October brought significant rain across most of Oklahoma after a very dry September. The rains came in the form of a significant fall severe weather season. A total of 31 tornadoes were reported in the state in October, a new record for the month and more than for the entire year from January through September.
Wheat planting is finishing up in Oklahoma. The latest Crop Progress report showed a total of 73 percent planted as of Oct. 24, slightly behind the five-year average of 80 percent for the date. Considerable progress was made in wheat planting the last week of October. While wheat for grain only is still being planted or is newly planted, wheat for forage or dual purpose has progressed significantly with recent rains.
Driving across Oklahoma recently, you can observe wheat in stages from planting, to barely emerging, to several inches tall. Most wheat pastures will not be ready for grazing until December, later than usual, but some reports say that some wheat grazing may begin by mid-November.
Rain and the revived prospects for wheat pasture have lifted calf and stocker prices in October. Prices bottomed earlier than usual in the first week of October and have increased counter-seasonally the last three weeks.
For example, prices for 450-500 pound, M/L No. 1 steers were $167.32/cwt the first week of October, and they averaged $175.69/cwt the last week of October (Oklahoma combined auctions).
Nationwide, the drought continues as winter approaches. Drought developed through 2020, and average drought conditions currently are slightly worse than the drought conditions at this time last year. Although there have been some regional changes in the drought situation, the overall picture has not changed much.
The country started this growing season with the worst average pasture and range conditions on record and is ending the year in the same condition. The reemerging La Niсa increases the chances for moisture in the northern half of the country and Canada but simultaneously increases the odds of drier conditions redeveloping in the Southwest.
In any event, not much will change regarding forage supplies in the next six to seven months. The one exception is the potential for wheat pasture and other cool-season forages in the Southern Plains, which will need additional moisture through the winter.
November will bring big runs of spring-born calves. Although, in some drought regions, calves moved out earlier. In total, feeder cattle numbers are expected to be smaller going forward as cattle inventories continue to shrink cyclically. Several Oklahoma Quality Beef Network preconditioned calf sales are upcoming. Check oqbn.okstate.edu for more information. — Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension livestock marketing specialist
