I think you are on to something TJ. I think the milk production area is an interesting in beef production. I have always wondered if hard milking cows were harder keeping than moderate milking cows....and what about their there rebreeding ability. However if a cow milks quality and not quantity....does she really put that much more energy loose. A milking cow uses alot more water than a non milking cow....what about energy. I have a neighbor who runs 400 buffalo. he claims a Buffalo cow milks very little volume but high butterfat or whatever. If they have orphan they use lamb replacer milk to bottle feed them. If you look at the history of American bison they have survived with out protein tubs and mineral and embryo transfer. Maybe high quality milk in a low volume package makes sense in a natural selection nutrition scenario. You have Bison bson, Bison occidentalis, and Bison Antiquitous(scuse my spelling). They survived the last 20,000 years without mankind screwing them up. Thats 20,000 years not 20,000 $ for my Canadian friends. I often wondered about the Texas Longhorn. They survived 400 years in Mexico and Texas without man kinds interaction. What is their butterfat concentration? Could it be at a optimum level proven by natural selection? I think interesting topic anyway.
