The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1909-12-14
WESTERN BEEF FINDS GOOD
EASTERN MARKET

Western beef is coming into its own.
Not over a decade ago eastern buyers
purchased range bred steers only when
they were unable to FIJI their feed pens
from other sources, and usually offer
ed a much lower price for this class
of stock han they were willing to pay
for that secured from other places.
Experience has taught these buyers,
however, that western range bred
steers are usually in the very best of
health They have a splendid frame
upon which to build, are well muscled
and boned, and being accustomed to
the rigors of the western climate, con-
tinue to put ON flesh in the eastern
feed pens when cattle from other sec
tions, being fed under identical condi-
tions, are losing flesh on account of the
inclement weather conditions. This
western steer only demands that he be
given plenty of good fresh water and
sufficient feed so that he may never
be hungry and he will always give a
good account of himself and return
many dollars in profit to the feeder
when he is sold for the block in the
spring.
These steers shed early under fav-
orable conditions, and when they have
reached the stockyards they show an
exterior finish that other cattle, lack
ing the same health and r~uggedness,
fail to show. This makes the western
steers ready sellers on the market, and
after they nave been butchred the per-
entage of the weight of the dressed
carcass over that of other steers un-
der the same conditions is so per-
ceptible as to Immediately attract the
attention of those keen, far-sighted
men who handle the yard end of the
business.
The settlement of the west is rapidly
reducing the amount of available range
and is forcing the cattle to go higher
and higher into the hills in search of
forage. This is greatly increasing the
Importance of freely utilizing the
ranges within the national forests, and
every endeavor is being made by the
forest service to open hitherto mac
cessible ranges by the construction of
trails and bridges and unused arid
ranges by the development of water.
In these higher elevations the grass is
usually much finer in quality and more
nutritious, while the climate is much
more rigorous; both of which condi-
tions result in the animals being in
better health and having more solid
flesh when placed on the feeder mar
kets in the fall. This fall has seen
large number Of the range-bred steers,
most of which come from ranges with
in national forests, topping the feeder
markets at all points where feeder
steers are sold.
So great has become the demand for
cattle of the quality mentioned that
hundreds of stockmen throughout the
west are selling their lunches of stock
cattle and are beginning to handle
steers exclusively. On the old ranges
where a few years g one was aecus
toned to see large herds of cows and
calves, you will find today equally
large punches made up entirely of
steers, some of which may perhaps
have come from Old Mexico, som from
Texas, while Arizona and New Mexico
usually furnish their quota. These
steers are brought into these western
ranges at from eighteen months to two
years old. They become acclimated the
first year, while in the second and third
years they become sufficiently mature
so that they may be taken to market.
The demand for cattle of this kind
is greater than the supply, and as in
all other cases where the demand is
greater than the supply the price re
cived on sale must constantly increase.
That this is true of the steer business,
one can easily ascertain through con-
versation with any one of the western
stockmen who makes this a business.
They will tell you that they have
made more money in the last two or
three years in handling steers than
they made in ten years in handling
strictly stock cattle.