I have said this before and I will say it again, and yes I am used to having a target on my back, but ya know what I wear my Sabres hat proudly in Dead Wing country and I wear my farm jacket proudly wherever I go.
TH and PHA in my mind are first and foremost a medical, genetic and yes cattle/calf welfare issue. Since I am in the business of stamping out disease I believe that they should be dealt with in an aggressive manner. Since cattle/calf welfare is high on my list I believe they should be dealt with in an aggressive manner. I will NEVER use a carrier bull again, period. I have one carrier (PHA) heifer - put an egg in her Sunday - she will NEVER be bred to a bull, period. She will carry an egg or she will be served on a plate. In my mind for my program and what I want in my cows this is a no brainer - I DO NO WANT TO DEAL WITH TH OR PHA ON MY FARM - EVER.
IMHO using a carrier bull as a herd bull is a bad idea - in fact the easiest and quickest way to eliminate carriers of genetic defects is to not use carrier bulls. I personally could not sleep at night if I sold a carrier animal - every day it becomes apparent that people don't know, they don't really get it, they don't understand the potential ramifications. I do not want to be the person that sold the kid the carrier heifer that had the PHA calf or the person that sold the carrier bull to the commercial guy who had chi-angus- shortie cows and ended up with you guessed it.
Yes I think in theory these defects can be managed - and if you have a host of carrier females your choice is manage or go bankrupt - but management depends on honesty, accuracy, and testing and while some people will do it honestly, openly and will test, many won't - saying something like well I am only breeding for steers - so what do you do with the females - of we won't keep them we'll sell 'em (GREAT, to who?) isn't management - it is deception
Yes there is the caveat "buyer beware" but one PHA calf could be enought to turn a commercial or any breeder off from a breed for life. People are not rational - Maines have just made progress in the birth weight area - selling PHA carrier bulls is going to put a black spot on the breed - many people are like elephants they don't forget and they may place blame illogically.
I know a lot of people enjoy cattle shows, family activities, hard work, good kids, good for the breed (is it?) etc but I think steer shows are silly - I think Miss America is silly too - superficial fluff - everyone looking for the great one - I thinking breeding for show steers is a good way to ruin your cow herd - many of the females from those matings are useless
I know many people who make their cattle money from steers - some of them are good friends of mine - I know they are honest and they are basing their decisions on their marketing plan. My marketing plan is different. Jill I don't think he called you stupid - he called the steer show stupid - I call it silly - but if it works for you and you can sleep at night and you are honest more power to you. It ain't my choice, but then my marketing plan and goals are not the same as yours.
Everyone of us has different goals and plans for our herds and our lives - and that is really how it should be - imagine a billion little Telos' or DL's or Reds or Jills or NYers or Lawdawgs or Gypsys or Deep or DLD or chamberos or sru or sjcc or any of the rest of us - life would be pretty boring . My problem lies with the omission of known data, preying on the unsuspecting, and the slime
like I said on a different post (politics I think) I have always been on the far left .....beautiful day here - hope everyone gets a titch of sun! DL
and actually I have enjoyed everyones posts here on the planet - thoughtful, fun, a touch of whimsey and old bull or two - a few really young guys like sru and then us mature types!)
