Grassfed beef, oops, meant to say Gummy Worm fed beef

[BirdBrain]

Wow, I knew this happened, but what a spin our media has put on it all--almost sounds reasonable and acceptable....but it's NOT!!!

http://economywatch.nbcnews.com/_ne...tle-enjoy-sweet-life-amid-corn-shortages?lite

 

[moolie]

Totally don't understand the reasoning behind that one. Cows are designed to process grasses, period. My dairy farmer uncle grew and made "cow corn" silage every year, but it wasn't the bulk of their food, more like a supplement or a treat.

 

[donrae]

I was reading the article to my honey and he said when he lived in Gilroy 30 years ago it was common for cows to be fed leftover or seconds of candy. The truckers would deliver it in 10lb bags and sometimes drop a bag off for their family. He said it was creme-type candies, not chocolate so much. I doubt it made up a huge bulk of the feed the cattle ate, but apparently it was common practice even then.

I agree, though, cows should eat grasses. Minimal grain. That's just not feasible with how a lot of the dairies are set up, they're on a confinement system.

I'm sure glad I found a supply of local grassfed raw milk. And that little cow on craigslist is looking more and more appealing!

 

[animalfarm]

The article explains it very well.

There is a severe drought covering 56% of the US and Ontario has also been hit. This translates into NO pastures (grass) and NO hay or very expensive hay. Every one in North America is competing for all available feed. There is not enough to go around. With most hay fields being plowed up to plant the much more lucrative corn and soy bean, the supply of hay/grass even in good years is becoming very limited. We all know what happened to the corn and soy crops. Burnt toast. Wheat is difficult and expensive to buy in quantity, no one hardly plants oats and barley except as a possible cover crop, and as the article stated, these alternate grains have become unaffordable as well.

Hay is going for between $85 -$175 for a round bale depending upon location and quality. That round bale will feed 10 cows if it is good quality, and just keep them from starving to death if poor quality, but will not maintain the cows in good health. Enough hay to feed the cows through the winter will cost you around $6-8000.00. This is for only 10 cow/calf pairs in Ontario. It will be worse in the US Mid West. We have been feeding what little hay we got from our first and only cut all summer and there is nothing left for winter. Its tough to even buy grass seed to reseed the dead hay fields and pastures. Lets not forget we are also competing for hay and grain with the horse people and ethanol production.

Combined with the major drought in the Southern US last year, cattle herds have been decimated and have been sold off . Its tough to even buy grass seed to reseed the hay dead fields and pastures.

Farmers are trying to keep their breeding stock in face of great odds. The feeders have already been sold so all that cheap beef you are seeing in the stores right now is the last you will see. Next year you will need a pot of gold to buy your steak.

The thought of all that junk going into a cow is yucky, but as the article stated, energy is energy and it must be obtained at a cost equal to whats in your bank account. If they are into feeding that crap, which is now getting too expensive due to competition, then they have no choice; more cows will head for slaughter. Horses, pigs and chickens too.

You cannot feed what you do not have. The harsh reality is that there is very little grass, hay or grains available. What there is most cannot afford to buy. So hard times. Buy your beef now while its a "sweet" deal.

 

[me&thegals]

Animalfarm nailed it exactly. There's not a lot of room for our preferences here. You can't have that much of the country in drought with as many cattle as our nation has, without real consequences.

When the farm has been in your family for generations (or even if only a few years), you do what you need to do to save the farm. I'm so grateful we haven't been put in this position. It would be a tough choice to make.