Image provided by: Crook County Historical Society/Bowman Museum; Prineville, OR
About Crook County journal. (Prineville, Or.) 189?-1921 | View Entire Issue (July 12, 1917)
Iff :- TOPPING' TH IS. E .MARKET -:- i (By A. R. Bohoskey. formrely hog I buyer for Vnlon Meat Company, j North Portland, Oregon.) I have been requested to give a talk on hogs and have selected for the subject of this talk "Topping the Market." It ia. or shoudl be, the ambition of all hog raisers to top the market with their hogs and after the successful hog raiser has topped the market he should not be content with this, but should make an effort to "Spring the Market," to use a stock yards phrase. It should be a source of keen gratification to a bog raiser to take his hogs to market and on his return home be able to tell his neighbors that he not only topped the market, but raised the market to a new level, i Purebreds vs. Cross Brw!s j The first step to take in this di rection should be to raise pure-bred hogs. This is of vital importance to the ultimate success of any hog raiser. Volumes have been written as to the advisability of raising pure-bred hogs, and you, no doubt. have been urged to raise pure-breds times without number. You cannot, however, have this brought to your attention too forcibly. I have often heard the statement made that the flrst cross Is an improvement on . pure-bred hogs tor market purposes, but I have never been convinced that there is any advantage what ever to be derived from crossing two areeds of hogs. Granting, however, that the flrst cross makes an excel lent hog, there are times when it is necessary to save the gilts for breeding purposes, and if these are jred their progeny will embrace all he undesirable features of both ireeds and bear little resemblance jo their pure-bred ancestors. Bayers Prefer Purebred It always pays to remember that in even load of pure-bred hogs of iniform size, carrying finish and juality, makes an attractive display ind appeals very strongly to the luyer. He will make a special effort jo buy bogs of this kind even if it is lecessary to spring the market to to so. He can estimate within one r two per cent of what these hogs rill yield and can figure the dressed ;:ost very closely. On the other land, a load of hogs of assorted lizes and breeds are hard to Judge ind he is forced to make liberal al j owances when buying this class of logs, and generally a load of this dnd does not bring what it is worth ' is it Is heavily discounted by the juyer. I I certainly would not advocate telling your sows at a sacrifice and 1 nvesting in pure breds at a high st. This would be courting finan cial disaster if done too hastily. It better to breed up, using pure- red boars, the best that can be ob ained and as you fatten up your Toss-bred sows for market and dis use of them, replace them with mre-breds of the same breed as your toar, wherever possible. Most Desirable Breed I have been asked a great many imes, "What breed of hogs is most n demand by the packers?" The tackers must have an assortment of ' ypes. They would be placed at a' ;reat disadvantage if they were orced to buy all Poland Chinas, Juroc Jerseys or Chester Whites. They must have some of the bacon yes as well, such as the Tamworth, he Hampshire, the Yorkshire, and he Berkshire. Any of these breeds r any of the other standard breeds, ire what the packer wants. ; Fortunately hog raisers disagree is to the most profitable breed to aise. The producer should decide is to the breed best suited to his aste; he Bhould then invest in pure iloods of this type and stay with he breed, not allowing any foreign ilood to work into his herd. The Best Weight Hog ! I have also been asked, "What veight hog is required by the pack ir and what weight hog will top the narket?" The range of weights rithin which a load of hogs will op the market is wide indeed. Hogs veighing from 150 to 250 pounds Vill top the market providing, of sourse, that they possess quality ind finish. The packer must have issorted sizes as well as assorted ypes. It does not necessarily fol ow that the producer endeavor to tmbrace these various weights in a tar of hogs; he should endeavor to ' urn off his hogs as uniform in size ind weight as possible. They look letter and sell better. The hog aiser should also decide for him lelf as to what weight hog he should Hit on the market. .' It would be fallacious for me to tuggest to any produoer that he market his hogs at 175, 200 or 225 jounds without knowing the conat ions he works under. One produc t may have an abundance of cheap grain. It is advisable tor this man to feed grain while his pigs are on pasture; feed them a daily ration In conjunction with the pasturage, keeping his pigs fat and thrifty and making daily gains. It Is a well known fact that hogs will put on the most profitable gains during the first few months of their life, and with the grain at his disposal the producer can market his pigs at an early age, before they get Into the strong-weight class. Another producer may have plenty of pasture and be compelled to buy his grain. It would no doubt be policy for him to allow his pigs to run on pasture until they attain growth and frame before putting them up to teed. If properly finish ed, this man's hogs would go into the strong-weight class, ranging from 225 to 250 pounds, IKi Not Kcononitte on Keel It never pays to econouiixe on grain at the expense of finish. The buyer is always looking for hogs with a hard-grain finish. He knows they will dress out firm and make a high per cent and can afford to pay more tor hogs of this kind than those which run on pasture all sum mer without grain and are then put on stubble for a short time, ted lit tle, if any, grain In addition, and rushed to market prematurely. He will pass this class ot hogs up aud will only buy them when he cannot get enough good hogs to fill his re quirements. To illustrate the comparative val ue of the two grades of hogs just mentioned: A buyer will buy a load of well-bred, highly-finished, grain-fed hogs at, say, 8c per pound. He will also buy a load of cross-breds off pasture and which have just been "warmed up" on grain at $7.50. The good load at Sc will yield 80 per cent and cost 10c per pound dressed, while the other load will yield 75 per cent and cost exactly the same price on the hook. Which is the cheaper load? The good load, of course. The buyer of today figures on a dressed cost when buying his hogs and the live cost serves only as a basis on which to figure the yield. This illustration shows that the live price does not always indicate whether a car of hogs is cheap or high. The quality and ability to dress a high per cent is what counts. J The hard, grain-fed hog will yield a product which is firm and has quality, while the half-fat hog, which has run on pasture and fed very little grain, will dress out soft and sloppy, and its product will grade very low indeed. The packer dislikes having this product in his cellars at any price, as it hurts his trade. If you finish your hogs and they have the quality, the buyer will al ways be on the lookout when they are due on the market, and he will make a strong effort to buy them, as he knows what they will do. The the owner was holding for a $9.50 market and later bought the same hogs at Sc. The owner lost $1,25 per cwt. and his hogs were not pay ing for their feed, as they were finished. Value of a Competitive Murkct I would also suggest that in dis posing of your hogs you ship your own hogs to an open market. The most logical market for this locality is the Portland Vnlon Stock Yards. By consigning your hogs to one of the com miss, on firms at the stink , yards you will be assured of maxi mum results. Thorn Is double com petition there. 'The commission men compete with each other to se cure your business and will make a special effort to secure the extreme price tor your hogs, as they know it they do not they will lose your business. Then, too, there are buy ers there representing all the largo sluiiKhterers and most ot the small killers In the Northwest. Competi tion Is what you want, and It Is here that you get It. This la the only open competitive market on the Pa cific Const, and la entitled to your patrouHge. You must remember that the buyer who tries to buy your hogs at your ranch bnaes his price on the Portland market. You have the Portland quotations and he ia touttelled to use the Portland market as a basis on which to buy your hoga. You must also consider the fact that ho would not be at your ranch unless he expects to buy them cheaper than he could at Port land, providing h represents a packer. If a country shipper, he must make a profit on the transac tion and you are entitled to this profit. Tliu country shipper la very essential In localities where the j hogs are widely scattered nnd eui.li , rancher bus only a tew head. He ; collects them In car lot and ships them to market. Hut the rancher who has a carload or can consoli date with some of his neighbors and make up a carload, should con sign them to the open market. Community HIilpmentH Popular ' I have purchased load of hog In the Portlund yards made, up of hog owned by from 15 to 20 different, rancher. They aro sorted up In ' the yardB, sold on their merits and J the expenses pro-rated. Kach own- i er get all there I In his hog in ' thl manner. These community ; shipment are becoming very uonu- ' lar. It certainly look like poor I ... .....1 ..,., JMIIH (limit IU IHinYT Hllll lltlll'll juiir hog and then divide the profit with another. Home producer carry tliu Idea Unit the country shipper can get more for hogs on the market Ilia lie can, This I not the case by any mean. Tint hog are consigned t a commission firm. Their salesman ells the lion at $10 per car com mission. He will probably liav from five to fifteen cuts of hogs I show til ii buyer. The buyer due not look at the shipper, but the hogs, aud It Is humuterlul to him who shipped them In. What he want I quality In thn hog. It I not necessary to know the rope. Merely ship your hogs to one of the commission men at the yard. He will feed your hoga, water them, sell llieni, ee that they are weighed properly, and give you a check to cover the sunm day the hog are buyer is kept posted ot the yields of the different hogs he buys and he knows where to look for the good hogs. Stay With Hog Raising Do not be an "in-and-outer." Stay with the hog game. It does not pay to get into the game when hogs are J high and out of it when they seem low. The man who stays with it j year in and year out Is bound to ' make handsome profits. At no time , in the past few years has It been un- j profitable to raise hogs. We have j had only temporary depressions and ! the subsequent rise in the market j has brought the average price of ' hogs up to a very profitable level for the producer. Let us suppose that the ' Union Meat Co., who kill thousands of hogs each week, should pursue a policy of not buying hogs when they were high and waiting for a low market on which to put up their j hogs. You can readily appreciate I that they could not stay in the pack- ing business very long. I have bought a great many hogs on a high market when I knew these hogs would lose the company money, but we all know that the market would decline sooner or lat er and strike a reasonable average. The successful hog raiser must also ' work on this basis. There never has l'Ut o Hma urban lha hnar maplrat I has stayed on an exceedingly low level for any great length of time. Because the producer appears to j lose money on a load ot hogs is not sufficient reason for him to quit the I hog business. . I Do Not Speculate on the Market Never speculate on the market, j When your hogs are finished and are at a point where they refuse to j put on profitable gains, it is always i best to sell them, as the market is as apt to decline as it Is to advance. I have offered $9.25 for hogs which j The Crook County Journal MAKES CLUBBING ARRANGEMENT WITH mi llll BE ft FANNER a i Offers Unusual Opportunity To Its Readers IMONG our large circle of readers there are a great many wno are interested directly or indirectly in truit growing, dairying and other branches of farming. All of these nat urally wish to keep in close touch with agricultural activi ties throughout the state; and to know about any fight which is being waged for the measures Oregon farmers want and against all sorts of schemes that are detrimental to the people and agri cultural interests of this state. v We have, therefore, made a special clubbing arrangement with THE. OREGON FARMER whereby any farmer or fruit grower, who is one of our regular subscribers and who is not now a subscriber of THE OREGON FARMER, will be en titled to receive THE OREGON FARMER in combination with this paper at the same rate as for this paper alone. This offer applies to all those who renew or extend their sub criptions as well as to all new subscribers, If you are interested directly or indirectly in Oregon agriculture, do not miss this unusual opporturity but send your order in now. , THE OREGON FARMER is the one farm paper which is devoting itself exclusively to the farming activities and interests of Oregon. It has a big organization gathering the news of importance to farmers, dairymen, fruitgrowers, stockraisers and poultrymen; and it has the backbone to attack wrongful methods and combinations and bad legislation, and support honest leaders and beneficial measures. We are confident that our readers will congratulate us on our being able to make this splendid and attractive clubbing offer. v I Crook County Journal 1 year Oregon Farmer 1 year By our clubbing plans both for - THE CROOK COUNTY JOURNAL PRINEVILLE, OREGON $1.50 $1.00 $2.50 $1.50 I !