Beef 1 Flashcards
***emphasized in class*** Covers beef cattle content up to (but not including) finishing phase.
the average number head per farm is ______ while the number of farms is ______
increasing, decreasing
province responsible for 70% of beef production in Canada and a lot of export to US
Alberta
how are nutrient intakes in absolute amounts per day (kg/day, g/day, IU/day) to satisfy requirements calculated?
nutrient concentrations in feedstuffs (%DM, g/kg of DM) x dry matter intake (kg/day)
list the priority use of nutrients in descending order
maintenance of pregnancy and body, production (growth or milk), reproduction (breeding or rebreeding)
list the priority use of nutrients in descending order
maintenance of pregnancy and body, production (growth or milk), reproduction (breeding or rebreeding)
3 major components of beef cattle production
cow-calf, stocker/backgrounding, and finishing
fill in schematic of beef cattle production cycle in North America:
1. ________
2. ________ (from 2 may go to 3, 4, or 5)
3. ________
4. ________
5. ________
6. ________
- late winter/spring calving
- summer grazing (from 2 may go to 3, 4, or 5)
- winter feeding
- stocker programs
- feedlot finishing
- slaughter
compare and contrast conventional and alternative production systems
conventional: most widely utilized; uses implants, feed additives; antimicrobials; alternative production systems have niche markets, eg. grass-fed, natural beef, certified organic, locally grown
goal of cow calf is
produce one live calf per cow each year
coat-calf production uses what kind of crops and land?
high-fibre forages, lands that are not suitable for row-crop production, crop residues, cover crops
what kind of cows do you want for cow-calf production
medium sized cows for efficiency (average 520 kg at weaning). cow breed, size, milk production should be matched to feed resources and environment.
what is cow-calf system diet
mainly forages, supplement with protein, vitamins, minerals as needed. small farms in Eastern and Southern US and Canada mostly introduced forages, larger ranches in the West use native grasses and forms
what are the 3 times calves can be born in the cow-calf system and when are most calves born
60% born in spring calving season (Feb to Apr), 25-30% born year round, rest are born fall calving season (Sep to Nov)
what is the cow-calf COW culling rate (as a percentage)
15-20% (72% of these are reproductive failure/age/lack of productivity; 28% due to lightweight calves at weaning, temperament, udder, or other economic reasons)
what trait is economically important in beef cow herds in regard to cow-calf system
cow longevity
when are beef calves weaned
5-9 months, about 240 kg weight (then they are sold in 60 days following weaning)
what are newborn calves born without? how do they get this thing they are missing?
immunity, depend on colostrum consumption
immunoglobulin absorption ceases after ________, so must maximize colostrum ingestion in _______
first 24 h of life, first 3h of life
what is cut-off for failure of transfer of passive immunity? how many calves show this? how does this value compare to dairy calves?
serum IgG 24 g/L, 1/3 of calves are below this level. for dairy cows the cut-off is 10 g/L
what are 3 potential outcomes of failure of transfer of passive immunity
6x increase risk getting sick in first month, 5x increase risk of dying before weaning, 15 kg decrease calf weaning weight
if calf is able to find cow teat, but still having difficulty suckling, what can you do
feed colostrum or colostrum replacer, ideally 10% BW in 1st 6h after birth
define creep feeding
provision of supplemental feed to calves before weaning, concentrate formulated specific for the calves
name at least 4/7 objects of using creep feeding
increase ADG of calves, supplemental feed when pasture or quality is bad, supplement calves (eg. if lower milk production), improve nutrition of fall born babies, ease weaning stress, reduce burden on thin or young. growing cows, increase stocking rates
creep fed calves will have these 4 good things
2-45 kg heavier at weaning, consume grains in drylot backgrounding more readily, regain losses from weaning and shipping faster, lower incidence post weaning morbidity and mortality
creep feed rations should contain how much CP
14-18% CP
what nutrients do heifers need for cell;ar and sub cellular roles (8)
Ca, P, Se, Zn, Cu, Mo, CoMg (crappy mnemonic = “cap season, Cumo is coming”)
you suspect a nutrient deficiency at your cow-calf facility. what can you do?
analyze feed samples and supplement nutrients if needed with commercial mineral and vitamin supplements
3 vitamins of particular concern in beef cattle are? high faulty forages are rich in which of these? which can be synthesized by animals in direct sunlight?
A, D, E. high quality forages A, E. sunlight, D.
give at least 4 outcomes of over conditioning heifers
increase feeding cost, increase incidence of silent heat, decrease conception rate, decrease embryonic and neonatal survival, increase calving difficulty, decrease mammary development and milk production
give at least 3 benefits or early weaning
eliminate cow nutrient requirements for lactation; improve cow BCS; DMI increases by about 25%; decreased trampling losses; improves in 30% forage availability for cow; early weaned cows highly efficient at converting feed to live weight
when is early weaning recommended, what age is it possible, and what age is it usually done?
when BCS or forage supply is low; possible at 2 months; usually around 4 months
what does pre-conditioning calves involve
2 vaccinations, deworming, castration, dehorning, training to eat from bunk and drink from trough
after weaning, heifers and bull calves are moved to what
high forage diet (supplemented with protein, energy, minerals, vitamins to meet requirements of target weight gain)
target heifer gains are based on breeding body weight (BW) and should be ___% mature BW at 13-15 month, __% mature BW at 1st calving and mature weight at 4-5 years of age
55-60% mature BW at 13-15 months, 80% at 1st calving
heifers that conceive earlier in breeding season are likely to be lighter or heavier? and have sales that are heavier or lighter?
(heavy heifers, heavier calves
selection for earlier puberty will increase or decrease food cost for maintenance? increase or decrease reproduction performance?
decrease feed cost, increase repro performance
breeding season for heifers should start and finish how much earlier than cows
30 days (they need longer to return to normal cycling and need more time to get their booty (BCS) back)
what is the relationship between average daily gain age at puberty, and pregnancy rates in heifers?
higher ADG is associated with lower age at puberty and higher pregnancy rates
pre and post weaning nutrition are a major cause of what in heifers? what else does post weaning nutrition affect?
variation in age at puberty; pregnancy rate is affected by post weaning nutrition
what is a good BCS for heifers out of 9
5/9
you want a mature BW of 600 kg for your heifer.
you wean at 230 kg weight age 205 days.
what post-weaning growth do you need to achieve puberty at 390 days?
- you want 55-60% mature BW at puberty so 600 kg x 60% = 360 kg.
- need to gain 130 kg in 185 days (360kg-230kg, 390 days-230 days)
- 130 kg/185 days = 0.70 kg/day
after breeding heifers are usually fed a high or low forage diet?
high forage diet
heifers in the last third of gestation require what to sustain rapid fetal growth
higher nutrient requirement (especially energy, protein, Ca, P); may be higher than what is in forage diets so can need concentrate supplementation
you have poor heifer conception rates in your herd and are super smart so understand this is linked to nutrition. what 5 things should you check in your herd?
age and weight (differs between breeds), BCS (<5 or >7 is bad), if vitamins/minerals are supplemented, if inappropriate use of implants
from 1-9 months post-conception in heifers, the requirement for net energy of maintenance (NEm) increases by how much
doubles
in order to produce one calf per year, cows should be pregnant no longer than __ days of parturition
80 days (283 days is average gestation length)
give at least 3 things post partum anestrus in cows is affected by
parity, season, calf presence and suckling, breed, dystocia, nutritional status
a cow with a BCS of 5/9 will have how many ribs visible? and will the spine be visible?
1-2 ribs visible and outline of spine not visible
what is principal cause of poor reproduction performance of externe postpartum anestrus in cows
undernutrition (feed shortage or poor quality feed; can send feed samples for analysis)
cows calving with BCS above 5 will have a lower or higher postpartum interval
lower postpartum interval
after parturition, thin cows benefit from flushing. what is flushing in this context
give higher energy diet after parturition
at what cow BCS will birth weights be reduced
<4/9 or >7/9
greatest nutritional demand in a cow occurs during which time of her life
postpartum
what is the period of greatest milk yield in lactating cow? what is the peak milk yield?
8 wks postpartum, peak yield 5-14 kg/day
what is ideal BCS for lactating cow
5/9 (this might be the same for heifers and non-lactating cows, I don’t know)
in the lactating and pregnant cow stage, during which milk yields are declining, how do producers fulfill nutrient requirements?
this period coincides with summer pasture stage (if spring calving). with good quality pasture and mineral and slat free-choice, cows these cows are good
in the gestation after weaning cow stage (during winter feeding period), what does feeding depend on?
feed cows depending on BCS: thin cows need more and better quality feed
cattle are divided into what 3 feeding groups? who is given a maintenance ration and who is given better forage and/or supplemental grain?
mature cows in good condition are given maintenance ration. heifers and 1st and second calf cows are given better forage and/or supplemental grain. thin old cows are fed similar to heifers
you have 3 cows who weight the same amount. one is early lactation, one is mid gestation, and one is late gestation. who will have the highest dry matter intake ration?
early lactation cow.
what are 4 winter feeding options for cows
stockpiled forage, standing forage grazing, bale grazing, and swath grazing
why use a portable electric fence in swath grazing?
prevent livestock from trampling swaths, and improves feed utilization
what type of winter feeding option is used to extend grazing season, reduce feed and manure handling costs, and involved seeing annual cereals in mid-May to early June and cutting these in late August to mid-September in soft to late dough stage
swath grazing
what type of winter feeding option involves using leaf and stems leftover from grain harvest, has high fibre and lignin, low (4-5%) CP, low (<50%) digestibility, low energy, and possible protein supplementation
feeding crop residues
feeding crop residues to cattle: what is the consequence of high fibre and lignin, low crude protein, and low digestibility?
low digestibility may limit intake, and due to the low protein and energy may need to be supplemented with protein to maximize rumen fermentation
maximum daily DMI of straw for non-lactating cows? for heifers and lactating cows?
1.5%; 0%
you should increase feed amount of beef cows in the last ______ of pregnancy
2-3 months
or every 10C drop in temperature below -20C, how much more should you feed?
additional 1 kg grain/head/day
what % should you add to feed allowance to account for wastage
15-20%
how should you feed salt and TRACE minerals to beef cows
free choice trace mineralized salt, post-calving mix with grain because requirements increase by 25-40%
should producers keep track of mineral/vitamin supplement consumption in beef cows? why or why not?
yes! it will vary a lot depending on region and feeding strategy?
how should you feed Ca and P minerals to beef cows
with legume/grass hay, 1:1 Ca:P; with straw/greenfee/cereal silage 2:1 Ca:P and additional limestone may be required; mix with grain post-calving because requirement increase by 25-40%
as environmental temperature increases, water intake ____
increases
how much water do non-lactating and lactating cows need?
non-lactating: 3 parts water to 1 part DMI (about 40L/day); lactating additional 0.8 mL per 1 kg milk produced (50-60L/day)
there is loads of snow on the ground and your cows like to eat it. do your cows still need water
yes. (would have too eat a lot of snow to meet needs and this won’t be enough during high production periods)
in a beef cow ration, what determines productivity?
first limiting nutrient
what should you always monitor when feeding your herd and make diet adjustments accordingly?
monitor BCS
describe stocker/backgrounding system
steers and non-replacement heifers fed 50-70% forage (high forage) to increase lean and skeletal growthuntkl they reach 300-400kg. this phase before being moved to finishing phase
what is program feeding
in stocker/backgrounding system, when forages are too expensive, instead animals fed restricted higher grain diets to achieve expected grains. also promotes easier adaptation to finishing diets
are animal needs met by pasture yield during the grazing season?
no. animal needs steadily increase from April to November. animal needs met by pasture needs between mid-April and early June, but rest of grazing season pasture yield does not meet animal demand
is normal forage availability the same across species of forage?
no (also varies by geographic region and year)
as forage matures, what happens to forage quality
decrease quality (less leaf, more stem, lower digestibility)
as forage matures from leafy to bloom phrase, what happens to forage yield
increases (then slight decline after bloom)
the best forage will be harvested when digestibility ____ yield
is equal to
what is the optimal zone of animal output and pasture stocking rate
as stocking rate increases, increases output per unit of land (more weigh gain per acre) but weight gain per animal decreases. at some point your stocking rate is too hihh and your pasture will be overgrazed and the animals won’t perform as well.
give an advantage of rotational grazing over continuous grazing
with continuous grazing, animals forage enough that the crop can be damaged. rotational grazing maintains daily gain of animals, increases stockning rate, and increases gain per hectare
what 4 factors influence pasture rest period
residual leaf area, forage species, soil fertility, weather
pasture supplementation can increase daily gain, true or false
yes, by 0.3-0.45 kg/d, but if the forage is already high quality doesn’t improve the nutrition of the animal as much
what is the benefit of pasture supplementation for stocking density and ADG
improved ADG a bit (0.15 kg/d according to Horn et al 1996 study) but increases stocking density greatly, by 1/3
