TM
The Largest Privately Owned Hereford Newspaper in North America
Vol. 27, No. 6
Serving Commercial Cattlemen & Registered Hereford Breeders
Published by: Hereford America, Inc. • 13823 Beaver Creek Place • Reva, SD 57651 • Est. 1996
Editorial Comments... Jill Bayers Hotchkiss The bull sales are in full swing in our area as of this writing and they have been very good! It seems like a year where the insane tops Jill Hotchkiss aren’t necessarily the norm, although there have been a few, but the sales are solid all the way through with strong averages. It’s apparent that demand for Here fords is strong throughout the area. A real highlight this month, which demonstrated this demand, was the Hereford-Influence Sale in Mitchell, SD. Established over 30 years ago by hard work of several South Da kota Hereford breeders in conjunc tion with Mitchell Livestock, the sale has grown to be one of the best Hereford and Hereford-Influence sales in the nation. This year was no exception and a strong market made for exceptionally good prices as producers from across the state consigned cattle to this sale. The ar ticle at right gives details of the sale but let me do the math for you...the 63 head of straight Hereford steers that brought $320/cwt., weighing 663 lbs. brought $2,121.60 per head and totalled $133,660! Those are the kind of results everyone would like to have. Congratulations to this breeder. News of the sale spread quickly through social media and online news services. DV Auction and Drovers Journal were quick to pick up the story as were other news out lets. This kind of promotion can’t be purchased and will do our breed a lot of good. I listened to DV’s “Feed er Flash” Cattle Market Summary (continued on page 10)
March 2024
Sandrock Hereford Ranch: Bringing Hereford Beef to the Table in Wisconsin
by Ruth Wiechmann For over 125 years, Kevin Bennett’s family has farmed and raised cattle in southwestern Wisconsin. “My grandmother started in the Hereford cattle in the 1940s, and we’ve had nothing but Hereford cattle ever since,” he said. Located on the scenic Fever River, Sandrock Ranch has grown to a herd of about 400 spring calving cows plus 30 fall calvers, including (continued on page 3)
Hereford and Hereford-Influence Cattle Dominate Mitchell Sale with Strong Demand KANSAS CITY, MO – Even consid ering strong demand and historically high prices for calves and feeder cattle this winter, the Hereford and Herefordinfluenced sale at Mitchell Livestock Marketing in South Dakota Feb. 15 was a head-turner. For instance, 63 head of straight Hereford steers weighing 663 pounds brought $320 per hundredweight (cwt.). Seventy-five Hereford steers weighing 716 pounds brought an aver age of $268. Approximately 85% of the 4,471 head reported selling at Mitchell were Hereford or Hereford-influenced. Overall, steer calves and feeders weighing 550-900 lbs. sold $3-$5 per cwt. higher week to week. “They dollared up against any of the best black cattle in the world,” says Keith Fawcett of Fawcett’s Elm Creek Ranch, Ree Heights, SD. “You’ve got to appreciate the buyers coming in and taking home what they and their cus tomers want.” Alongside Hereford steers and heif ers, Hereford-sired black baldy and red baldy cattle met with strong demand. For instance, 73 red baldy steers weigh (continued on page 8)