Bull Power

[jehosofat]

Does anyone believe in just bull power anymore? Selective breeding based on matching a good bull with the averages for a group. Natural selection after that.

Is the cow business headed to AI only?

 

[Brute 23]

Although I welcome AI and recognize its purpose... its not an option for most people. Its too labor intensive for the some what passive cattle operator who has other jobs and does not live on the property.

 

[True Grit Farms]

I believe in bull power, I have other things to do that beats sticking my arm up a cows but. AI is expensive and not very beneficial for the commercial cattlemen. The drug and semen companies really push AI and for good reason.

 

[sim.-ang.king]

Who would want a pasture without a good looking bull, or two, standing in it?

 

[Boot Jack Bulls]

I use AI, but love having bulls around. Right now, I have 6 mature bulls, 5 yearling bulls, and 3 cows (my daughter's) on the place. Aside from this past weekend when the 3 cows were in heat, it is as quiet and relaxed around here as I could ask for!

 

[ez14.]

I use AI, but love having bulls around. Right now, I have 6 mature bulls, 5 yearling bulls, and 3 cows (my daughter's) on the place. Aside from this past weekend when the 3 cows were in heat, it is as quiet and relaxed around here as I could ask for!

Are you sure you need that many bulls for 3 cows?? I'm thinking you have some bull fertility issues that need to be addressed!

:lol:

 

[Boot Jack Bulls]

I use AI, but love having bulls around. Right now, I have 6 mature bulls, 5 yearling bulls, and 3 cows (my daughter's) on the place. Aside from this past weekend when the 3 cows were in heat, it is as quiet and relaxed around here as I could ask for!

Are you sure you need that many bulls for 3 cows?? I'm thinking you have some bull fertility issues that need to be addressed!

:lol:

LOL! Don't tell my boys that! The really sad part is, I used the same one of them on all three females, so the other ones didn't get any lovin'! The rest of the big boys have to wait a bit until they get sent to work yet.

 

[Silver]

I don't care for keeping bulls, but I prefer to take advantage of their services and let mother nature do as she does. I remember Dad doing the AI thing when I was young, and it was a full time job. But at that time ('70's) Simmental was a rare breed in this area so if you wanted to go that direction it was a necessary evil. I think it may also depend on how many head you want to AI? But there are lots of top quality bulls available for purchase these days, every bit as good or better than what's in the catalogues (imho), so I figure to let them do what they're designed to do.
Would be nice not to have them around for the other 10 months of the year though!

 

[TCRanch]

100% bull power here.

 

[Ky hills]

When I had a registered herd I tried to utilize AI at times, but always wanted to have a decent bull too. Now that I am mostly commercial I don't see any practicality for AI on them, although did AI them once a few years ago. Bulls can be a pain at times, but it is much easier for me to turn them out and let them work than to have to run the cows through the chute multiple times. I also think that for here we need a bull to clean up any way and why put that extra expense and time into it. I'm not against it as I see situations where it can work out.

 

[Son of Butch]

Is the cow business headed to AI only?

Not a chance.
Lab Grown Meat is the wave of the future, just as soon as they think of a catchier name than Fake Meat.

 

[Nesikep]

it depends.. is your herd big enough that you can afford a full time AI person? Is it small enough that synching and doing it in a day works? Do you have a lot of other things to do at that time of year? Is the extra cost of labor and semen going to give you a decent ROI?

At this time of year I'm running around like a chicken with it's head cut off.. Having a bull that takes care of that work sure works for me!

Never had a bull with this guys determination.. no cow slips by unnoticed
[youtube]https://youtu.be/XpuD6h8-pU8[/youtube]

 

[Ebenezer]

The use of home raised bulls and home raised females allows twice the selection power to fix a type in a herd. Add in gestational programming when an outside bull is tried AI on a limited basis to create a breeding son or two and the pan does't tilt over enough to dump all of the water. AI is a status effort of the industry to promote more AI and more buying. If it was really about improvement they would only sell semen on proven bulls.

 

[JMJ Farms]

Is the cow business headed to AI only?

Not a chance.
Lab Grown Meat is the wave of the future, just as soon as they think of a catchier name than Fake Meat.

Butch, I'm not sure that you're wrong. I'm actually scared that you might be right. Who'd of thunk it? I really hope not though.

I'm strictly bull power right now. 4 bulls/100 cows. I want to venture over into AI. Not 100% but I'd like to run say the top 40-50 through the chute and AI them. Two problems. One, when it comes to AI I know about as much as I do about building a spaceship. I can learn, just need to find someone I can watch I guess. 2nd, as mentioned earlier it's pretty labor intensive, in regards to time. But I see the benefits. I have a friend of mine who AI'ed last year and I could easily identify most of the AI calves over the natural service calves with no problem. Genetics work.

 

[Son of Butch]

It will take 40 years for lab grown meat to catch on and be accepted......... but it's coming.

 

[Silver]

It will take 40 years for lab grown meat to catch on and be accepted......... but it's coming.

Hard to believe people would embrace lab grown meat when they won't accept a plant that's genetically modified in any way. But there's no figuring people I suppose.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

The Beef Industry Council and National Cattlemen"s Beef Assn. is working in Washington to forbid them from using the term MEAT. The milk industry screwed up and didn't fight it, now they feel it's too late. Almond MILK, etc.
Missouri already passed a law:
"Thanks to bipartisan legislation, fake meat must go by a new name in Missouri
The measure, which prohibits misrepresenting a product as meat, passed on an overwhelming bipartisan vote.
It's the first legislation of its kind, and it will clearly set a precedence for other states to pass similar legislation. Missouri, living up to its motto as the Show Me state, has shown state cattlemen's associations nationwide that common sense can prevail when it comes to defining what meat is, and more importantly, what it isn't.
The Missouri legislature recently passed a bill strongly supported by the Missouri Cattlemen's Association (MCA) that prohibits misrepresenting a product as meat that was not derived from harvested livestock. The legislation comes at a time when laboratory grown meat is being debated throughout the country and in Washington. D.C.

The measure passed on a strong 125-22 bipartisan vote. It now goes to the governor to be signed.

Missouri became the first state to address the issue with legislation, sending a signal to other states to follow suit. MCA Executive Vice President Mike Deering expects other state cattle organizations to lead legislation in their respective state.
"This isn't a Missouri issue. This is about protecting the integrity of the products that farm and ranch families throughout the country work hard to raise each and every day," Deering says.
"I never imagined we would be fighting over what is and isn't meat. It seems silly. However, this is very real and I cannot stress enough the importance of this issue. We are beyond pleased to see this priority legislation cross the finish line."
The current definition of meat in Missouri Statutes is: "any edible portion of livestock or poultry carcass or part thereof." This definition certainly excludes plant-based or even laboratory grown food products from being considered meat. Deering said the problem is there is nothing definitive in state statute to prevent the misrepresentation of these products as meat.
The legislation that will now be sent to the Governor for consideration prohibits "misrepresenting a product as meat that is not derived from harvested production livestock or poultry." Deering said the association does not oppose plant-based or laboratory grown food products.
"This legislation does not stifle technology, but it does ensure the integrity of our meat supply and reduces consumer confusion. We must ensure that those products do not mislead consumers into thinking those products are actually meat produced by farm and ranch families," said Deering. "The use of traditional nomenclature on alternative products is confusing to consumers and weakens the value of products derived from actual livestock production."
The passage of the legislation follows a vote by the U.S. House Appropriations Committee on May 16, supporting regulatory oversight of lab-grown meat substitutes by USDA. MCA and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association believe USDA is best-placed to ensure food safety and accurate labeling of these products. "

 

[JMJ Farms]

The Beef Industry Council and National Cattlemen"s Beef Assn. is working in Washington to forbid them from using the term MEAT. The milk industry screwed up and didn't fight it, now they feel it's too late. Almond MILK, etc.
Missouri already passed a law:
"Thanks to bipartisan legislation, fake meat must go by a new name in Missouri
The measure, which prohibits misrepresenting a product as meat, passed on an overwhelming bipartisan vote.
It's the first legislation of its kind, and it will clearly set a precedence for other states to pass similar legislation. Missouri, living up to its motto as the Show Me state, has shown state cattlemen's associations nationwide that common sense can prevail when it comes to defining what meat is, and more importantly, what it isn't.
The Missouri legislature recently passed a bill strongly supported by the Missouri Cattlemen's Association (MCA) that prohibits misrepresenting a product as meat that was not derived from harvested livestock. The legislation comes at a time when laboratory grown meat is being debated throughout the country and in Washington. D.C.

The measure passed on a strong 125-22 bipartisan vote. It now goes to the governor to be signed.

Missouri became the first state to address the issue with legislation, sending a signal to other states to follow suit. MCA Executive Vice President Mike Deering expects other state cattle organizations to lead legislation in their respective state.
"This isn't a Missouri issue. This is about protecting the integrity of the products that farm and ranch families throughout the country work hard to raise each and every day," Deering says.
"I never imagined we would be fighting over what is and isn't meat. It seems silly. However, this is very real and I cannot stress enough the importance of this issue. We are beyond pleased to see this priority legislation cross the finish line."
The current definition of meat in Missouri Statutes is: "any edible portion of livestock or poultry carcass or part thereof." This definition certainly excludes plant-based or even laboratory grown food products from being considered meat. Deering said the problem is there is nothing definitive in state statute to prevent the misrepresentation of these products as meat.
The legislation that will now be sent to the Governor for consideration prohibits "misrepresenting a product as meat that is not derived from harvested production livestock or poultry." Deering said the association does not oppose plant-based or laboratory grown food products.
"This legislation does not stifle technology, but it does ensure the integrity of our meat supply and reduces consumer confusion. We must ensure that those products do not mislead consumers into thinking those products are actually meat produced by farm and ranch families," said Deering. "The use of traditional nomenclature on alternative products is confusing to consumers and weakens the value of products derived from actual livestock production."
The passage of the legislation follows a vote by the U.S. House Appropriations Committee on May 16, supporting regulatory oversight of lab-grown meat substitutes by USDA. MCA and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association believe USDA is best-placed to ensure food safety and accurate labeling of these products. "

And I commend them for their efforts. I agree fully with their assessment and I think it's the right thing to do. And like you said it will definitely set a precedent. And that's all we can do right now I guess. We can't control the future so there's no sense in worrying about it to the point of obsession but I fear what's going to happen as more and more of the younger generations start making more and more of the decisions as time goes on. Guess time will tell. Unless I get to the point of starving I will never eat "fake" meat.