Ecoli and you

[crazy canuck]

It depends.  They only need to be there long enough to turn their stomach acidic.  I dont know how long that takes.  But most cattle are there more than just a couple weeks.  A lot of cattle are put on corn as soon as they are weaned because it is a cheap alternative feed.  So the finishing you are talking about often takes place with cattle that have already been given a heavy diet of corn.

No, that's different. Finishing is specific to grass-fed cattle who are being prepared to be slaughtered. Otherwise, they're called grain-fed cattle. By law - at least in the US - there has to be a distinction due to labeling requirements.

You are incorrect about that distinction.  All cattle get "finished".  Read the link I posted above.

The thing that is very rare to find is cattle that are never fed corn (or as you want to call it "grain")

[viper37]

what I mean is that corn based food are served to milk cows, combined with dried and fresh grass.
It's not that used for "beef" cows.

A specific type of veal will be raised on grain, but for mature cows, it will be much more expensive than grass.

They may give them the corn plant though, rather than the dried product.

[viper37]

I don't really see what this thread has to do with the relationship between ecoli and myself.

you'll be safe this week-end.  No self respecting Quebec city restaurant would import meat from Alberta 

[crazy canuck]

what I mean is that corn based food are served to milk cows, combined with dried and fresh grass.
It's not that used for "beef" cows.

Quebec must be a marvelous place indeed if there is no such thing as corn fed cattle there.

[garbon]

I don't really see what this thread has to do with the relationship between ecoli and myself.

Knowledge is power?

If you limit your diet to grass-fed beef, according to CC, you do not run the risk of getting E-coli.

Isn't ecoli a bring problem with chicken?

Also - if only everyone could afford to eat grass fed beef...

[viper37]

If you limit your diet to grass-fed beef, according to CC, you do not run the risk of getting E-coli.

there is always a risk, but it seems it is less prevalent.

As a rule of thumb, don't eat bloody burger meat, only well done.

[crazy canuck]

Also - if only everyone could afford to eat grass fed beef...

The problem isnt so much that grass feed beef is too expensive, it is that heavily subsidized corn warps our food production system so that it encourages beef to be raised in this manner,

[garbon]

Also - if only everyone could afford to eat grass fed beef...

The problem isnt so much that grass feed beef is too expensive, it is that heavily subsidized corn warps our food production system so that it encourages beef to be raised in this manner,

Ok? Still not really sure what that has to do with me. Should I march on Washington and Ontario to demand the end of corn subsidies?

[viper37]

Quebec must be a marvelous place indeed if there is no such thing as corn fed cattle there.

it's a minor part of their feeding.  But most of the cows you'll see here are milk cows.  They get to the food processing plant at the end of their useful life when the only thing you can do with them is burger meat, and event then, most of it must go for cat&dog food.  Milk cows do indeed eat a lot of corn based food and are way, way, way more industrial than regular cattle.

[merithyn]

You are incorrect about that distinction.  All cattle get "finished".  Read the link I posted above.

The thing that is very rare to find is cattle that are never fed corn (or as you want to call it "grain")

You're right. My mistake. I was thinking of the cattle that are grass fed at the end to eliminate the risk of E-coli, and then got it all mixed around.

I call it grain because it's not all corn. A number of industrial beef farms use barley instead of corn. It has the same affect as the corn, I think, so a distinction may not be necessary. It was just for clarity that I used the term grain.

[Barrister]

Also - if only everyone could afford to eat grass fed beef...

The problem isnt so much that grass feed beef is too expensive, it is that heavily subsidized corn warps our food production system so that it encourages beef to be raised in this manner,

I'm pretty damn sure Canada doesn't subsidize corn...

[viper37]

Should I march on Washington and Ontario to demand the end of corn subsidies?

You're a Republican.  Your party is advocating for a smaller government and less expenses.  You'll get slaughtered for suggesting that.

[crazy canuck]

I call it grain because it's not all corn. A number of industrial beef farms use barley instead of corn. It has the same affect as the corn, I think, so a distinction may not be necessary. It was just for clarity that I used the term grain.

I would be interested to see a link that showed some feed lots use no corn.  My understanding is that corn is the preferred feed because it is so heavily subsidized.  I forget the stats on it but feedlots are essentially buying the feed for less than the cost of production.

[merithyn]

I would be interested to see a link that showed some feed lots use no corn.  My understanding is that corn is the preferred feed because it is so heavily subsidized.  I forget the stats on it but feedlots are essentially buying the feed for less than the cost of production.

Cattle called "corn-fed," "grain-fed" or "corn-finished" are typically fattened on maize, soy and other types of feed for several months before slaughter. As a high-starch, high-energy food, corn decreases the time to fatten cattle and increases yield from dairy cattle. Some corn-feed cattle are fattened in concentrated animal feeding operations.

In the United States, most grass-fed cattle are raised for beef production. Dairy cattle may be supplemented with grain to increase the efficiency of production and reduce the area needed to support the energy requirements of the herd.

A growing number of health and environmental proponents in the United States such as the Union of Concerned Scientists advocate raising cattle on pasture and other forage. Complete adoption of farming practices like grass-fed beef production systems would increase the amount of land needed to raise beef but reduce land used to grow soy and corn to feed them.

From Wiki, but with this citation: Burney JA, Davis SJ, Lobell DB. Greenhouse gas mitigation by agricultural intensification. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Jun 29;107(26):12052-7

[garbon]

Should I march on Washington and Ontario to demand the end of corn subsidies?

You're a Republican.  Your party is advocating for a smaller government and less expenses.  You'll get slaughtered for suggesting that.

Almost everyone I come into contact with on a daily basis is a democrat so I think I've done well so far avoiding a slaughter.  Also asking for the gov't to stop spending money on corn would sound like smaller govt with less expenses.