A must read for all ranchers!

[S.R.R.]

http://www.slanker.com/bulls/index.htm
Click the headings and do some reading. Some of the most eye opening straight forward stuff written. I sure wish this guy was on this forum!

 

[MikeC]

I tried some forage raised bulls. When it came time to sell them, nobody wanted them. They wanted those big fat sloppy bulls.

 

[S.R.R.]

He does seem to be fighting an up hill battle.

 

[lakading]

Once they're off the cow, it's time to put the grain to them and let them express their genetic potential. The cow did here part, now let the grain do it's part. Grain fed beef just tastes better.

 

[houstoncutter]

I was very much interested a few years back, but all the bulls he had for sale had birth weights that were too heavy for my tastes...Who knows it might have been one of those years. It does make for some interesting reading

 

[frenchie]

I tried some forage raised bulls. .

Say it ain,t so MikeC

 

[Saltydawg]

Where I live we get 300 inches of snowfall in an average year.

I don't see how its even remotely possible to expect cattle in real snow country to forage enough to survive a winter on their own.
I'm talking real snow country....not the once a year dusting of snow that Texas might get :lol: .

 

[Victoria]

Where I live we get 300 inches of snowfall in an average year.

I don't see how its even remotely possible to expect cattle in real snow country to forage enough to survive a winter on their own.
I'm talking real snow country....not the once a year dusting of snow that Texas might get :lol: .

Wow, you get more snow in NY than we do on average. :shock:

 

[Ranchcop]

Now you know why he is not wasting his time posting on here.... i guess he is smarter then me!
Brad

 

[MikeC]

I tried some forage raised bulls. .

Say it ain,t so MikeC

What do you mean?

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

He does seem to be fighting an up hill battle.

Thankfully, more and more breeders are roughing bulls these days. Up here, there is simply too much snow to have year round grazing, but many breeders are feeding straight hay with a little bit of grain to get some extra energy.

For those that are doing it, and those like me who are buying it, we feel that it gives you a much better idea of how the animal is going to do in the real world. After all, once the bull is turned out with the cows, he's not going to get 30 lbs of grain every day. Plus, those high grain diets tend to burn the animal out earlier. Its just fine if you're raising feeders to be slaughtered, but not if you're raising breedstock.

Rod

 

[frenchie]

I tried some forage raised bulls. .

Say it ain,t so MikeC

What do you mean?

Now I know why you don,t like Pharo or his program.. :lol:

 

[Susie David]

We don't get near as much snow as other folks, in fact the past two years we haven't had hardly much at all but still don't have the pasture to support a forage only animal. I suppose that they are great converters on normal cow feed. DMc

 

[Dap]

One guy told me that feeding bulls on a gain test was like a team putting their players on an all you can eat buffet. They won't be ready to perform, and some will never get into shape. He grained his bulls, but not for maximum gain, and they were always out in big pastures.

 

[Hasbeen]

That's interesting, but unless he comes up with one that can survive eating only mud, it won't work on my place.

 

[kb5iod]

Grain fed beef just tastes better

That is a matter of opinion. Last year we butchered a steer that was strictly raised on grass. I had a hard time convincing my dad to not give it grain. The meat had terrific flavor and the steaks were fork tender. I couldn't hardly eat the store bought stuff when we ran out of meat. Fortunately, we have another one in the works. I have spent a lot of time on that website and find his approach and ideas interesting. Like many have said, the concept won't work everywhere. I have a lot of fescue on my place and I have fed almost no hay but my place is understocked for now. I am trying to develop a plan to maximize winter grazing of native forage for when I do reach capacity.

By the way lakading, my wife and I will be flying to Des Moines in two weeks for the national Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher convention. I may have to check with you and see how big a coat to wear. We've been spoiled with the warm weather here in Arkansas this winter.

 

[lakading]

Grain fed beef just tastes better

That is a matter of opinion. Last year we butchered a steer that was strictly raised on grass. I had a hard time convincing my dad to not give it grain. The meat had terrific flavor and the steaks were fork tender. I couldn't hardly eat the store bought stuff when we ran out of meat. Fortunately, we have another one in the works. I have spent a lot of time on that website and find his approach and ideas interesting. Like many have said, the concept won't work everywhere. I have a lot of fescue on my place and I have fed almost no hay but my place is understocked for now. I am trying to develop a plan to maximize winter grazing of native forage for when I do reach capacity.

By the way lakading, my wife and I will be flying to Des Moines in two weeks for the national Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher convention. I may have to check with you and see how big a coat to wear. We've been spoiled with the warm weather here in Arkansas this winter.

All forum posts are a matter of opinion.

To each their own.

Let me know when you would like an updated forecast.

 

[kb5iod]

All forum posts are a matter of opinion.

Shucks, all that note takin' for nothin'.

Looking forward to seeing what your part of the world looks like.

 

[aplusmnt]

All forum posts are a matter of opinion.

Shucks, all that note takin' for nothin'.

Looking forward to seeing what your part of the world looks like.

I saw it a few weeks ago, will give you a hint it looks white. Got to get a good look at it since we were driving like 40 mph the whole way.

 

[rkm]

Anyone remember back 1950s when AC made a round baler, it looked like a grain binder. It made small cylinder type bale. They would bale the first cutting of hay and leave the bales lay, let the second grow up around them and turn the cows in nov. The cows would eat grass until it snowed then eat the hay. Called it year around pasture.