aj said:
I think you could make an arguement that 60% of the Shorthorn cattle are a zoo breed type deal. They are constantly on grain........they are always a embryo tranplant deal and enviromental pressure are never applied. The birth dates and birth weights are always lied about. Not all of them....maybe 60% of them. Heres a novel idea.....take them off the feed bucket and put them on forage. To me 60% ers cattle are kinda like raising alpacas or race horses.....and that is ok. But I think it would be cool to call a spade a spade.just initial testemony.
I would like to know if your arguement that 60% of Shorthorn cattle are constantly on grain... and are always in embryo transplant and environmental pressure is never supplied, is based on facts that you have proof of, an calculated guess that you have made, or if it is something you just decided must be correct? I would like to say this is absolutely not even close to being true. I will agree that there are a few " hot house" deals in the Shorthorn breed, but I would argue that the Shorthorn herds raised this way are not more than any other breed. Here in Canada, I cannot think of a Shorthorn herd that does not live on roughages through the winter. I know of many reputation herds in several other breeds that are fed a grain based diet through the winter.
I have not seen all the Shorthorn herds in the US, but I would say I have seen a good number of herds over the years. I would say I have seen almost every major herd I have visited, roughaging on corn stocks far into the winter, in pretty deep snow and little shelter provided for them . Some of these herds are what are referred to as being the so called elite herds that some on here critcize constantly on here.
My cows can get thin when we get a bad winter, but I prefer that they don't get real thin.I prefer them to remain in excellent condition through even the coldest winters we can have. I think most people manage their herds in a similar way. We only raise hay and cows, so any supplemental grain is purchased. If my cows start to lose weight, I increase the amount of better quality hay they receive each day but they never get grain.
I winter my cows like many others do here in Canada. My cows graze as long as possible into the late fall or early winter, and we make them go out and graze if there is adequate grass when weather permits in the winter. The cows never get grain supplementation at all. They get a mixture of our poorest hay blended with some good quality hay ( at about 2 bales poor quality to 1 bale of higehr quality) until they calve and they then get the better quality hay until they go to pasture in the spring. The yearling heifers and first calf heifers are fed some 14% pellets and good quality hay for the winter, so they will continue to grow. They get 3-4 lbs/ day of pellets and free choice hay and oat straw ( when available). The get an extra 2 lbs of pellets per day when the day time high does not reach - 20 C. We have very little shelter in our pastures and we make our cows walk as much as possible when weather permits. I am only saying this, because I beleive many Shorthorn herds are raised the same way. I drive by many big name Angus, Charolais and Simmental herds every few weeks and I see the piles of corn and barley silage that they are feeding to their cow herds.
When it comes right down to it, I believe each herd owner has to decide what feeding system makes the best economic sense to their situation. One of the most famous Angus herds I know of in Western Canada supplements their cows with grain every day of the year. They have told me that every day is a show day to them, as they get visitors to see their cattle every month of the year. They say they have never had a person drive out of their yard without buying their cattle because they were in too good condition, but they know of lots of other herds where potential buyers drive out without buying because the cattle were too thin. I cannot criticize them for what they do, as they are some of the best marketers I know of. They sell lots and lots of bulls to commerical herds, and some of the best commercial herds in Western Canada. They also sell embryos and semen around the world. In regards to herds using ET, how can you criticize anyone who wants to improve their herds at a faster rate or increase their marketings on a more international basis? Don't most of us raise cattle to try to make a living? Is it not a business to most of us? Yes there are lots of people buying high dollar show heifers that don't care if their cattle make money, but when you count up the percentage of cattle these people own in comparison to the total of any breed, they are really pretty insignificant. I use ET because it is a way I can market more genetics around the world with little extra labor requirement. It has become a huge part of my business, and believe me, my cattle are a business and I feel blessed to be able to make a living doing the only job I ever wanted to do. Semen and embryos have become the main source of genetics for the world, and while it is not for everyone, it does help me pay my bills.
I do not raise my cows the way these people ( and many others!) do, but I can hardly criticize them when they are having success and their commerical bull buyers are having excellent success as well. It is pretty easy to criticize others who are more successful than you are.
