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Show Mjvestocle ituation,J 4 Los Angeles Union Stock Yards, .) December 19 The most important impor-tant news development in the California Cali-fornia livestock situation this week is the fact ihat central and southern California have received the first generous rains cf the season. In southern California, the heavy rain ended one of the longest dry spells in weather bureau records. Certainly nature gave the stockmen and farmers a hiffhly appreciated' Christmas gift. Cattle and sheep have gone through the dry period in excellent excel-lent condition, due Ho abundance of dry feed. However, cattlemen were reporting-some trouble with cows which were in ne-ed of green feed jus(b prior to the calving period. Green feed is expected to develop rapidly in most sections, especially where grass was most needed. The market outlook continues to present a very satisfactory appearance appear-ance as far as the winter and early spring price struetue is concerned. , Reports just released by the U. S. Department of Agriculture Agri-culture indicates yhat cattle feeding feed-ing is on a sharply reduced basis throughout the seven western stages that normally supply the Pacific coast markets. In California Califor-nia and Arizona, where 64 per cent of all the cattle on' feed in the seven spates are being fed, numbers num-bers show a decline of 32 per cent from a year ago. The report indicates indi-cates around 116,300 cattle on feed in California against 170,000 a year ago, 157,000 two years ago and 115,000 ;three years ago. In Arizona, cattle on feed' are estimated esti-mated at 102,000 of which only 50 per cent are in feedlots, the remainder on pastures. This compares com-pares with 117,000 a year ago. It) is possible that additional cattle cat-tle will be moved from dry areas in Arizona to California pastures, now that heavy rains give greater great-er assurance of green feed in California. Cali-fornia. Reports from Arizona indicate in-dicate a serious shortage of waiter and range feed, a situation which may force some Arizona owners to sell more closely than they had .intended, and to prevent restocking restock-ing of ranches. The lamb market also presents a firmer undertone than was the case a year ago. Lamb feeding in the seven western states is said to be about 16 per cent below a year ago, although there is some increase as compared to a year age in California. California is credited with having 163,000 lambs on feed against 148,000 a year ago and 277,000 two. years ago. Thus it will be seen that even in California, Califor-nia, there is no burdensome supply in sight for winter markets. N'ot only does this give the market a bright outlook for fed lambs, but it may open the way for a more satisfactory outlet for California'3 great early lamb crop than in the spring of 1988. " . 1 |