Highland Cattle

[TOM4CWB]

Ianben;

This is what I see @http://www.handsontv.info/series6/04_Energy_Matters_reports/report4.html

"The Process

The feedstock is pre-treated to ensure that protein and insoluble materials are removed. It is then subjected to a chemical process known as esterification at a high temperature, in an extremely acidic environment, followed by a double trans-esterification process in an extremely caustic environment.

As well as biodiesel, another biofuel oil is produced during the distillation process. This renewable fuel is used as a fuel source for the plant, substantially reducing the environmental impact of the manufacturing process. A further by-product is glycerine which has a wide variety uses, such as in the paint and resin industries."

What do you think Ianben, doesn't look like it uses the new process?

[Rodjam]

I do not disagree that a cross of these breeds will do just as well or better then alot of other crosses. My point is to rely on one of these breeds in its pure bred form would be tough. The challenge all breeders face is finding the breed that works for them instead of trying to chase all of the latest fads. I am all for new ideas, technics and breeds but the numbers still have to work long term.
As for off farm work if you can make it without great, I wish I could. In my case I had to buy my own land and had no family passing me a deal, not so easy at $250 000 a quarter.

[rkaiser]

I apologize for the off farm income remark Rodjam, I guess I was still dealing with kpb's comments when I let that one fly. I had a quarter given to me when my papa croaked in 81. Handed it over to ADC/Farm Credit in 84 when land prices dropped and interest peaked. Whatever.

The topic at hand is the minor breeds. When you said that it would be tough to rely on one of these breeds in it's purebred form, I will somewhat agree.

Tough as in tough skinned. Tough to hang in there while people continue to look down their noses and beleive the rhetoric spewed by breed supporters of the mainstream breeds. Tough to make money - not a chance bud. I'll bet my last buck that I have made more REAL money with my 150 purebred Welsh Black and Galloway cattle than almost any cattle breeder in Canada. Like I said REAL money. Take out the purebred sales between purebred breeders that look super in the media.

First of all, we don't need as much and as high quality feed as the guy with the Angus, Charolais, or Simmental herd.

Secondly all of our cull cattle (save a few old cows and bulls) are sold through an integrated market which has put well over $200.00 above conventional prices since the border closed.

I really like how folks who don't like to recognise the advantage that integrated marketing has over conventional like to pull out the word niche. Call it niche marketing if you like, I like to call it a reality market. Producing a product that a group of consumers is asking for and filling that market is reality; is it not? I like to call the conventional market in Canada more of a utility eater market, with the feeder and the packer making the choice of what the consumer gets rather than the other way around. Ever since the first continental cattle came to Canada and the Mutinational packers made High River and Brooks home, we have been on a mission to "efficiently" produce pounds of beef and tell the consumer what heshe wants. Sure has been working with the EU hasn't it. Cargill Tyson, and the average Canadian producer says "hormones good".
Whether they are good or bad is not really an issue,the point is the consumer is generally always right in a free functioning economy. Sorry for that rant, back on topic.

Third - due to the lack of numbers in breeds like Welsh Black and Galloway, bull market share is lucrative. We might have to haul our bulls a bit, but we sell more (hard culled) two year old bulls, per cow exposed, in a year than most purebred cattle ranches in any breed.

I am trying my darndest not to come down too hard on your claims Rodjam, but believe me, I've had lots of practice.

We tried to simply show people the stellar structure of our cattle, and tried to prove through various feed trials that these cattle belong. Even though both of these attempts proved very successful, we still saw little response. In a feed efficiency trial pen of around thiry Welsh Black, Angus, and Hereford bulls with equal numbers last year, for instance. 4 of the top five bulls were Welsh Blacks. If we had 1/100th of the budget of the Hereford association, that news would have been everywhere. Lots of other results if you like.

Finally we came to these integrated marketing programs where we fill a void left by the conventional market. Now we are branded niche marketers. Seems like a dead end road, don't you think. The conventional producer will never be convinced???? We kill about 10 - 15 head a week on average between the group of us Rodjam, and always have about 12 to 1500 head lined up. When we have too many cattle for our market, we send them off to the big boys. Last load of heifers (some purebred some crossbred) that we had to bite this bullet on averaged a bit over 1300 pounds with 86% grading AAA. probably fit into some niche market for Cargill down in the USA hey!

I respect the fact that you are working hard to establish yourself in this industry Rodjam, and even more so that you are doing most of it on your own. But please, don't get caught up in the rhetric that flows through the veins of the majority of conventional market producers. All cattle breeds that have survived more than ten or twenty years in Canada have a place. And there is room for more. On our ranch we breed for type within our breed and if you have not already realised, this is a far more important factor to consider than talking about breeds that simply do not make the numbers work.

Have a happy -------

Randy

[JD4ME]

Tom

I think Glycerin is still produced I will look into it further but you might also find this interesting




Aug 11 2005


Contact: Jeffrey Neu
Sr. Information Specialist
573-882-3346
NeuJ@missouri.edu

New Process Developed to Make Biodiesel Production Cheaper for Manufacturers
Developed by MU Researcher, New Method Also Creates NonToxic Antifreeze
By Jeffrey Neu

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- In recent months, President Bush has pushed an energy plan that calls for an increase in the production of alternative fuels like biodiesel. In 1999, biodiesel producers sold only 500,000 gallons of fuel, but last year, 30 million gallons were sold. Still, that represents only a fraction of fuel used in the United States. Now, a researcher at the University of Missouri-Columbia is working to make biodiesel manufacturing more profitable for producers and more attractive to consumers.

Galen Suppes, an MU chemical engineering professor and chief science officer of the MU-based Renewable Alternatives, has developed a process for converting glycerin, a byproduct of the biodiesel production process, into propylene glycol. Propylene glycol can be used as nontoxic antifreeze for automobiles. Currently, ethylene glycol is prominently used in vehicular antifreeze and is both toxic and made from petroleum. Suppes said the new propylene glycol product will meet every performance standard, is made from domestic soybeans and is nontoxic. While other research groups are involved in this topic, Suppes said his process works at a lower pressure and temperature than the other groups, and this process creates a higher yield.

"At best, right now biodiesel production is only part of the solution," Suppes said. "Current biodiesel production in the United States is about 0.03 billion gallons per year as compared to distillate fuel oil consumption of 57 billion gallons per year. We believe this technology will encourage and attract more companies and plants to produce propylene glycol, a cheaper and environmentally safer product."

Suppes said this technology can reduce the cost of biodiesel production by as much as $0.40 per gallon of biodiesel. The market for propylene glycol already is established, with a billion pounds produced a year.

"The price of propylene glycol is quite high while glycerin¿s price is low, so based on the low cost of feed stock and high value of propylene glycol, the process appears to be most profitable," Suppes said. "The consumers want antifreeze that is both renewable and made from biomass rather than petroleum from which propylene glycol currently is produced, as well as nontoxic."

Right now, Renewable Alternatives is licensing this technology to three biodiesel plants, with a fourth one in the works. The National Science Foundation and Missouri Soybean Farmers are helping fund the research.
-30-
I Note another technology from a University based research environment.

[grassfarmer]

Not wishing to get involved in the mudslinging and insult throwing going on here I want to at least provide some information on Highland cattle - my much maligned countrymen!
I've seen many, many Highland cows in their native habitat and I've never seen one with poor feet. If the problem you report is overgrown feet perhaps they can't handle the type or quantity of protein they are being fed - they are browsers naturally.

The Stroh family of Colorado have won Grand Champion or Reserve Grand Champion, in at least one category of the "Hanging Beef Carcass" contest at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, for 22 out of the 25 years they entered with Highland or Highland X cattle. Highland cattle at this show have the largest recorded ribeye in the beef industry (19.4cm) They also rank as the fourth highest marbling breed in the world (several places above Angus)

A 5 year experiment at Manyberries, AB around 1970 showed that straight Highlands consistantly produced more weight of weaned calf than straight Herefords due to higher conception and lower birth losses under very dry, shortgrass conditions.

In 1930's BC rancher Charlie Flick developed the Snowlander breed of cattle by breeding F1 polled Shorthorn X Highland cattle pure for several generations.
These cattle lived on his ranch at Edgewood summering entirely on browse in the steep rocky wooded hillsides and wintering on hay by the lake side. The only access to their summer range was along power pole cut lines 30 miles back into the mountains. Hardy Luing cattle were taken to the ranch to mix with the Snowlanders but couldn't cut it longterm although the experiment introduced valuable polled genetics into today's Luing breed.
It is doubtful if any other breed of cattle could have lived in that terrain - perhaps with the exception of Texas Longhorns?

I'm not suggesting the Highland breed is for everyone or every situation but they are a distinct and remarkable breed and deserve better than to be condemned through ignorance of their traits and characteristics.
Remember in the many centuries long human domestication of cattle we've had a feedlot industry in some parts of the world for how long 40-50 years? To consider feedlot suitability as the sole selection criteria for beef genetics seems rather immature, longterm.

[blackjack]

...nice to see ya grassfarmer back for a comment... how was the grass up in your neck of the world...

[cowman]

Hey Randy, look at all the free advertizing you got? Be happy!
And to set the record straight I didn't know you had anything to do with Highland cattle and my comments were only what I have observed in my limited experience! No one else was responding to the guy!
I don't think I've ever ripped the smaller breeds like you seem to think. They won't work for me because I just don't want them. Now maybe I'd be better off financially if I raised them, but then again I might be more profitable raising goats, or selling dope or something? Point is if I'm going to own cattle I want to enjoy what I have to look at...and that is a personal thing? If I wanted to be rich I wouldn't be doing this!
I was raised on a purebred hereford farm. Today I wouldn't own one if you gave it to me! I make no excuses...I like those big white bulls...I like crossbred cows...hopefully dark red or tan! I believe there is nothing that packs the meat on like a char cross.
And my "big Continental cross cows"(even though they are probably close to 50% red Angus) are pretty efficient? It isn't costing me $1.50/day to feed them!

[rkaiser]

Cheers cowman. To each his own. And yes, thank you for the chance at some free advertizing. LOL

[cowman]

Hey Randy, maybe if I smear the hell out of Luing cattle I can entice grassfarmer back on here?!!

[rkaiser]

Give it a try you old fart. I know for a fact that he is pretty thick skinned, just like you and I and itchen to get back at er here on Agri - vation.

[rkaiser]

Found some nice pictures for ya cowman.

http://www.thorbardinranch.com/index.html

[Rodjam]

Thanks for the link, looks like they are doing it right.
My Scottish grandfather would be so proud of if I had that set up.

[cowman]

Well I don't know if grassfarmer was all that thick skinned but he definitely had his opinions and he stuck to them!
Besides the fact I enjoyed roasting him at every opportunity I also enjoyed his point of view on several things? He actually made me consider some of his more "out there" ideas!

[ianben]

Hi Tom Looks like you are right and our plant does not use new process.

It is up and running though.

I think we are about to see huge advances in the processes involved in biomass uses. Global warming and higher fossil fuel prices will send more and more resourses into R&D. What may seem uneconomic today may only need an alternative high value use for a biproducct as in JD's example. I think in 5yrs there will be plants producing things we havent even thought of.

Wheat I am told has the most possibilities for value added products in an industrial process.

It should make those long haul places in Canada ideally situated to take advantage of these opertunities.

Will the your goverment and farmers pull out all the stops the make it happen

[cowman]

interesting comments on this topic. I value all positive comments about the beef industry and it certainly should not matter if those who post on this site have ten cows or ten thousand !
It is certainly a place where newcomers to the industry can gain valuable information on a lot of issues from experienced cattle producers. Sometimes personalities get in the way, but that's human nature. Possibly the best way to deal with opposing viewpoints would be to treat each other in the same manner we would if they were sitting across the table .