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strength in the short period ahead. But cattle and calves on feed January 1 were up six per cent with weight groups as follows: under 500 pounds, down one per cent.; 500-699 pounds, up nine per cent; 700-899 pounds, up nine per cent; 900-1099 pounds, up six per cent; and over 1100-over pounds, down three per cent. Thus marketings from fed cattle will be running five-ten per cent above a yeor ago.
Also, hog slaughter is moving from a shortage to one equal to a year earlier_and poultry, broilers in particular, are above 1960 by five per cent and will be about 15 per cent higher than a year earlier by late April.
These factors combined will likely dampen any chance for gains in cattle prices in the near future.
General price trend in Virginia has been unchanged during the past three weeks. Good steers were $23 to $25 and good heifers $20.50 to $23. In Chicago choice ^steers biought $25 to $26.75 and good were $23 to $24.50.
Early interest in feeders and Stockers for grazing and feed lots indicates a fairly strong market for this group this spring. The first scheduled sales will be at Richmond on April 5. Present prices for good and better steer calves range from $25 tb $30 with a few sales above $30. This is about $2 above last year.
BROILERS
Marketable supplies of broilers based on placements is anticipated to be better than 10 per cent above a year ago for April; 15-20 per cent above May and 25 per cent above in early June.
The recovery from the usual Easter price dip will probably be held to minimum due to this increase in supply. In Virginia, the supply of marketable broilers is about level until mid-May
The U. S. Department of Agriculture has completed its current program of purchasing broilers for rhe^school iunch program which amounted to over seven million pounds. This however is less than 10 per cent of one week’s national supply.
Pre-iEaster demand has been unusually slow due to emphasis on
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