Cows well traveled?

[denoginnizer]

I heard the average cow will live in 5 states during its lifetime. Does this sound right?

 

[Farmhand]

Not mine. If it needs to leave my place for some reason, it goes to slaughter. I don't pass my problems on to others.

 

[SimmAngus]

I heard the average cow will live in 5 states during its lifetime. Does this sound right?

5 States sure seems high to me..... Born in one state and weaned, trucked to another to fatten in a feed lot, then maybe move to another state for processing....

 

[denoginnizer]

Wife said they told her that at the "cattlemaster" class.

 

[Beef11]

I'd guess that is a little much with all the hassle of crossing state lines and brand inspections i would guess most cows don't leave their state unless they are bound for slaughter.

 

[MR3]

Seems kind of high to me also. Maybe they meant the average cow would pass through 5 states.

Rod

 

[SimmAngus]

I can see the average bovine passing through 5 states in it's life time but not residing in 5.

 

[Farmhand]

I'm thinking feeders may see more states than cows also.

 

[Ryder]

No. I don't believe that.

 

[Farmhand]

No. I don't believe that.

Were you replying to my comment or the original post?

 

[Ryder]

No. I don't believe that.

Were you replying to my comment or the original post?

To the original post.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

It's not unusual for registered Longhorn cattle to move from place to place during their lifetime. Ranchers are always looking for "another" son or daughter of to add to their breeding stock. They also buy and sell foundation animals as their program needs change. Some of our best breeding stock have moved through 2 or 3 ranchers and they still have a number of years left of production (here or somewhere else). Some of our animals are for sale; but all have "their price". That is, if someone makes us an offer we can't refuse (it has happened) one of these "keepers" moves to a new ranch and we replace it with a "bigger & better" keeper (based on our latest program needs).

We would never pass on "junk" to another rancher. If we do end up with one that is not suitable as breeding stock (due to genetic glitches) they end up as hamburger. Regardless of how good one's program or stock are, one always ends up with a "hamburger candidate" sooner or later...lol.

 

[MoGal]

I guess it depends on where you live, how close to another state line you are. From here, IL is just across the river and Tn, Ky and Arkansas are within 100 miles so anything is possible.

The West Plains auction barn goes to alabama, mississippi and arkansas and picks up tractor trailer truckloads of cattle to run through their barn.

 

[Susie David]

Ours seldom leave the farm for the city lights...except upside down, naked, riding in a real cold truck.
DMc

 

[lakading]

I dont believe that. Perhaps your wife misunderstood. Perhaps the person said that they will perhaps pass through 5 states in their lifetime. I to do not pass problems on to other people. If I got problem cows they are going to be hamburger.

What do you guys do with all of this hamburger from your culls? Certainly you cannot eat it all.

 

[msscamp]

I heard the average cow will live in 5 states during its lifetime. Does this sound right?

I don't think that's true. Our's generally either leave for a permanent home (and subsequent slaughter when their productive lives are done) or they go to slaughter from here.

 

[Beefy]

i call the horsefeathers flag on this one too.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I heard the average cow will live in 5 states during its lifetime. Does this sound right?

The only thing that comes to mind is the itty bitty states. It is a long walk from Waskom Texas to El Paso, Texas. Likewise from Brownsville to say Texarkana. That drive is the equivalent of going through about a dozen states on the east coast.

Perhaps folks who live in some of the small states came up with this or else its true when you consider those states.

Its only about 220 miles from my property here to the property I inherited in East Texas. I could see hauling cows over there if this drought doesn't eventually break. That doesn't seem really far but it could be the equivalent of 3 or 4 states in some U.S. proximities. In places you could haul your cows 50 miles to market and be in another state, if you lived close to the border.

 

[Hasbeen]

I wonder if what they are referring to could be the processed meat. Let's say a steer is born in one state, sold to another for feeding, slaughtered and processed in another, sent to a warehouse in another to be sent to a fast food restarant in another. I really can't see a live cow doing that much travelling.