Grass/Livestock

Here is a short clip that may interest some of you:
Discover

Thanks for the clip. I have a few acres (20) that I have been thinking about stopping renting it out (40 dollars an acre) and starting to raise beef, chickens, pigs etc. on a grass only operation.

I know Joel he has a nice operation.Feeding grain is unnecessary and can be detrimental to the animal's health.Also grain feeding depends on cheap energy which won't be around for long

Gee,I guess those d@mned deer that ravage my corn every year aren't smart enough to know what's good for them. Poor b@stards don't know that they're slowly killing themselves do they?

Cattle can get by on grass, chickens and hogs must have grain. Better do some serious research before you make the change.
Joe

Children will eat candy 24/7 and rats will devour Rat poison doesn't mean either one is healthy for the ones eating it.

joe,

your partly right, modern breeds of chickens and hogs must have grain, but some of the older (heritage) breeds can get by without, but having said that you don't get the same level of production that you get out of the modern breeds.

A Traditional Farmer in my neighborhood feeds grain to livestock to get better gains so the animal does not die of old age before he is big enough to butcher.

A traditional farmer also uses the latest inovations to create the best product he can at the least cost.

Why are you so against using our SURPLUSS grain to feed livestock and produce ethanol?

A Traditional Farmer loves all the uses we can find for grain.

Either change your name from Traditional Farmer or change your thinking.

Gary

Good one IAGary.

A steak is much more tasty when the steer was fed grain and hay or grass, than one that just got grass or hay.

Chickens and hogs do quite well with out grain. If you look close at a range fed chicken you will see a big old smile. Don"t see many confined chickens smile, unless it"s a rooster and he"ll crow a lot louder outside.

Traditional Farmers stay in farming while Agribusinessmen go broke and Traditional Farmers
live on the $$$ they make farming not expect the US Taxpayer to support them and their operations.

Its a matter of taste for sure but there are proven health benefits to Grass Fed Beef over grain fed and the Grass Fed is gaining market share all the time.Plus Grass fed hasn't taken as much of the
price hit that grain fed has in last year or so.Many consumers have gone to grass fed because they don't antibiotics and hormones given to the animals they eat both of which are commonly given to grain fed and many consumers definitely do not want their meat to come from animals that have been fed Genetically Modified grain.

Yup I agree with you on that one so if you support the use of grains for any use you can make $$$ off the land and not need the tax dollars. Subisdy payments to farmers were low last year due to the higher grain income.

I assume you support all organic farming. If we all grew organic this world would be doomed. Because of lack of enough protein to go around.

Or else the cost would be so high for food, only the weathy could afford it. That is who is buying the organic products now.

There is a place for organic just as there is for grass fed beef. But I do not degrade grass fed beef just because I grain feed mine.

Gary

You make several asumptions in your statements. I am always wary of some one who sees everything as black and white. Corn fed animals don't always get antibiotics or hormones. When I go to the sale barn, I never see a sign on animals stating whether they are grass fed or not. And no buyer in his rite mind would give more for one that was grass fed. I am a grain and hay farmer and I have never gotten one cent from the Federal Government and don't want to. In a market economy, if raising animals without the use of grain was cheaper, easier and less expensive, with a higher return to the producer, believe me everyone would be doing it. And, I don't think I have ever seen a chicken smile but I do get amused when people give human characteristics to animals.
As for genetically altered grain and animals, the entire history of agriculture is one of genetically altering plants and animals to achieve a higher yield in a shorter time. This started with the Sumerians thousands of years ago for cripes sake, not in the last 10 years in some lab. As for being a Traditional Farmer, I am one. I follow the same traditions that my father, grandfather etc, 6 generations back follow. Produce what people are willing to pay the most for. Even the Amish around here feed their animals grain so being traditional is a misnomer. Let's call it New Wave farming or maybe Elitists farming for people who want to feel superior to the rest of us.

I'm not strictly organic but don't use chemical fertilizers or common farm chemicals because 1)they are way to expensive and 2)they are a long term deteriment to my land and animals.
Going organic is not going to make folks starve.The biggest problem in farming has always been
huge surpluses and is right now.Checked corn prices lately?We need to cut back production and quit feeding our enemies like the Chinese who will cut our throats at any opportunity.Sensible Substainable Agriculture would benefit about everyone except the fertilizer companies and those seed companies that are trying to get patents and monoplize the seed industry.For those addicted to Roundup ready corn I hear they're in for quite an increase in their seed corn prices for next year and this is just the beginning.

The way they are genetically altering crops now has never been done before and the proof is as simple as the companies doing it are able to get patents on their work.The evidence is mounting as to the problems they are creating.
Actually feeding grain in the amounts its been fed since the 1950's to animals is a new thing because before WWII overproduction of grain wasn't a problem on TRADITIONAL farms.Monoculture and cheap oil
brought huge surpluses and grain cheap enough to feed to livestock.Going back to grass fed ruminates is the way it was done ever since the beginning of time up until WWII.When the cheap energy is gone it'll be a Moot Point anyway.

I am thinking Gary better check out Websters definition of traditional because from the points you made it doesn't appear you are using it correctly. Contemporary or progressive maybe but not even close to traditional.

we have some traditional farmers here because they buy commercial feed to use and then tell the buyers it is free range raised ---seems to work real well till they run out of sickers

Well if you think grain is so good for cattle, why are cattle rumminants? They are not designed to have grain. They were designed to graze grass, hay and foarge. A all corn diet for finishing cows is no good either, it can damage a cows kidneys and cause other medical problems. I raise free range chickens, I give them free choice layer pellets, and some cracked corn and oat mix, as a treat. They thrive being free range. My cows get hay and grass, only a taste of grain to lure them to the headlocks. They have no problems at all. Anmials can thrive on a diet with no grain, But too many people will ever be able to see it, or accept it.