SELECTING STEERS FOR FEEDING 29 



As a General Rule One Should Try to Ship on a Rising Mar- 

 ket, that is when prices are going up. Then the stock will, un- 

 less a break occurs, strike a high market. Demand for stock on 

 the market is always keener on a rise. The falling markets are 

 always dull, listless, and draggy. Care and judgment should be 

 exercised, however, in not waiting for a dangerously high market 

 to be reached, because that is always responded to by a rush, 

 which means an oversupply, and a "slump" or "break" in the 

 market. This is bound to occur, unless it is impossible to sup- 

 ply the demand, which is an unusual circumstance. 



Select a good commission firm and stick to it. Some firms are 

 better for certain classes of cattle than others. For example 

 some cater strongly to western cattle trade, and the dealer in 

 native cattle is often neglected during the run of western cattle 

 in the fall. It is sometimes a good idea to split consignments if 

 the cattle are uniform. In this way comparisons of work can 

 be made, and the old firm will not feel so independent. 



The operator should accompany his stock to market and see 

 that they are fed and watered and well cared for. He should 

 show his interest in the sale by remaining near while they are 

 being sold, but should show his reliance in his commission man 

 by making no suggestions or interfering with the sale. An un- 

 tactful remark may turn the buyer against a deal. 



Before loading for shipping, the cattle should be in such shape 

 that they will not "drift" or shrink too badly on the trip and 

 appear on the market in an apparently unthrifty condition. If 

 the cattle have been fed a heavy corn ration, feed two or three 

 feeds of oats before loading. The unusual conditions of trans- 

 portation may cause scouring if they get too much corn, and they 

 will appear on the market gaunt, dirty, and in a general un- 

 thrifty condition. If they are to be turned ff the grass, some 

 men feed corn lightly for two or three weeks. Corn then ap- 

 pears in the droppings and the buyer is often influenced by this. 

 They object to a "grassy" steer because the carcass is "watery." 



Some men resort to a practice of feeding salt or sugar before 

 shipping if the haul is not over eighteen or twenty hours. The 

 purpose is to have the cattle get a better fill in the yards due to 

 their increased thirst. However, this is not always the wise 

 thing to do because the cattle often overfill and appear paunchy, 

 which will hurt the sale. They are also more likely to scour 

 after a heavy fill of water. 



