Cows to the slaughter.

[Gavin]

I am told that in abbatoirs there is such a thing as a 'Judas' cow.

When cows enter a previously unknown space or building they get naturally nervous and refuse to move.

Therefore within each herd there is a cow that is specifically trained (or experienced) to walk up the ramp toward the nasty butchers. The other cows follow the lead cow, but the lead cow is diverted at the last minute and never faces the chop, whilst the other's fates are sealed.

This is an unpleasant analogy and was not meant to traumatise those proportional veggies on here.

This is just to illustrate sentiment in the market. I wonder who the cows are, who the 'judas' cow is, and who the butchers are?

I worry that the present property investor seminar's work in a similar way.

[statscat]

hmmm, I'm not sure its a specially trained cow.

I think in any heard you get "pushier" / "more comnfident" animals that just have less fear than the others.

I don't think in most cases that the "judas" cow as you puts it survives, but it was a nice analogy that raises the question about people and thir herd mentality.

[OnlyMe]

Gavin, I thought I'd look up on the web on the "Judas Cow", I found a couple of snippets. I probably know more about the slaughtering process than I really wanted now. However, being a meat eater and cosseted from the facts of modern day industrial make unhappy bedfellows.

As for BTL, are you talking Corn Fed Beef or Sheep - we may see all manner of behaviour?

To my mind the market is looking suspiciously "Corn Fed", although we could get a break-out of "Sheep" later.

Any sensitive readers might wish not to read futher!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

<i>Corned beef is cut from the haunches of cattle that are raised exclusively on

corn in the feed lots. In addition to being 100% corn fed (this is FDA certified), the corned beef develops its distinctive flavor from the slaughtering method. You and sis may not know this but most cattle are killed at the slaughter house by a knock on the head with a mallet. The sudden shock of the blow to the head causes a release of adrenaline just before the cattle expire. Adrenaline makes the meat a little chewy and would destroy the corned beef taste. The corn fed beefs are led to the slaughter area by a Judas cow, and when they arrive inside the slaughter area a man called the "cattle calmer"* quietly slides on the beef's back. He starts to massage the neck muscles of the beef, and as the animal becomes relaxed he slips a velvet covered hawser around the neck of the corn fed beef and *slowly* strangles the animal. The slow demise of the beef results in a relaxed death, and the muscles of the animal remain soft and flavorful. It's a labor intensive process, and it's one of the reasons why good corned beef costs so much.</i>

<i>The special gun they use is an air gun Loki with a bolt that is shot out

by pressurised air. , sounds like we have much the same system, but it

can leave them terribly injured and has to be used again, I don't think

the stockyards or abattoir would want people to know just how frightened

the cattle are and how often they have to reshoot one. they use a Judas cow to lead the cattle into the facilities, one who will not be killed but will give the cattle some sort of sense of safety, but the nearer they get to the smell of blood, the more panicked they get.

English stock yards, are as painless as its possible to be before the cows are killed, they even have a vet on the premises who checks out the animals for sickness beforehand, they are clean, and the blood is steam cleaned into gutters, but the smell lingers, its even strong enough for humans to smell. and react to, and humans do react to the smell of fresh blood, some even panic , sheep are the worst they can kill themselves trying to get away from the smell.</i>

[Gavin]

Burger anyone?

I wish I had not started this thread now.

[BBB]

BLOODY HELL!!!! ( im having beef tonight as well ......or rather was)

[statscat]

BLOODY HELL!!!! ( im having beef tonight as well ......or rather was)

BBB,

does this make you a "canni-bull" ?

(sorry couldn't resist).

[Sledgehead]

I wonder who the cows are, who the 'judas' cow is, and who the butchers are?

I worry that the present property investor seminar's work in a similar way.

Found a few cows. Amidst the mooing and lowing you can just make out words. They don't make a lot of sense, but they are definitely words:

"We have both been instinctively drawn to property for many years but, until recently, our interest has been tempered by amber and red lights - thus, we never even got started!

What a turnaround! Since training, every street thrusts opportunity at us, every credit card and loan offer is filed for future use; short-term income goals are set and long term goals are looking realistic and very rewarding!"

J.S Robert

Whitney UK, Limited

Bet the J stands for Judas!

These arses have mailed me 4 times in the last 6 months: and I should worry about financial advisors bugging me?

[Saving For a Space Ship]

I recently read 'Fast Food Nation' by Eric Schlosser and it made me give up any form of red meat and chicken, secondly I felt like going on a rally against the burger bars and meat packing industry.

I quote 'What's in all those hamburgers? They're most likely made from the meat of worn-out dairy cows (generally the least healthy cattle stock), which spend their days packed in feedlots full of pools of manure. Each burger contains parts of dozens or even hundreds of cows, increasing the likelihood that a sick one will spread its pathogens widely.

Until 1997, those cows, by nature designed to be herbivorous, were fed "livestock waste" -- rendered remains of dead sheep and cattle, along with the remains of millions of dead cats and dogs purchased every year from animal shelters. Thank God the law was changed: Now they're fed only the remains of horses, pigs and poultry. And if you think your fries are animal-free, guess again. While McDonald's no longer cooks them in beef tallow, a process that until 1990 gave the chain's french fries more saturated fat per ounce than its burgers, McDonald's still acknowledges that some of the flavor comes from "animal products."

THe horror stories of meat packing plants that shred their immigrant workers or poison them with the cleaning products. The chapter called 'theres shit in the meat'

speaks for itself.

At the end of the book it details the meat packings industries war with the environmental health dept. in the states, if you think the housing trade asssociations like CML pull strokes over here you should read that chapter, along with MacDonalds and KFC, the biggest buyers of meat in the USA and with no union representation.

Amazing book, makes you want to move to India