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To: Raymond Duray who wrote (64997)	6/13/2005 8:54:03 PM
From: Slagle	Respond to of 74559

Raymond Re: "cattle production" Twenty or more years ago nearly all US beef was finished on feed lots. Now though, due to the demand for leaner beef a considerable proportion of grass fed cattle go straight to the slaughter house, with little or no finishing in the feed lot. Years ago if beef wasn't sufficiently "marbled" (with considerable fat inclusion within the lean muscle tissue) nobody would buy it. Now, with all the emphasis on "low fat" diets marbled beef is not so much in demand so grass fed beef (which is generally much cheaper to produce) is in demand. The only way to produce a "marbled" T-bone is with the feed lot. A cow roaming around a pasture in search of grass muscles up too much and the fat inclusions are much reduced. Fatty marbled beef tastes better though. A few years ago (1997 and before) despite the denials US beef producers were using animal (beef, pork, poultry) protein additives in cattle feed. A cow eating this stuff left manure that smelled like (I'll leave it to your imigination). Now though, after mad cow supposedly this has stopped. But they were doing it. I know this for sure. It was a real cheap finishing feed, of course. The price of beef and the price of corn and other feeds play into this business also. If corn is cheap and beef is high farmers will "rush" steers to market on feed lots or use feed as a supplement with grass fed cattle to hurry them to market. For my part I seldom eat beef or any other meat. There is no need as veggies are better and healthier. Slagle