Dave G., et al:
The first mistake you made is recommending "bringing in stockers...."
and
connecting it to what I had to say about a SUSTAINABLE livestock care
system. Environmentally adapted livestock (i.e. locally adapted--not in a
year, but 2nd, 3rd, etc. generations) is an extremely important component
(I'm not saying 100% Dave) in developing healthy nutrition-balancing through
livestock adaptation. I'd be the first to mention/note the need for
nutritional augmentations for the vast majority of our current animal
husbandry practices in North America, that truck mixed herds of livestock
all over the country.
Heck, there's even a developing science on the subject matter-----again,
another Utah State scientist, Fred Provenza, along with others, has spoken
frequently on nutritional adaptation/calf "education."
Regards,
Tom Wrchota
> Dave wrote: Genetics aren't going to make some icky tasting minerals taste
better to
> either hardy livestock or whimpy livestock. Expecting an animal to dose
> itself with the correct amount of mineral is a bit much. This is further
> complicated by spot shortages of certain minerals in certain areas.
>
> If you bring in stockers from an area where selenium is naturally
adequate,
> having some of them die off here in WI will not strength the national
> genetic pool for that breed. There are certain traits that are highly
> inheritable and other traits that are low inheritable by nature.
Easier
> for the farmer to recognize what minerals, vitamins, that the soils and
> crops in his area lack and adjust accordingly.
