Pilgram's Pride operates in this area as well, but not the largest here. They are the second largest chicken producer in the US and are owned by JBS. The same JBS from Brazil that also has such a large presence in the US beef and pork production.Very interesting information. The guys here grow for Pilgrims. They all have a different take on the chicken biz but the one thing they all have in common is none of them seem to like it.
I assumed most here understood heterosis and had the common sense to know that pic is bullshyt. No?
Absolutely. GMO and herbicides allow no-till and minimum till. Saving fuel, water, labor, energy, and costs. Less soil loss, better soil conditions/quality. Alternative is plowing/disking of the soil with multiple instances of mechanical weed removal. That can be an army of people with hoes or tractors with cultivators. And either additional water or reduced yields to compensate for the moisture loss. GMO and herbicide use is green technology and environmentally friendly.I don't have data to prove this statement, but, GMO crops have saved - fuel, herbicides, and pesticides. We don't use MORE - we use LESS.
The picture might be correct. The broiler industry has pressed growth and feed conversion. The broilers are also managed in hours of light per day and other known ways to increase growth. Even in my time, the time (days) it takes a broiler to get to market size is much less. I talked to a poultry geneticist one time and he said that there is a fractional increase in growth and decrease in time to harvest on an annual basis. What cattle folks ought to take note of in that picture is what the chase for carcass and feed conversion does to an animal.I assumed most here understood heterosis and had the common sense to know that pic is bullshyt. No?
I get all that, but that picture is bs. For one, the pic in the left is not a market chicken from 1957. Second, it is used to imply that modern meat birds are pumped full of hormones and steroids, which of course isn't true. I've raised cornish cross birds myself, they're easily ready to butcher at 6-7 weeks and I'm sure not feeding them steroids.The picture might be correct. The broiler industry has pressed growth and feed conversion. The broilers are also managed in hours of light per day and other known ways to increase growth. Even in my time, the time (days) it takes a broiler to get to market size is much less. I talked to a poultry geneticist one time and he said that there is a fractional increase in growth and decrease in time to harvest on an annual basis. What cattle folks ought to take note of in that picture is what the chase for carcass and feed conversion does to an animal.
It comes from poultry science at University of Georgia. It was one of the slides during a genetic seminar I attended.I assumed most here understood heterosis and had the common sense to know that pic is bullshyt. No?
Yes this is how I understand it to work. I've never heard a chicken farmer complaining about feed prices. A few of the growers have told me it's good steady income and if done right it pays the farm off so you can concentrate on other things. I think the being told what you'll do and not having the freedom to make your own decisions is a detractor for most. From the way some of those guys run the cattle side I'd think they'd like someone else making business decisions for them thoughPilgram's Pride operates in this area as well, but not the largest here. They are the second largest chicken producer in the US and are owned by JBS. The same JBS from Brazil that also has such a large presence in the US beef and pork production.
Chicken growers are essentially contractors, not owners. Meaning they don't make the decisions and need to follow the terms of the contract - do what they are told to do. Farmers generally don't like that concept. But the money is pretty dependable and pretty good especially after the houses are paid for.
All the studies I read had elevated Omega 3s in grass fed vs grain fed. Grass fed also had lower fat levels. This is what the Eat Healthy crowd kept saying also. The deal is the Omega 3s aren't enough to make a difference and the higher fat content in grain fed is fat that your body needs. On the Omega 3s eating 1 serving of Salmon would gain you more the eating grass fed over grain fed beef everyday for 3 months.I don't have data to prove this statement, but, GMO crops have saved - fuel, herbicides, and pesticides. We don't use MORE - we use LESS.
Lucky -"The last rabbit hole I went down was on Grass fed vs Grain fed beef. After allot of looking I finally found what I was looking for. It actually took a guy making a workout/health type video on the benifits of grass fed over grain fed beef to head me in the right direction. He actually brought up GMOs as a reason to only eat grass fed beef too. Pretty interesting stuff if your bored and stuck inside all day."
I sure would like to READ the "benefits" of grass fed over grain fed. The ONLY real study I have seen was many years ago by Texas A&M University. There is NO BENEFIT. Actually, the hamburg tested showed the MORE grain the animal was fed, the healthier the hamburg was. "PEOPLE" like to play with numbers - "the Omega blah blah is better in a 8 oz lean blah blah" BUT they are just spouting numbers and don't have research proof of anything. It is awful the way people can CLAIM anything without PROOF.
Ground beef from grass-fed and grain-fed cattle: Does it matter? - Department of Animal Science
Posted on December 7, 2013 by maggielberger By Stephen B. Smith, Ph.D.Regents Professor, Department of Animal Science The internet is awash in websites proclaiming the nutritional benefits of ground beef from grass-fed cattle. However, researchers in the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M...animalscience.tamu.edu
Do you rotate between varieties such as "Liberty Link" or "Roundup Ready"? I think a lot of that has to do with your seed supplier or suppliers.I grow gmo crops every year. I signed a paper around 20 years ago agreeing to not save back seed. Never signed anything since.
Can we use the term "grass-finished" as opposed to "grass-fed"? All cattle are grass-fed. (it is a pet peeve of mine).All the studies I read had elevated Omega 3s in grass fed vs grain fed. Grass fed also had lower fat levels. This is what the Eat Healthy crowd kept saying also. The deal is the Omega 3s aren't enough to make a difference and the higher fat content in grain fed is fat that your body needs. On the Omega 3s eating 1 serving of Salmon would gain you more the eating grass fed over grain fed beef everyday for 3 months.
Also as Simme pointed out on growing GMO crops Grass fed beef takes 1/3 longer to get to butcher size so you have that "Carbon Footprint" deal. At the end of the day all my research came up with eat whichever taste better to you and gives you the warm fuzzy feeling inside. Personally I like Grain fed but haven't tried much grass fed.
I understand that argument but its not quite the same is it. Its the difference between what is essentially the same as natural selection versus changing the inner workings of something using highly sophisticated techniques inside a laboratory aka 'playing God.' The long term consequences of which still aren't entirely clear.GMO has been going on since the first indians picked the ear of corn that was the biggest, and had the most kernels, down to the fastest horses.
We have to some degree. We plant xtendflex beans which are resistant to multiple chemistries so we have a few options for rotating controls in one package.Do you rotate between varieties such as "Liberty Link" or "Roundup Ready"? I think a lot of that has to do with your seed supplier or suppliers.