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Show Mjtvestocle gflA.sfKwoHrog . . 21 r Los Angeles, California, September Sep-tember 23, 1935 With the number num-ber of calves in the principal livestock live-stock range country the smallest since 1929 and the number of steers on hand the smallest in over fifteen years, according to federal estimates, indications are that receipts of all cattle at public pub-lic stockyards this fall will be smaller than for many years. This also means that supplies of stock-er stock-er and feeder cattle will be considerable con-siderable below normal, all of which causes students of the livestock live-stock markets to believe that we are in for a continuation of the present strong trend in cattle prices. The demand for stocker and feeder cattle is very active at this " " w- time but buyers are inclined to be more cautious and this aittitude may have some effect on later market prices. As it appears to this writer, middle western farmers farm-ers will be active bidders for feeder feed-er cattle in view of the practical certainty of a large corn crop this fall in most parts of the corn belt. There is only one outlet for most of the corn and that is through the medium of livestock feeding. Much of the corn that in normal years would go into pork production probably will be diverted di-verted to beef fattening. There is a tendency now for feeder buyers to compete with slaughterers slaughter-ers for fleshy cattle that ordinarily ordinar-ily would go directly into beef channels. As for the lamb feeding situation, situa-tion, buyers are having trouble in locating supplies of feeder lambs due to the fact that a larger proportion pro-portion of the range lambs fattened fatten-ed on the range. This is due to a smaller late lamb crop and better than normal range feed conditions. condi-tions. It is expected that in most of the range areas where the 1934 drouth forced heavy marketing last year, there will be an inclination inclina-tion on the part of owners to hold back heifer calves and cows, and also hold back ewes and ewe lambs. Thus, government crop experts are inclined to look forward for-ward to an even greater reduction in market supplies of both cattle and lambs than might otherwise be the case. Supplies of hogs are expected to remain at low ebb for some time to come. In the meantime, with consumers unable to buy normal supplies of pork, f prices are expected ex-pected to remain at relatively high levels, a factor which should prove immensely helpful, to sustaining sus-taining or improving beef cattle and lamb prices. |