MikeC":1dve7rtv said:
Was at a seminar a few years ago and listened to several speakers......... from Feedlot operators to Packing house reps, Producers, and all in between.
Their whole message was that small time ranching is ruining the cattle industry as we know it.
In no particular order (from memory)
1-They usually have no working facilities therefore have no health program and raise calves that have high mortality/death rates after they leave the farm. (Everyone, large and small ranches alike pay for the risks that buyers take)
2-Most rob the calves off the cows when they need a few dollars, take them to the sale barn, and are satisfied with the price paid whether it pays the bills or not. (NO marketing)
3-Buy high priced feed in the bag, thus pushing the price up for everyone. Same goes for seed and fertilizer.
4-Usually have crossbred mongrels with inconsistant carcass qualities because of the cheap bulls purchased and/or retained, plus the replacements raised that shouldn't be on the farm to start with.
These guys were merely trying to push the small producer into doing a better job.
1, I had all my handling facilities in place before I purchased my first cow, I had all the meds and supplies and had a med plan suggested by a local vet.
2. I don't need the money that bad, and I sell my calves weaned and they have two rounds of all their shots (much more than most all the big guys here do) The buyers at the local sale barns are in the business to buy as low as they can and by what ever reasoning they can come up with this week is what they use to steal your calves.
I will be sending 10 calves next spring through the farm, to rail program run by the BCIA here in Alabama. I want to know what I am producing and plan to do what I need to improve as I grow.
3. I purchse no bag feed, except when I fed a steer off for slaughter. My cows eat grass and hay but I have some of my new heifers in a corral for a few weeks before I AI them and I do put them on soy hull pellets with MGA feed supplement for the MGA-PG & TAI protocol I use to AI them.
4. I purchase 90% of all my cattle form local seed stock producers (some on this board) and I support the local BCIA and have purchased more than 80% of my cattle through their sales. I aslo only own 1 bull now and I hope that I don't own any in the near future. I only have 24 head now and may cull some more if this drought keeps going.
5. This is still a free country and free enterprise still is the American way and even the little man can make it big, even in a small way.
QUALITY is not just in large numbers.
JMO a small time cattle owner.