Chapter 6

What are some of the problems facing cattle ranchers?
Cattle ranchers face natural disasters on their land, and man-made ones. Run-off storm water can take out ACRES of land at a time. Also people are taking land to build on it.

What impact has the consolidation of the meat packing industry had on cattle ranchers?
The meat-packing industry has taken over on deals and business with cattle ranchers. They find little, unimportant ways to lower costs and get more from them. They are cheating ranchers. Over the past 20 years the rancher’s share of every dollar spent on beef has gone from 63 to 43 cents.

What are "captive supplies" of cattle?
Captive Supplies of cattle are the part of the herd that’s not owned by the company but is used by them to maximize profits.

What was the impact of the Chicken McNugget on the poultry industry?
The McNugget changed the poultry industry completely. It changed the way chicken was bought, sold, and prepared. An example is how people 20 years ago had to buy whole chickens at a time. Now you can simply buy a small section of processed chicken.

What are the conditions or terms of business under which most poultry farmers operate?
The poultry farmers work conditions consist of the company covering the feed, veterinarian services, and technical support. At this stage of growing they still don’t own the chickens, but they buy them when ready to be sold.

How does the nutritional value of a McNugget compare with that of a hamburger? The nutritional value of a McNugget closely resembled beef. It was cooked in beef tallow but they later switched to vegetable oil and adding beef extract to keep the taste. They now contain twice as much fat per ounce as a hamburgers ounce.

Why would small independent cattle ranchers be afraid to speak out against the practices of large meat processors?
Smaller cattle ranchers would be afraid to speak against large meat processors because they could possibly protest against them and not buy their cattle. Then the small farmer would lose money and not be able to recover.

Which type of cattle rancher is currently facing the greatest economic difficulty?
Cattle ranchers in Colorado are currently facing the biggest economic difficulty.

How does the suicide rate for ranchers and farmers compare with the rate for U.S. citizens in general?
The rate is about three times higher then the national average.