Cows - Farts & Burps

Burping and farting cattle allowed to run loose on the farm!

Picture ©zakgirlsfarm 2009

Do the farts and burps of cattle worldwide really make all that much difference to the greenhouse effect?

What do you believe?

If we plug all cattle at both ends, could we seriously see this making a difference to the world's problems on climate change? Really? Are we serious?

In Stock & land's 6 of November article entitled, “Livestock emission figures grossly exaggerated”, the NSW Farmers Association purport that new research indicates greenhouse gas emissions have been grossly exaggerated. Nah! They woudn't lies to us! Would they? What possible other motive could they have? :)

Rumor has it, that a peer reviewed study shows cattle make up only 3% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions and 56.6% fossil fuel use and other sources sector? Hmm, my math is pretty average so that’s about definitely “more than triple - and the rest!”

Now, that would have me think - perhaps we should be more concerned about how many vehicles we have on the roads and how they are run. Could this be an argument for changing the fuel we use in those vehicles? Nah! That shouldn't be allowed to happen! That would affect too many people and imagine the taxes the country would loose.

Wonder if all this will be forgotten when the next “big political thing” comes along.

Cow about to calve

Picture © zakgirlsfarm 2009

.
This is Glynis. She was one of our stud Murray Grey cows who calved in 2004.

What is she doing? She is kicking at her side from the discomfort of something inside her. (Yep, there's a calf in there)...

The photo, to the untrained eye, may look something quite revolting or even rude with that line of white goopy stuff coming out of her vagina, but to the cattle farmer it shows imminent birth; this cow is about to give birth to its calf.

The average length of time for a cow to carry a calf to birthing is around 283 days or 9 months and 7 days. As a general easy calculation I always take the month of joining say March and count ten months to December and guestimate that the cow will calve around December.

Cows do pretty well calving on their *own and it is always best to leave them to themselves if you can. The less interference the greater the chance the cow will calve without problems.

*Any cows that need assistance should be *culled. If you do however, need to assist there are rules you should follow. More about that in another days blogging.

Note: To anyone who is interested, I have video footage of this cow calving. If you would like a copy, please leave a note on this blog. Contact: Zak

ABC interview with Jorg Imberger on Bush Telegraph (Pull Apart)

Heard an interesting interiew on the ABC Bush Telegraph session on Wednesday 28th October, 2009 on feeding humankind into the middle of the century. Had some thought provoking ideas. If you want to have a listen to the interview, click here: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/bushtelegraph/ then search for Pull Apart Jorg Imberger to read the article or listen to the full interview from the ABC Website. Please feel free to comment on your impressions on the topic back here on this blog. I'd really appreciate your point of view.

Meat Versus Vegetarian Diet Debate goes...

Farming magazines this week reported on the push for the planet to go Vegetarian.

See full article at http://sl.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/agribusiness-and-general/general/stern-says-go-vegetarian-to-save-planet/1661664.aspx?src=enews

This rehashed article created a bit of angst out there today on the comments response board. I don't know who got more pressure from the general public -

• the author of the influential 2006 report, Lord Nicholas Stern, on the Economics of Climate Change (UK) for the pro-Vegetarian argument as a way to tackle climate change); OR
  .
• Matt Cawood (excusing the fact that the poster on the comments board got Matt's name incorrect, calling him Mike - I'm sure Matt will be impressed with that one!) suggested Matt take an extended holiday. Matt Cawood writes for the Rural Press group of weekly agricultural newspapers and regularly receives controversial feedback from the general public.

Either way the Vegetarian (fast becomming the alternaive diet) versus the intelligent choice for red meat diet goes on!

ETS - Emissions Trading Scheme - Legislation.

The ETS is beginning to make me a bit nervous.

Not that I can say I understand what it will all mean for our future.

In fact, I've only heard bits & pieces. You know, like, cows and sheep are producing too many farts and burps and somehow that causes global warming or some such, and the end result being we have to pay for that.

Aha!

It's another tax - of course - the Australian Government had to find a way to make up for the boo! boo! with the GST's introduction. 'Course the only bit I took any notice of was, the FARMERS PAY as usual, bit. My other thought on the matter was, "Is this a way to get Farmers to grow vegies and fruit and make everyone on the globe become Vegetarians?" Are the ETS people "in" with the PETA people?

Oh well, until I can understand more about this whole ETS "thingy", I guess I'll say nothing more on the matter.

Abbreviations:
* ETS = Emissions trading scheme
* GST = Goods and Services Tax (Australia)

Long Hard Drought Over?

Recovery!

While the drought may sit in the background waiting to do its best, yet again - the word is out on the land that food is the new BOOM industry.

Hip-Ray!

Now that we farmers have sunk all our hard earned cash and assets into the ground only to be kicking up dust the media informs us that recovery is nigh and there's millions to be made.

How are you going about this?

Yep, us resilient farmers have to chuck on our rubber boots and get back out there.

There's fencing to be done, cattle and sheep to attend, and fertilising, ploughing and sowing. There's people out there waiting for our food stuffs.

We've got to get back out there people, shake off the dust and get back on the horse! I'd love t hear how you go...

.