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Show tovestoclcl With uuttlK values ut the highest pNMtmi lvli In hitury, OMttl-' OMttl-' mn jvnerally ar Riving mor ser ious attention to increasing tl'e percentage per-centage a nil quality of their ealf crops. Numbers of range breeding cuttle in every part of the west have ben reduced so that the cattle operator op-erator with a' more or less fixed overheat! over-heat! must fistr.ro on greater gross profits in relation to tb.e number of ows he is currying. In a way, reduced numbers of breeding cattle in a greater propor-tion propor-tion of the range country undoubtedly undoubted-ly is a pood thing for the individual oattlomen and for the industry as well, ad there is no doubt but that many ranges were seriously overstocked over-stocked a few years ago. " Kan (re cattle population has decreased, how-fver, how-fver, as a rcrult of post war liquidation, liquida-tion, miK-h of which was forced due to financial pressure; and because so; many cattle outfits turned from cat- tie to sheep. However, there is no doubt but that there are now fewer eattle on ranges than admit of profitable profit-able operation, unless greater efficiently effi-ciently in breeding and calf production produc-tion is attained. ' Understocked rangci mean thut thu reduced breeding- herds am able to have more feed, and thorfor, the rows should have grer.ler constitution and better vigor to successfully produce pro-duce and rear their calves. There Is no doubt but that It will tak several years before the cattle' population !::'s reached the happy medium, where there is still ample feed in normal years, yet enough breeding litock to supply the consumer demand for beef. Sufficient feed to carry animals through the entire year in good, healthy condition, probably is the most important factor to consider in profitable cattle raising. Experienced cattlemen know about how many cows atnl calves can be ac 'ommodated in various sections. Where feed is sparse and water holes few and far between, good cowirtn may run only one animal to twenty or thirty acres. There are other range sections where feed and water are more abundant, where an animal may be carried in a much smaller area. Successful cattlemen generally are disposed to insist on the use of pure bred bulls. Some successful cowmen are of the opinion that good grade India ale just as good, yet it niu:;t he remembered that the vast improvement improve-ment in the quality "f cattle generally, general-ly, increased ealf crops, better constitution con-stitution and quicker maturity nie all the result of better breeding. It is, therefore, only natural that after honest consideration, it must be admitted ad-mitted tlwt th purubred buU has been and will bo an Important factor in making more profitable cattle production pro-duction possible. One large western operator, who bought bulls In quantity quan-tity lots at his own price, was getting get-ting only a 00 per cent calf crop; they were just bulls, that's all. As an experiment, he was induced to put somo purebred bulls into his herd and, of course, they cost more money but the result was that his calf crop 'ncrensed the first year to 70 per cent and as purebred bulls were added it increased to 80 per cent. Moreover, rp, like many other co.vmen, four l that ;.!s calve ..: ed is.vro at six iion h: of age a'i.1 h-might v higher irice per pound, either when sold as feeders, or when finished at his own argc . With tho development of baby beef feeding, there is an even greater reason rea-son for improving the quality of the -alf crop. Likewise, with calves during dur-ing the past year or more, selling at $35.00 to $50.00 per head, there is "ertainly strong inducement to use bulls of proven progeny and of the right type and constitution. Better care of the cows to increase tho percentage of the calves saved will help a lot in improving and solv-'ng solv-'ng the financial condition of the anchor. The better quality of cattle will have a more ready sale and better beef will go along way toward popularizing popu-larizing that product with the consumer. con-sumer. A change in conditions Just had to come about, and with this change we will ultimately find the ndustry as a whole on a much more substantial and profitable basis. |
