From: tdwebste@sparta.uwaterloo.ca (Timothy D. Webster)
Subject: A first hand reflection on livestock practices
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 05:35:28 GMT

I have been reading server articles by authors how seem to lost touch
with modern farming practices. Let me preface my remarks with the
comment that practices have changed substantially in the last 20 years,
because this very rapid change a wide verity of practices are present.
Also in my opinion the common livestock management practices are if
anything more human than earlier. This is primarily due better educated
farmers and technology advances.


Twenty years ago the cow calf beef operation was very popular. Dairy
herds were quite small and cream was a valuable quantity. Calves were
raised in doors during the winter and grazed during the summer. Cattle
raised in doors slept on what was call a manure pack. The idea was to
bed the cattle everyday with long straw. This long straw would provide
the cattle a dry place to sleep. When the density of cattle was low the
cattle would not punch through the manure pack and would walk on top of
a mixture of manure and straw. This manure pack also kept the cattle
warm. The problem this this technique was hooves would not ware as a
result older cattle were often suffering from foot disorders. Also in
the last few years there has been a dramatic shift from grains like oats
and wheat to corn. A great shortage of straw has forced new techniques
to be found. At this time surgical castration was the norm. The more
human technique of know as pinching was not know to be effective. 

Now beef cattle are often fatten in feeder operations. Dairy herds rely
on computerized herd breading records. Cattle are feed computer
determined rations. Cattle are allowed to wander in and out of doors
according to their desire. This practice allows cattle a chance to
exercise and find a place most to their liking. Cattle in doors sleep
in free stalls and walk on slatted floor. The idea of this system is to
construct the free stall so the animal can not turn around within the
stall, but can easily enter or leave at its leisure. This forces the
animal not to deposit manure on its "bed". A lot less straw is required.
The slatted floor insures that the cattle are not walking through
manure greatly reducing foot disorders. This housing method was not 
possible until large tractors became popular. Dairy operations sell 
most of the male caves as veal. Veal does not require castration. 
Horns are eliminated at a younger age, by acid or by burning much 
like you would remove a wart. Yes not totally painless, but as painless 
has you can make this necessary procedure. When castration is necessary 
pinching is used.

Cream is now produced in excess and almost considered a byproduct. Milk 
quotas the most expensive aspect of the Dairy operation.  Milk quotas 
are the single most significant inhibiting factor in the modernization 
of dairy operations and the introduction of a new generation of farmers. 
The concept of supply management is not entirely bad, but the current 
pricing structure is both harmful to consumers and producers alike. 
The price paid for butter fat (cream) should be 1/3 of its current
price. Recently consumer preference has change to low milk fat products
and butter has been substituted by vegetable oils. As a result cream 
supply is far greater than its demand. At its current price it is even
harder to sell. Farmers are trying to breed for more protein and less
fat milk, but this will take 10 years or longer. All milk prices should 
be reduced to 3/4 of their current price and perhaps lower. As a farmer 
I know large dairy farms can produce milk for less, High milk prices 
results in a high milk quota price. The current practice excessively 
protects out of date and small producers, by providing high milk prices 
to keep them in business, while preventing large producers and young 
producers from expanding because of the high cost of quota. If the 
Milk Board continues its anti-competitive practices it should be eliminated.

This was provided to hopefully provide some factual bases to the livestock
discussion. Please clip and send the last paragraph to your MP, MPP or
local news paper. Help young farmers by reducing quota prices through the
reduction of milk prices.

Quota is a license to sell determined quantity of a product.

-Tim.