Chickens ARE herbivores...

[chickened]

Most if not all your spent milk cows are ground into burger. McDonalds, Costco and any of the burger that is frozen in those plastic bags is from who knows what cow.

As for feedlots out west they are fed pelleted feed and hay usually alfalfa chopped or grass/alfalfa mix.

They are on open range until about 800 pounds and then they go to the feed lots. The old range cows are sold when they go barren for 2 years in a row usually.

 

[oldrooster]

Most if not all your spent milk cows are ground into burger. McDonalds, Costco and any of the burger that is frozen in those plastic bags is from who knows what cow.

As for feedlots out west they are fed pelleted feed and hay usually alfalfa chopped or grass/alfalfa mix.

They are on open range until about 800 pounds and then they go to the feed lots. The old range cows are sold when they go barren for 2 years in a row usually.

I know a dairy farm family that butchers their own spent milk cows because they know where the cow is from and also they know they would get less for the cow then it costs them for grinding it for burger compared to buying it from the store. they still buy steak occasionally but that is an occasional buy not a weekly purchase.

 

[theoldchick]

I'm not insinuating Holsteins or any other breed of cattle can't be turned into steak. However you don't see people paying top dollar for Holstein Steak. We've processed many grass fed jersey steers into hamburger meat and donated the majority to local charities and churches. The few steaks we kept were tasty and tender.

 

[chickened]

I'm not insinuating Holsteins or any other breed of cattle can't be turned into steak. However you don't see people paying top dollar for Holstein Steak. We've processed many grass fed jersey steers into hamburger meat and donated the majority to local charities and churches. The few steaks we kept were tasty and tender.

Try an Angus Holstein cross I grew one to 1300lbs in 22 months and it was the best and you actually get more steaks across the back as the Holstein has longer back muscling.

 

[theoldchick]

We are working with black baldy calves right now. We tried Beefmaster but found calving time a bit too stressful in that breed. We have a neighbor down the road who is crossing Angus with a Holstein bull. He noted a few calving issues and slow maturity, but is pleased with his calves.

 

[Arielle]

I love this discussion-- I see so many that DO understand where food comes from and how it is porduced!!

THere is no one way to produce the food; many producers choose very different feeding options. ONe presented in an organic farming magazine presented a pretty ungly picture of the feed lot industry feeding bread and bubble gum to feedlot cattle. I was horrified to read this--it certainly did not match the feeds and nutrition classes for livestock in college. Later, after ruminating, lol, I realized even the organic farming magazine had a very slanted view to promotes it's angle.

We do need MORE food to feed the world. We do have a world wide food shortage. WE need EVERYONE to raise what they can locally: a few laying hens, to a victory garden. Does nayone know what a victory garden is??? During WW II all families were encouraged to grow their own vegies as the war effort was rapidly using up our resources. As local food should always be first choice for many reasons, which is too lengthy for this discussion, we CAN grow a few of our foods, even if it is a tomato plant in a pot.

My chickens are omnivores, even the ducks slurp down a worm. Both turn a resource I would not eat into one I will eat. Try duck eggs for a little change from chicken eggs!

Grass fed beef has far more vitamin A because of the natural content in grass versus the heavier grain diet at the feet lot. Feed lot cattle still MUST have fiber for the GI to function properly and keep the cattle on the healthy side. Clearly those cattle in the feedlots are being pushed to the limits because of the cost of production. THe reality is that our food animals are commodities destined for the food market and a profit is necessary to keep the pipeline of food filling our stomachs.

We need to increase our food production world wide and I would like to see Americans ( and everyone else) eating a heaping plateful of greens and vegies EVERY day for better overall health. Great micronutirents in those foods to boost our immune systems in our high stressed modern lives.

Producers of livestock and fruits and vegetables will do what it takes to keep us buying an idividual brand label; that is the competiative nature of marketing. If you buy local, that competition is reduced because usually there are only a few sources to buy locally. Buying locally becomes a win-win situation. We directly need each other. Perdue plays on the non-meat based diet because it SELLS. Many people would like to believe the creatures are then more humanely treated, which cannot be gaged by feeding practices. Humanely treated has legal definitions; otherwise, each of us as individuals have our own standards of humane and I know that again is another in depth discussion to fully appreciate.

THe bottom line is that the commercially produced food IS feeding us; and they do still have a near monopoly. However the other markets have taken hold and are growing, and I hope in the end the net result is MORE food is being produced in total because we sure need it. Many of our high production areas have been feeding us for years, and that starts striping the minerals out of the soil and shipping it to the cities in the form of food. WE need more land in production to slow the stripping and too have our food contain a healthy amount of micro minerals for our good health.

OP-- good points, I somewhat disagree about the beef but otherwise right on. Advertising sells.Thanks for getting this discussion going!!

 

[chickened]

We are working with black baldy calves right now. We tried Beefmaster but found calving time a bit too stressful in that breed. We have a neighbor down the road who is crossing Angus with a Holstein bull. He noted a few calving issues and slow maturity, but is pleased with his calves.

I have always bought calves but am told the Angus bull over a Holstein is easier calving but really have no experience with that cross. I did have a jersey red Angus heifer I bred to a Hereford and got a nice bull calf and those jerseys are not much of a cow but they grow out calves very nice. The heifer gave about 50% creme.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Often first time heifer cows are bred to a beef bull to have an easy delivery; the calves are smaller than dairy calves.

 

[chickened]

Often first time heifer cows are bred to a beef bull to have an easy delivery; the calves are smaller than dairy calves.

The hereford bull I picked was reputed to throw small calves and did. It was a brindle which threw me.

 

[EweSheep]

So you have to select a bull that throws smaller calves to have easier delivery or does it all based on the cow's pelvic structure?