Meat's not Green (fertilize, oil, climate, energy)

[marmac]

All farm magazines say farmers should thank McDonalds cuz they are a huge beef buyer.

However, McDonald's buys hamburger meet from cull cows------cow meat from cull cows is always boned out and sold for hamburger.

Nothing wrong with it, however, if anyone thinks McDonalds buys grass fed steers and heifers they are mis-led.

They would be out of business if they paid the price slaughter younger steers and heifers bring as compared to older cull cows. ( about a 30 cents per pound difference on live weight )

Hamburger meat from older cull cows is where McDonalds hamburger ( and nearly all hamburger that is sold) comes from and they could care less where those cows from !

And yes----that packing plant I worked at for 19 years--had direct contracts with McDonalds, Arby's, and the US Army to supply hamburger meat.

At the peak, our plant did 800 cull cows a day.
It took our small plant 10 hours to slaughter the 800 but the boning room could bone those 800 carcasses out in just 8 hours the following day.

All cull cows destined for hamburger meat.

[Omaha Rocks]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

That does sound high & I note they don't footnote the source of that. But I will say that using phrases like "left wing nut job" doesn't really help your case, and displays instead that you have a closed mind.

Try this for a more personalized touch- where do you think McDonald's is getting their hamburger beef from, Omaha?

Rainforest clash in Panama signals larger debate - CNN.com

And as for the effects of this on the environment, here's one example of a scientific study looking into it:

ScienceDirect - Ecological Economics : Global environmental costs of beef production

I'm neither paranoid nor closed-minded.

I'm a guy who grew up on a dairy farm, farmed after college, and still has a lot of family in agriculture.

Here's the problem... When left-wing nut-job organization (yes, I said it again for emphasis) like the one I ridiculed print up such hyperbole, it actually destroys the point they're trying to make. It's like Al Gore spouting off about Global Warming. We all know that he does NOT live what he preaches, and that he is making hundreds of millions of dollars creating environmental fear.

And this is unfortunate, because there are good points that need to be made. But exaggerating to the point of lying is NOT helping make those points!

It also doesn't help when you have some city folks, who have never had manure under their finger nails, are pontificating about livestock production. It is overwhelmingly obvious, to anybody who has been in agriculture, that they have no clue what they're talking about.

[TKramar]

I'd rather have hamburger than steak any day.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by marmac

All farm magazines say farmers should thank McDonalds cuz they are a huge beef buyer.

However, McDonald's buys hamburger meet from cull cows------cow meat from cull cows is always boned out and sold for hamburger.

Nothing wrong with it, however, if anyone thinks McDonalds buys grass fed steers and heifers they are mis-led.

They would be out of business if they paid the price slaughter younger steers and heifers bring as compared to older cull cows. ( about a 30 cents per pound difference on live weight )

Hamburger meat from older cull cows is where McDonalds hamburger ( and nearly all hamburger that is sold) comes from and they could care less where those cows from !

And yes----that packing plant I worked at for 19 years--had direct contracts with McDonalds, Arby's, and the US Army to supply hamburger meat.

At the peak, our plant did 800 cull cows a day.
It took our small plant 10 hours to slaughter the 800 but the boning room could bone those 800 carcasses out in just 8 hours the following day.

All cull cows destined for hamburger meat.

Interesting. The cows that I watch grazing are definitely NOT cull cows. And the information regarding McDonald's requirements for how they are raised comes directly from the owner of the (multi-generation family owned) company who contracted with McDonald's. Who had no reason to lie to me - they raise all of their cows similarly, just not to quite as strict standards.

[Threerun]

Originally Posted by Omaha Rocks

I'm neither paranoid nor closed-minded.

I'm a guy who grew up on a dairy farm, farmed after college, and still has a lot of family in agriculture.

Here's the problem... When left-wing nut-job organization (yes, I said it again for emphasis) like the one I ridiculed print up such hyperbole, it actually destroys the point they're trying to make. It's like Al Gore spouting off about Global Warming. We all know that he does NOT live what he preaches, and that he is making hundreds of millions of dollars creating environmental fear.

And this is unfortunate, because there are good points that need to be made. But exaggerating to the point of lying is NOT helping make those points!

It also doesn't help when you have some city folks, who have never had manure under their finger nails, are pontificating about livestock production. It is overwhelmingly obvious, to anybody who has been in agriculture, that they have no clue what they're talking about.

I've found it really is pointless to argue with someone who has decided that their 'lifestyle choices' are somehow more pious than someone else's. It's like trying to illustrate to a narcissist the inherent flaw in their character.

I’ve run into this blather as a hunter and when we used to butcher hogs. One neighbor called the police to report ‘animal cruelty’ when we were with a bunch of families butchering a dozen hogs (and this is in an area that is country- no prohibition on such activities). They were given a warning by the sheriff’s office concerning the issue, thank-goodness.

[Omaha Rocks]

Originally Posted by Threerun

I've found it really is pointless to argue with someone who has decided that their 'lifestyle choices' are somehow more pious than someone else's. It's like trying to illustrate to a narcissist the inherent flaw in their character.

I’ve run into this blather as a hunter and when we used to butcher hogs. One neighbor called the police to report ‘animal cruelty’ when we were with a bunch of families butchering a dozen hogs (and this is in an area that is country- no prohibition on such activities). They were given a warning by the sheriff’s office concerning the issue, thank-goodness.

Exactly.

I don't hunt. Don't have any desire to. I don't even really like wild game. But I'm certainly not going to look down my nose at those who do. In fact, most of my friends who hunt are very "earth & animal" minded people. They love the land. They respect life. They're just good, good people.

If people want to be vegetarian or vegan, fine. Doesn't bother me a bit. In fact, my family doesn't eat a lot of meat anyway. But why do they always seem to get all arrogant & pushy about it, like the college freshman who just discovered cappuccino & sushi? "Dad - you have GOT to try this! It's AWEsome!!!"


Eat what you like, and shut up about it.

[Omaha Rocks]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Interesting. The cows that I watch grazing are definitely NOT cull cows. And the information regarding McDonald's requirements for how they are raised comes directly from the owner of the (multi-generation family owned) company who contracted with McDonald's. Who had no reason to lie to me - they raise all of their cows similarly, just not to quite as strict standards.

Virtually all hamburger - regardless of what retailer it is sold to - comes from cull cows & other older cattle. That's because their meat isn't going to be good enough for steak and roast.

Ground Chuck would be a different matter. And there's probably some "high end" hamburger that will basically be ground up steak, but not much.

[marmac]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Interesting. The cows that I watch grazing are definitely NOT cull cows. And the information regarding McDonald's requirements for how they are raised comes directly from the owner of the (multi-generation family owned) company who contracted with McDonald's. Who had no reason to lie to me - they raise all of their cows similarly, just not to quite as strict standards.

--" are definitely NOT cull cows "--

They will be when sold for slaughter

A --COW-- is a mature species of the bovine family.

A--COW-- seves one of 2 purposes----#1--to produce milk ( dairy cow)
---------------------------#2--produce a healthy calf yearly ( beef cow)

When any farmer/rancher sends a--COW-- to market for slaughter, it is referred to as a "cull cow"

If it was still being profitable as a dairy cow( milk) or beef cow ( calf) there would be no reason to send a --COW--to slaughjter.

Cows sell from 40-45 cents per pound live weight.
Steers and heifers sell for about 70+ cents per pound live weight.

Hamburger meat buyers would not buy cattle at 70+ cents per pound when good hamburger meat is plentifull on a cull cow that sells for 40-45 cents per pound.

[TexasHorseLady]

Okay, so McDonald's has a contract with the place up the street to raise beef for them. These cattle, when they reach a certain size, will be slaughtered for beef for McDonald's.

If you're defining every head of beef that's sent to slaughter, even when that's what it's raised for, as a cull, then I guess you're right. (I do know the difference between a steer, bull, and cow, by the way, just using the language as you appeared to be using it, as not everyone does and I've found it confuses them sometimes.)

[nanannie]

An option to those who are concerned about how animals are treated and slaughtered. Go to the site Local Harvest (.org) and put in your zip. They will show you on a map where you can find locally grown poultry,beef,veggies, turkeys for the holiday etc. These are farms in your area and not factories. You can read up on the different locations that tell you what the animals are fed etc.