| Show livestock men are advised to market beef cattle early 0 by request of forest service supervisor leaders among the livestock men are advising early marketing of range beef cattle experience has taught them that on the ranges of the intermountain country cattle reach the best condition in flesh in early sep september or october and in seasons of drought and poor forage as early as august after the grasses on the range mature and dry cattle stop gaining and often lose flesh this is especially true if ranges are over stocked chemical tests made of grasses at different periods of the grow ing season show that as range grasses grow and mature then protein and vitamin content decreases in may and june when grasses are fresh and growing the protein content is as high as 2070 20 of weight but by august has diminished mini shed to 8 and by october to 6 even if animals get an abundance of this dry feed which is low in protein they gain little or no weight and often they lose this seasonal loss of protein in range grasses as they dry out explains the decline in gains of cattle weights that have been measured at a number of experimental stations in various parts of the range country 1 if cattle are ready for market 1 in late summer or early fall getting them off the range and on the market has many other bene its besides preventing loss ii weight it means the producer awill will get more for his animals and will have more forage left on the range for his breeding herds during the remainder of cf the grazing season the reduction in numbers will allow the grasses and other forage plants to store up f food in their roots and crowns for early string growth which means be ter early range early marketing of grass fat i dattle atte would furnish additional meat supplies now urgently needed by civilians and the armei arme forces the closing up of many I 1 nall nail packing establishments and the fhe curtailment of killing beef for ei i vilian use by some of the larger intermountain packers may make it difficult for cattlemen to market their livestock in late fall when cattle normally come off the range those who have studied the winter feed situation are convinced there will not be sufficient harvested feed available to carry through the winter a greater number of stock than normally is fed because of the high cost of feed and the small price differential between the feeder and the fat t steer eer prospects for feeding steea ul n commercial feed yards are not jr right ight this may bring about glutted market resulting in a lowering of price to the producer the seller can be assured of good prices now and by selling early he will help to relieve the pressure of large numbers of cattle going on the market in late fall which will make a more stable sellers market august september and early october are a continued on page five LIVESTOCK MEN 0 contin act irom from page 1 slack period for stockyards stock yards and packers in this region and grass fat cattle offered for sale at his time can be readily handled except fr abnormal conditions brought on by wars there has been a close relationship beck through the years between the numbers ibbers of cattle and the prices f producers for instance im hrdi ateY following a cattle peak in 1918 of head which sold on an average a at t the price broke so that by 1922 cattle were selling for per head with this declining price numbers decreased until in 1928 there were only head in the country and prices soared to and then in keeping with the relationship between prices and numbers cattle increased to in 1935 and prices dropped to 2000 per head since 1940 cattle numbers and values per head have been increasing until we have reached an all time high in boh bo h today there are 00 head of cattle on our farms and ranges having an rage selling value of per c d during this period feed production Iro reduction has not increased and in many western states both hay and range forage have actually declined getting numbers and feed supplies out of balance threatens future maximum meat production as well as the stability of the cattle business unalterable laws of economics argue strongly for a considerable reduction in cattle numbers in the united states such a program would furnish increased supplies of meat to meet our war demands it offers an opportunity to the stockman to improve his herd by culling out the scrubs and less thrifty animals it will establish and maintain a balance between numbers and feed eed f supply which is necessary to a profitable livestock business with a high quality herd capable of producing maximum poun able of producing maximum poundage per unit 0 of f feed with ample feed both range and harvested available throughout the the year and with total numbers in keeping with the consumer demands the western cattlemen will have their livestock operation in the best condition to weather whatever adjustments the war or after the war period might demand |
