Aid program details out

[cowman]

I will agree that I am feeling upbeat about the situation. I do believe this thing will be resolved in the not too distant future as long as we don't get another wreck? The fundamentals of the cattle business are actually not looking too bad. A lot of the speculators and fly by nighters are gone and the people who have hung in there are "survivors"! Feed is cheap and abundant!
I'm still holding my darned yearlings but my trigger finger is getting pretty itchy...probably move some this week! The boy wants to take over the cows so I guess I'll give them to him. I don't know if that is a good thing or not...? Gave him 480 acres a couple of years ago.
I told him I thought the darned cows weren't worth the effort but he's young and likes lots of work, so maybe he'll do okay.

[WoolyBear]

I've read the information and I don't see anywhere the mention of the OTHER Ruminants.......... the other innocent victims of BSE, the Bison, the sheep and the goats........ whats going to happen for them this time?

[pandiana]

Good question, WoolyBear. Posted a similar question on fur and sheep but apparently nobody reads this topic. I suspect there won't be too many sheep or other ruminants in this country when the dust settles. Prices seem to have settled at about 60 cents on the dollar in our area for the past 2 years. Hope too many people aren't trying to feed a family on sheep, let alone other woolies.

[grassfarmer]

Pandiana, I think the point about tagging 40% is just poor wording. In the case you highlight if you have sold 70 out of 100 you would need to but 10 more - if you wanted to get the full subsidy entitlement.
Someone was saying to me yesterday it could cause a two price dairy calf market - with coloured calves ex dairy being worth a lot more than black and whites.
I see a few cows about that are obviously beef x dairy so if you have used a beef bull on a dairy cow why shouldn't it qualify? There would be more logic in accepting them than accepting replacement heifers - in a scheme that is designed to compensate for delayed slaughter of beef animals from the 2004 calf crop.