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Show .Situation. J September 2 Mr. J. A. Mc-Xaujjhton, Mc-Xaujjhton, vice president and general gen-eral manager of the Los Angeles Union Stockyards, says: Interest in the western cattle country now centers in the movement of stock-er stock-er and feeder cattle. Hundreds of thousands of calves, yearlings and stock cows change hands during the fall period, with deliveries starting about October 1st in most sections of the southwest. California Cali-fornia alone usually imports its greatest number of. replacement cattle in October and November. About (JO percent of the total annual an-nual requirements of California's stacker and feeder cattle are moved into the state in October, November and December. This means that around a quarter million mil-lion replacement cattle ordinarily are imported into California from other states, mainly Arizona, Texas, Nevada and Oregon, during dur-ing the last three months of the year. The cost of replacement cattle is giving no little concern to California Cali-fornia cattlemen, who regard present pre-sent prices dangerously high. Early trading indicates prices around 9c to 10c a pound for weaner calves, with most of the Better quality steer calves at the latter price. There is a general feeling that the ' light Arizona calves, which average around 300 pounds and are sired by high quality registered bulls, are the least speculative as these calves will usually be carried on grass for at least one season. With a normal pasture season, gains are put on rather economically, and the animals can be placed iri feed-lots feed-lots after coming off grass in the summer of 1942. Producers are hoping to get better than 8c a pound for yearling feeders. In many instances, this would mean that yearlings, after adding the cost of transportation, etc., would stand California buyers close to 9c a pound at home. There is a logical fear that such cattle might be dangerously costly unless fat cattle prices are salable at higher prices in 1941 and 1942 than has been the case in average years. With the rapid develoment of "farmer feeding" of cattle on farms which raise the bulk of feed consumed by cattle, there is a new outlet for feeder cattle in California. Most of these "farmer "farm-er feeders" want only a few loads of cattle. They are hopeful that they can buy all of their requirements require-ments at the public markets, for these feeders point out that they cannot afford to add to their costs of feeder cattle the expense of traveling about the country In search of their requirements. As a matter of fact, these buyers can afford to pay more at the Los Angeles Union Stockyards than they could pay in producing areas in other states. Moreover, there is such a broad demand for good quality feeder steers that the open competition fjr replacements at the stock yards would assure both buyers and sellers a fair market price. Advance in hog prices last week to peak of $8.25 a owt. places the hog market at the highest levels of 1940. It should be pointed out that while present hog prices offer of-fer a fairly profitable outlet for hog feeders, the price of live hoS is still relatively low and consumers consum-ers are able to buy pork in the retail re-tail market at very reasonable prices. m |