74 Western Live-stock Management 
of which time he will sell on an average market for about 
$1.00 a hundred pounds more than at the start. In other 
words, 175 pounds of fat put on a good steer will, on a 
steady market, make him worth about $1.00 more for 
each hundred pounds, which in turn will allow a fair 
profit on cheap feed. To the beginner the fluctuations 
of the market seem all important, but the old-timer does 
not bother so much about them. He figures that what he 
loses from a drop in prices one time will be regained by a 
raise some other time. The averages are what count. 
BUYING STEERS 
Feeding steers are usually bought locally, since, in the 
West, there are no large open markets for feeder cattle 
such as are found in the East. Denver is a feeder market 
but the buyers are largely from the Corn-Belt. The west- 
ern feeder must buy direct from the producer or wherever 
he can, and must be something of a judge of steers in 
order to make a successful purchase. His judgment is 
all the more important when he has to buy by the head; 
for in this case he not only has to estimate their value by 
the pound, but also has to guess their weight, and as may 
be readily seen, it is only too easy to miss the true value 
of a steer by several dollars. Experienced feeders study 
their animals very carefully and often become very expert 
in judging their weights and values, but it is necessary 
that they follow the market reports very carefully. By 
frequent shipments to the large centers, they become 
familiar with conditions there, and by seeing cattle sold 
and then comparing their observations with the market 
reports for that day, they are able in the future to interpret 
the reports with far greater accuracy than they could other- 
