 16, call 307-747-6377.

Feb. 23 Cattle Market Update and Free Meal, 12 p.m., The Cowboy, Baggs. For more information and to RSVP by Feb. 16, call 307-747-6377.

Feb. 23 Cattle Market Update and Free Meal, 6 p.m., Ramkota Hotel, Casper. For more information and to RSVP by Feb. 16, call 307-747-6377.

Feb. 23 State Trade Expansion Program Enhancing a Website for eCommerce Webinar, online. For more information, visit sba.gov

Feb. 23 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Calculating Annual Cow Costs Webinar, 6:30-7:30 p.m., online. To register for the webinar, visit go.unl.edu/cow_costs For more information, contact Aaron Berger by e-mailing aberger2@unl.edu or call 308-235-3122.

Feb. 24-26 Up in Arms Flea Market and Gun Show, CAM-PLEX, Gillette. For more information, contact Lisa at 208-420-2295.

Feb 28 University of Wyoming Extension Private Pesticide Applicators Licensing Education, 1-5 p.m. 2011 Agricultural Resource Learning Center, 2011 Fairgrounds Road, Casper. For more information or to register, call 307-235-9400.

Sales

Feb. 6 Ludvigson Stock Farms Sale, Yellowstone Feeders, Shepherd, Mont., 515450-3124, 712-229-3431, ludvigsonstockfarms.com

Feb. 8 Durbin Creek Ranch 11th Annual Bull Sale, Big Horn Basin Livestock Auction, Worland, 307-921-8825, durbincreekranch.com

Feb. 8 Jindra Angus 23rd Annual Production Sale, Bull Center, Clarkson, Neb., 402-290-3171, jindraangus.com

Feb. 9 Booth’s Cherry Creek Angus 50th Annual “Progress Through Performance” Bull Sale, at the ranch, Veteran, 307-534-5865, 307-532-1805, 307532-1532, boothscherrycreekranch.com

Feb. 10 Powder River Angus Annual Bull Sale, Buffalo Livestock Marketing, Buffalo, 307-680-7359, 307-680-8266, powderriverangus.com

Feb. 11 Flying M Angus Sixth Annual Bull Sale, Wright Agricultural Complex, Wright, 307-660-5755

Feb. 13 Pilakowski Angus Annual Performance Tested Bull Sale, Lightning Valley Ranch, Arthur, Neb., 308-249-0885, pilakowskiangus.com

Feb. 13

Fawcett’s Elm Creek Ranch Annual Production Sale, at the ranch, Ree Heights, S.D., 605-870-0161, 605-870-6172, fawcettselmcreekranch.com

Big horn Basin

Worland, WY

Feb. 13 Big Sky Salers 39th Annual Salers Focus Bull Sale, Stockmen’s Livestock, Dickinson, N.D., 406-557-6259

Feb. 14 G Bar H Genetics Angus Bull Sale, Torrington Livestock Market, Torrington, 307-575-5520, 307-532-6170, 307-575-0294, 307-575-0373

Feb. 15 Calvo Red Angus Bull Sale, Buffalo Livestock Marketing, Buffalo, 605-8302210, 402-760-1274, calvofamilyredangus.com

Feb. 15 Shaw Cattle Company Annual Bull Sale, at the ranch, Caldwell, Idaho, 208459-3029, 208-880-9044, shawcattle.com

Feb. 16 Wooden Shoe Farms Annual Bull Sale, at the ranch, Blackfoot, Idaho, 208681-4169, 208-604-0235

Feb. 16 McNamee Angus Ranch & Cook Angus 35th Annual Bull Sale, Miles City Livestock Commission, Miles City, Mont., 406-421-5588, 406-421-5554, 406477-8626

Feb. 17 Hoffman Ranch Annual Bull Sale, at the ranch, Thedford, Neb., 308-6452279, 530-604-5096, 406-425-0859, hoffmanranch.com

Feb. 17 Lewis Brothers Angus 43rd Annual Bull Sale, St. Onge Livestock Auction, St. Onge, S.D., 605-391-2044, 605-391-7090, grandviewangus.com

Feb. 17 Rees Brothers Annual Production Sale, at the ranch, Morgan, Utah, 801668-8613, 801-949-8960, 801-913-5747, reescattle.com

Feb. 18 Triple T Land and Livestock Annual Bull & Heifer Production Sale, Buffalo Livestock Marketing, Buffalo, 307-746-8509, bar-t3livestock,com

Feb. 18 Redland Redbank Angus First Annual Live Auction, Big Horn Basin Livestock Auction, Worland, 307-250-1548

Feb. 18 Domek Charolais Bull Sale, at the ranch, Wibaux, Mont., 406-795-2618, 701-872-6331, domekcharolais.com

Feb. 20 Weaver Ranch 38th Annual Production Sale, at the ranch, Fort Collins, Colo., 970-568-3898

Feb. 22 Mt. Rushmore Angus Ranch 57th Annual Production Sale, at the ranch, Rapid City, S.D., 605-342-2449, 605-484-6731, 605-381-7361, mtrushmoreangus.com

Feb. 25 Kretschman Angus Annual Bull Sale, Buffalo Livestock Marketing, Buffalo, 307-351-0794, 307-736-2327, kretschmanangus.com

Feb. 25 RV Bar Angus 16th Annual Bull and Female Production Sale, at the ranch, Jensen, Utah, 435-828-1111, 435-828-1116, 435-828-8391, rvbarangus.com

Feb. 25 First Annual Wyoming Select Bred Ewe Sale, Barn 3 at the CAM-PLEX, Gillette, 307-265-5250, wyowool.com/bredewesale

Feb. 27 Reyes/Russell 32nd Annual Sale, at the ranch, Wheatland, 307-331-1530, 307-322-4848, 970-587-2534, mrangusranch.com

POSTCARD from the Past

Compiled by Dick Perue rrichardperue@gmail.com

Party of Nine Near Death From Exposure in Raging Blizzard

Thus proclaims a headline in the Jan. 25, 1917 issue of The Saratoga Sun. Excerpts from the news item goes as follows.

After fighting blindly for more than 24 hours in the face of the wildest storm which has raged for years on the lonely stretch of prairie between Saratoga and Walcott, on the Union Pacific, 150 miles west of Cheyenne, a party of nine people, among whom was a woman and a 12-year-old boy, all famished and more dead than alive, staggered into the little hotel at Walcott Sunday at noon.

In the party were Mrs. Dana Crawford, wife of the former editor of The Saratoga Sun and their 12-year-old boy; D. S. Richmond, livery and stockman of Saratoga; E. A. Ryder, a traveling man of Denver; two other men from Encampment and three other traveling men whose identity could not be learned.

According to Ryder’s story, the party had been marooned in Saratoga, following a blockade of the Saratoga and Encampment Railroad. In an effort to catch the eastbound train on the main line of the Union Pacific, the party secured the services of D. S. Richmond and a man thoroughly familiar with every foot of the county lying between Saratoga and Walcott.

“We had not been out more than an hour on Saturday when it became nearly impossible to see 40 yards ahead. Feeling our way and getting off the sled every few minutes to reconnoiter, we crept along until well past the middle of the afternoon. The four horses were pretty badly fatigued after struggling through the snow, which lay three feet deep on the level. By nightfall we had lost all sense of distance and were forced to admit we were lost,” Ryder recalls.

“Spreading such blankets as we had over the wagon box in which we were packed, we settled down to spend the night. There was not a whimper from Mrs. Crawford or the boy. At times, one of us would venture a little distance into the blinding fury of the storm, which raged almost unabated, in a vain endeavor to find some sign allowing us to go on. We ate only a small box of crackers, which I carried in my sample case,” he continues.

“Richmond left us in the morning, and after a three-mile tramp, located an abandoned sheep camp. We made such haste as we could, tearing the boards and rails from the corrals, huddled around the fire to plan what to do next,” says Ryder.

He concludes, “Knowing we would perish before another day spent in such exposure, we struck north as nearly as we could judge, and after five miles driving topped the rise of ground which overlooks the station of Walcott. Just 25 hours had elapsed when we drove into the station Sunday from the time we left Saratoga.” – Wyoming Tribune