Show L re ae lo 10 livestock lovestock lv 4 9 AC ulm the western range country has about reached its practical limit in lamb production following several yeras ot of intense building up tip ot of range flocks many of 0 the historic old cattie ranches have turned to sheep nig in this respect Is lite state slate of 0 texas which until a few years ago was almost strictly a cattle cattie state it Is now the largest sheep growing rowing state in the union california has developed her sheep business intensely As tar far back as tho the california sheep tion exclusive of 0 lambs was waa estimated at only slightly more than one million production has had its ups upa and downs since that time the population in fit 1920 being only but in the past nine years largely ns its a result of 0 profitable production and development of 0 a broad market tor for early california lambs on the eastern seaboard Cali fornias sheep population by 1925 reached and on january 1 1929 the sheep population in california was continued on page three THE LIVESTOCK SITUATION continued from page one ona and california now has tho the distinction ot of being the greatest lamb producing state but with such rapid growth in range flocks overproduction over production has been one of the serious evils in many instances not only in california but in other western states the result is that it if rainfall Is not sufficient to provide enogh feed a large proportion of the lambs do not fatten supplemental plem feeds such as cottonseed cake will carry the ewes through a dry season but the fattening of the lamb Is another problem the marketing of thin and halt half tat fat lambs has proven to be a serious problem to western lamb producers it if the thin lambs are slaughtered the carcasses are not satisfactory and lamb iamb consumption Is reduced the slogan of western lamb producers must be better sheep b but ut not more sheep but this does not mean that there is not room for real dyed in the wool sheep ment to get into te sheep business in california because as the old saying goes there Is always room at the top with proper merchandising and the resultant increase in the popularity of lamb there seems to be little danger of 0 overdoing lamb iamb production however students ot of the situation feel eel that any future expansion ot of lamb production must come from the small flocks carried as a side line on fruit and grain ranches and small farms quality production must be practised practiced in such instances for or real profit the most satisfactory way to relieve the range would be to spread oat the feeder lambs among the small ranchers using our grain and forage tor for fattening quite a few citrus growers in southern california are carrying lambs in their orchards reaping a double profit through the sa sale le of 0 lambs and through the gaining of valuable fertilizer to build up soil fertility we hear of several san joaquin valley deciduous fruit growers who are beginning to raise small flocks with profit this sort of farm activity Is in its infancy it was impossible to develop the small farm flock in california until in recent years due to lack of 0 marketing facilities now however with the public market such as Is maintained at the los angeles union stock yards it Is just as simple and satisfactory to market a truckload of lambs or other live stock as to market stock by the carload or trainload |