On-farm meat production that is not marketed direct-to-consumer cannot compete against confinement operations.  Not so much on price, tho' there is that too, but more on the quantity of meat being shipped and the shipping schedule.  As grocery stores moved to a Just-in-Time stocking method they demand specific amounts of meat at specific times with a short sales cycle to keep the capital tied-up in inventory at a minimum.  A on-farm operation markets low volume and yearly (cows) or about every 4 months (hogs.)  Not enough product at too long intervals.

Grocery store chains ensure their Just-in-Time supply by forward contracting with IBP, usually.  (IBP/Tyson purveys to ~40% of the total meat market in the US.)  This locks-out the on-farm production from any given area, such as Iowa, as the farm-cycles in a given area coincide.  IBP, because they operate nationally, and internationally, is able to 'smooth' the production cycle.  As a kicker, the on-farm operation has to sell when the critters are ready for market to clear the area for the next go-round.  That means they are always selling when supply is high, from their given area, and price low due to the injection of supply.  IBP sells daily and thus captures high prices when supply is low to ride them over the low-price patches.

One side affect is IBP is effectively compounding their ROI daily (!) allowing them tremendous financial advantages.

The above is why I wrote "silage is irrelevant" in my previous post.  It doesn't matter what you feed the moo-moos and oink-oinks.  Unless the meat is marketed direct to the consumer you can't sell the critters profitably over the long haul.

A doo run-run-run, a doo run-run