Highland Cattle

[silverback]

Wow! Someone is a little sensitive this morning.

Is the sale ring a good judge of the current market or not? For the cow guy, it is the only indicator of how things are going. Things may change in the future, but I think cowman sounds like a good judge of what is happening in the market to me.

[rkaiser]

Well,,, when ya git a couple of fellas who shoot from the lip like cowman and purecountry, things are bound to heat up from time to time.

Are purecountrie's comments gonna stop you from running down cattle that the buyers use as scapegoats cowman. I doubt it.

Maybe those long toed highlands you saw were a result of an acreage guy who didn't pay attention to nutrition and had no room for his beasts to walk around. How many of your generally accepted Char or Simmi bulls have you looked closely at before a bull sale clippin cowman?

Some of the lesser numbered breeds may have a few problems with things like feet due to the desire of breeders to have a nice set of horns, or a nice color pattern, however many of the higher numbered breeds have obviously followed other traits like growth and size and forgot about sound structure and feet and legs as much as their lesser numbered cousins.

Highland cattle have a place, just like Charolais cattle do. The Highlands place may not be next to the char cross calf in the auction ring but as we have all proven, each and every breed has a place in this industry. Stop in at one of our meat shops in Calgary some time cowman and we'll dig you out a Highland steak.

And check in with some true gain and feed efficiency results to see where the hairy little bears shit in the buckwheat. OR just keep pouring out the feed bucket and bragging about the sheer size of your continental crossbred cow herd.

Hope you find what you are looking for pettie, and keep either purecountries name or mine when you have some feeder cattle for sale. rpkaiser@telusplanet.net

[rkaiser]

good response Randy. When the input costs are weighed out against the dollars earned per cow in a herd, I am willing to bet that the smaller breeds hold their own with the best of them.

[kpb]

Well you guys like purecountry can dream all you want but Highlands are absolutely infamous for their bad feet as cowman has said. And to compare them to any decent feeding animal is yet another journey into fantasyland. How long do they take to finish--a couple of years? So when you talk about input costs you better talk also how long it actually takes for the animal to get to the stage of finish that most consumers want.

As far as courtesy on this site or, in fact any informed comment is concerned, I've come to believe that grassfarmer was right a couple of months ago when he logged off. There's now way too many guys like purecountry who do not make their full-time living from cattle but have full-time opinions about how us full-time ranchers should think or act.

I don't always agree with cowman but he's one of the most informed and experienced ranchers on this site and it makes me sick to have some half-baked hobby farmer tell him to shut his mouth. This site is being taken over by part-timers and acreage owners who have lots of opinions about making a living in an industry that they know little or nothing about.

Like grassfarmer I'm signing out of here for good. One last comment, hey, purecountry, why not quit your job at the farm store and try to make a living in the business you think you know so much about. Or better still how about giving some respect to cowman, he's forgotten more about cattle than you know.

kpb

[wd9]

I believe BIOX is shipping south and picking up the US buck. Uses yellow fats. Voila, it's profitable.

[Rodjam]

There is a reason the guys raising cattle as their only source of income do not have fields full of Highland, Galloway and Welsh breeds, the numbers do not work. The same reason so many of the other fringe animal breeds have been relegated to hobby farms. Sure they have some niche markets but try and sell several thousand of them and you may find you have to sit on them awhile.
To bad that some people get ripped so bad they have to leave, there is alot to learn here and I hope those that left return. Those that feel the need to attack others thats your right in this great country but it will probably do nothing to help promote you point of view. Like the guy driving the Pizza company car today in Lacombe flipping people off who did not meet his driving standards, not the greatest advertising.

[15444]

Sorry to see ya go, kpb. Really enjoyed your posts over the time you have been here. Best of luck in the future.

[cowman]

Randy: Yes my "casual observation" was mostly about cattle I've seen go through the auction mart and yes in all probability most Highlands are raised on limited acreage.Read the post again...how hard did I rip them? Was any of what I said untrue?
And you are very correct about feet(and legs) of Charlais cattle. You have to be careful when buying Char bulls as feet/legs are their biggest downfall...as well as lack of decent sized testicles...only in my opinion...as I don't want to get blasted by some Char breeder!
kpb: I value your posts. You give good insights into the reality of a feeder trying to make a go of it in a tough business. Don't go.

[ianben]

Vader said
Isn't is simply a matter of how many million acres of crop land can be diverted from food production into energy crops?

I believe, as farmers, this the fact we need to focus on. Any biofuel subsidy anywhere in the world will use acres which will not produce food.

UK Canola prices are already being boosted by German Biofuel policy. Recent government change there and a rumor over biodiesel policy soon brought down price.

EU has announced 5% inclusion of biofuel in all transport fuel by 2010 This according to my info will make EU net importer if this requirement is met from within EU.

If we look at this situation surely it makes sense to produce these fuels in places which have high transport costs for grain to customers and already near oil pipelines for distribution.

I believe very soon the price of wheat will very closely follow energy prices and demand from food and energy will far exceeded what farmers can produce

[JD4ME]

For those that aren't familiar with the BIOX process, Speaks to a previuos post where the discussion revoled around what government can do, and I replied a center of research/excellence at the university Alberta would be an idea, jointly funded by the Government as well as the commodity organizations, currrently the most sucessful biodiesel start ups are using "free" feedstock, used cooking oils, animal fats from renderers. etc. But the technolgy and process can always be streamlined and improved such is the nature of technolgy.



The Biox Process

The BIOX Process is a method for turning any feedstock, including vegetable oils, agricultural seed oils, waste animal fats and greases and recycled cooking oils into ASTM D6751 and/or EN 14214 grade biodiesel fuel at a cost competitive with petroleum diesel.

The BIOX Process is a new commercial-scale biodiesel production process in which fatty acids and triglycerides are sequentially converted to methyl esters by acid catalysed esterification and base catalysed transesterification. Before the BIOX Process, traditional methods of producing biodiesel were slow, expensive and inefficient. For these reasons, biodiesel has never been an economically viable alternative to petroleum diesel.

Dr. David Boocock, Past Chairman of the Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry Department, University of Toronto, has transformed the production process through the selection of inert co-solvents that generate an oil-rich one-phase system. This reaction is over 99% complete in seconds at near-ambient temperatures, compared to previous processes which required several hours. Continuous processes are now feasible and proven.







Dr. Boocock's scientific breakthrough has two major benefits:

1. It allows for the conversion of feedstocks with high free fatty acid contents (up to 30%), such as waste animal fats/oils, recycled cooking oils and palm oil, into ASTM D6751 and DIN grade biodiesel fuel at a yield of 1:1. Higher yields using lower cost feedstocks translates into cost effective biodiesel.

2. It is a simpler method of continuous production at near-ambient temperature and atmospheric pressures, allowing for a much lower cost of production.

BIOX has a substantial competitive advantage over any production method used today. Due to the low cost of its production and its ability to utilize virtually any type of feedstock (waste animal fats and oils) with the ability to actually convert the Free Fatty Acid portion into biodiesel, it is the only process that can compete with petroleum diesel on a cost basis. Other processes that employ either a high-temperature or high-pressure procedure develop product that is not competitive with petroleum-based diesel costs. This new technology makes biodiesel the most cost-effective green fuel available and competitive with petroleum diesel on the market.

The BIOX process can successfully exploit high fatty acids to produce biodiesel. The BIOX process is able to convert animal fats/greases and recycled cooking oils into biodiesel. It is estimated that by using both used agricultural oils and waste greases, costs can be cut by as much as 50 per cent, making biodiesel cost competitive with petroleum diesel.

[TOM4CWB]

JD4ME;

I note;
"DIN grade biodiesel fuel at a yield of 1:1."

Now does this mean that glycern is no longer a by-product in the biofuel processing chain?

[TOM4CWB]

JD4ME;

at 25 cent/lb veg oil, 1.8lb/L... does this convert to around $.55/L biofuel?

[rkaiser]

If you have to go you have to go kpb. Most of those of us who have been here for a while realise that some comments we make may bring some heat. Cowman knew he was stepping into something and likely even wanted it. This place does get boring at times and difference of opinion is often what makes it un boring.

Typical human nature to want to find things to agree with. In fact Rodjam has shown us even more typical human behaviour with his comments about how it is in the world of beef breeds.

Follow the norm, trust the media. Large numbers are always right. Get ready to toughen up your skin Rodjam, or I guess you could leave along with kpb.

Everyone of us knows that cowman knew what he was doing, and I for one enjoy his determination and confidence. Yes cowman has a wealth of experience and offers a lot to this forum.

I am surprised at the way kpb vacated. I will suggest that it was a bad day at the ranch more than anything. A little spat over Highland feet shouldn't have done it.

I would like to learn more from Rodjam however about how the numbers just don't work with Highland, Welsh Black and Galloway cattle. Funny part about two of the three of these breeds is that if Rodjam is a feeder, he may not know how much of these breeds are actually in the stock he has. I will admit that the purebred cull stock of any one of these breeds will likely not bring a premium in the auction ring, but have you seen any purebred cull charolais or purebred cull yellow spotted simmi's sell lately?

Look at some of the numbers in the Olds college steer a year trial Rodjam. Or would that be too challenging for a manwoman who already KNOWS the truth.

Galloways and Welsh Blacks have proven their merit in the conventional market in many crossbreeding progams. The lack of attention paid to these programs by folks who "know the truth" because of big money ads by the more well backed breeds is the main reason these breeds have taken more time to be recognised. These cattle will perform just as well as any if the top genetics are selected. Just like Charolais or any other breed will.

Hope you come back with your reasons for saying that the numbers don't work Rodjam. Maybe I can learn something and switch my program to the breed you feel the numbers do work with. Cheeerio. Randy

[ianben]

We have a plant like you describe I think. http://www.argentenergy.com/.

Built next to a rendering plant and tankers deliver Biofuel and return with used cooking oil for max efficency.

No acres taken out of production though only possible plus for farmers may be cooking oil changed more frequently now it does not cost to disspose of it.

[rkaiser]

Oh ya, other than a few eal estate deals and some revenue from owning that real estate, I have never collected an off farm cheque since I was 20 years old. Any more of you guysgals with perfect opinions on the cattle industry able to able to say the same?