[Yosemitest]

There are MANY reasons for this reduction in the overall herd size.
With government regulation affecting so very many tangents of this issue, it's hard to choose which one to discuss first.
Gasoline, diesel, and LPG, as well as natural gas regulations, and ethanol are very large problems in this, and not just due to cost and availability.
Farmers can't keep buying new equipment to maintain his herd because of tighter and tighter bottom line margins.
Running older equipment is also difficult because today's newer mixes of fuel with ethanol destroys older vehicles with carbs and older O-rings and cork gaskets.
In short, it just isn't worth the trouble, no matter how much the farmer loves raising livestock and growing hay and shoepeg corn to feed them.
And now, some farmers have to deal with new "protected species" wolves and coyotes.
Then there's problems with Nile virus from mosquitoes in some areas, "Black-leg" in others, droughts driving up availability of good grass hay.
I could go on and on.
But the government doesn't help the cattle growers.
They stand in the way, by regulating out the poison in the insecticides he needs to keep the insects at bay.
They drive up the cost of fertilizers such as ammonia nitrate he needs to use on his second cutting of hay, since using the fertilizer he used for the first cut again, would "burn" the soil.
It's easy to understand WHY most farmers are simply throwing their hands up and "Selling Out".
Look at the cattle growers out west and the "water regulations" and how they prevent the farmer from getting the amount of water he needs for his livestock, and his grain and hay.

And yet most people don't understand WHY the cattle numbers in the United States are getting smaller.
The government is our ENEMY!

[Foundahardheadedwoman]

Nail meet hammer. Pretty much all the problems with our food supply can be traced to government policies. We sold out in 9 or 10 I think, and I still miss it very much. From what I have heard of the new regs farmers have to deal with, I don’t blame them for getting out.

Look at the proposed regs on refinery emitted particulates it is basically the same type of thing being done to the electric power cos. and will result in major increases in all types of energy. This is a war aimed at the destruction of the middle class and people had better become informed and get loud and whatever else it takes to stop these crazy 5OBs’.

[Elsie]

Running older equipment is also difficult because today's newer mixes of fuel with ethanol destroys older vehicles with carbs and older O-rings and cork gaskets.

You can still get the good stuff...

http://www.fuel-testers.com/find_ethanol_free_gasoline.html

[Elsie]

Then there's problems with Nile virus from mosquitoes in some areas, "Black-leg" in others, droughts driving up availability of good grass hay.

How's your eagle doing??

[griswold3]

A recent sudden blizzard in SD killed 60,000 head of cattle. It’s gonna take a while to build that up again.

http://wtaq.com/news/articles/2013/oct/08/record-blizzard-kills-south-dakota-cattle-government-shutdown-will-slow-aid/