The final solution

[cowman]

The BC cattlemen are calling for the government to do something about the "cull cow problem". I guess it was pretty much of a wreck out there in the haying department. I know the hay is moving like crazy into BC from Alberta. The BC organization is calling for a slaughter of 10,000 cows...not into cement or the other foolish ideas that our government is proposing, but right into the pit and shoot them! Why is it so hard to understand this is a necessity? Would it be nicer to let them all starve out by the road?
Is it better if we mow them all down and then pay Lafarge $1000/head to burn them? That makes economic sense?
I suspect our various government and our cattle organizations will continue to dither and hope the problem will somehow solve itself. And they are right it will! It's called starvation and freezing to death!
No politician wants to stand up and state the obvious...We need to get rid of about 600,000 cows! There was a time when maybe something could have been done but that time is past. We have no place to kill and process these cows, we have no time to build a place to do it! Get out the cats and start digging before the ground is frozen!

[rusty1]

Cowman - one thing I have not heard anybody talk about is, are we going to put the 600,000 replacemnet heifers back into the cow herd after taking out the culls. My math tell me that we could cut the number of culls down (not a good normal thing to do) providing we don't replace them. I know and you know prople who have made a real good living buying cull cows and treating them better and getting a lot of calves out of them and then canning the open's. Let's think out of the box.

[rusty1]

Phone rang mid stream and I inadvertently hit send. Dead animals can be composted quite effectively, and a lot cheaper than alternatives that have been bandied about. And allot less public.

[wilagro]

Where on earth do you get this figure of 600,000 cows?
In most NORMAL years, cull cows are sold over the entire year with a good spurt in the fall or early winter months and in the late spring. The neighbors that I have talked to are not getting in a panic. Concerned of course, but are willing to feed some of these normally culled cows for awhile to see how things pan out.
Some of the guys with old cows are talking about getting 'one more calf' out these old pelters rather than take a s*** kicking at the auction mart.

[cowman]

The 600,000 figure is the one being thrown out in the media most often. Anne Dunford of Canfax has it pegged at around 700,000. Not too hard to figure...Canada has a cow herd of between 5 and 6 million. A cull rate of 10% is in that ballpark. In a normal year 600,000 would probably be about the minimum cull.
It is alright to tough it out for one year and calve some of these old girls, if you have the feed and deep pockets! What happens next year when the border is still closed? Will the number now be 1.2 million? Sooner or later we will run out of pasture and feed for all these ancient old cows. Meanwhile the young heifer is being turned into beef.
This year we can keep our old culls but that would not have been possible last year when we had no feed and prices were out of this world. $500/cow to feed and bed her would be at the low end of the scale(last winter). Now I don't care if you can delude yourself into thinking you did it cheaper. You didn't...at least not in central Alberta! And that is a fact!
Rusty: The problem with beefing heifers is you are selling the future. It is a good strategy for this year perhaps but it can't go on forever! And it is basically admitting that our business is done. Will 600,000 heifers enter the cow herd? I don't know. I do know I'll be keeping replacements. Not for sale but to maintain my cow herd. I'm not ready to admit this business is finished just yet...but if they don't get this thing moving by next year I might have to change my mind.

[rusty1]

I agree Cowman that it's not a good idea to keep the old crocks. However If I had my druthers, I to would probalby calve them out again next year. However I have always been understanding that ranchers cull around 20% which gives you a new heard every 5 years. Maybe the 600,000 is just the open cows in which case they may as welll be hamburgered.

[wilagro]

Thanks Cowman for the clarification. I was't doubting the figures as much as wondering where they came from.
Sometimes these figures are at best a guess.
Anyway, we can hope for the best that a home can be found for the cull cows as the net return per calf sold will be severely reduced this year and for years to come.

p.s. The neighbour down the road is planning on shooting some of his old cows rather than give them away. He figures that the costs of brand inspection, yardage, commissions, etc., might as well stay in his pocket. Don't know if this is the right course to take, but it is his decision to make.