The idea that top down vertical integration will occur in the cattle industry is absurd when you consider the equity tied up in land, livestock, machinery and feedlots.
The chickenization of the beef industry fear mongering has as much merit as the rest of the blamer's empty arguments.
Here, I decided to do some research for you guys........
Here is a list of the top 25 cattle feeding operations and the single worst operation in existance.
1. Five Rivers Ranch Cattle Feeding LLC - Loveland Co. - ContGroup Company Inc. and Smithfield Foods, Inc. - 811,000 capacity - Kansas, Texas, ,Colorado, Oklahoma, Idaho - 10 yards
2. Cactus Feeders Inc. - Amarillo, Texas - Engler Family - 510,000 capacity - Texas, Kansas - 10 yards
3. Cargill Cattle Feeders LLC - Wichita, Kansas - Cargill Inc. - 330,000 capacity - Kansas, Texas, Colorado - 5 yards
4. Friona Industies LP - Amarillo, Texas - Privately held - 275,000 - Texas - 4 yards
5. AzTx Cattle Co. - Hereford, Texas - Josserand Family - 242,000 - Kansas, Texas - 4 yards
6. J.R. Simplot - Boise, Idaho - Simplot Family - 230,000 - Idaho, Washington - 2 yards
7. Four States Feedyard Inc. - Lamar, Colorado - Privately held - 195,000 - Colorado, South Dakota, Kansas - 8 yards
What happened to the fourth state?
8. Heritage Feeders LP - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - Tom L. Ward - 189,000 - Texas - Kansas - 5 yards
9. Agri Beef Co. - Boise, Idaho - Rebholz Family - 180,000 - Kansas, Washington, Idaho - 6 yards
10. Pinal Feeding Co. - Laveen, Arizona - Northside Hay Company - 175,000 - Arizona - 4 yards
11T. Irisk & Doll - Cimarron, Kansas - Privately held- 170,000 - Kansas - 6 yards
11T. Cattle Empire LLC - Satanta, Kansas - Roy N. Brown, Paul Brown, Rex Brown, Ronald C. Shortridge - 170,000 - Kansas - 3 yards
13T. Dinklage Feed Yard Inc. - Sidney, Nebraska - Corporation - 160,000 - Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado - 6 yards
13T. Hitch Enterprises Inc. - Guymon, Oklahoma - The Hitch Families - 160,000 - Kansas, Oklahoma - 3 yards
15. Bartlett Cattle Co. LP - Kansas City, Missouri - Bartlett and Company - 145,000 - Texas, Kansas - 3 yards
16. Gottsch Cattle Corporation - Hastings, Nebraska - Bob, Bill, and Brett Gottsch - 140,000 - Kansas, Nebraska - 3 yards
17T. Barrett - Crofoot Inc. - Hereford, Texas - Barrett Families - 135,000 -Texas - 3 yards
17T. Harris Feeding Co. - Coalinga, California - John Harris - 135,000 - California & Nevada - 2 yards
19. McElhaney Cattle Co. - Welton, Arizona - Privately Held - 130,000 - Arizona - 1 yard
20. Bar G Feedyard - Summerfield, Texas - Livestock Investors - 125,000 - Texas - 2 yards
21T. Pratt Feeders LLC - Pratt, Kansas - Privately Held - 115,000 - Kansas, Oklahoma - 4 yards
21T. Brookover Feedyard Inc. - Garden City, Kansas - Brookover Companies - 115,000 - Kansas, Oklahoma - 3 yards
21T. Innovative Livestock Services Inc.- Great Bend, Kansas - NA -115,000 - Kansas, Nebraska - 6 yards
24T. Timmerman & Sons Feeding Co. Inc - Springfield, Nebraska - Gerald, James, Norman & Ronald Timmerman - 100,000 - Colorado, Nebraska - 7 yards
24T. Cattlco Inc. - Memphis, Tenn. - Privately Held - 100,000 - Kansas, Colorado - 2 yards
26. Sandsnake Club Calves. - Cody, NE - Owned by a local banker - 1 foundered bottlecalf who comes to the name of "OH YEAH" - chained in the back yard
~SH~