# Where's the beef?



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

This look thinks it will never be seen again like it was in the seventies.

Regards, Mike

http://www.agweb.com/article/glimpse_into_global_demands_future_of_livestock_NAA_University_News_Release/


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

My wife just got through reading this article and she agrees with this comment:

"I wonder if Mr. Fernandez has ever calved heifers? Your post is outrageous. Heifers are much harder to calve than second calf cows. It was not many years back many producers would not breed yearlings but wait the next year to breed them and calve them as coming 3 year olds to avoid calving problems. "

My wife has spent her entire life around cows. Her oldest cow is about 13 yo. and still having great calves. They sold 9 calves today and two 5 month old Hereford calves brought just under a $1000 ea.


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## Bonfire (Oct 21, 2012)

The quote sounds like a mis managed breeding program.

I guess I miss the relationship between a 3 year old heifer calving in the quote and your wife's 13 year old cow and her selling calves today. Are you talking about longevity? Was the 13 year old cow first calved as a 3 yr old?


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

After reading the article my first thought is; why would I go to the trouble to raise a heifer, calve her out, then sell her for slaughter?

It is at least a three year investment for me before I make a dime off a heifer. That is if she and the calf both survive that first birthing. We do not breed our heifers until they are @ 900 lb.

My second thought is the only thing sheep and goats make here is coyote scat. My dad was sold on the idea of goats running with cattle. He had all the research. Never had a coyote problem until the goats came into play. Plan B was for me to feed the goats into a gooseneck cattle trailer every evening and turn them out in the AM. Nope, not me.

I am sure I could follow the advice of the University researchers and it would work to some degree. About the time I went broke there would be a new and better way for me to try.

Rather than a university guru trying to reinvent the wheel, why not look at the wheels with a million miles and see what they have done right?

I had one expert tell me to reduce my herd by half and stockpile half my pastures for winter grazing. This would save the expense of baling hay. Showed me on toilet paper how I would make the same money.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

One main point most expert miss. They all talk about how much more food needs to be produced for a growing population. We are already close to producing enough food for 9 billion people! But most of the world wastes a huge amount of food. Countries like India have close to 50% wastage of rice through poor storage and through pests like rats and mice. We are not much better in North America. Look at how much food gets thrown out of the grocery stores every night. Day old bread, fruits, veggies.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

Bonfire said:


> The quote sounds like a mis managed breeding program.
> 
> I guess I miss the relationship between a 3 year old heifer calving in the quote and your wife's 13 year old cow and her selling calves today. Are you talking about longevity? Was the 13 year old cow first calved as a 3 yr old?


She's basically saying what Tim said. To her it's crazy to slaughter a 30 month old cow when the cow is just really getting to her prime age as breeding stock. I brought up the 13 yo cow because unless the cow is having problems and you're spending a ton of money on Vet bills why not keep her and keep breeding her. The 13 yo cow happens to be the last Holstein cow left from the Dairy herd and I know that she will be allowed to live out the rest of her life here and be buried here, she's like a big pet. Most of the breeding stock here is between 3 and 7 years old. 38 head total breeding stock and one Hereford bull.


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## Bonfire (Oct 21, 2012)

Gotcha. I agree.


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

I was told the extra yr that heifers pubic bone hardens more and can cause birthing problems. I try to keep as close to nature's program as possible. That is a million mile tire!


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