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Do your cows eat GRASS??
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<blockquote data-quote="turning grass into beef" data-source="post: 328191" data-attributes="member: 5195"><p>The fact that grain prices have risen, and will likely rise some more, will hopefully make all of us beef producers (not cattle producers ;-)) take a look at the way we produce beef. Even in times of low grain prices, the question that keeps coming up in my mind is; <u>Am I working for the cows or are the cows working for me?</u> I realize that in time of drought or other unexpected circumstances management decisions may need to be changed in the short term. But assuming normal environmental conditions I can't afford keep cows that <strong>REQUIRE</strong> grain in order to calve, conceive, nurse, wean, stay in average condition, and calve again every 365 days. There are 2 reasons for this. 1) Even in times of low grain prices I cannot afford the time and cost of getting the grain to my cows. Even when grain prices are low it costs money to process the grain and deliver the grain from the bin to wherever my cows happen to be on that given day. 2) My bull customers can't afford the time and money to do this either. </p><p></p><p>It's probably not a big deal (from a time and energy standpoint)for the guy with 10 cows to go out every day and feed his cows a few pounds of grain, but think about the rancher with 1000 cows. Just the logistics of getting a few pounds of grain to each cow, every day is cost prohibitive, let alone the cost of the feed itself. This is one reason why large scale producers don't have cows that require grain to produce beef. </p><p></p><p>Small producers or large, low grain prices or high. From a cost standpoint I can't see how beef producers can afford to feed grain on a daily basis to their cows.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="turning grass into beef, post: 328191, member: 5195"] The fact that grain prices have risen, and will likely rise some more, will hopefully make all of us beef producers (not cattle producers ;-)) take a look at the way we produce beef. Even in times of low grain prices, the question that keeps coming up in my mind is; [u]Am I working for the cows or are the cows working for me?[/u] I realize that in time of drought or other unexpected circumstances management decisions may need to be changed in the short term. But assuming normal environmental conditions I can't afford keep cows that [b]REQUIRE[/b] grain in order to calve, conceive, nurse, wean, stay in average condition, and calve again every 365 days. There are 2 reasons for this. 1) Even in times of low grain prices I cannot afford the time and cost of getting the grain to my cows. Even when grain prices are low it costs money to process the grain and deliver the grain from the bin to wherever my cows happen to be on that given day. 2) My bull customers can't afford the time and money to do this either. It's probably not a big deal (from a time and energy standpoint)for the guy with 10 cows to go out every day and feed his cows a few pounds of grain, but think about the rancher with 1000 cows. Just the logistics of getting a few pounds of grain to each cow, every day is cost prohibitive, let alone the cost of the feed itself. This is one reason why large scale producers don't have cows that require grain to produce beef. Small producers or large, low grain prices or high. From a cost standpoint I can't see how beef producers can afford to feed grain on a daily basis to their cows. [/QUOTE]
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