OCR Text |
Show iSJLivestoclO g.f'NAUGHirj - 1 Los Angeles, November 28, 1932 Both cattle and lamb feeders are buying thin stock this fall with more assurance of coming out on the right side of the ledger than has been the case during the previous three years. Not only are first costs of stocker and feedei- cattle, as well as feeder lambs the lowest "within the memory of most of us, but for the most part, feeding costs are also sharply reduced. reduc-ed. Especially in sections where there is an abundance of grain and roughage will the gains be put on at relatively small cost. It seems logical that livestock feeding feed-ing would be conducted at places where feed costs are the lowest. For example, throughout most of the western farming country, hay is available at $4 to $5 a ton, while corn, barley, wheat and other concentrates concen-trates are generally valued at only about Vz cent a pound. Under such circumstances, good feeders report that they are able to put on gains for about 4 cents a pound. It seems out of the question that on 4 cent steers and lambs and 4 cent gains, that any losses would be possible when marketing time of fat stock comes. On the other hand, it might be well to calculate carefully the cost of putting put-ting on the gains in a metropolitan area as against the country where there are no transportation costs on feed to be considered. Manifestly, it costs less to ship the cattle to the feed than to ship the feed to the cattle. cat-tle. It must be remembered that even at the low prices of feeder stock, an expensive animal might result re-sult if the cost of gains is too great. Cattle and lamb feeders must understand under-stand that the chances of radical price improvement in the markets is not great and that, unless expected at marketing time is a fair price for feeds. In other words, the man who places his cattle in a custom feed yard is paying the owner a profit on feeds and it is not unlikely that this one profit is about all that the trade will stand. It is fortunate for both the stockman stock-man and the feeder that the west coast markets have developed a greatly increased demand for grain finished beef and lamb. Feedlot development, de-velopment, especially ch small farms and ranches, not only affords a probable prob-able profitable outlet for grain and forage, but the purchases of these small feeders helps to keep out of killer channels a volume of unfinished unfinish-ed beef at a time when buying power of the consuming public is slack. Conducted along practical lines, the growing custom of feeding and finishing fin-ishing livestock should serve as a stabilizing influence on the markets. |