Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1923-09-13
FEEDING STOCK ON MONTANA

, THOR many years past cattle hav
been successfully fattened in tn
Big Hole and Billings district
OF Montana, but Ii has only been re
Gently that the ranchers and farmer
in other parts- of the state have be
come interested In the fattening O
cattle on grain and hay, says r..
MilIin, livestock specialist at thu
State College. Questions regardin,
the suitability of our feeds for fat
tening, the shrinkage, and the posi-
bility of marketing these cattle Il
good advantage have naturally fol
lowed this increased interest.
There should be but little question
as TO the ability OF ordinary farm
grown feeds to fatten cattle. Where
a sufficient supply is produced and
they are fed In the proper proportion
u home grown feeds fatten cattle
we'll.
The shrfnkage of grain fed cattle
shipped from Montana is a factor
concerning which we know little. IL
is the general %concensus of opinion,
however. that the grain fed cattle
Will shrink less than the grass fat
cattle ordinarily shipped out. AL
though the shrinkage IN grain fed
cattle may be fairly high, yet on the
grass fat stuff 1t would probably be
higher yet, SO that the shrinkage
would be reduced by grain feeding.
Financially, the cost of the %shrinkage
would probably be about the same for
the value OF a pound OF meat on the
grain fed cattle would probably have
a higher value than that of the grass
fat stuff. A car load of long year
lings shipped out of Miles City last
spring after being grain fed since
November shrank only 40 pounds or
six per cent after a poor run to the
st. Paul market. A load OF coming
yearlings that were grain fed from
December to April shrank 80 pounds
or 4 per cent when shipped from
TO Spokane The shrink
age on cattle fed out in southern
Idaho was much the same, running
from 4 to z per cent on stuff that
mostly to Portland. In one
ease pulp from syrup fed cattle,
which were not properly fitted for
shipment shrank IL per cent. On a
shipment to eastern markets, grain
ed cattle shrank "a per cent while
another lot off soft grass shrank
% per cent. Judging from these re-
suits In Montana and Idaho. IL would
Ieem probable that the danger of
leayy shrinkage has been somewhat
ver-estimated II good runs to mar
ret car be secured.
The problem of marketing such
is not easy of solution. These
would probably be ready for
market during the spring months and
{ this time there is little stock NOV
ng east so that II is hard to get a
God run to the eastern markets. AS
result the shrinkage might be .
eavier than 1t should be.
1t Is probable that better runs to !
he west coast markets could be Sc J
ured as many trains OF hogs are usu- !
lily moving west during the winter !
nd spring months. These markets !
o not demand and will not pay as I
ell for well finished cattle as the !
markets. These markets I
uring the past two years that car |
ed a fair finish at prices reasonably l
to the feeders. Since IL i
probable that most OF the cattle I
Ill be finished In the state for some 0
tile time yet will not be highly fin p
he'd, IL Is probable that the coast Q
will offer as satisfactory !.
arket as a be obtained anywhere. 4
There Is considerable room for inn .
in the quality of beef G
within the state, yet q
ere seems to be no inclination on
% part of local slaughterers &c pay
premium which we'll finished el
ain fed cattle should command. RI
hey do seem willing to take animals In
wing q finish equal TO that OF good al
ass fat stuff at fair prices, and
here cattle have been fed out to
Is stage. the local buyers often af- n,
I'd a satisfactory market. This mar N
It an easily be flooded IL any large CO
pansion of cattle f~attening takes 9,
ace within the next few years.
here two or more feeders have suf- :
cattle ready at one time to r.
AXE a carload, they become indie
ndent OF the local market as they
n ship IL they do not feel that the
buyers are offering the full
arket value of the cattle.
The carrying or OF our present live
industry should be our first
IL we are to carry
normally we must have a certain
lount of feed for w%intering our
,ck, and a reserve for use in case
emergency. Any surplus ove and
owe our normal supply and a re-
supply may we'll be used for
The states hat do much =
OF cattle and sheep are q