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Could cows be our environmental superheroes?
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<blockquote data-quote="Commercialfarmer" data-source="post: 1128470" data-attributes="member: 14544"><p>Taking an all corn diet just to make it easier to calculate and assuming this would be the worst case scenario of using fossil fuels and resources, average calculation is 6lbs of feed per lb of gain. So for 900 lb calf to 1250 lb calf =350 lbs of weight gain therefor 350 x 6= 2,100 lbs of corn. So 56 lb to the bushel and you have 37.5 bushels per calf = 1425 cubic feet of natural gas and 2.25 gallons of diesel, plus shipping 1.12 gallons = 3.37 gallons of diesel used per calf per volume of corn consumed</p><p></p><p>Feed truck, loader, etc... ~ 0.75 gal per animal</p><p>Spreading manure 0.5 gal per animal </p><p>(<a href="http://www3.abe.iastate.edu/livestock/pm587.asp" target="_blank">http://www3.abe.iastate.edu/livestock/pm587.asp</a>)</p><p></p><p>Propane use is 6.25 gallons per calf</p><p></p><p>Feed lot to kill plant ~ 60 miles 1250 lb calves 40 head ~ 0.19 gallons per head</p><p></p><p></p><p>Roughly, from mama to packer, each calf uses: 4,087 + 2044 + 1425 = 7,556 cu feet of natural gas (over its life), US produced 82 billion cubic feet per day. So in 1 day, we produce enough gas for 10 million, 852 thousand animals from start to finish. </p><p></p><p>Roughly, from mama to packer, each calf uses: 1 + 5 + 2.5 + 1.25 + 5 + 0.56 + 3.37 + 0.75 + 0.5 + 0.19 gallons of diesel = 20.12 gallons of diesel per calf</p><p></p><p>Average to worst case scenerio 7,556 cu feet of natural gas, 20.12 gallons of diesel and 6.25 gallons of propane per calf to the packer (without considering water usage). </p><p></p><p></p><p>Now, consider that I have documented estimated figures for usage of fertilizers and fuel use in intensive management. However, using the roughly estimated figures for general fuel use on the farm, the most usage of diesel or gas appears to me to be the day to day care of the animal (traveling to and from the pasture and looking through the spread out herd). If your going to fertilize grass, you are still going to consume fossil fuels and it appears possibly even more than by feeding cattle in an efficient concentrated system. Also, your still going to have some shipping of each animal to the slaughter plant and to the stores. If your running stockers, your going to have to ship them in and then on to kill plants as well.</p><p></p><p>If I had more time, I would analyze this further into looking at running those same cattle on grass for the amount of time it would take to gain the same wt for slaughter in a lot and see how much of a difference there really is in overall fuel usage. I don't think there is much and possibly even less. </p><p></p><p>With natural gas being used to produce N fertilizer, and this recently has been until this winter a relatively cheap product- with much wasted over the past few years. I don't see concentrated feeding as a waste but possibly a fuel saver along with making better use of one of the most scarce resources we have, land. </p><p></p><p>Addendum to account for energy of water usage:</p><p>Quote</p><p></p><p> While use varies depending on annual precipitation, average yearly energy</p><p> consumption in Nebraska is equivalent to about 40 gallons of diesel fuel per acre</p><p> irrigated.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/irrigate/OOW/P11/Kranz11a.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/irrigate/OOW/P11/Kranz11a.pdf</a> </p><p></p><p>1/4 acre of average 150 bushel corn would be an additional 10 gallons per animal for finishing for irrigation and then estimating for close to 4,000 gallons of water consumption over the life of the animal, roughly looking at an additional 0.2 to 0.4 gallons of diesel during it's life to pump at 50 to 150 feet depth well at variable pressures. </p><p></p><p>Looks like collection of liquid manure, storage and hauling adds ~ another 4 to 7 gallons per animal. However, there should be some benefit applied back toward this particular animals food consumption since this waste will be utilized as fertilizer for feed. </p><p></p><p>So ~ another 16.5 gallons of diesel usage. </p><p></p><p>Average to worst case scenerio 7,556 cu feet of natural gas, 36.62 gallons of diesel and 6.25 gallons of propane per calf to the packer. </p><p></p><p>U.S. refineries produce an average of about 10 gallons of diesel fuel from one barrel (42 gallons) of crude oil. The remainder of the barrel yields other petroleum products. </p><p><a href="http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=327&t=9" target="_blank">http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=327&t=9</a></p><p></p><p><strong>Therefore, it appears to me that it will take roughly 3.6 barrels of oil (minus usable petroleum products not converted into diesel), 7,556 cu feet of natural gas and 6.25 gallons of propane per finished calf to the packer. </strong></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Commercialfarmer, post: 1128470, member: 14544"] Taking an all corn diet just to make it easier to calculate and assuming this would be the worst case scenario of using fossil fuels and resources, average calculation is 6lbs of feed per lb of gain. So for 900 lb calf to 1250 lb calf =350 lbs of weight gain therefor 350 x 6= 2,100 lbs of corn. So 56 lb to the bushel and you have 37.5 bushels per calf = 1425 cubic feet of natural gas and 2.25 gallons of diesel, plus shipping 1.12 gallons = 3.37 gallons of diesel used per calf per volume of corn consumed Feed truck, loader, etc... ~ 0.75 gal per animal Spreading manure 0.5 gal per animal ([url=http://www3.abe.iastate.edu/livestock/pm587.asp]http://www3.abe.iastate.edu/livestock/pm587.asp[/url]) Propane use is 6.25 gallons per calf Feed lot to kill plant ~ 60 miles 1250 lb calves 40 head ~ 0.19 gallons per head Roughly, from mama to packer, each calf uses: 4,087 + 2044 + 1425 = 7,556 cu feet of natural gas (over its life), US produced 82 billion cubic feet per day. So in 1 day, we produce enough gas for 10 million, 852 thousand animals from start to finish. Roughly, from mama to packer, each calf uses: 1 + 5 + 2.5 + 1.25 + 5 + 0.56 + 3.37 + 0.75 + 0.5 + 0.19 gallons of diesel = 20.12 gallons of diesel per calf Average to worst case scenerio 7,556 cu feet of natural gas, 20.12 gallons of diesel and 6.25 gallons of propane per calf to the packer (without considering water usage). Now, consider that I have documented estimated figures for usage of fertilizers and fuel use in intensive management. However, using the roughly estimated figures for general fuel use on the farm, the most usage of diesel or gas appears to me to be the day to day care of the animal (traveling to and from the pasture and looking through the spread out herd). If your going to fertilize grass, you are still going to consume fossil fuels and it appears possibly even more than by feeding cattle in an efficient concentrated system. Also, your still going to have some shipping of each animal to the slaughter plant and to the stores. If your running stockers, your going to have to ship them in and then on to kill plants as well. If I had more time, I would analyze this further into looking at running those same cattle on grass for the amount of time it would take to gain the same wt for slaughter in a lot and see how much of a difference there really is in overall fuel usage. I don't think there is much and possibly even less. With natural gas being used to produce N fertilizer, and this recently has been until this winter a relatively cheap product- with much wasted over the past few years. I don't see concentrated feeding as a waste but possibly a fuel saver along with making better use of one of the most scarce resources we have, land. Addendum to account for energy of water usage: Quote While use varies depending on annual precipitation, average yearly energy consumption in Nebraska is equivalent to about 40 gallons of diesel fuel per acre irrigated. [url=http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/irrigate/OOW/P11/Kranz11a.pdf]http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/irrigate/OOW/P11/Kranz11a.pdf[/url] 1/4 acre of average 150 bushel corn would be an additional 10 gallons per animal for finishing for irrigation and then estimating for close to 4,000 gallons of water consumption over the life of the animal, roughly looking at an additional 0.2 to 0.4 gallons of diesel during it's life to pump at 50 to 150 feet depth well at variable pressures. Looks like collection of liquid manure, storage and hauling adds ~ another 4 to 7 gallons per animal. However, there should be some benefit applied back toward this particular animals food consumption since this waste will be utilized as fertilizer for feed. So ~ another 16.5 gallons of diesel usage. Average to worst case scenerio 7,556 cu feet of natural gas, 36.62 gallons of diesel and 6.25 gallons of propane per calf to the packer. U.S. refineries produce an average of about 10 gallons of diesel fuel from one barrel (42 gallons) of crude oil. The remainder of the barrel yields other petroleum products. [url=http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=327&t=9]http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=327&t=9[/url] [b]Therefore, it appears to me that it will take roughly 3.6 barrels of oil (minus usable petroleum products not converted into diesel), 7,556 cu feet of natural gas and 6.25 gallons of propane per finished calf to the packer. [/b] [/QUOTE]
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