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Napanee, Ontario | "but everyone believes cattle are on a bubble that will soon burst as many on this site do. Most people I know in cattle business worked some other job for 15 to 45 years until they could afford to get in cattle business then kept job"
It's this mentality. Cows have been the bottom of the heap of agriculture for as long as i can remember. You can look it up in the numbers, but it's plain to see. For most cow guys i know, it's Rickety old barns, no heated shops, 20 year old equipment and more, most everything used - don't know many cow guys running new equipment.... side jobs, full time jobs, selling wood, running down equipment on custom jobs to get some scratch. This was the beef cow business. Yea, it has all been talked about on here... like you say. But I don't know - maybe it just doesn't register. Because as you say, the above mentality is all I seem to hear.
So when we finally get some fair prices - prices where maybe some guys can finally make a go of it on the cows alone, where maybe a bit of labor is finally getting paid....everyone wants to call it a bubble?? So What, are we supposed to live like paupers and beggars and run three-legged limping dog operations forever? I guess cow guys arn't allowed to be like other Ag Huh? Maybe everyone really does expect us to work multiple off farms jobs to make it work, and continue to scrape the bottom of the barrel forever, and would like to keep it that way.
Well they are sorely mistaken. Times they are a changing.
Maybe the old guard is willing to live in their barns and and nurse and old truck around and work for free year in and out, but as time moves forward and these guys die off and sell out, i can 100% GUARANTEE you the younger replacements to this industry that will inevitably follow, are not going to stomach that kind of lifestyle. And HENCE THE PRICES WE HAVE TODAY. It is a direct result of no one wanting to sign up for and /or continue to carry around the ball and chain of long hours and little pay ANYMORE. The cows got shipped and people washed their hands, and new blood didn't want to touch this thing with a 20 foot pole. BUBBLE? Yea, we'll see how much the 'expansion' continues if prices go back to $1 fats and 1.20 feeders. Frig that mentality pisses me off. Rant over.
Edited by OldMcdonald 7/31/2014 20:32
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Something to consider about cattle prices
