Purebred breeders

[whiteface]

Alicia, why don't you come right out and ask Montie? I'd be really curious too to see what his perfectly political answer is. I like Montie as much as anyone but now it makes all the sense in the world to me why you defended American cattle, Star Lake has a strangle hold on much of Ontario...and why, I'm not sure, they've assembled a lot of cows from Western Canada and now sell them to you for a huge markup. Again, I'm not running the program but look around a bit a their cowherd. Isn't that kinda what's happening here to our beef? We're sending it down in boxes and the Americans are selling it back to us through the fact that we're STILL taking their imports and we don't have the ability to eat our way out of this, they do. Anyway, not trying to pinch the bee in your bonnet with my involving the great Star Lake in my analogy but you do LIVE IN CANADA, ALICIA, please be on our team.

[15444]

Yes, I often wonder what side of the fence the likes of Star Lake, TRM and some of the other boys are on...would make for some interesting discussions at Agribition and the Royal.

[whiteface]

I have in fact approached some of the "big outfits" that I'll keep nameless until Alicia replies ( don't want to offend anyone here that "admires" someone down there) the answer I got to the sixty four thousand dollar question: (how do you feel about the Canadian Cattle shut out) everytime, it was, "well, I'd sure like to see the border open but it's got to be a two-way street." Several go on (nicely and politically of course) to express very strong opinions on us keeping out their colored tongued and anaplasmosis cattle and figured the border should be open both ways on "sound science." Are you guys reading between the lines like I did? I sure don't dislike American breeders, I'm very good friends and (was) trading partners with many of them, we still do quite a bit of embryo trade with the States since embryos are still allowed to move around but the mounting tension is definatly undercurrant with some conversations I've had. The Iraq war came up quite a bit last spring in conversations with American breeders. Many of them demanding to know if I felt the same way as Jean Cretien in supporting this war. I feel it's had a big impact on whether or not they care to support us now. Cswilson, you do a lot of dealings in the States, are you getting some of these impressions? Anyway, as I stated above, if you're wondering, come right out and ask them. I did, and found that they were just as passionate about trade as us, but it would have tobe a "two-way street."

[pandiana]

Its a two way street alright-six lanes one way and a dirt road the other dependening on who stands to make any money.

[cswilson]

Whiteface most of my people I deal with are in Wyoming and they think the whole thing is a load of political crap-this R-Calf has them just as p.o.ed as we are they realize the 'unsafe beef' message R-Calf spreads is gonna blow up in their face.I just know its gonna be hard to get bulls into Wyoming again though even if border opens-the state vets can be super ignorant when they want to be. Pretty much wiped out my breeding bull sales-as I sent them all stateside before.

[whiteface]

Thanks for the laugh pandiana, although I know I shouldn't be laughing, it's pretty darn accurate. Cswilson what are you doing with your bulls now if your main market was cut off...selling semen? It still moves back and forth. It really does suck when your customers want a product that they are not allowed to take.

[ALICIA]

Well you's have got me running scared because I'm not hidding my identity. The way you's are talking belive me I am just a very little fish, and am planing to get even smaller because I want to work more with horses. I love my cows but the horses were always first but I couldn't do my own thing, now I can.
I am very against blue tongue and anaplasmosis, and by letting these cattle in that my have been exposed is just another exsample that our government doesn't know anything.
I played the AI game for over 20yrs and I'd say that my cow herd is not as good as it was when I started. They just got soom fancy pedigree's because I couldn't see beond the show finish of the picture in the AI books and their show record.
For the last 2 year I have been using my own bull, from a heifer I bought, that I AI her to JR 257T Rancher Y131. He is not very tall but he has but the thickness back into my calves, and one thing that I didn't loss is the udders on my cattle.
Around were I live Hereford is a dirty word and we get at least 35 cents less just because they want large big bone cattle. Plus I think that they don't like the facked that herefords are layed back and take their time, and the other are so wild that they can move them around faster because of the fear factor. So before BSE I was loosing money, I really didn't even have the kind that the purbreders wanted.
But I did have a bull that was the top gaining bull in Ontario and I'm prude of that facted, he gain 5.6 pounds a day, out of a home grown bull.
So know I'm not going to the Royal or an other large show, I have a full time job that supports my cattle hobby and horse hobby.
Of course I admire big out fits like Star Lake, Remitall, Crittenden Bros. etc. Around where I live the big guys are Medonte Highlands, BNC, Elm-Lodge etc. But I'd never talk to them because I feel I'm a small guy and would have nothing to contribute to their experence and would be afrair that I would sound like a fool.
Plus I learned my lesson a long time ago, before I relized that their was different classes of people.
I've been on this chat line from the very start, and If you go back and read some of my coments you will know that I support CANADA 100%, but I do know that the boarders will open up and I'm just not the type that turns against some one just because they happen to be on the other side of the fence at the moment. I guess when it happens to you, you learn to be better than that. But believe me that doesn't stop my mind from thinking, and taking silent notes, on who is a snob and who is not. Who knows may be they think I'm the Snob because I don't talk to them.

[whiteface]

I believe all people have something to contribute, Alicia, and I'm a Rancher fan as well by the way. (Yes, I know he's American!). You're very modest in calling yourself a little fish, you have big ideas and I will still look forward to meeting you if you'd like when I come out for the sales. I sure hope to make the Royal as well to support our buyers who will have some our cattle there. For sales, I'm thinking I'll likely be at Billy's and Jack's and we'll see how it goes from there. Thanks for the input! :-)

[cswilson]

Whiteface-I just used them on my own cows-selling bulls is not a real big part of our operation-in fact most bulls I sell are just off my commercial cows they outperform most of our purebred cows anyway. My annual bull delivery trip to Wyoming was a very well paid holiday-it is real hard to find bulls that will work just on grass. Good grass cattle do well in the feedlot but the reverse isn't very often true. I guess I better cherish the memory of 6 bulls with my brand out with their cows along the Powder River-might not be seeing that for awhile.

[ALICIA]

Whitface just who would I be looking for.
You just never now, you just could be one of those hereford breeder that I so admire.