Previously written: "Can you survive as a farmer if 18.5% of your adults
die over winter
and 33% of your young stock die over winter and you only produce 58
offspring per every 100 females bred?"
Response: Absolutely not, BUT there's a balancing act of proper care and
nutrition, and the "killing off" of good-doing hardy livestock
genetics
that's necessary for future generations and sustainable (i.e.. economical)
farming.
Maximizing care and nutrition equals too many genetically "weak"
animals
that carry problems and added costs into future generations. Doing so, is
as much a husbandry "crime" as being too stingy with feed, minerals,
and
housing.
As mentioned earlier, Utah State scientists found out by default, that
feeding poor quality feed to some of the young cattle stock during the
winter, provided them the capability to actually thrive on that same feed in
later winters, RELATIVE to others that were "babied" with great feed
in
their early years.
Regards,
Tom Wrchota
