kenny thomas
Well-known member
Selling a product that you raised has lots of advantages. Helps sell them also.
Talking about cows, shine, or both?Selling a product that you raised has lots of advantages. Helps sell them also.
After much deliberation, I realized I can't win that. Oh, not that I didn't want to try. Just understood it is like every other argument on the internet and it wouldn't go anywhere.If your going to do it right, dairy cross calves on grass to finish wt is not it. You will create the same product as Wal-Mart, but your going to hide it behind a home raised label.
People can knock Wal-Mart all they want, but the truth is if you read the label, you are getting a quality product at a fair price. ie usda choice steaks are quality no matter where you buy them. Some people act like they think Wal-Mart processes meat off of a rendering truck. (elitist attitudes)I think that might be better than Wal-mart.
I didn't know Wal-Mart sold sides of beef - it's news to meAny knock on Wal-mart wasn't based on usda choice steaks. It was based on the quality of a side a beef
After much deliberation, I realized I can't win that. Oh, not that I didn't want to try. Just understood it is like every other argument on the internet and it wouldn't go anywhere.
And since your kind words didn't have any useful suggestions, I thought I might expand on my plan. It's just a work in progress over a year away, which is why I am here.
The next crop or two my buddy will have ready to move through the sale barn to a feed lot, will be 100% Holsteins steers. He only usually gets 6-8 at a time but he now has 13 of the Hereford/Holstein crosses. The 30 acres of pasture is bigger than what he uses for everything and he goes through some hay. Under normal conditions he is actually a hog farmer and just utilizing a few unused acres. He grinds his own corn for feed.
I wasn't a big fan of Holstein steers either, but if the price was right and depending on the market I could run them on the pasture and wait for the crosses to mature where I ended up with them. The heifers, anyway. I'm not going to bottle feed anything.
I checked with a client today that runs a herd of unregistered Angus. 30 cows with one bull. He'd let me turn out the cross heifers with his bull for no cost it he wasn't at the top range of what one bull should cover. I have a few other clients I can check with since we are talking over a year away. He did say that after the death of a bull his neighbor rented one, and that was an option. He also said the vet uses a mobile head gate and artificial insemination was probably the way to go.
Ya, I could go buy some combination of anything today if I needed to. Heifers, pregnant, feed lot size, you name it. But to me that's just like buying some used old Ford or Chevy, you just aren't 100% sure what you are getting after someone else put the miles on. (see? I' already trying to fit in) When I go to the dealer and buy a Toyota off the lot with less than 20 miles, I have an idea what I expect and I'm the one responsible for taking care of it.
My buddy takes care of his bobby calves better than I do the Tacoma. If I get his, I'd know exactly what I'm getting. I want him in the supply chain, the prices would be fair on both sides and the quality would be bar none.
So I could end up with 1/4 Holstein, 1/4 Hereford and 1/2 whatever I wanted. While I wouldn't eliminate the access to grass I could supplement feed with anything I wanted to for them to finish out.
I think that might be better than Wal-mart.
Son nailed it. Dairy and even dairy cross calves need to go on a self feeder almost as soon as you wipe the milk off their faces. Holsteins will grade if you feed them right, but grass is not the path to choice. A friend of mine used to keep 200 Holstein strs on feed. They'd get them at 200lbs and they were on a self feeder by 300lbs. They would weigh 1,400 @ 14-15 mos. and grade choice or better. But they ate between 75-100 bu of corn.As for holsteins perhaps the highest % grading choice in the market.
The problem with them are the inputs and margins to get them there.
Yea me too. Adhd, husband talking to me and 2 kids most the time along with what they have playing on hard to stay focused on one thing.Sometimes I have trouble comprehending what you are saying Shell.
Ken
Yea I haven't even figured that out yet. (Hands up don't shoot. ) laughing joking clowning. Good luck figuring that out.She can do more with symbols than anybody I ever seen.
Its good that you can laugh about things Shell.Yea me too. Adhd, husband talking to me and 2 kids most the time along with what they have playing on hard to stay focused on one thing.
Yea I haven't even figured that out yet. (Hands up don't shoot. ) laughing joking clowning. Good luck figuring that out.
Yep.1. Simple rule of finishing cattle: Corn makes fat, fat makes flavor.
The grading system is just a scale to measure with. Just because they won't be graded, doesn't mean you don't want them at the top of the scale. Your customers sure will.
How about an LS powered 49 Ford pickup. Do anything for ya?Home of the Du Quoin state fair.
Toyota better than a Ford. I'm just messing. I like to aggravate.
Three kinds of people, people that drive Chevys, Fords, and people that wish they could drive a Chevy.
Thats weird. What did they put an LS in a Ford.How about an LS powered 49 Ford pickup. Do anything for ya?