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farther, judging from a drop in the number of heifers going through the lots, Williams said. Feeder call numbers are also up slightly over a year ago, he said, with a higher percentage of the total in calves rather than year-old stock. The marketing specialist noted that cattle crop growth climbed as high as six and seven per cent a year from 1970 to 1975 when beef prices declined sharply.
“Those are early signs,” Williams emphasized. “When yearly cattle slaughter is less than 35 per cent of the cattle on hand January 1 and when the annual slaughter is less than 85 per cent of the previous year’s calf crop, you’re going to be in trouble pretty quick,” he warned.
“As salughter percentages drop, we’re getting closer to a real price crisis,” Williams said, noting that 1980’s slaughter dipped to 83 per cent of 1979’s calf crop.
“They’re the best indicators we have for when we should look out for price disaster,” he said of slaughter figures and per:entages.
89.3%