AllForage":200bzfj5 said:
From my understanding the Pharo program is not much different than any standard bull producing operation. It is the selection of OUTLIERS from a forage only based program. They utilize epds, AI to their version of hot bulls, and outcross outcross outcross. Personally if I was interested I would only purchase from a cooperator that is in my climate. Then you might be able to have a reasonable expectation of results eventhough no real prepotency has been built in the herds. I can think of off hand a half a dozen other outfits I would buy from first for grass fed honestly or low input.
Why is Pharo always associated with grass fed when he promotes low input ranching?
Is there a point where animals are too small to be profitable in grass fed? Yes
Is there a point where animals are too large to work in grass fed? Yes
Why do those who have never produced grass fed, don't have enough land or rainfall, and have never eaten any always yell the loudest?
Does Allan Nation talk out of school sometimes and have an agenda? Yes, just look at the shameless promotion of Devons at his publication, but he still has better info for profitable production than any establishment publication.
I've had some of same thoughts. If I'm not mistaken, Pharo has a cooperator herd in TN,OH,and VA,...close to me relatively speaking. As far as i know i can't buy directly off of one of them. They gotta go all the way to CO. bought thru the auction and then back. The cooperators are probably bound to a lot of legally binding contracts prohibiting any pre-auction selling, but that;s just a guess, I don't know.
I'm not opposed to buying a bull that's had some grain.....there just aren't any around here that are grass developed only that I'm aware of. However, I have two nice bulls that came from local conventional producers that I know feeds corn, but they seem to have adapted quite well to my operation.