CLASSIFICATION OF MONTANA CATTLE 



Jan. 1, Jan. 1, 



CLASS 1925 1926 



Cows & Heifers 2-yrs. and over, for milk 187,000 190,000 



Heifers, 1-2 yrs. for milk 86,000 35,000 



Heifer Calves For Milk 37,000 37,000 



Cows & Heifers, 2 yrs. and over, not for milk... 420,000 410,000 



Heifers, 1-2 yrs. old not for milk 120,000 110,000 



All steers - 195,000 141,000 



AH bulls 22,000 23,000 



All calves except heifers 323,000 334,000 



TOTAL CATTLE 1,840,000 1,280,000 



1,152,000 



1,117.000 



BEEF CATTLE IN MONTANA 



Since 1870 the trend of beef production in Montana is indicated by the trends 

 in numbers of cattle, other than milk cows, as estimated by the U. S. Division of 

 Crop and Livestock Estimates as of January 1st each year since the year 1870. 

 This data is summarized as follows: 



Number on Farms 



YEAR (Head) 



1870 24,000 



1880 162.000 



1883-1889 Seven Year Average 773,000 



1890-1899 Ten Year Average 1,048,000 



1900-1909 Ten Year Average 970,000 



1910-1919 Ten Year Average 971.000 



1920-1924 Five Year Average 1.148.000 



1926 1,117.000 



1926 1,055.000 



1927 „ 936,000 



1928 908,000 



ANALYSIS OF CATTLE EXPORTS 



1920-1926 



A study of the records of the state of- 

 fice of Brand Inspection shows that there 

 were more cows than steers shipped out 

 of the state in 1926, probably for the first 

 time. The reason was the forced sales 

 of 1926 of many cows that ordinarily 

 would have been kept for breeding stock, 

 due to feed shortage in many parts of the 

 state. An increase is noted in percentage 

 of sales of calves, resulting from the 

 same cause. 



CLASSIFICATION CATTLE EXPORTS 



CATTLE MARKETINGS LOWER IN 1927 

 During the calendar year of 1927, the state Brand Inspection Records show 

 that 330,262 head of cattle including all classes were shipped from the state, a 

 decrease of about 35 per cent from marketings in 1926. These export shipments, 

 however, were greater than any year preceding 1924 back to 1919. 



Had not the state inventories of cattle been depleted to such a great extent 

 in the winter of 1926-27, the higher beef prices during the 1927 season undoubt- 

 edly would have encouraged more extensive shipping of beef stock. 



