02—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, May 12,1984
ITHACA, NY - Out-of-state
consignors topped the Sixth Annual
Empire Classic Sale April 28, at
the Livestock Pavilion on the
Cornell campus. The sale was
sponsored by the Empire Polled
Hereford Association.
Preceding the sale was a
program by Dr. Dan Fox, of
Cornell’s animal science depart
ment. Speaking at Morrison Hall,
Fox urged cattle producers to set
priorities, and to use performance
programs as a management tool.
Dr. Fox predicted that by 1995
there would be 300,000 head of beef
cattle in the Northeast. He said
emphasis would be on optimum
use of the thousands of acres of
pasture land with the beef cattle
representing the best use of land
and labor resources.
About one-half of the beef
producers will follow an intensive
management program and will
work to achieve the production of
LIVESTOCK
LATEST
Hog and beef output
to decline during second half
UNIVERSITY PARK - During
economic recoveries consumers
spend more for food. The current
recovery is no exception. In 1983
consumers spent $312 billion for
food produced by U.S. farmers, up
four percent from the previous
year. A record supply of meat was
available to consumers in 1983:
beef, up three percent; pork, up
seven percent; lamb and mutton,
up three percent; veal, up one
percent; broilers, up three per
cent; and turkeys, up four percent.
The increase in meat output
continued during the early months
of 1984 despite weather problems
which delayed marketings and
hampered deliveries to meat
packing plants. January-Fcbruary
beef output was up four percent
from a year ago, veal output was up
15 percent, pork was up 10 percent,
and lamb and mutton production
increased 11 percent. Despite the
increased production, meat prices
at wholesale and retail have been
increasing in recent weeks. It
appears the supply picture will
change dramatically during the
remainder of 1964.
After increasing about four
percent in the first quarter of 1984,
beef output will drop back Co year
earlier levels during the April-
June period. In the second half,
marketings should drop below
year-earlier levels and beef output
for the year will average about two
percent below 1983.
The current cattle cycle is going
to be much shorter than previous
cycles which averaged 10 to 12
years. Cattle numbers increased in
only three of those years, from 1980
through 1982. Numbers began to
decrease slightly with the January
1, 1982 inventory and continued in
1983 and 1984.
The decline should continue for
another year or two. Last year’s
drought and high feed prices
forced more cattle to slaughter.
EPHA posts Classic Sale results
the most pounds of beef per acre,
Dr. Fox said. He said one realistic
goal for such an intensive
management program would be to
wean a 600 pound calf from every
brood cow each year.
While there will still be about
half of the producers involved in
less intensive management, there
will be an increased demand for
good bulls. Dr. Fox challenged his
audience of seedstock producers to
breed bulls that will meet this
expanded demand, in his words,
“bulls that will produce cattle for
consumer and market needs of the
future.”
He suggested initial per
formance testing could begin on
the farm with a set of scales and a
calculator. He also encouraged
enrollment in breed association
programs such as the American
Polled Hereford Association
Guidelines, and the performance
testing program offered by Cornell
& i
Strong marl
Cow slaughter increased seven
percent in the last half of 1983. The
base for future expansion con
tinues to decline. The beef cow
herd on January 1, 1984 was down
one percent from a year ago and
replacement heifer numbers were
down two percent. The 1984 calf
crop will be down from 1983.
Feeder cattle prices will
strengthen through spring and
remain strong for the remainder of
1984. Prices for fed cattle could
advance another dollar per hun
dredweight for midyear. Prices
will remain fairly stable in the
July-September period and only a
minor decline is expected in the
October-December period. Cattle
feeding became profitable again in
January after many months of
losses. Most months in 1984 should
be profitable ones.
The beef industry will receive
considerable price support from
the hog industry in 1984. While
producers gave a hint in December
that they would cut hog numbers
because of high feed prices and the
lack of profits, the extent of the cdt
was a surprise. The Hogs and Pigs
Chester County forms
Sheep and Wool Assoc.
COATESVILLE - The first
general membership meeting of
the newly formed Chester County
Sheep and Wool Growers
Association was held on May 2, at
Central Chester County Vo-tech in
Coatesville.
Activities included the approval
of by-laws and the establishment of
a dues structure. Yearly individual
membership will be $6, with the
same rate applying to families,
partnerships and corporations.
University and the New York Beef
Cattlemen’s Association. He had
praise for the American Polled
Hereford Association’s sire
evaluation program and reviewed
it briefly.
Dr. Fox called for better record
keeping. He said the growing use of
farm computers would help
producers make better use of
performance testing and
evaluation programs as they set
goals for their beef cattle
production now and in the future.
His talk was followed by a
question and answer period and
then by an Open House at the
Livestock Pavilion.
The sale’s top selling bull was a
two year old son of “The Stick”,
CHF Stickicator 4P, consigned by
Shayke Hill Farm of Bethlehem,
Ct. The buyer at $1,850 was Eugene
Richter of Forrestville.
The second highest selling bull
was Dunwalke Line One 352, a
redicted
et
Report released by the USDA on
March 20 of this year indicated
that the hog inventory was down
five percent from a year ago the
lowest March inventory since
March 1976.
The breeding herd is down 10
percent from a year ago, lowest
level in 11 years. The December-
Febmary pig crop was down 13
percent. Sows farrowing during
this period of unusually harsh
weather averaged 7.26 pigs per
litter, compared to 7.44 a year ago.
The news was reflected in the
future markets immediately. Hog
futures for July delivery increased
from $55.80 per hundredweight on
March 19 to $59.47 on April 9
near contract highs.
Hog markets will be strong in the
last half of the year, with July hogs
possibly exceeding $6O. It is
unusual for hog and beef supplies
to decrease at the same time while
the economy is growing at a
healthy rate. The number of hogs
weighing under 60 pounds is down
12 percent, indicating a sharper
than-expected drop in supplies of
market hogs by midyear.
According to Chester Count*
extension agent, Cheryl Fairbaim,
all 44 people in attendance were
signed as charter members.
Following the business portion of
the meeting, a panel discussion
was held concerning methods of
marketing lamb and wool. Panel
members included county sheep
producers Bill MacCauley, Atglen,
Annette Menhennett, Cochranville,
Laura Stratton, Westtown, and
New London resident David Lytle.
I
I
I
%
POLLED HEREFORD
yearling son of BT CL Domino
445 M, consigned by Dunwalke
Farm of Far Hills, N. J. The buyers
at $1,500 were Cards Maple Hill
Farm of McGraw and Rod Birdsall
of Homer.
The third highest selling bull was
PJF VJB7S Bandit 147, a January
1983 son of Victor J Banner 75J,
consigned by Paul Gabriel Jr. of
Alfred Station and bought for
$l,OOO by Charles Rapplea of Lodi.
T.E. Livingston of Howes Cave
and Elm Farm of Richmondville
purchased half-interest and full
possession in a September 1983 son
of BT CL Domino 445 consigned by
West Wind Farm of Lincoln, R. 1.,
for $l,OOO.
The high selling female was
Dunwalke Mystic 74R a June 1983
daughter of BT CL Domino 445 M
consigned by Dunwalke Farm. The
buyer at $1,500 was Stephen Card
of McGraw.
The second high selling female
was a consignment from Elm
Farm, EF Miss Joggette 18 M, a
four year old “Jogger” daughter
that sold for $1,150 to Donald Doty
of Shortsville. Doty also purchased
another Elm Farm consignment,
EF Spirits Vindi 40N, a June 1981
Vindicator daughter, for $l,OOO.
The third high selling female
was a two-year-old Enforcer
daughter, DM MS Reenforce 06,
consigned by Dani**' Mi^koison,
Rutgers horse study
results available
FLEMINGTON, N.J. - An
economic study of riding horse
farms has been published by
Rutger’s Department of
Agricultural Economics and
Marketing. The 29-page report was
based on a research project un
dertaken by Jane Vaughn, a
graduate research assistant at the
State University, in pursuit of a
Master’s degree.
The purpose of the study was to
provide cost and return data on
“hunter” horse farms in New
Jersey, and to determine if these
enterprises were turning a profit.
The information presented will
hopefully be useful to current and
prospective horse farm owners, as
well as pleasure horse owners in
terms of planning, managing, and
evaluating their equine operation.
The types of services provided
Bcatt&tfiv&aia,
ivc&tack
y
Jerylin Farm of Newfield. The
buyer at $l,lOO was Dunwalke
Farm.
The 42% lots in the sale grossed
$28,060 for a sale average of $660.
Sale chairman Robert Card of
McGraw expressed appreciation to
the consignors and to the auc
tioneer John “Red” Shaw of Ohio.
Consignors included Burr-Ayr
Farm of Trumansburg, Card
Maple Hill Farm of McGraw,
Michelle Coombs of McGraw,
Dunwalke Farm of Far Hills, N.J.,
Elm Farm of Richmondville,
Follifoot Farm of Dryden, Phil and
Paul Gabriel of Alfred Station,
Homestead Hereford Farm of
Whitney Point, Daniel and Diane
Mickelson, Jerylin Farm of
Newfield, Lazy Waters Farm of
Bainbridge, Marshall Farms of
Port Byron, Shayke Hill Farm and
Paramount Cattle Co. of
Bethlehem, Ct., R & R Farm of
Seneca Falls, Shady-Brae Farm of
Verona, Si-Jo Farm of Pulaski,
Sycamore Acres of Trumansburg,
West Wind Farm of Lincoln, R.I.
and Glen Brooks Farm of Greene.
The Empire Polled Hereford
Association will sponsor its
Seventh Annual Empire Classic
Show July 28, at the Cayuga
County Fairgrounds at Weedsport.
The Junior Show will be July 27, at
the same location.
on these hunter horse farms in
clude boarding, riding lessons,
horse training, riding facilities,
showing, horse selling or leasing,
and breeding.
A survey was designed to obtain
the data desired on the cost and
returns of hunter horse farms.
Covered were the farm’s capital
structure, expenses, types of
service offered, and revenues.
The publication, “An Economic
Study of Riding Horse Farms in
New Jersey,” Report #E-044, is
available in the Hunterdon County
Cooperative Extension office,
Extension Center, 4 Gauntt Place,
Flemington, NH 08822. Cost is $2,
including postage.
All Cooperative Extension
programs are offered without
regard to race, color, national
origin, sex, or handicap.