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<blockquote data-quote="DOC HARRIS" data-source="post: 454256" data-attributes="member: 1683"><p>-Jake-</p><p></p><p>I understand your thinking about "corporate ag", but I would caution you in regard to an excessive bit of skepticism in considering ANY thought about improving the marketing and achievement of what Dr. Lipsey refers to as "the value grid". The Beef Producer of today is just treading water insofar as making any significant progress in improvement of marbling, tenderness, and lowering Yield Grades of carcasses. </p><p></p><p>The members of this Forum may disagree with me, however I hold these thoughts firmly and resolutely! The 800,000 plus beef producers in this country have been stressing the improvement of the <strong><em>breeding seedstock</em></strong>, which is as it should be, but the <strong><u>FEEDLOT</u></strong> operators are eyeing the business from a different standpoint, and as a result the carcasses are loaded with too much waste fat and not enough well-marbled, edible meat. The cow-calf breeders think (INCORRECTLY) that the bigger cow which has a bigger calf has a head start on making a big weaned feedlot candidate, and more profit for the breeder. WRONG! But we have played that game on these posts before to an UN - resolved conclusion, so I won't belabor the subject further, except to say this: there is NO argument in favor of "Bigger is Better" in the cow-calf business if the goal of the Producer is <strong>PROFIT!</strong>. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Insofar as the arbitrary figure for achieving success with the producers was set at 70:70 - what would be a more pragmatic combination with which to establish a starting point?? You have to start somewhere! That is what the Associations did 40 some-odd years ago when EPD's came into being. As with most 'good' ideas, EPD's was a terrific PREMISE to begin to get producers to start to think and use in an intelligent manner, but, in my opinion, they have gone overboard with being picky-picky and now have TOO many factors with which to consider and the average beef producer is confused with too many numbers to juggle, and the result is they throw up their hands in disgust and don't use ANY of them in a well-balanced manner. The inmates are running the "Funny Farm", and as a consequence everybody is suffering.</p><p></p><p>Concentrating on SOME of the Growth Characteristics, and Marbling and Ribeye areas will work to an advantage in approaching the goals of 70:70 if the majority of breeders will get their learning caps on and establish some goals with their BU$INE$$ protocols, instead of just using any old bull to get their cows pregnant and then bitching about why they can't make any money in the %(U(*% cow business! Keep cows that average 1250 lbs, and use Bulls whose genetics are such that they will produce calves which achieve the Growth and Carcass traits and characteristics which will produce <strong>PROFIT</strong> for all phases of the businesss. </p><p></p><p>Bovine animals were designed by God to eat grass. It stands to reason that efficient grass-eaters and proper management of natural resources will achieve those PROFIT-MAKING goals. But raising bigger and bigger cows in NOT the answer. Over-finished cattle is also NOT the answer!</p><p></p><p>It is past time for ALL breeders to start thinking instead of merely reacting to what some 'good-ol'-boy-buddy-down-the-road' - who also hasn't been thinking - comes up with so-called "gospel" and continues to go about raising un-profitable cattle in and un-profitable business.</p><p></p><p>MODERATION IN ALL THINGS!</p><p></p><p>DOC HARRIS</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="DOC HARRIS, post: 454256, member: 1683"] -Jake- I understand your thinking about "corporate ag", but I would caution you in regard to an excessive bit of skepticism in considering ANY thought about improving the marketing and achievement of what Dr. Lipsey refers to as "the value grid". The Beef Producer of today is just treading water insofar as making any significant progress in improvement of marbling, tenderness, and lowering Yield Grades of carcasses. The members of this Forum may disagree with me, however I hold these thoughts firmly and resolutely! The 800,000 plus beef producers in this country have been stressing the improvement of the [b][i]breeding seedstock[/i][/b], which is as it should be, but the [b][u]FEEDLOT[/u][/b] operators are eyeing the business from a different standpoint, and as a result the carcasses are loaded with too much waste fat and not enough well-marbled, edible meat. The cow-calf breeders think (INCORRECTLY) that the bigger cow which has a bigger calf has a head start on making a big weaned feedlot candidate, and more profit for the breeder. WRONG! But we have played that game on these posts before to an UN - resolved conclusion, so I won't belabor the subject further, except to say this: there is NO argument in favor of "Bigger is Better" in the cow-calf business if the goal of the Producer is [b]PROFIT![/b]. Insofar as the arbitrary figure for achieving success with the producers was set at 70:70 - what would be a more pragmatic combination with which to establish a starting point?? You have to start somewhere! That is what the Associations did 40 some-odd years ago when EPD's came into being. As with most 'good' ideas, EPD's was a terrific PREMISE to begin to get producers to start to think and use in an intelligent manner, but, in my opinion, they have gone overboard with being picky-picky and now have TOO many factors with which to consider and the average beef producer is confused with too many numbers to juggle, and the result is they throw up their hands in disgust and don't use ANY of them in a well-balanced manner. The inmates are running the "Funny Farm", and as a consequence everybody is suffering. Concentrating on SOME of the Growth Characteristics, and Marbling and Ribeye areas will work to an advantage in approaching the goals of 70:70 if the majority of breeders will get their learning caps on and establish some goals with their BU$INE$$ protocols, instead of just using any old bull to get their cows pregnant and then bitching about why they can't make any money in the %(U(*% cow business! Keep cows that average 1250 lbs, and use Bulls whose genetics are such that they will produce calves which achieve the Growth and Carcass traits and characteristics which will produce [b]PROFIT[/b] for all phases of the businesss. Bovine animals were designed by God to eat grass. It stands to reason that efficient grass-eaters and proper management of natural resources will achieve those PROFIT-MAKING goals. But raising bigger and bigger cows in NOT the answer. Over-finished cattle is also NOT the answer! It is past time for ALL breeders to start thinking instead of merely reacting to what some 'good-ol'-boy-buddy-down-the-road' - who also hasn't been thinking - comes up with so-called "gospel" and continues to go about raising un-profitable cattle in and un-profitable business. MODERATION IN ALL THINGS! DOC HARRIS [/QUOTE]
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