"Halifax Agricultural Show - cattle section: Say hello to a rare native who's looking good"

Over the past few days I have had to go through the tiresome explanation of just exactly what British White cattle are, and even explain that the American British White Park cattle were not wild things. This afternoon this article popped up and it seemed well-timed. The "White Park" cow in the photo (click the article link above for the photo) is a horned beautiful white cow with black points, with a gentle look about her, and a fat and beefy look about her -- sound familiar? You can clearly see in her photo that she is halter broke, and she and the humans about her look quite agreeably comfortable at her side.

In no way is this cow some fearsome "wild" white park creature, not now, and not ever in her genetics. The cow is said to be 11 years old -- are we supposed to believe that in those 11 years she hasn't managed to knock someone over and have her halter privileges pulled forever -- if she's from "wild" stock, that surely should have happened along the way.

In England the horned White Park is considered the oldest native breed of Britain. Your polled British White cows are also the oldest native breed of Britain, and don't ever forget that. Don't let the pocket book politics of the likes of the British author Lawrence Alderson forever change history to suit his goals and the goals of a select few highbrows in England.

Yes, the polled breeders of the old Park cattle (that's what both horned and polled were called when the first registration was established for them, until about the 40's) implemented a breed up program to save the breed and increase their numbers. In no way does that justify the absurd notion of Alderson's that the two varieties are genetically distinct, it's not even scientifically supportable -- but he doesn't really care!

(Great efforts have been made, both in the early years of the breeds establishment to the present, to bring both full pedigree semen and live polled Park cattle from the UK to the USA, to both preserve and integrate the best genetics available. In England, they have curtailed their breed-up program and I applaud that, and hope to see that happen in the USA. But in the meantime, the BWCAA American Fullblood program has successfully encouraged the pursuit of Fullblood herds.)

The reality is that both horned and polled Park cattle were found on the same farms and on separate farms for hundreds of documented years. The reality is the White Park of today in England was mixed with English Longhorn and Welsh Black, among other breeds. The fact that they stopped this at some point 40 years or so ago, makes them in no way significantly purer in the grand scheme of things. The genetics of Park cattle are powerfully strong and heritable. These cattle have been treasured and bred in the lands of the British Isles for a millennia of time. We know this from their presence in the ancient oral tales that have come down to us from Ireland, Wales, and Scotland - not England.


If I had my way the polled Park cattle in my pastures would bear a breed name that reflects their fine heritage and place in history -- Park Cattle. And if I have to see or hear another person use the word "whites" in reference to my beloved breed, I sometimes think I'll break my computer screen or punch someone. The breed deserves a high degree of respect, and referring to them as "whites" is demeaning slang that curls my lips and it shouldn't be perpetuated.

I have no idea, and doubt anyone alive today does either, why the folks in England decided to call my polled Park cows, British White. I sometimes feel like simply saying they are Park cattle. England is across the ocean, we already know following their lead leads to societal ruin, or at least it looks that way right now. So I no longer see any need to label my cows anything but what they historically were called in Britain before modern pocket book politics and meddling intervened to create a new breed name.


EXCERPT from the UK Article: (Click title link above for full text and photo.)Published Date: 11 August 2009
THIS rare breed was among an impressive turnout at the cattle section of the Halifax Agricultural Show. More than 150 animals were shown by 43 exhibitors – including standout White Park cow Freiya.

David Graveston, who was showing her, said: "She's 11 and a half years old – but she looks good for her age. White Parks are the oldest native breed in the country, and they are an endangered species as well."

There are only about 450 breeding adults in the UK, he said – 35 of which are part of his herd at his family's Park House Farm in Lancashire.

Mr Graveston, who was at the show with 16-year-old daughter Catherine, said: "We've only had the herd three years, so we've never really shown any before."

David Hamer, cattle section secretary, said it was a first for the show, too.
He said: "We've never seen this breed here at Halifax before."

Did You Know? Cash for Clunkers $ Taken from Alternative Energy Stimulus Dollars

In the midst of this really bad economy, at least corn prices have backed off their record highs, though how much that's reflected in the price of a bag of feed at your local feed store is quite variable. Once a higher price point is reached, it takes a while for the retail products to see a matching decline, if ever. While I don't feed corn to my cattle, I'm very aware of how the rising price of corn and other grains used in ethanol production has negatively impacted the value of livestock in the USA.

One possible hint of relief from the disastrous impact of increasing corn ethanol production is the growing research and ingenuity in designing electric cars, and getting our vehicles and machinery out of the lead acid battery dark ages (Lead-acid batteries were invented in 1859 by French physicist Gaston Planté.) Also a possible source of relief from dependence on ethanol and fossil fuels is solar energy.

These collective alternative energy areas received much play in the days of the last presidential campaign. Theoretically, we now have an administration and Congress that has provided for the subsidy of these expensive new technologies (In most of Europe, the government has subsidized alternative energy growth with great success.) However, of the mere $6 Billion or so that was designated for alternative energy in the Trillion Dollar Stimulus Bill, Congress now proposes to riddle the original concept with red tape and wrinkles, and even worse they propose to take ~$2 Billion dollars of the $6 Billion, and divert those monies to the Cash for Clunkers money pit (IMO). Where is the logic there? I've not even noticed this focused on in the news!

Alternative energy companies are a natural to put folks back to work in places like Michigan where solar companies are already positioned and there is a ready labor force for production of solar panels and batteries, etc... Yet, this piddling bit of $6 Billion dollars for alternative energy has not only been NOT disbursed, it is now in danger of being given away to a program that pulls money out of your pocket and straight into the pocket of the automotive industry. In no way does this help the USA get off the ethanol track and put our corn back to use as Food for ourselves and our livestock.

August 10th Credit Suisse Alternative Energy Report:
Solar US market: Developments in the last week diminish the positive impact of the DOE's loan guarantee program for commercially viable solar PV technologies. There is a possibility that only ~$750mm is available to cover credit subsidy costs for commercially proven technologies (versus $6bb we thought 3 months ago). $2bb from the $6bb allocated for DOE loan guarantee program could be diverted to "cash for clunkers.”

Ethanol crush spreads have strengthened over the past few months, driven by lower natural gas and corn prices plus stable ethanol prices. Ethanol production volumes have been kept in check, helping to support ethanol pricing. Cash margins for ethanol producers have again turned positive.

Follow this link for the full Credit Suisse comments and analysis regarding the Cash for Clunkers ripping off the Alternative Energy sector.

The Economics of AI Breeding vs. Natural Breeding in Beef Heifers

Suggested Guidelines for Beef Heifer Selection

**Moderate frame & milk - 425 lbs at Weaning, 600 lbs at Yearling, 700 lbs at breeding, Frame Score of 4
**Large frame & milk - 500 lbs at Weaning, 750 lbs at Yearling, 875 lbs at breeding, Frame Score of 5

"The University of Minnesota maintained records and summarized the net profit or loss for heifers sold during a developmental period during a three-year period. Heifers culled on the basis of pelvic area, average daily gain, reproductive tract scores, disposition, or structural soundness at the time of the prebreeding exams and finished in a feedlot had a 3-year average net profit of $9, whereas heifers diagnosed as nonpregnant shortly after the breeding season were sold for a net loss of $86. The loss for pregnant heifers that were then diagnosed nonpregnant after wintering on native pasture and sold at a sale barn was $133."


"These figures indicate the importance of identifying heifers that will not breed during the breeding season and culling those heifers before they become an economic liability. Heifers that were diagnosed pregnant during the breeding season were allocated to three groups: first-service AI, second-service AI, or natural mating. Average profits were $163 for first-service AI heifers, $139 for second-service heifers, and $83 for heifers naturally mated. These figures take into account all synchronization costs."

"Therefore, the advantage of AI over natural mating is certainly evident from these analyses, but without sound data these results could not have been noticed. In fact, many people would (and still do) shy away from AI because of the initial costs associated with synchronization, management, and an AI technician. Nonetheless, these results would encourage a producer to seriously consider AI, realizing that the profit potential is far greater than just using natural mating.

Net Profit or Loss Associated with the Sale of Heifers at Various Stages of Reproduction . . . follow the link in the article title above for the remainder of the cost analysis provided by this Cattle Network article.

Source: Steve Boyles OSU Extension Beef Team

Pending Legislation That Will Impact the Family Farm and Rural Landowners

The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) email update yesterday included a call to members to contact their Congressman during this August recess to express their Support and Opposition to critical legislation that will have a huge impact on our economic lives as cattle raisers. I've included links where I could find them, to the actual text of the bills at issue. Perusing the actual text of the bills is enlightening, and something I think we all should do more often in these days of minimal debate and rapid passage of bills which will effect our lives in both Texas and the USA.

SUPPORT

The Affordable Food and Fuel for America Act ". . .would phase out government subsidies for corn-based ethanol over five years and promote the commercial development of second generation biofuels. This legislation would force corn-based ethanol to become commercially viable without the assistance of government dollars and eliminate competition with other commodities that use corn"

In 2008, I blogged on the devastation that I percieve has been and will continue to occur in the USA as a result of the government's blind and dumb subsidy of corn ethanol. Not only is it forever changing the landscape and air quality of states such as Nebraska and Minnesota, it is forever changing the economics of our food supply. In particular to cattle raisers, it has increased the input cost of feedlots to a point of zero profitability at times, and thus the value of our feeder calf crops at market is reduced.

The Family Farm Preservation and Conservation Estate Tax Act(couldn't find a direct link to this bill) ". . .would exempt working farm and ranch land from the death tax, as long as the land is kept in production agriculture. The bill also provides estate tax relief for land under qualified conservation easements." I could find no link to the text of this bill, instead I found references to it being from the 2007/2008 legislative sessions. TSCRA's summation of it's benefits to the continuation of family farms, rather than their liquidation due to death, makes it clear this is a bill we should all want passed.

OPPOSE

The Clean Water Restoration Act ". . .would expand federal control over all wet areas within Texas including stock tanks, drainage ditches, ponds, small and intermittent streams, creek beds, playa lakes and mud holes." The impact of this legislation on every day life in rural America is boundless, and would mire the average family farm, the average hunter or fisherman, in red tape and legalities that will forever change our historical and current concept of private land ownership and freedom to live as we wish on our land.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act (the Cap & Trade Bill) ". . .will drastically increase the costs of fuel, electricity, feed, fertilizer, equipment and other production costs necessary to run a successful ranching business. The costs to ranchers far outweigh any benefits this legislation offers."

I absolutely need to read and try to understand for myself the impact of this bill. It is somehow still shrouded in mystery to me despite my obsession with the news. One has the sense that it is the ultimate boogey-man of bills, without even understanding the actual mechanics of its impact on our economy today and in the future. One thing that is abundantly clear, is major corporations such as General Electric stand to benefit hugely from the passage of this bill.