Starving cattle

[cowman]

In Lethbridge there was a case of 100 head of cattle who were seized by the SPCA because they were basically starving. They put down quite a few and I don't know what happened to the rest...probably 3 cents at the auction mart?
My local Ag fieldman says he is getting lots of calls from people who are very concerned if they will be able to feed their cattle until green grass. Some of these people are quite distraught and don't know what to do...he says they are like a deer caught in the headlights...don't know which way to go! In fact he says some of them are close to being mentally ill in his opinion! Or outright crazy! He also tells me the distress line is doing a brisk business!
Will we see more horror stories? I suspect we just might and I for one don't relish the thought. If you can't feed them get rid of them. Nothing can save your butt if it gets to that point.

[kato]

I was on another discussion board yesterday, and one fellow there said his neighbour shot himself. Is this what it is coming to?

I don't know about anyone else, but my patience is running very very thin.

My rant for the day:

First..the Canadian government is afraid of making the Americans mad because we have a grain freight subsidy. Bye Bye Crow rate. Never mind that the American army maintains the canals and waterways for their grain industry to use, and they have programs galore to pay you to farm, or not to farm, or to top up your price if they drop. We wouldn't want to make the Americans angry would we?

Second...now barley in Manitoba is worth less than the cost of freight. What to do? Plant to pasture and get some cows.

Third...Big..(Very big)..American packers see cattle in western Canada. Here's an opportunity to make some money boys. Come in with the big bucks..(there's lots more where they came from), outbid the locals to the point where they all give up and shut down. Bingo...the market's all yours.

Fourth...cozy up with a bunch of big feedlots, and make them dependant on you for their very existence. Fill them up with your packer cattle, and keep them quiet by threatening to cut them off.

Fifth...OH OH.. they found a case of BSE in Alberta. Now here's an opportunity! The border is shut. Now you have it all. Complete control. Government aid? There must be a way to get your hands on that. I know..drop the price. You can get the fats for 30 cents. The farmers will pick up a bit of change from the government. Don't worry, they aren't too bright, they'll be happy with the government cheque. Wait a minute..if you play it right you can get the government money instead. Ya.. that's it..kill the packer cattle, at least until the subsidy runs out. Life is good.

Sixth..Have your Canadian hostages negotiate to open the border to boxed beef only. Can it get any better? Ship millions of pounds of beef over the line, (to the point where American cattlemen are complaining about it depressing the prices) and sell it into the hottest beef market the States has ever had. What a wonderful year this has been!

Seven..BSE in the States. What will we do about this? Oh boy..it was a Canadian cow! Whoopee... Now have your American office lobby the US government to keep the border closed as long as it can. (But not for boxed beef, of course..that's different)

Eight...Send the profits back to headquarters in the good old USA.

Nine...Maybe, if you are lucky, when everyone in Canada is broke you can buy up the rest of the industry lock stock and barrel.

End of rant.

[dalek]

One week the cull cow bidders didn't show up for our local auction and the auction had to keep the cull cows that had already been delivered for a week because nobody would take them back. Another auction ended up taking a bunch of Holstein culls out back and shooting them during the auction because there were no buyers and no one would take them home.

Personally we shipped a cull cow to our local food bank this week with two others from neighbours, should be plenty of need there with all the people that will be out of work over this.

[cowman]

It is sort of bizarre when they run the cull cows through the mart. The auctioneer looks over at the buyer from Moosejaw and asks for 10 cents. Then a few of the small abbatoir owners might bid it up a bit until she sells. After the little guys have all they can handle the Moosejaw guy just gets the rest. You want your cows to sell early!

[kato]

We don't even sell through the ring in this neighbourhood any more. Just book her a ride to Moose Jaw and take your beating.

[cowman]

Also the auction mart is owned by the Moosejaw plant which is handy! So they get the commission on her also...who says there isn't money in the cattle business? Oh you also have to "book" your cows in before the sale! I suppose they need to know how many liners they need to send to Moosejaw.