Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1922-12-16
THE MARKETING
Of LIVESTOCK
w. 6. Carroll, Animal Husbardman,
Utah Agricultural College


viewed from the standpoint of the re
gfons near the large markets, OF
whether methods OF marketing from
the western ranges are considered. Tht
evils In the two sections. however, are
DOT 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 most
encouraging. OF course, after the
animals are finished It never pays to
gamble too long for better market.
The psychology of the market I'M
aer 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, so that prices remain high,
what happens7 They know by oft
repeated experiment the result Of wir-
ing IN advance of twenty-five cents to
their scouts. The country literally
jumps for the bait. Everything that
resembles In the least finished anil
mai finds its way to market In the
next two or three days. AS result
the market Is flooded; the bottom
drops out, the unsold stuff Is at the
mercy OF the buyers, because OF the
expense of. and the poor conditions
for continued feeding. and what IL the
net result? The first few cars get
the benefit OF the advanced price, but
the bulk of the sales are made at a
lower figure than ruled before the
kait was cast.
The fuctuatlon IN market prices OF
livestock from one day to the next Is
often sufficient to mean almost bank.
working on a narrow margin of ready
cash.
Such conditions should not exist. In
fret, 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 I'm
portance.
The cattle buyer is the curse OF the
business as now practlced. 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 up as much money
during a 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 be blamed, fol
their business Is conducted in a per.
rsctly open and straight forward man
,er. They have seen the possibility
OF corralling this amount of money on
Its way to market and have proceeded
20 ply their trade.
The original producer Of the live.
stock Is the person open to criticism
There Is no reason why group o.
rtockmen cannot market their animal.
MS easily and to as good advantage as
the regular buyer who resels.
little experience may be necessary. hui
by getting In touch with some reliable
commission firm there are few risk.
70 run even at the outset. After the
l,rst shipment or two and little study
Of conditions. what has heretofore beer
profit for the cattle buyer will be re
tanned by the producer as added in
~ome.
As a result OF closer contact will
the market the owners would sooI
earn the value of grading their an
rails. Even II tie pernicious custom
o. selling to a middle man is contin
ved stockman will find 1t profitable
- grade any class OF livestock before
;at,lng a buyer to look them over
Conditions may not be favorable 70
better classification than separating
,ae yeariings, twos and threes. II pos
sible each age should be divided, put
ing the best animals in one bunch
leaving the culls to themselves wher'
they will net drag the price of thu
rood ones down to their Level. Any
cae knows how much better uniform
Ranch Of animals looks than hit o
r,iss collection Of all colors and des
criptions. Experience has fully dem
ons+rsted that any class OF animal
properly graded will actually sell 70
more money tnan the same animal
thrown together in one heterogenou
mass.
Another condition that could, witt