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Show : LIVESTOCK NOTES i j (By J. A. MeN'aughton) ! Los Angeles, January SO, 1937 Faced with a larger supply of lambs in western feed lots than lias been the case for several years, the lamb feeders are now pressing an intensive campaign to sharply increase the consumption of lamb. The number of lambs on feed in California is estimated to be 130 per cent above a year ago. The national livestock and meat board is co-operating with various wool growers associations and the meat packers in an effort to popularize lamb during the spring months. At a meeting recently held in Chicago representative of both chain store organizations ami retailers re-tailers the county over agreed to press an advertising campaign featuring fea-turing lamb during the period up until about March 1st. One difficulty diffi-culty with the present situation is that most of the lambs are a little heavier in weight than are normally normal-ly wanted in the retail market. However ,the quality is very good, wool pelts have high value and the result is that lamb is selling over the counter relatively cheaper than almost any other meat food. While the price of fat lambs on the open market is not low in relation rela-tion to average years, growers point out that relatively high feed prices have made lamb feeding unusually un-usually expensive with the result that most of the feed lot lambs are now being marketed at a loss to fatteners. It is felt that with some little encouragement the retail market could be expanded to permit per-mit some slight increase in market values which would enable those who are feeding lambs to come through the season without seriov.-losses. seriov.-losses. Viewing the lamb outlook as a whole, the severe snow storms in the western range country during dur-ing the past month have caused considerable losses, it is believed. Heavy snows in districts where a good many ewes are ordinari'v I carried through the winter have i made feeding very difficult and ii is probable that there will be con-I con-I sidcrable death loss. In northern I California and in the Sacramento : valley, the severe drouth up until January 1st, followed by extreme 1 cold weatlu-r, has caused; sheepmen sheep-men a considerable expense due to the forced purchase of hay and other feeds. |