- Location
- Limousin, France
Feedlot
- Thread starter le bon paysan
- Start date
- Location
- Fife
Build similar operations in the UK? Build similar sized operations in the UK, but using bull beef for better feed conversation.
Streamline and vertically integrate supply chains, with a standard cattle breed producing a more uniform range of carcasses?
These feedlots work because of cheaply produced GMO corn and feed laced with antibiotics and hormones. All three practices are banned in the UK.
- Location
- North Somerset.
Just what the Supermarkets are looking for and why Whole Life Assurance has been promoted by Red Tractor on behalf of their masters the Cartel. Taking out the livestock markets through the back door after WLA has been introduced will be the first step in introducing the vertical integration of the beef and sheep job that the supermarkets crave.
Look what has happened to the pig and poultry job.
Not for me thanks or I suspect the majority of suckler producers.
- Location
- Limousin
IMO if you are going to be a livestock farmer your primary concern is the health & welfare of your stock plus the safety of what you produce. If you can't be bothered to do that then FO out of the industry and stack shelves for Tesco, we don't need you.
- Location
- West Country
Perhaps we should not be worrying about competing; instead looking at differentiating our product in the market place, e.g grass fed, hormone free, gm free, high welfare. Etc etc. Globally there are many consumers willing to pay for this...
Went round one a few years back, really impresive attention to detail.
Cattle all looked happy and the performance figures backed that up.
The custom feeding system would be a big step forward for hill suckler producers
and take a lot of costs out of the chain.
Feeding cattle does lend itself to scaling up
Cattle all looked happy and the performance figures backed that up.
The custom feeding system would be a big step forward for hill suckler producers
and take a lot of costs out of the chain.
Feeding cattle does lend itself to scaling up
- Location
- Fife
I'm aware of that. But the US beef steer is finished a lot fatter that s UK animal. In addition, economies of scale apply on both sides of the Atlantic.
In terms of genetic gain and average performance, the US beef animal is decades ahead of the UK one. From what I have read anyway...
To my mind, the top priority of any farmer should be profit. If you can't make profit, it doesn't matter how good the rest of the business is, it won't exist.
Northeastfarmer
Member
- Location
- Cleveland
That'll be the breeding, pretty sure they run a lot of Angus and Hereford cattle not blue and limmy cattle
Suffolk Serf
Member
- Location
- Bury/Thetford
I've been round several feedlots in the USA, Canada and Australia.
The attention to detail is very impressive and the meat is consistently high quality.
The attention to detail is very impressive and the meat is consistently high quality.
Last edited:
- Location
- Bedfordshire
Buy an old airfield
Suffolk Serf
Member
- Location
- Bury/Thetford
The feedlotting of cattle is an impressive operation. I've seen both Aus and US models. They operate as finishing units for stores pretty much as what occurs here in U.K just with greater scale, a better climate and dare I say attention to detail. The entrants are sourced as stores and finished on grain/TMR for usually either 90 or 120 days. Beef City in Towoomba QLD has 100k head on at any one time. The stores are invariably sourced from pasture based breeding operations then lot fed to finish. The 'hormones, antibiotics, terrible welfare' chant is a myth and is the same shite the likes of PETA roll out to condemn all farming practice. The only significant market you can sell 'growth promoted' beef to is the US. So it's a self limiting situation. These are your competition on all fronts including welfare, grass fed etc, perhaps be a bit more open minded to where you are and where you should be...
- Location
- Limousin
If the only way you can make a profit is by subjecting animals in your charge to stressful and unnatural situations coupled with a high reliance on pharmaceuticals, do something else and leave it to those of us who can. It may not always give you the latest Range-Rover in the dive but it always allows you tho look any veggie in the eye with a clear conscience.
Plenty of intensive units in france , rare to see milkers turned out your way .
Im sitting reading this eating a stew made from a heather hill luing bullock must be about 4 year old, had a great life, stew tastes incredible, would be on a par with the American stuff, I've tasted that too
- Location
- Fife
Nothing natural about putting stock in buildings. I take it you don't use any wormers then?
Most natural livestock production systems in the world, NZ high country and Australian stations. But I'm sure I've seen you deride those as "low welfare".
I've worked as a stockman in a 100% indoor pig unit. The unit I worked on was a breeding unit, with 1200 sows. The AIing, farrowing (using farrowing crates), weaning and growing all took place indoors, with growers (approx 12 weeks and 40kg) being moved to indoor finishing units. Piglets received 4 injections in the first 3 weeks of life, with sows receiving 2 injections per farrowing cycle.
I can look anyone in the eye with a clear conscience.
Elysian Fields of live forever, cuddly cows.
It's the future. I'm sure you are both right...
In the mean time the realists will provide beef, well reared and kept then finished as the consumer wants. Can't get much more happy cow than a beast reared with mum in big acres then fedlotted for the last 3-4 months of its life. Better than huddling in the rain then living indoors on straw..
It's the future. I'm sure you are both right...
In the mean time the realists will provide beef, well reared and kept then finished as the consumer wants. Can't get much more happy cow than a beast reared with mum in big acres then fedlotted for the last 3-4 months of its life. Better than huddling in the rain then living indoors on straw..