Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-31
SHEEP AND LAMBS
AT HIGHER PRICES
Hogs Is Cents Lower Than
Last Week-Steer Values
Are Irregular.
BY FRANK 1. WELLER,


Sheep and lambs are in a fair way
for the present to turn up a better show
On the markets than any other live
stock group.
While steers and yearlings fidget ir
an up-and-down trade and hogs go ap.
prehensively to a market rs to IS cent:
lower than week ago, all classes Of
sheep and lambs have worked to new
high ground. Lambs brought the high
est pay since early September.
This stability resulted from a falling
OF of receiptS-the first sign of a sup
ply gap in months. The crop of native
lambs is dwtndling, very few carrying
finish being available on most days
consequently all interests are depend
ing more on fed Westerne, which, in
turn, has aroused speculation as to the
number of ColoradoS shortly due to ar
rive.
Replacement Buying Helps.
Should the supply from Colorado and
Nebraska prove considerably smaller
than year 400, as many in the trade
contend it will, the situation may con-
tinue bullish, but limited by present low
cost OF other meats and the consumers
purchasing power.
Replacement buying has helped the
market. The somewhat indifferent at
titude OF killers toward thin lambs
seems to have renewed interest from
the country and numerous loads of thin
range lambs have been taken by farm
ers.
Lightweight hogs continue to hold to
the upper edge, due to the scarcity, and
the price spread Is unusually wide for
this season of the year Comparable
grades of 100 and 800 pound. weights
sell at a spread of around 81.
Declining pork prices, together with
further downturn in eggs and a general
" unsatisfactory provisions market, has
slowed down the beef market. But
sharp supply abridgement seems to fol-
low every generous run and with supply
retrenchment comes higher steer prices
an along the line even though the
dressed trade does not seem to war
rant the advance. No doubt the 10
per cent fewer cattle on feed, as COM
pared with year ago, is becoming a
highly important factor in supporting a
market which otherwise is basically
weak.
The way shortfed cattle were rushed
IN at the week end in answer to the
weeks early price advance was taken
to indicate, in part, that a good many
xiniShers were interested not only in get
ting the upturn but also in getting out
ers appeared more interested in market
ing short-fed cattle than in buying
meaty heavy steers for replacement
purposes, explaining that future pros
pects do not warrant competition with
killers for steers now selling at SO down.
ward.
Price Changes Small.
Net price changes have been small
b the steer and yearling trade, the
Wind-up being on a steady to Is cents
higher basis for the calendar week. The
trade was largely a forced affair at all
times, first sellers and then buyers get
ting control Of the market largely be-
cause of reimbursement in the way the
supply hit the yards-relatively small
runs early in the week followed by gen.
erous receipts. Accordingly, the sharp
advance came early only to topple over
later in the face of limited orders car
Tied by shipper and killers alike.
Market supplies of all kinds Of cat
tie, however, are expected to be small
for the next few months. While no
sharp advance in prices Is likely on any
one kind, a general strengthening of the
level OF all cattle prices is not improb-
able