To The Older Generation

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brahma_show_girl

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I am doing some research on the new technologies in the Beef Industry. I was wondering what you as the older generation of beef producers rely on to keep your operation up and running? I don't want to offend anyone.

By the way I didn't know what board to post this on.

Thanks in advance!
 
Who are you calling old??? :D

Everything is about supply and demand - what you can produce on your acreage that is in demand. Some people develop a niche for producing certain things and ohters find niche markets. Some just want to play. If you are going to get into this game, you should play to win.
 
brahma_show_girl":11ut0vee said:
I am doing some research on the new technologies in the Beef Industry. I was wondering what you as the older generation of beef producers rely on to keep your operation up and running? I don't want to offend anyone.

By the way I didn't know what board to post this on.

Thanks in advance!

Desire, Education, Experience, Capital, Determination - - also Faith, Confidence and Belief in your Products, Services and Ideas - - not necessarily in that order!

DOC HARRIS
 
I'm not so old either. Most of my equipment is old and makeshift, and I rely on cattle with good attitudes to make it easier to work. I try to maintain a decent vaccination program that includes Fort Dodge Triangle 9. It is surprising how little you have to have, but there are sure some things that make life easier. We have a fourwheeler, but don't actually use it that much. The lion's share of motorized use falls on a 14 year old Ford Ranger with 268,000+ miles on it. It will pull and haul over fifty square bales per load with the mudflaps dragging about half the time :banana: :banana:

Maybe this is not exactly the answer you are looking for, but faith in God will get you further than anything else.
 
Qaulity cows bred to quality bulls and a lot of hard work. Pretty much the same as when I was younger.
 
Well I think we are all going to have to start learning about some old technologies again.

Fertilizer and fuel prices are going to push us into it. Beef prices won't pay for fertilizer at $1000.00 per ton.

Grass, pasture and hay managment are lessons that may have to be relearned. Cropping systems and forage species diversity. these are things our grandfathers knew and we are having to rediscover them.

Technology in the cattle business is relatively new so there is not a lot of old technology.

As for me the old technology that is the last thing I will give up before selling the cows is Artificial Insemenination.

it is old technology now, but it is the one thing that can yield the most advancement if good results can be achieved and the breeder is good at sire selection to meet his or her goals. the new techniques in synchrony only build on this old technology.

Other old technology is decent and consistent in herd cattle ID system.

My neighbor bought some new technology last week and it is irrepairably broke down this week.
he bought a 20 grand disc bine for mowing hay and last night told me that it is broke down already and the technician does not know if he can fix it. Has maybe cut fifty acres of hay and has not mowed any stumps or ditches etc. I have not seen it but last night he was irate. sun finally shining and hay yet to make and the brand new mower is busted.
 
I'm not too old, however my dad is that older generation who still helps me. You can spend all the $$$ you want on tech, but it won't guarantee more profit $$$. Use tech when it will benefit your herd or your family, but don't spend $$$ on tech just because it's the latest thing.

Good bull, good cows, good fence, plenty of water and forage. That's about all the tech I need.
 
brahma_show_girl":7naccb12 said:
I am doing some research on the new technologies in the Beef Industry. I was wondering what you as the older generation of beef producers rely on to keep your operation up and running? I don't want to offend anyone.

By the way I didn't know what board to post this on.

Thanks in advance!
Today professional ranchers are having to sharpen their pencils. With the fuel prices climbing it is only a matter of time before many are out of business. Those that do not take advantage of proven "new technology" will eventually fall. The way grand paw did it simply will not continue to work.
I have watched business prosper and business fail my entire life because of their resistance or acceptance of technology. Ranching is no different.
What really tears me up on these boards is hearing some condemn some of the new technology when they obviously have never really taken the time to investigate it.
That is not ignorance. That is pure stupidity.
 
novatech":2b90qioj said:
Those that do not take advantage of proven "new technology" will eventually fall. The way grand paw did it simply will not continue to work.
I have watched business prosper and business fail my entire life because of their resistance or acceptance of technology. Ranching is no different.
What really tears me up on these boards is hearing some condemn some of the new technology when they obviously have never really taken the time to investigate it.
That is not ignorance. That is pure stupidity.

How about some examples of proven new technology?
 
dun":3qqd3dnz said:
novatech":3qqd3dnz said:
Those that do not take advantage of proven "new technology" will eventually fall. The way grand paw did it simply will not continue to work.
I have watched business prosper and business fail my entire life because of their resistance or acceptance of technology. Ranching is no different.
What really tears me up on these boards is hearing some condemn some of the new technology when they obviously have never really taken the time to investigate it.
That is not ignorance. That is pure stupidity.

How about some examples of proven new technology?

Other than the computer, cloning, and DNA testing I can't come up with much in the ranching biz that is all that new. A.I. was commercially viable 50 years ago. E.T. goes back to the 80s. We got our first disk mower (used) back in 1986. I am 38 and I don't remember our farm without the big round bales. The new pickups will not do anything that my Grandfather's 1971 model wasn't able to do. I have an Electric fence charger on a shelf in the barn that is older than I am. Vaccinations have been around for 40-50 years. Performance testing is 50++ years old. EPDs go back to the 1970s. I would hate to have to switch back to my Grandfather's 1953 model Allis Chalmers WD-45.......but (if you have the implements for it) it can do most of the things that a new tractor can do. And by the time of the John Deere 4020 tractors really haven't changed that much. Just about everything we do today was invented or developed by that "older generation".
 
One thing that has vastly improved, that I can think of, in the last 20-30 years is the availability of specific chemicals in pasture management.

For instance when I was a kid, the only way to rid a place of "Nutsedge" was to either turn the hogs or geese in, or move away and leave it.

Cherokee/Multiflora Roses were a pain to get rid of and the main solution was 2-4-5,T but that was non-selective and killed the grass too.

With a little studying, our pastures should be completely weed free......safely without expensive bush-hogging/shredding.

We are forage farmers first, aren't we?
 
EPD,s for one. At this point it is old but some still resist. DNA testing. Feed efficiency, some cannot even define it.
I am not saying that eveyone should agree with the research or the use of it. But to condemn it because they do not know anything about it is stupidity. Future cattlemen had better be open minded enough to listen to what is going on.
To give you an example. I disagreed with you , Doc, Knursie and others on these boards about frame score on cows as to their efficiency. I took the time to read your posts and do research on the subject. Because of this I have changed my openion. I am to old and to small to make a diference in the industry. But as a hole I beleive this is the attitude that the future cattleman should have if they want to stay in business.
Throwing fert. on the ground with out knowing the soil requirements is no longer an option. Should it be any different for our breeding practices.
 
Hmmmm, Hard to answer that question for me. I look at all the technology around my farm and its the same my Father in Law was using in the 50's and 60's. I guess I would have to say that the internet is the newest most valuable tool or technology I use. Here's why.....

There's alot of tradeoffs out there today. Do I want to spend $4000 on fertilizer??? Thats 8 calves a year I'm losing. What else can I do.... Hmmm I can increase nitrogen by using cover crops (vetch clover etc....), or I can mob graze to get rid of weeds, or I can specialize and market my beef... All that info is available out there on this world wide web. Just gotta research it, seperate the bull from the truth and go on (Incidently bull has been thrown around since the turn of the century reading some of them ol Louis Bromfield books :) ).

Yep, gotta say this internet is the best thing thats come along in the last 50 years.
 
Brandonm22":3dqr5hj3 said:
dun":3dqr5hj3 said:
novatech":3dqr5hj3 said:
Those that do not take advantage of proven "new technology" will eventually fall. The way grand paw did it simply will not continue to work.
I have watched business prosper and business fail my entire life because of their resistance or acceptance of technology. Ranching is no different.
What really tears me up on these boards is hearing some condemn some of the new technology when they obviously have never really taken the time to investigate it.
That is not ignorance. That is pure stupidity.

How about some examples of proven new technology?

Other than the computer, cloning, and DNA testing I can't come up with much in the ranching biz that is all that new. A.I. was commercially viable 50 years ago. E.T. goes back to the 80s. We got our first disk mower (used) back in 1986. I am 38 and I don't remember our farm without the big round bales. The new pickups will not do anything that my Grandfather's 1971 model wasn't able to do. I have an Electric fence charger on a shelf in the barn that is older than I am. Vaccinations have been around for 40-50 years. Performance testing is 50++ years old. EPDs go back to the 1970s. I would hate to have to switch back to my Grandfather's 1953 model Allis Chalmers WD-45.......but (if you have the implements for it) it can do most of the things that a new tractor can do. And by the time of the John Deere 4020 tractors really haven't changed that much. Just about everything we do today was invented or developed by that "older generation".
grand paw got it done, though he might had to stay in the field a little longer.. my equipment is just a step above the amish.. but when i hear farmers talk about their new $30.000 JD baler.100.000 tractor i dont feel as bad ;-)
 
TNMasterBeefProducer":3ry1xj31 said:
dun":3ry1xj31 said:
Qaulity cows bred to quality bulls and a lot of hard work. Pretty much the same as when I was younger.


Amen to that. I tend to agree. If you dont have quality cows and quality bulls you can't make any decent money.
I should have included quality forage.
But none of that is technology, it's just managment.

Cloning is too pricey and unpredictable, DNA testing until I get paid for it ain;t gonna happen
 
TNMasterBeefProducer":39v36nd0 said:
dun":39v36nd0 said:
Qaulity cows bred to quality bulls and a lot of hard work. Pretty much the same as when I was younger.


Amen to that. I tend to agree. If you dont have quality cows and quality bulls you can't make any decent money.

Yep but now even we small operators can take advantage of these top of the line genetics as well with AI and embryo transplants instead of leading the cows up to the top of the hill to be bred every year by the only bull in the community.
 
dun":s70b7xzi said:
DNA testing until I get paid for it ain;t gonna happen
You have been doing it for years in proper bull selection. You have been choosing the right bulls for the right reasons. That is gene selection. Maybe not directly. And according to your past posts you have been getting paid for it.
It takes deep pockets to do all this testing. I cannot afford it. I use the same genetics that those prize bulls are made of. We all have to work within a budget but that should not deter us from making improvements the best way we can. The best way I know is by increasing our knowledge to start.
You are absolutely right in that you cannot get paid for it. This holds true for most. But there are some very large cattle operations using this tech. and direct marketing to the feed lot.
 
Yea, I need to get motivated and go get a new carburetor (or another rebuild kit) and a new distributor for that thing. Now his 1940 Case SC has PROBABLY reached the point of no return.
 
Brandonm22":5xujb6s5 said:
Yea, I need to get motivated and go get a new carburetor (or another rebuild kit) and a new distributor for that thing. Now his 1940 Case SC has PROBABLY reached the point of no return.
as long as mine will crank and move it has a home..... she aint give a reason to run her across the scrap metal scales.... but im gonna double its value this evening....i got to fill the tank ;-)
 

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