Gunnison news-champion., 1923-11-09

Denver Record Stocknan:-
Range cattlemen have shown =
noted tendency this Iall 10 market a
larger proportion Of COWS and heifers
than usual, a surrey made By the L.
;. Department Of Agriculture reveals.
The increase in the proportion OF
female stock marketed UP to October
l, ranges from TO 10 per cent a.
compared with the CORE pending
penOd year ago, the department
says 4 survey covering 26,137 cat
tie marketed fIom twelve range states
during the last rwo weeks of Sep,em-
Der showed 90 per cent were COWS and
heiiers, compared with shipments Of
p ,5SS COWS from the same states dur
ing the corresponding period Of 1922
Of which 30 per cent was female stock.
department report covering sew
eral hundred thousand cattle slaught-
cred at a great many establishments
thruOut the United States, shows that
m August 1928, 1929 per cent of the
cattle slaughtered were females,
as compared with i0.l6 per cent in
August 1922. In September 1923,
1852 per cent We're females, as COM
pared with S3,S. per cent for the cor
responding month year ago.
Trade estimates of receipts at a
number of the leading livestock mar
kets Of the country vary rather wide
ly with respect 10 the relative mum.
Der Of cows and heifers offered Al
majority of the markets which
handle range stock, the estimates, in
crease and proportion of receipts Of
females range from 3 70 per cent.
At Fort Worth, however, il was esti-
mated that during September over 10
per cent of the cattle offered for sale
were females, as compared with ap-
proNImately 80 per cent year ago.
At Denver a record covering the total
number of cattle slaughtered by a
number of the establishments during
September showed IS per cent were fe-
males, compared with T3 per cent in
September 1922
Opinions regarding both the basis
and the significance of this movement
differ widely. There seems TO be lit
tie doubt, the department says. that
at least part of the increased mar
ketIng of females represent forced |
liquidation, in other words. in some 1
Instances, loans have been called and /
the stocknan has been forced to either !
sell his entire herd or at least to de- |
crease n part of his breeding stock. |
In other instances it is a case OF |
voluntary action, the department 1
feels, predicted on encouragement of |
cauiemen to continue in stock rails
ing business at prevailing market
pnces. Other interests take the
view that the present increased move
ment of cows and heifers to market
SIMPLY represents natural liquidation
Of surplus which has been accumu-
Iating since the war, that is to say,
which was carried thru the liquidation
period of 1920 and 1921 in the hope
that the market might right itself to
The extent that the cows might b mar
keed either at a prokt or with as lit
tie loss as possible.
Calves Worth More Than Cows
In certain parts of the country par
in the southwest, a yearling
calf VIII now bring more money than
rs mother, so the department says.
The Immediate reason for this is that
The calf Is in extremely strong de-
mand for feeding purposes, whereas
The supply of COWS exceeds the de-
mand. If the basic or fundamental
reason for this condition is demanded,
the answer is not so simple. The
question at once arises as to whether
he condition is due to surplus of
breeding stock or to temporary glut
Of such stock at market centers,
caused by large number of operat-
ors going out of the cattle business.
II seems probable, however, that
both factors are operating at the pres
rnt time, the department says.