Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1913-01-09


the densely populated manufacturing
section of the United States lying east
of Chicago, where the bulk OF COM
mercial meats are sold.
YOUNG STEERS DRAWN ON
To meet this demand for cheap beef,
the stock of cows and heifers has been
depleated all over the country, while
the deficiency thus created has COM
PEELED the packers to draw heavily
upon the supply of young steers that
normally and properly belong in the
feed lots.
This increased demand at market for
light and medium steers for slaughter
has rendered to drain the country OF
such cattle until the supply has become
very scarce in both range regions and
corn belt. Farmers and cattle feeders
have been forced to buy them at the
larger markets because they could find
them nowhere else.
This has brought them in direct
competition with the packers, and
owing to the relatively higher prices
bid by the packers for young steers;
fewer cattle than usual have been
going into the feed lots.
The decrease in the feeder cattle
movement from five markets during
the first eleven months of this year as
compared with the corresponding period
of 1911, is over 158, 900 head.
MARKETS SHIP CATTLE
Not only has the movement of cattle
direct from the ranges to the feed lots
ceased, but part of the feeder cattle
movement shown by the above figures
consists of young and female cattle
bought for the purpose of restocking
the ranges, and shipped from the
markets to regions that have always
heretofore been regarded as sources
of market supply for such cattle.
The practical point to bear in mind
is that the full extent of the deficiency
in the supply of young cattle for corn
belt feed lots is not indicated by the
decrease in the feeder movement as
shown by official reports from the
principal western markets, and that
the present general scarcity of such
cattle is bound TO show, in due season,
in corresponding scarcity of finished
cattle at market.
Another grave consideration lies in
the fact that the partial drought of
1900 and 1911 in the United States, and
the general drought of 1910, which
extended all over Canada, Mexico and
the western two-thirds of the United
States, forced permanently to market
vast numbers of young and female
cattle, which still further reduced the
stock of breeding cows in the country.
BREEDING cows SCARCE
The result is big deficit of breed
ing cows from which to produce calves
suitable for feed lot use.
In fact, there are not enough breed
ing cows left in the country to keep uI
the supply of beef steers. More cows
of suitable breeding age must first b.
produced, developed and added to the
stock of breeding cows now on hand,
which will take at least four years
while, meantime, those that wear on
die and are slaughtered must b.
replenished, before the nation is read,
to begin breeding for an adequate
supply of beef steers.
To produce crop of calves Wi!
require another year. To raise ant
prepare the latter for market viii
require ut least two years more, 81
that under the most favorable con
ditions not less than about seven year
will be required to restore an adequat
annual production OF beef cattle.
DEMONSTRATION OF PROBLEM
The present stock breeding cows wi
not be bred before rext May or June
1913.
1t will require nine months gestatio
20 that the next stock Of calves. whic
will average about 80 per cent. onl
half females, will be born in Februar
or March 1914.
These females must be at least tw
4 wears cd before they can be bret
which will be in May or June 1916.
Il It win then require nine months, {
until February or March, 1917, for the
calves to be born. only half of which
Il or . 40 per cent increase. viii be bu
calves from which to make steers Il
feeding.
4 Another two years will be require
, to raise and prepare these steer caiv'
! for market as beef steers, which W
! extend the time to the spring or II
} of 1919, or nearly seven years hence
the earliest before there can
restored 70 the country an adequa
supply Of beef steers ready 4
slaughter.
I'll The above Is q demonstration viii
any practical cattle raiser will verif
III BRIEF ORANGES POSSIBLE
Meantime Il ID possible that the