feeder calves

[grassfarmer]

Cowman, "most businesses look 3 months down the road not 100 years" - how true of most cattle breeders, it's all about fashions and fads. The average seedstock herd in the US is 7 years old, too many amateurs!
It's because I don't intend to go the way of the poultry and hog industries that I am looking to breed different genetics. These sectors have the supposed "efficiency" we are told we all need - yet in reality they are turning out a consistant but poor quality product under factory conditions and making little or no money doing it.
It is clear the beef industry faces the same fate - feedlots factory farming animals that are fast growing, tasteless and full of "bad" fats. Again there is little or no money being made by producers.
So rather than accept that "efficency" will dictate that we all breed hybrid genetics bought from IBP or Cargill in the near future to supply their feedlots with feeders I will fight like hell to oppose this at every opportunity. "Cheap protein" is not what consumers are getting by buying beef just now they are getting consistant, but poor quality beef at a relatively high price.
Why not aim for a truly high quality product, one that is tasty as well as healthy and you might be surprised how much people will pay for it. Lack of disposable income is not a problem for the vast majority in N.America.
The soy alternatives may attract some but I doubt it'll catch on - consumers will always want a good old steak like they used to buy. How much does it cost to produce soy beef anyway? start with Monsanto RR soya, fuel costs, machinery etc etc - is it going to be cheaper or more sustainable than beef produced off grassland? Commodity production of beef holds no prosperity for beef producers - too much of the production chain is controlled by corporate entities. Think outside of the "commodity" box and the sky is the limit.

[cowman]

grassfarmer: I do understand your point of view and find it an interesting concept. And I don't know what it costs for "soy beef"? Right now you would definitely pay some sort of premium for any "vegetarian product" but I suspect that is due to marketing a niche product? I haven't tried any vegetarian beef replacements other than hamburger. The veggie burgers are actually quite good and the vegetarian poultry version is better than the real thing, in my opinion! It is often hard to buy these products except at a specialty store? There is one such store at the seventh day adventist college in Lacombe.
I do suspect the vegetarian movement is growing significantly in the younger generations? And in reality it should be as the concept is pushed in the schools and generally by the health industry? Of course there will always be a wealthy affluent number of people who want that good old tasty steak but I think there will be fewer of them in the future?
Myself personally, I can hardly abide a "modern" pork chop...seems they always taste and smell like a hog barn! And modern poultry isn't much better. But I do love a good steak.

[cowman]

cowman, I'm with you on the taste of pork chops, and many other cuts of pork as well.
I bought one of those fancy name brand pork roasts that you cook in minutes, it was horrible, the dog had a good feed that day and I was worried about her health afterward. I think there must be something in the way pork is fed or processed that has taken away the flavor.

[cswilson]

But isn't the Luing breed itself a cross between some others way back when-so it essentially started out as a breeder tinkering with hybrid animals. As for running down a breed after one summers experience be careful because what goes around comes around-there's lots of Charolais bulls that will breed a pile of cows and I imagine there's the odd Luing that won't. The best breeding bull I ever owned was a South Devon-does that mean the breed is inherently better breeders-probably not-not this particular individual sure knew his stuff.

[rkaiser]

I'll second that Mr. Wilson.

[kato]

Yup..

As for the pork, yuk. We used to raise a few pigs, and pork chops never tasted like the ones you get from the store now. Modern hogs are incredibly young when they reach market weight. They never see daylight, and they are pushed hard. I just don't think they have time. Anytime I cook a pork chop now, it's with a ton of garlic, or barbeque sauce.