Time to revisit depopulation discussion

[whiteface]

Good points grassfarmer and jensend and just for the record, I sure appreciate where you are comeing from in the terms of valuable genetics and longevity. Maybe I should have qulified my statement of being willing to let my older cows go only once they had been transplanted and only once they were no longer useful... which is not just yet other wise they would have gone during the drought like a lot of others. Still in great shape and genetics, especially valuable ones, are something no responsible breeder would ever just toss out on a whim, that is our responsibility as purebred breeders or even quality crossbred cattle breeders. I would like our government to make up the difference on those cows that we're not getting for them now at such time that they're ready to go. It was our wonderful govrnment that helped get us into this mess.

[whiteface]

I sure seem to be doing a lot of "double-posting" ... I agree with you 1000% jensend, let's do everything possible to re-open our markets before we just toss our valuable breeding herds, incidentally, I can't remember where but I'm sure I asked about why did Japan view our beef as different from the U.S.? What's stopping us from getting that market from the States anyway. Point me back to the thread I have it on or reiterate for my early developing Alzheimers. Thanks guys! I must have more on my plate than I can handle these days!

[BFW]

I can understand the reluctance of a producer to severely cull a herd that he has invested much time, effort, and money in. Unfortunately however, it is still a strategy that to succeed depends largely on the resumption of trade with the US. Obviously ,I believe that this will occur at some point but if we do not take some serious measures to address the growing number of total cattle in the system the effects of the border opening, when it does happen, will not be as positive as it might otherwise be and you will have no right to complain about the price of feeder cattle this fall.

[15444]

Whiteface:

Quite true about the Tohan bull. I think if you don't have the best of the best for cows, his calves will need to see a grain pail often. John Hill's Tohan calves hadn't seen the grain pail (so he said - which I believe), but alot of his cows are off of Meridian and are heavy milkers. Dark and solid, Tohan's calves are real head turners. And yes, he doesn't have the Remitall name in his pedigree, but there is Remitall (Boomer) back there.

Formula is definiately going to leave his mark in the Hereford world. Sure, he may becoming old news as time passes, but that doesn't change the fact that he is well liked with the commercial guys. I wouldn't be surprised if there are quite a few commercial guys at the WLB sale this fall.

Just about to start the fall calving routine here in the next week. Pulling bulls and bringing home cows today and tomorrow to be grouped and put on pastures that weren't carrying alot of cows earlier.

About 3 inches here in the last 4 days. Still raining, with a constant drizzle. Pulling bulls in the rain and mud, ugh, not fun.

[15444]

Also, we have 8 cows born pre-1997, and 3 born in 1997. Culled alot of old cows in the past few years so the average age of the herd is about 4-5 years. Same as grassfarmer, I too wouldn't let these cows go to lightly either. 2 of them are my foundation cows, one of which wouldn't leave this place for under $1500. I would need to see at leave 55-65 cents a pound for any of the others to leave.

I would be interested to see how the logistics and financing of a massive cull is being put together on paper by the CCA and others. They are really going to have to think this thing out, if they want everyone to go along peacefully.

[ianben]

BSE distorts markets worldwide wherever it appears. It is no use bucking the system packers will buy as cheaply as possible and sell to the highest bidder.
With lots of fat cattle and the border closed you are over supplied and short on hooks.
It was the same here in UK but government did help more. We where paid supplement on fats sold which reduced to nil over time lasted 12months if I remember right.
All cattle over 30months ie all culls however old are still incinerated to this day and all recieve a government payment per head.
UK disposed of 6million animals during footand mouth lots of bullets and a big hole but again government funded.

You definatly have a supply problem with or without an open border, In my view opening the border will lower prices in US not raise prices in Canada so Bush will do that before the election?
ON an other point with boxed beef everything which does not go in the box has the same value as cull beef.
Packers margins might not look so rosy then.
Removing this low value beef from the market must be the answer.
Shoot the culls and get your Government to help!!!

[Joe-2]

Here's a novel idea.Maybe,instead of the govt. blaming farmers for not coughing up enough heads for them to test(Was it some Dunn character from the Ab. govt.?) perhaps the feds and the provinces should get together and offer up some cash in exchange for some heads to test. They expect us to pay the gut truck to come and pick up deads so that they can test them?? In their dreams!! I don't know how much "per head"(pun intended) would be agreeable to everyone but it seems to me that this would put some much needed cash into the hands of the cow/calf operators,supply them with some brains to test and achieve a reduction in cow numbers all at once.I'd worry about what to do with the rest of the carcass if they would shell out for the head.My culls will all catch a bullet at home before I will haul them to the stockyard and come out of it oweing money.
Almost sounds too simple to work don't it.

[grassfarmer]

Here is another simple solution - the Government get moving tomorrow and provide bridge financing to build the big cow plant BIG-C is advocating with the built in lab to test for BSE. The government get as many heads as they want plus we get bse free meat to offer to countries that might want it. Or is that too simple?? If Government put their minds to it this could be built in six months and ready to go.

[kato]

That's the problem...it's simple.

We're talking about government here... you know they hate simple. LOL

They prefer red tape, meetings, reports, studies, more meetings, discussions, and a few more meetings. And maybe an election so they don't have to actually do something.

[jensend]

the problem isn't that your solution is too simple (although many people see the logic and know that it would work). the problem is that people like the americans and the packers don't want that solution. things are working for them just fine as they are. they know the right people and have enough money to put their solution in place. the producers have a bigger investment in this industry than the packers and i think it's time we used our muscle. i didn't make it to the ssga meeting in moose jaw yesterday for a couple of reasons and i haven't heard if anything came out of it. i haven't renewed my membership but if the executive is taking the same old 'we know how things actually work so just leave it up to us' line my money will go to big-c.