Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-07-25
1ut SHEEP lNOUsrRY


The following builitln on the con-
di,ion of the nhcep industry has been
isucd from headquarters u the Ma
t.onnl Live stock association. Denvef'
Colorado.
Denver. Colo. July, is,s
A careful canvas u the rheep Hltun-
ZION develops condition quite favor
able 10 this branch ~ thu live stock
induatry IN the territory lying west ~
the Missouri river. In this section ~
the country careful estimates, based
upon the best information obtninnhlr,
show that there ar now 3o,sw'v99
sheen nnciuding lamha) out of total
Of H.0Oo 900 IN the United states.
~ for this reason that IN discussing
tho sheep situation. special attention
must Of nscerHty be- given the West
While the industry as a whole was
never In "a more prosperous condition.
the lanb crop does not show as lnrge
a percentage az usual. due apparently
10 two reasons. Ftrrt-OwiuE a. the
rapid Increase In the nlzc ~ loch,
fully % per cent 81 the ewes OF last
years lamb crop being retained Tor
the purpose Of producing wool, Their
was a scarcity Of bucks. The Increase
OF ewes being fully 90 per cent greater
than the Increase In male sheep. This
had a serious tffcct on tn lamb crop,
In addition Ia this the universal cold
rains during landing arnfon caused
mortality ~ from is 10 ~ per cent, nc.
cording 10 incation, 20 II " doubtful "
the per cent ~ lambs viii equal 20 per
cent OF the number Of ewes. which. he
ing estimated nj i5.0O.Ooo, would make
the lamb crop about 100000.
An sections report forage tho finest
In ten years. and the lambs are largvt
and fatter than usual nj this time ~
year the only exception being In one
nr two limited sections along the Pa
cinc coast where dfouth has prevailed.
While there are many nocks trail
inR eastward from the rnolnc slope.
therv does not appear to be- No many
herds moving In the ownership of tho
great HlaughttrerH M In former sea-
sons. Nearly all the western railroads
report about the usual number ~
sheep IN transit" especially ~ graz
Ing points ~ mountain divisions where
rockmnatera have Increased their herds
from the drouth dirtricts ~ the Pa
slnc coast Tn. largest number ~ this
class reported are located In the
Wnantch and niue mountains of Utah
whore about 10000 sheep ARE summer
ina. OF this number az least 5000
are destined Tor market. $4,000 being
held by two flrmH. According 90 In
formation received dlrcct from owners
however u appears that less sheep
viii b. marketed this year than last
The high price ~ western wool. ~ to
~ cents per pound, and the fancy
prices paid Tor western alfalfa FED
lambs on the eastern markets. makes
u much murv profitable Tor breeders o.
grow wool nnd iamha than mutton. A
liberal estimate ~ the number uf nut
tons that Will 80 tu market this year
from the great west. based upon infor.
nation received from all sections. IL
placed NJ from 10 H. n per cent of the
total. Last year the figures wcrv IS
per cent. and Ton two yoarH previous,
- per cent
A new feature expected TO be en-
cpuntervd In the eastern markets this
season II the demand from the Tar cast
ern states Tor owes Tor breeding pur-
poses. During the depression of the
wool aud shecp industry In recent year,
eastern nockH We're permitted Ia run
down a. "A very low point Under the
present prosperous conditions, farmers
arc anxious 10 expand their locks
ngain. AMI the consequent demand fof
ewes. which tho West will have In sup
ply, WILL u IL estimated. require ovct
100000 ewes 10 satisfy.
while there IN stu noticed an post
ton D. hold on On the ewes ana Ia sell
only the wother lambs u IN believed
that the West viii hc able 10 furnish
much lnrEgr percentage ~ owes fnr
market than last year,. hut they win
~ out as Eiockcrs rather than feoder-,
AZ II N expected that they Will conn
mand better price from thu breeder,
than from the feodnfa
The outlook Tor lamb feeding next
winter as usual AZ thlH time NJ the
year. 10 very much In doubt, Ia COlu-
rado next fan the majority ~ brceiors
VIII seek % secure New Mexican
lamha. NJ II has been shown by expert
ment that this class OF lamhz DO better
and bring a better price finished than
any other kind. The reason genesly
ATTRIBUTED ~ thu fact that lambs from
that section arr OF medium grade, no.
thick pslird and the ncsh has only the
oily taste Of the hnvr grades, Many OF
the Colorado fvcdrrT are raising surs,
hoets thls season aud VIII combine tnrm
with tbs alfalfa and corn, using cora
only 20 nniah and glyc the proper color.
while the feeders report satlsfhctur,
returns for last winter, showing an
average profit " Doc per head Tor feed
Ing. there Ia growing sentiment
against paying AZ hlgh prices as were
maid last year A number " contracts
have already been made IN Now Mgyi-
co FOR fan delivery al prices ranging
from ;isS 20 Silb per head, 90 ther'
are about thc prices that the feeders are
willing 10 pay, In the Fort Collins dis.
trict n ~ claimed that unless prices are
lower than last year, % per cent ~ the
feeders viii decline On take tho chances
but viii turn their attention tl catp,
feeding There n "a movement I'm some
quarters In favor Of buying lambs on
the range by weight Instead of hy tho
head. Some contracts have been made
In this way already, the prices helms
quoted At SaOo aud $3.50 per hundred
pounds, Most feeders estimate that they
must buy lambs tu feed al not 10 exceed
four cents per pound. with freight patio
90 river IN order 10 succeed.
II Ia too early yet TO correctly esti-