I don't think anybody is for getting rid of the so-called "hobby farmers". They keep most seedstock producers in business, provide "full-time" ranchers/farmers with extra income doing machine work, keep the price of land up and the value of existing ranches higher than what it would be otherwise, produce a heck of a lot of GOOD cattle, and youth from such farms/ranches often become the leaders of this industry.
There is not a darn thing wrong with putting one cow or a 100 out on grass which you own if you have the extra ground and extra time. Anyone who criticizes people for raising cattle for pleasure and profit has a screw loose. WHAT does hurt all of us are hobby cattle. By that I mean cattle that are inefficient in the feedlot, hang a too lite or too large carcass, are lacking in REA, don't grade, and/or are stunted by untreated illness and/or lack of nutrition. This is an industry. IF you are a shoemaker, you should try to be a good shoemaker. If you teach school, you should try to be a good teacher. IF you grow tomatoes you should try to be a good tomatoe farmer. Dittoe with every other profession/trade. IF you are going to be a cattle breeder you should try to produce the best cattle that you can produce. Sadly there are a lot of cattle out there that are sold too light, never vaccinated, of unknown genetics, no muscle, etc. The industry DOES adapt to that by having specialty people who buy thin cattle, who medicate wormy calves, who castrate 750 lb bulls, who buy unacceptable carcass cattle (for a dock of course), etc and by stockers and feedlots who write a 3-7% death loss into their cost of doing business. IF we would all manage our pastures better, supply trace minerals, have a worm management plan, manage our cattle better, and work toward improving the cattle we produce; then we would be a more efficient productive industry and (in theory) we would all make more money.
