Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1922-12-15
THE MARKETING
Of LIVESTOCK
BY
w. {. Carroll, Animal Hust andman,
Utah Agricultural COLLEGE

viewed from the standpoint OF the re-
gfons near the large markets, or
whether methods OF marketing from
the western ranges are considered. The
evils in the two sections, however, are
not the same.
Most of the livestock that reach the
market from the near by territory are
marketed as fat stock. They are with
In easy reach and many of them can
be put on the market with "A to As
hours. Feeders naturally study the
market very closely and aim to ship
at time when the price seems nest
encouraging. OF course, after the
animals are finished It never pays to
gamble too long for better market.
The phsychology OF the market I'M
oer such conditions is well understood
by the packers and other larger buy
ers. When they know the feed yards
are full and yet the stuff is slow COM
ing In, 30 that prices remain high,
what happens2 They know by oft
repeated experiment the result Of wir-
sA't 80 RNNdhNC VI NChto w
their scouts. The country literally
Jumps for the bait. Everything that
resembles in the least finished ami
NAL finds its way to market in the
next two or three days. As a result
the market is flooded; the bottom
drops out, the unsold stuff is Mt the
mercy Of the buyers. because OF the
expense OF; and the poor conditions
for continued feeding, and what Is the
net result? The first few cars get
the benefit OF the advanced price, but
the bulk Of the sales are made at q
lower figure than ruled before the
bait was cast.
The fluctuation in market prices of
livestock from one day to the next is
often sufficient to mean almost hank
ruptcy or fortune to a large feeder
working on narrow margin of ready
cash.
Such conditions should not exist. In
fact, the Federal Government now has
committee working on this very prob.
lem to see II there Is not some means
of rendering the livestock market
more stable.
The marketing problems immed
lately confronting the range sections
are greatly different from those men
toned above. The distance from mar.
ket Is usually much greater, and daily
fluctuations, therefore. are OF less Inn
portance.
The cattle buyer is the curse OF the
business as now practiced. A bunch
OF cattle. for example. may change
hands two or three times between
their range owners and the final mar
ket.
These changes are never made FOR
nothing. As matter OF fact, some
cattle buyers clear NJ as much money
during q few weeks when the cattle
are on the move as the owners dc
during the two or three years they
have been growing their steers.
These men cannot he blamed, 70,
their business is conducted In per-
fectly open and straight forward man
ner. They have seen the possibility
of eorrafling this amount Of money on
us way to market and have proceeded
20 ply their trade.
The original producer OF the i've
stock Is the person open TO criticism
There is no reason why q group OF
Stockmen cannot market their animals
as easily and to as good advantage al
the regular buyer who resells. A
httle experience may he necessary, but
Ivy getting in touch with some reliable
commission firm there are few risks
to run even at the outset. After the
first shipment or two and little study
OF conditions. what has heretofore been
profit for the cattle buyer will be re
tained by the producer as added In
come.
AS a result OF closer cont"ct viii
the market the owners would soor
earn the value of grading their an
mails. Even II tie pernicious custom
OF selling to a middle man is contin
ned a stOckman wiil find II profitable
to grade any class of livestock before
cakIng a huyer to look them over
Conditions may not he favorable fol
better classification thnn separating
the yeariings, twos and threes. II pos
s1hIe each age should he divided, put
eng the best animals in one bunch
leaving the culls to themselves where
they win not drag the Price OF thu
good ones down IN their level. ANY
one knows how much better uniform
bunch OF animals looks than q hit OF
miss collection Of all eolors and dos
crptions, Experience has fully dem
nns'rsted that any class Of animals
properly graded will actually sell ta'
more money tnan tho same animals
thrown together in one Heterogeneous
mass.
Another condition that could, will
profit to the producer, he remedled, Il
the practice OF selling by the head. A
buyer must sell ny weight and wheI
he offers $500 for two-year-olds h
must be sure that the good, had. anC
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