Baymule
Herd Master
Seriously, why aren’t we making all of that, or if we are, why aren’t we stepping up production?
Farmerjan's journal - Weather
- Thread starter farmerjan
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Mini Horses
Herd Master
We do make all, just not enough of some.
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farmerjan
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One of the things we benefit from, by importing beef... is that more US beef gets graded as select and choice and PRIME and there for it does not have the fat necessary to make all the ground beef that is consumed. Quite a bit of the imported beef is of "lower quality" and makes good ground beef, and goes into processed meats like bologna and hot dogs and such. We sell our "choice and prime" beef for higher prices, import back a lower grade (lower cost) of beef for ground beef and processing beef... keeps the channels of trade open...
Also, the organ meats, that many in the US do not want or use... heart, liver, tongue, kidneys, tripe, and more....... are considered delicacies, and in much higher demand in other countries...
It is complicated... BUT.... there is NOT enough of the type of beef that goes into ground beef and processed products... and people are not going to pay for good top quality beef to go into their ground beef... AND, there is not enough fat produced to make the 70/30 grade of "hamburger" that is sold...
The tariffs will actually cause the cost of beef to go up even though we are not going to be "short" of beef overall... we will just be short of the beef that is in greatest demand by the public that cannot afford the nice ribeye steak but can afford a "hamburger steak".... things like that...
And with the smaller cattle herd size, which is still a big issue.... there will not be the production of the lesser cuts because overall there is not as much beef to go around...
Same with lamb production... the US does not produce enough for the demand/consumption... especially with the increase populations of other ethnic groups that had little or no beef in their home countries and they prefer the sheep and goat meat.... so alot of lamb is imported...
Also, the organ meats, that many in the US do not want or use... heart, liver, tongue, kidneys, tripe, and more....... are considered delicacies, and in much higher demand in other countries...
It is complicated... BUT.... there is NOT enough of the type of beef that goes into ground beef and processed products... and people are not going to pay for good top quality beef to go into their ground beef... AND, there is not enough fat produced to make the 70/30 grade of "hamburger" that is sold...
The tariffs will actually cause the cost of beef to go up even though we are not going to be "short" of beef overall... we will just be short of the beef that is in greatest demand by the public that cannot afford the nice ribeye steak but can afford a "hamburger steak".... things like that...
And with the smaller cattle herd size, which is still a big issue.... there will not be the production of the lesser cuts because overall there is not as much beef to go around...
Same with lamb production... the US does not produce enough for the demand/consumption... especially with the increase populations of other ethnic groups that had little or no beef in their home countries and they prefer the sheep and goat meat.... so alot of lamb is imported...
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farmerjan
Herd Master
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2016
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- Shenandoah Valley Virginia
Monday night. Temps were 48 up to about 65... Rain most of last night and some hard rains this morning.. NOTHING like what poor @purplequeenvt got... I dumped the rain gauge this afternoon late... 1.5 inches total which really was about perfect since it never rained so hard to run down the roads or anything. Ground was warm enough for it to pretty much soak in too.
Had a chiropractor appt this morning...it poured down pretty hard for part of the drivedown; went to the goodwill on the way home... got a pair of jeans and a couple paperbacks...
Then stopped at Walmart as I needed some power steering fluid stuff since it leaks... got a big pkg of TP... I have not bought any in the last few months... time to start adding back to my "stash" .... not overly worried about shortages, but I have used some up so want to replenish and keep it well stocked. Picked up a few other things while I was there that I could remember without a specific list... It was right on the way home so may as well make the trip count.
Went up to the pasture, fed the calves in the barn, the cows came in and all like they should. DS was going to do the banding yesterday, but he was not having a very good day... but said to see if I could get them in... I did, but he never got back to me, so after a call, then texting and no answer, I finally let them out... He called me just as I let the cows out... and I said I had sent him a text over an hour earlier... and figured he still had a headache... he said he was "home" (her house) and I could hear the kids in the background... he said he could come back up but it would be an hour and I said, no.... it was getting too late. So he said to let him know if I got them in this afternoon, and he would come up if it wasn't too wet.
I called him, and he called me back a minute or 2 later,... said he was at his house doing some fence repair as the lambs have been getting out in the field next door... that he had been sick to his stomach, but he could come up in a few minutes... but he had to go to the farm and get the truck... and he needed to check those cows for calves too. So I said that it was a little wet, that if he wanted, he could just come and band the couple calves... and then move them another day when he felt better to deal with the cow too... and that I could get them in to get sold if he told me a day or 2 ahead of when he was planning to go to the stockyard... not last minute. So he said he would be up in a little bit and asked how the cow looked.... maybe she needed to come to the barn to eat silage and gain some weight... but she is in pretty good condition since she is getting grain pretty regular and no calf to pull her condition down...
I kept the calves in the barn, and kept the 2 cows in the other side, and gave them a couple sections of a sq bale to keep them satisfied.
Then I waited.,... and waited... I expected an hour and sent texts out to farmers about testing and such... but then it was nearly 2 hours and I figured he forgot... tried to call, then sent a text and said ???????.
He sent me a text back, said "oh sh!t.... go ahead and turn them out".... then sent another one, he had gone and checked for calves, then he got sick again and was at the house in the bathroom... he was sorry, he forgot to tell me when he got sick.
So, out loose they went again... but they got a good feeding of grain and some hay... and I opened the gate and the cows came out of the barn into their little lot, and then out loose on their own... no upsets, so at least she didn't act like she was "trapped" or anything... opened the door from the barn into the lot on the other side with the creep gate, and the calves came out and went to drink water first thing, then went back in the barn... they don't get overly upset over much.....
Try again tomorrow... I really want to at least get these couple banded and vacc shots... and the head catch there does not have a good way to keep them immobile... takes 2 of us with the makeshift gate.... and these calves are 300+ lbs... so not going to even think about doing them by myself without a good head catch... this works in a pinch so it is useful... BUT..... normally we would work this size calf at doug's farm in the regular chute/headcatch. I don't think he is talking about taking any to the sale now for several weeks... since most of the heifers are gone... there is no big push... but they need to be worked... use the "big bander" so that in 2 weeks can cut the sacks off of them... won't have to wait for them to fall off on their own.
It is getting colder out tonight. I have had the spider plants all outside the last couple days and they got a good soaking from the rain. But I brought them all back in this evening as it is going to get down in the 30's and colder tomorrow night with freezing temps... The warmth was nice, but it is too warm for this time of year yet... 60's and 40's is more normal...
Going to get a shower and go to bed here shortly... It is chillier... down to 45 already....
Had a chiropractor appt this morning...it poured down pretty hard for part of the drivedown; went to the goodwill on the way home... got a pair of jeans and a couple paperbacks...
Then stopped at Walmart as I needed some power steering fluid stuff since it leaks... got a big pkg of TP... I have not bought any in the last few months... time to start adding back to my "stash" .... not overly worried about shortages, but I have used some up so want to replenish and keep it well stocked. Picked up a few other things while I was there that I could remember without a specific list... It was right on the way home so may as well make the trip count.
Went up to the pasture, fed the calves in the barn, the cows came in and all like they should. DS was going to do the banding yesterday, but he was not having a very good day... but said to see if I could get them in... I did, but he never got back to me, so after a call, then texting and no answer, I finally let them out... He called me just as I let the cows out... and I said I had sent him a text over an hour earlier... and figured he still had a headache... he said he was "home" (her house) and I could hear the kids in the background... he said he could come back up but it would be an hour and I said, no.... it was getting too late. So he said to let him know if I got them in this afternoon, and he would come up if it wasn't too wet.
I called him, and he called me back a minute or 2 later,... said he was at his house doing some fence repair as the lambs have been getting out in the field next door... that he had been sick to his stomach, but he could come up in a few minutes... but he had to go to the farm and get the truck... and he needed to check those cows for calves too. So I said that it was a little wet, that if he wanted, he could just come and band the couple calves... and then move them another day when he felt better to deal with the cow too... and that I could get them in to get sold if he told me a day or 2 ahead of when he was planning to go to the stockyard... not last minute. So he said he would be up in a little bit and asked how the cow looked.... maybe she needed to come to the barn to eat silage and gain some weight... but she is in pretty good condition since she is getting grain pretty regular and no calf to pull her condition down...
I kept the calves in the barn, and kept the 2 cows in the other side, and gave them a couple sections of a sq bale to keep them satisfied.
Then I waited.,... and waited... I expected an hour and sent texts out to farmers about testing and such... but then it was nearly 2 hours and I figured he forgot... tried to call, then sent a text and said ???????.
He sent me a text back, said "oh sh!t.... go ahead and turn them out".... then sent another one, he had gone and checked for calves, then he got sick again and was at the house in the bathroom... he was sorry, he forgot to tell me when he got sick.
So, out loose they went again... but they got a good feeding of grain and some hay... and I opened the gate and the cows came out of the barn into their little lot, and then out loose on their own... no upsets, so at least she didn't act like she was "trapped" or anything... opened the door from the barn into the lot on the other side with the creep gate, and the calves came out and went to drink water first thing, then went back in the barn... they don't get overly upset over much.....
Try again tomorrow... I really want to at least get these couple banded and vacc shots... and the head catch there does not have a good way to keep them immobile... takes 2 of us with the makeshift gate.... and these calves are 300+ lbs... so not going to even think about doing them by myself without a good head catch... this works in a pinch so it is useful... BUT..... normally we would work this size calf at doug's farm in the regular chute/headcatch. I don't think he is talking about taking any to the sale now for several weeks... since most of the heifers are gone... there is no big push... but they need to be worked... use the "big bander" so that in 2 weeks can cut the sacks off of them... won't have to wait for them to fall off on their own.
It is getting colder out tonight. I have had the spider plants all outside the last couple days and they got a good soaking from the rain. But I brought them all back in this evening as it is going to get down in the 30's and colder tomorrow night with freezing temps... The warmth was nice, but it is too warm for this time of year yet... 60's and 40's is more normal...
Going to get a shower and go to bed here shortly... It is chillier... down to 45 already....
