ANIMAL HUSBANDRY 



A combination of scarcity of forage in most range districts, 

 high prices of roughages and concentrates, expensive and inef^cient 

 labor, scarcity of money, and relatively low prices of animals have 

 made stock-raising difhcnlt in Arizona during the past year. A 

 second year of drought has prevailed in all parts of the State, except 

 for scattered districts and ranges in Coconino, Yavapai, and Mohave 

 -jounties. Rains have been unusually local in distribution, there 

 being small areas in the dry belt that have supplied good forage. 

 Losses have been great among sheep and cattle, and the lamb and 

 calf crop were below normal. Fortunately, a mild winter in the 

 northern part of the State was most favorable for range c_ttle and 

 sheep, but lack of feed and water made it necessary to purchase 

 cottonseed cake, hay, and silage for the animals. 



For the most part, stock production has been profitable on irri- 

 gated farms, but the high price of feeds made cattle and sheep feed- 

 ing operations less remunerative than formerly. Where actual cost 

 of production was considered, dairying has been profitable, although 

 not as large returns were secured as would have been possible by 

 selling the feed at market value. A distinct tendency to reduce the 

 number of horses, cattle, and hogs on irrigated farms has prevailed. 

 Many stockmen not owning their farms, or operating on a long 

 term lease, have been forced out of the business by high price of' 

 feed, expensive leases, and scarcity of labor. The light rainfall 

 made it difficult to raise crops on dry-farm areas during the past 

 year. In too many cases, a reserve of feed was not retained, and 

 when the drought came dry-farmers found it difhcult to maintain 

 their animals. 



The winter of 1917 and 1918 was one of the most trying for 

 sheepmen since 1904. Owing to the drought, scarcity of water, and 

 the cool weather, feed did not grow on the desert. Many ewes 

 died, and the lamb crop was much below normal. In some flocks, 

 the lamb crop will not be sufficient to replace the loss among the 

 ewes. Many of the ewes were moved to irrigated districts, where 

 feed for them cost as much as $3.00 to $4.00 a head. Pastures in 

 the SaU River Valley cost from $25.00 to $40.00 per acre for a 

 period of six weeks with hay at $35.00 per ton. Fortunately, the 

 prices of lambs and wool were unusually good, and sheepmen will 

 make a normal profit in spite of mortality and increased cost of 

 production. 



The cattle industrv has had a serious set-back in Arizoni 



