Biggest cause of global warming?

[billvon 3,120]

>It takes about 40-acres to graze one cow, here. The cow-pies are
> really insignificant on most ranches.

Right, but that's not the problem. The problem, as you mentioned, comes about on feedlots with hundreds of cows per lot - which is how most US cattle are finished nowadays. They're grain-fed to fatten them quickly, on grain treated with antibiotics, synthetic growth hormones and protein supplements. In some cases, the feed is supplemented with high-nitrogen manure, cement dust and/or cardboard. All of these things cause the cows to fatten more rapidly, to the extent that most cows are now 14-16 months old when they're slaughtered as opposed to 4-5 years back in the 20's.

What does that do to waste? First off, it's a LOT of waste in a very small space. It's gotten to be over a foot deep in some of the lots I've seen. That's not going to naturally break down into dirt.

Secondly, that manure is now pretty toxic. It's full of pesticides, antibiotics, growth hormones, cement dust etc. It's also coming from sick cows; a cow's digestive system doesn't work right when it's fed grain and supplements instead of grass. If you've ever been near a feedlot you know that smell.

So you have tons of this stinking toxic material that you can't do much with. You can use it as fertilizer as long as you're OK with antibiotics, growth hormones etc ending up in your crops - and many people are averse to such things. You can just dump it somewhere, but then it tends to end up in the water table.

[masterrig 1]

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I'd hate to hear their thoughts on us!

My ex spent a couple of summers working cattle. He agreed with the guy who said that the only living things stupider than the front ends of cattle were the rear ends of cattle.

Wendy W.
(who enjoys a good steak sometimes)

I've worked around cattle for years and to say they are stupid isn't quite fair... well, o.k., some breeds. I've watched how they protect their young and care for them as well as looking-out for the rest of the herd. Cattle ain't all bad. I've heard about all the cholesterol in beef and how folks are dying because of heart disease caused by eating beef. Hell! Radishes will kill you too... if you eat enough. The key word is 'moderation'! I've never seen a cow eat themselves to sickness or death. They seem to know when enough is enough.


Chuck

[masterrig 1]

Yessir! That's what we have to look forward to in our future. That's exactly how our beef will be supplied. Maybe, we need laws passed that will do away with the use of 'chemically' engineered cattle. You are sure right about the smell at feed-lots. Some of these feed-lots are 'temporary' stops for cattle to get a bit more weight on them so that the middle-man gets his cut of the price. The future is huge lots of production-line cattle. The way we are losing ranchlands and the demand for beef. Science... gotta love it!


Chuck

[billvon 3,120]

> I've heard about all the cholesterol in beef and how folks are dying
>because of heart disease caused by eating beef.

Funny thing about that is that beef isn't like beef used to be. "Old time" beef (grass fed mainly) wasn't that bad for you. It had less than 20% of the saturated fats and far more omega-3's than modern beef, mainly because of their new diet.

It's feedlot beef that's getting the bad health rap lately. Unfortunately it's hard to find any other kind nowadays.

[skydyvr 0]

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It's feedlot beef that's getting the bad health rap lately. Unfortunately it's hard to find any other kind nowadays.

I bought a few pounds of 100% grass fed Bison from a local Colorado farm last summer to try. Pretty good, extremely lean, but too expensive to make a habit out of.

. . =(_8^(1)

[masterrig 1]

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> I've heard about all the cholesterol in beef and how folks are dying
>because of heart disease caused by eating beef.

Funny thing about that is that beef isn't like beef used to be. "Old time" beef (grass fed mainly) wasn't that bad for you. It had less than 20% of the saturated fats and far more omega-3's than modern beef, mainly because of their new diet.

It's feedlot beef that's getting the bad health rap lately. Unfortunately it's hard to find any other kind nowadays.

Absolutely! The problem is, those talking about the health hazards of eating beef tend to 'generalize' and just use the word 'beef'. They don't specify where that meat comes from.
The cattle I've seen raised here in West Texas is grass fed beef. During winter months, they are fed alfalfa pellets to supplement their diet and with the exception of mandatory vaccinations for Bangs disease and other diseases, these cattle are pretty 'clean'. Then too, most of that beef goes to major hotels and restaurants while us po'
folk, have to put-up with the beef from the major feed lots.


Chuck

[Lindsey 0]

It's feedlot beef that's getting the bad health rap lately. Unfortunately it's hard to find any other kind nowadays.

You can find a bunch of the other kind in my freezer. Just gotta know where to look. :)

linz

--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

[masterrig 1]

I've got a question... Scientists are blaming all the cattle in the world for 'global warming' as a result of their flatulance. Isn't that gas heavier than air? Since it is heavier than air... how does it get into the atmosphere and blow a hole in the 'O-zone'?


Chuck

[billvon 3,120]

>Scientists are blaming all the cattle in the world for 'global warming' as
>a result of their flatulance. Isn't that gas heavier than air?

Actually, lighter than air; lots of hydrogen in it. But then, oxygen is heavier than nitrogen; it doesn't all "fall to the bottom" (fortunately for us!) Some molecular weights:

Oxygen 31
Nitrogen 28
Argon 40
Carbon dioxide 44
Methane 16

BTW - I think the problem we're having with cattle now isn't that cows are a problem, it's that we have to raise so damn many of them. If we could pasture all our cattle, then no problem. But we slaughter 100,000 of them a DAY - that's something like 5 million cattle that have to be eating at any given time. Those numbers are why feedlots are taking over.

[masterrig 1]

Thanks, Bill. Once we lose pasture land, it's gone for good. We can thank urban sprawl for that.


Chuck