Hey Randy

[kato]

Saw your full page ad in the Cattlemen magazine. Those are some pretty fine looking cattle you have there.

You should get those pictures posted on Ranchers.net and show our southern neighbours what really good black cattle look like.

[rkaiser]

Thanks Kato. Would be nice if any Purebred Cattle could go across the line again. This border issue has caused a lot of strife among producers, mostly due to the blind attitude of certain Rcalf folk. Most are not Rcalf protectionist types and are looking forward, like I am to trade in Breeding stock once again.

[mb_rancher]

Seen your ad in there also Randy! Cattle look sharp as you do with that fancy Black hat! Would be nice to see some of those fancy Blacks of yours head south!!!

[cowman]

I wonder how many R-CALF members might be seedstock producers who don't want competition from Canadian breeders? The other thing I wonder is this: Is Canada also keeping out American breeding stock? And American OTM beef? That would seem only fair?

[JD6320]

The one good thing is that the top genetics are staying within Canada and helping to improve the quality overall.

[cowman]

So how long will the border remain closed to breeding stock? Will that be the last area opened?
There is a pent up desire from Americans for Canadian breeding stock...and not neccesarily just purebred stock! Jack Daines said a friend of his in South Dakota bought some good black commercial cows for $1700 US just before Christmas! Is this what good bred commercial cows are selling for in the US? Pretty good if you are the seller...not so good if you are buying them...and competing against cheap Canadian feeder calves coming into your market! And eventually cull cows and beef? I mean $1700 US is $1954 Canadian! Would anyone here think it was possible to pay that price for a cow?
Running a purebred herd is expensive? The paper work, the promotion, the extra care and attention....it all costs money? When you take the American buyer out of the equation you take a big chunk of the money away? Eventually some purebred breeders will fall away?

[rkaiser]

Eventually????

Look around cownman. We have already lost more purebred producers to BSE than any other sector of the industry.

Similar to all other sectors however, when it comes back it will be the big ones who will move ahead.

[smcgrath76]

Just a note...
There have been several large Canadian Seedstock breeders that own or have purchased ranches south of the border in the last few years. They run parallel operations and send semen/embryos back and forth. I know a lot of HE cattle used to go south from ranches within a couple of hundred miles of the 49th.