Well, the 2013 calf crop has been sold and the calves are off to the next stage of their life somewhere near Exeter, CA.
I have to say, sitting in that sale barn watching our calves run through the ring pulls a bit on the heart strings. Proud would be the most prominent emotion. I think we produced a heck of a product this year considering the drought. Our calves looked good and gained more weight than we really expected. There was also also a hint of sadness yesterday. It’s kinda hard to say goodbye to something my family has worked so hard to produce. And then of course there was the nervousness! As the auctioneer called out “these are those quality Robinson calves” and the bidding started it was all I could do to keep my heart from racing right out of my chest! And this isn’t my first trip to the sale barn, I promise. When your fate lies in the hands of whomever showed up to buy that day, it can be a tad stressful. It’s probably only me though because my mom looked pretty cool and collected. Luckily this year there were record cattle prices so that will relieve a bit of the hit we took buying additional hay this winter.
But now the real work begins as we try to maintain our cattle in good condition on very short native grass. That calf check won’t last long if we have to buy more hay. One day at a time. Thankfully for now, there is rain in the forecast.