10
—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Dec. 7, 1974
Farm Commentary
Cattle Inventory Up 6 Million Head
The cattle inventory has probably large calf slaughter will benefit calf
grown by around 6 million head this producers in the long run by reducing
year, setting the stage for record the large supply of feeder cattle and
slaughter and total beef output in helping to ease the pressure on
1975, despite a reduction in cattle feeder prices,
feeding, according to the USDA’s Feed supplies, pasture, and
latest Livestock and Meat Situation roughage will be a critical aspect of
Report. the cattle market during the up-
This year’s cattle slaughter will coming months. At present, the
exceed 36 million head, up about 7 situation suggests an increase in beef
percent from 1973 and slightly above production next year of about the
the previous record of 1972. All of the same magnitude as the increase this
increase over 1973 will be in steers year over 1973. However, a severe
and heifers off grass or other winter, followed by a dry spring and
roughage, and cows; fed cattle summer, would force a large number
slaughter will be down 7 percent. of cows and other cattle to slaughter,
Fed cattle marketings will continue and the increase in 1975 beef output
to lag 1974 rates at least through the would substantially exceed that level,
first half of 1975 but more cows and Hog producers have responded to
other cattle will keep total slaughter the feed gram situation this year by
supplies above year-earlier levels cutting back breeding stock numbers
Early 1975 beef output, while con- and planning fewer farrowmgs. In
tinumg above this year, is not ex- fact, the cutback this fall will likely
pected to increase as much as the exceed the intended 7 percent
number of cattle slaughtered reduction in the fall pig crop m
because average slaughter weights dicated by the September report,
will be down. A larger proportion of Consequently, hog slaughter in the
cattle killed in 1975 will be coming off first half of next year could be down
grass, and high feed costs will hold 10 percent or more. Additional
fed cattle market weights down. damage to the corn crop since early
The price dampening effect of large September has further reduced corn
cattle supplies will be moderated by yield expectations and kept gram
sharp cutbacks m broiler and pork prices at high levels. This has
output. Also, consumers' collar m- probably caused hog producers to
comes are expected to rise again, further reduce the number of sows
boosting demand for meat. slated to farrow this fall.
Sharply reduced slaughter supplies
will mean a higher hog market,
particularly since broiler supplies are
also expected to be smaller.
Sheep and lamb slaughter next
year will likely decline as continued
liquidation m the breeding herd
reduces the 1975 lamb crop and
slaughter supplies. Slaughter lamb
prices will likely average above 1974,
but high feed costs will keep feeder
lamb prices well below the slaughter
market m the first half.
Conditions currently suggest little
change m total red meat output m
January-June 1975. Larger beef and
veal production probably will be
mostly offset by smaller production of
pork and lamb and mutton. Thus, if
meat production is the same, retail
meat prices likely will advance,
Feeder cattle and cow prices will
probably continue low, averaging
under this year. At midyear, there
were substantially more cattle
suitable for feedlot placement than a
year earlier, but demand for feeder
cattle is poor. In November, feeder
steer prices were running about half
the year-earlier price. Financial
conditions of the feeding industry are
improving slowly at best, as short
supplies and high prices for feed
grains persist. This situation will
continue at least in the first half of
1975.
The low market for feeder calves
will result in continued large in
creases in calf slaughter next year as
packers now compete with feeders
for the available supply. However,
Milk production in Pennsylvania
during October was 552 million
pounds, 2 percent more than a year
ago, according to the Crop Reporting
Service.
The number of milk cows in the
Commonwealth during October was
665,000 -1,000 less than last month,
and 2,000 less than a year ago.
Milk production per cow averaged
830 pounds in October, compared
with 835 pounds in September and
810 pounds in October last year.
Poultry litter may well be a
valuable by-product of poultry
production, useful in both livestock
feed and fertilizer USDA economists
have determined that the processing
and feeding of dried layer waste is
economically feasible for poultry
operation with 50,000 or more caged
layers New Jersey sources report
that a 30,000 bird operation could
■pay for the drying equipment needed
in 2 to 3 years with dried poultry
waste selling at $125 a ton for fer
tilizer and worth $B5 a ton if fed to
chickens. Meanwhile, in California
October Pa. Milk Production Up 2 Percent
Waste Not Waste
iwmntummitnuiniimuauiiiiiiiiuiiujimiiiiit
United States milk production
during October is estimated at 9,133
million pounds, 2 percent above a
year earlier and practically the same
as last month U S. average milk
production per cow was 821 pounds
during October, up 30 pounds from
last year and 11 pounds above Oc
tober 1972. There were 11.1 million
milk cows on farms during October,
down 14,000 head from last month
and 2 percent below a year earlier.
natural drying methods have been
used to reduce moisture below 30
percent in 1 to 5 days, making poultry
waste an easy to handle fertilizer
Wastes from beef feedlots may also
have a hitherto unknown payoff for
farmers who use them on their soils:
besides increasing soil fertility, they
also effectively restrict soil blowing
on cropland lying idle over winter.
Studies by USDA researchers in
Kansas have demonstrated that
animal wastes are about as effective
as straw in restricting soil loss on
highly erosive sandy soil
ON BEING
PREPARED
L«uon for December 1,1914
Background Scripture:
Malachi 3:1-4 Matthew 3:1-
12; John 1:6-8, 19-28.
Devotional Reading: Luke
1:68-79.
The other day a little dog
chased my car for about a
block before he gave up the
prusuit. Two thoughts struck
me as I observed the in
tensity of this canine. For
one thing, it was something I
hadn’t experienced fora long
time. (When I was a boy it
seemed dogs chased cars
almost every day.) Secon
dly, I couldn’t help won
dering what the little dog
would do it he “caught” me
and my car!
The Kingdom is
at hand!
Of course that’s a problem
that dogs share with people:
we often seem ill prepared to
deal with our heart’s desire
when we get it! We can
become so engrossed in the
“chase,” that we are quite
unprepared for the “catch.”
This was certainly implicit
in the preaching of John the
Baptist when he came
proclaiming: “the kingdom
of heaven is at band.” For
many centuries the people of
Israel had looked emestly
for the promised kingdom of
God. Now, John the Baptist
was proclaiming, the
kingdom was close at hand
and the focus must pass from
“chase” to “catch.”
John’s concern was to
prepare the people for this
kingdom so close at hand. It
was not enough that they
should have waited so long
for it, but that they should be
ready for it. Thus his role
was, as he quoted from the
Prophet Isaiah, that of a
“voice crying in the
wilderness: Prepare the way
of the Lord...” (Matthew
3:3).
The fruit of repentance
The question some raised
was that of how a person
should be prepared for the
coining of God’s kingdom.
John answered this question
with one negative and two
positive requirements.
First of all, John made it
quite clear that being a Jew
or even a scribe or Pharaisee
was not adequate
preparation for God’s
kingdom. In other words one
would not be adequately
prepared for the kingdom by
simply being a member of
the right religious group. No
one could feel prepared
simply because he could
boast; “We have Abraham
as our father” (3:9).
Secondly, proper
preparation in the positive
sense meant repentance.
With the kingdom there was
judgment. One could not be
properly prepared for the
kingdom without a wholesale
moral housecleaning. Before
a person can qualify, he
must first acknowledge that
he does not qualify.
Finally, the repentant
response must go far beyond
verbalized good intentions:
“Bear fruit that befits
repentance...” (3:8). Much
more than what people said
about their faith, John was
concerned with what they
did about it. The fruits are
much more important than
the claims we make.
I 1
NOW IS
THE TIME.
Max Smith
County Agr. Agent
Telephone 394*6851
To Beware Of
Electrical Hazards
Overloaded fuses and
improper wiring account for
a Ugh percentage of all fire
hazards on Pennsylvania
farms according to a recent
report from our Penn State
Agricultural Engineering
office. Motors should be
cleaned and all materials
kept away from them in case
of heating or sparks. Be sure
that the proper size fuses are
used. Don’t put in a heavier
fuse because of recent
trouble. Check the insulation
on wires where they have
been exposed to wear or to
rodents. The inspecting the
electrical system at this time
of the year could prevent
serious losses.
To Stretch Antifreeze
Using the same antifreeze
year after year is fine
providing the radiator does
not develop a rust condition.
Most of the permanent type
antifreeze solutions do not
break down but the rust
inhibitor in the solution does
and trouble appears. We
know of no easy way to
determine if the rust
inhibitor is lost except to
check the solution for rust. If
rust materials and color is
found, special solutions
should be used to clean and
flush the system but this
may require a new an
tifreeze solution. To prevent
rust conditions a can of rust
inhibitor should be added.
Some car owners will drain
out a gallon of the old
solution and add an equal
amount of new antifreeze to
strengthen the rust
inhibiting effectiveness of
the total mixture.
Farm
Calendar
Sunday, December 8
8-11 National Young Far
mers Convention,
Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma.
Monday, December 9
9:00 a.m. - Red Rose 4-H
Baby Beef Club Show,
Lancaster Stockyards.
Manheim Young Farmer
Association monthly
meeting. Year-end tax
management.
9 - 12 National Agricultural
Outlook Conference,
USDA, Washington, D.C.
“U.S. Agriculture in the
World Economy”.
Tuesday, December 10
9:00 a.m. Southeast District
4-H Baby Beef Show,
Lancaster Stockyards.
7:45 p.m. Ephrata Area
Young Farmers meeting.
New developments in
beef and swine. Ag
Department, Ephrata
Senior High School.
John’s challenge is still
with us in this Advent
season: “...the kingdom of
heaven is at hand. ” And once
again the key to that
challenge is found in being
truly “prepared”!
• •
To Worm Young Cattle
Nearly all young cattle
under a year of age in this
part of the country will
greatly benefit from worm
treatment; this is especially
true of local cattle that have
been out on pasture and
feeder cattle brought here
from any of the states south
of Pennsylvania. There is
plenty of research to show
that for each dollar spent for
worm treatment followed by
sanitary feeding and
management, producers can
expect ten dollars return.
The savings in grain
necessary to winter young
cattle will more than pay for
the treatment. Materials
may be given by drench,
pelleted wormer feed and by
injections. Don’t allow in
ternal parasites to increase
feed costs.
To Protect New
Born Animals
New born pigs and lambs
need protection from cold
weather and from drafty
conditions. Some of these
little animals are bom into
open bams and sheds that
are very cold. Regular
farrowing houses witb
supplemental heat are fine
for the new bom pig. If the
little animal gets chilled the
first few days, it will get sick
and the mortality rate will be
very high. Closed buildings
with heat lamps are
suggested in order to give
the proper conditions for a
good start. Drafts and
dampness are profit cutters
on both new bom pigs and
lambs. Good management
with a lot of love and tender
care will increase livestock
profits.
7:45 p.m. - Garden Spot
Young Farmers meeting.
Farm management
seminar. Ag classroom,
Garden Spot High School.
Thursday, December 12
11:30 a.m. - Red Rose Dairy
Herd Improvement
Association annual
awards banquet, Lan
caster Farm and Home
Center.
7:45 p.m. Garden Spot Young
Farmers officers
meeting, Garden Spot
High School.
Elizabethtown Adult Farmer
advisory committee
meeting to plan 1975
program
Manheim Young Farmer
executive planning
meeting for 1975.
Delmarva Com Technology
Conference, Wicomico
Youth Center, Salisbury,
Md.
Friday, December 13
7:00 p.m. Pennsylvania Egg
Marketing Association
monthly meeting,
Colonial Motor Inn,
Ephrata. Frank Umer,
guest speaker on egg
pricing.
Manheim Young Farmer
annual banquet.