Show the livestock situation ty by J A liton costs coals of hay bay and con are giving livestock feeders no little concern ceru aside froia ihu ill hug hog ni arket livestock prices have changed very ery little during d the first halt half of 1941 hut but during the same period the cost coat of ull feeds has haa advanced lAar bliar ply as much as 50 per cent aud and even more no 1 bright western barley was selling the first week in january as los loa All angeles geles at a cwt cat while the price quoted at the end of june w thiis as a ot cat U S no 1 alfalla alfalfa in january was quoted at los loa angeles at 10 to 10 a tos los while the same grade Is now quoted at sia 18 to 19 a ton cottonseed mea atal I 1 which was quoted in january a at t 31 a ton la is now quoted at ss 38 in los log angeles hog 1109 prices have hae advanced ad anted charp harp ly this year i ear the top quotation late lae last week of around 1175 a cwt cat comparing with in january and around OCO a year ago fed steers which were selling early in january at J 10 to to ao 10 10 a cwt cat aru ari now quoted at 10 a ct a slight gain in co comparison with increased cop cost t of feeding the general run of range cows cos which were bringing to 8 a ct in january are no now selling fling at to yet t a again ga in costs coata of production have hae increased materially tile the problem faced by bv livestock feeders Is ig to attempt to work out lower feeding costs by making more f efficient use ot of the more oatly ily feeds some feeders are cilny this problem by putting iu ILI feed grinding and mixing ma ina el lines the full value ot of alfaia hay bay for example maye be obtained by cho chopping it and its value as a feed may be increased by mixing molasses with it the are fewer steers on feed in southern california than a year ago this la Is due partly to the rel tit ively high cost of feed feedstuffs stuffs a and also because of the relatively nai row low margin between the cost al s feeder feeal r cattle and tat fat cattle cattle feeders who ho a year ear ago were able to show a profit on a spread or r gain or of ac a pound between cost ot of feeders and uie the selling price of fed steers now feel that a spread of 2 ya 12 to t 0 ac a pound la is necessary cattlemen tire are more than ever concerned with getting the last dollar foible out of their stock and are aie using the competitive bidding on the central markets as a means to this end june cattle receipts at the los angeles union stock yards v were ere about head larger than chaa in june last year and most of tills this increase represents the he change from selling nt home to selling at the stock yards |