8,000 Canadian Cattle Quarantined

[Ron]

Willowkreek, are you in favour of 100% testing for BSE? Canada and US?
Just curious, I think it would be a great idea (not saying economical or easy) and would shut up a lot of people. My vegetarian in-laws are horrified that I feed their grandchildren meat. Weirdo's

[Willowcreek]

Mb_rancher-- You better hope things don't blow up- because remember the only market Canada has is with the US..You sold your souls to get on the US's shirttails...And you're already taking everything from the US- so you're tied to anything that happens here...

With the publicity on Canada's problem- if things do blow up in the states, it will all be blamed on all thosed diseased Canadian cows/beef we took...

Ron- I don't know if you addressed this to me or to Willow-Kreek-- but my feelings are that neither country should be exporting live cattle OTM age, or breeding stock- still too many unknowns on BSE- and evidence now appearing that the atypical type may be transmitted by live contact- the same as CWD...If so we just keep spreading the disease..
I think the US should maintain the testing they have had in place the last few years and allow private companies to test...But with the much higer rate of disease, high number of Post feedban positives, and higher risk Canada has I think they should be required to test all OTM- especially any they want to export...

[cowman]

Willowcreek: There is a rumor going around...and it so far is just a rumor...that the "feed" in question came out of the USA! Would sure be interesting if that rumor proves true?
Still I will agree with you that someone screwed up and should answer for it.
As you might know new feed restrictions are supposed to go into place in Canada on July 12th? Apparently no one has been doing much despite the federal government committing $80 million to implement this! The various packers have not stepped up to the plate!
This new feed ban will romove all SRMs from ever being used in anyway...they must be destroyed. Our federal Ag minister gave the packers a good blast and told them come hell or high water this ban will go into effect, one way or the other, on July 12, 2007!
Now I wonder...is the US doing anything similar? Do you think our country would be justified in insisting you do if you intend to export meat(not just beef) into Canada? I would assume your markets for processed feed/supplements/dogfood into Canada will end July 12...and rightly so, I think you would agree?
I wouldn't get all bent out of shape about Canadian exports of live cattle! We are into liquidation up here in a fairly significant way and if this ethanol/biodeisel thing turns out to be the real meal deal...we well might find ourselves in a "beef deficit" in a couple of years! Times change, situations change, everyone moves on.

[sagewood]

I enjoyed all the replies to Willow Creek and was going to join in on the sand-box fight, but felt that replying to someone like that is a waste of time..one has to consider the source when worrying about his comments.

Cowman, I do believe you are right that we could well be short of beef in the near future if the ethanol thing takes off--lots of big farmers wanting more and more land for canola and/or **** and a few weeds won't matter to the final processed product, so the grain boys and girls might just make a little profit for a change.

As to the labour intensive cattle industry--this past week at the Calgary Bull Sale, I heard lots and lots of talk about the 'older' generation being ready to hang up the spurs and have their last cattle drive to the auction mart..and the next generation are not interested because they are all making good cash in other industries and have no desire to be in debt all their life and subsidize the consumers of our meat products. As I am still trying to have a positive outlook on the cattle industry, I bought a new bull at the sale--still fun to bring a new one home and wait for next year's calves..onwards

[coppertop]

good for you sagewood. We need some folks still believing there is a future in our business, difficult as that may seem at times.

I am looking forward to the first calves of the bull I bought last year, hope I made the right choice when I picked him at the sale. Calving time and spring is the season of renewal, and hopefully some optimism for everyone in the agricultural industry.

Hope calving is going well for everyone.

[sagewood]

I said I was not going to reply to anything that Willocreek had to say, but I have lived long enough to know that those who rejoice in the suffering of others, most always have some suffering to endure themselves..and because they have had no compassion nor care nor concern for those who have suffered previouly, no one usually cares to help them in their time of need...the old adage..what goes around, comes around. I know many U.S. breeders (and friends) and they are all sympathetic to the Canadian situation (as they were when BSE hit the British farmers). I refuse to let a few narrow-minded, vintdictive Americans warp my friendships south of the 49th. During the years when export was happening between our two countries, we Albertans had many U.S. customers knocking on our doors for our breeding stock. Many of these people still want our good Canadian breeding stock and are pleased to hear that perhaps the OTM ones may soon be exportable. The Mexican buyers are also waiting impatiently to be able to move breeding stock from Canada across to Mexico. So don't loose heart out there..as Cowman says, things change, we move on..this too shall pass...that's my sermon for today!!

[Willowcreek]

sage-- And in the same perspective I and many I know would/could never buy bulls or heifers from Canadian cattlemen that support profiting thru fraud, lying, and deceit....

Canadian cattlemen and their organizations are fighting the US M-COOL law and requiring the consumers be told the truth as to the origin of the meat they eat...They prefer to support the packer fraud because they fear their product can't/won't compete...So to make an extra buck they supporting false labeling and flat out lying to consumers of the world...

What would stop these same cattlemen from lying about the pedigrees or info on their bulls or heifers? Or how could you ever trust such a person to stand behind their word?

If they support defrauding the masses- what would keep them from defrauding, lying to, and cheating the individual to make an extra buck?

[sagewood]

There, there Willocreek, sit down and take a deep breath...I have heard another true saying that 'it takes one to know one', so I guess you have done your share of all that you quoted.

Get back on your medication and perhaps the people from the institution won't come to take you away...you take care now..

[jensend]

poor old willowcreek. r-calf is crumbling and he just keeps lashing out at canadians. pretty soon it will be our fault r-calf failed. dementia is so sad.

[hayburner]

Willowcreek it would very interesting to DNA your cattle herd to see if we can trace any genetics back to good old Canadian cattle. as I have sold alot of purebred bulls and heifers to the usa . It is amazing how DNA works and we would even use a US lab since you probably wouldn't believe a Canadian one.