beef Flashcards
examples of European breeds
hereford, angus, shorthorn
examples of continental breeds
simmental, charlois, limousin
examples of zebu
brahman
examples of synthetics
brangus (brahman x Angus)
top 3 states with the most beef cattle
texas, Nebraska, kansas
where are the most beef produced in the US?
the midwest
what are purebreeders
specialized cow-calf producers that supply genetic material to beef supply chain
what is the order of the beef supply chain
(purebreeders) –> cow/calf –> stocker –> feedlot –> packers
objective of cow-calf operations
produce one weaned calf every 365 days – meat production and replacement operations
when does a calf leave the cow-calf operation?
5-7 months and 400-600 lbs
what is the purpose of a stocker
the calves stay there for 4-7 months to increase frame and muscle development
forage is main feed source so it doesn’t grow too fast
what is the objectives of a feedlot
calves stay there 50-120 days to increase intramuscular fat and influence taste and color of fat
grain fed vs grass fed
feedlot is grain finished, grass fed is pasture only
not better, just different
what happens at the packer?
meat is aged for 72 hours at 35-40 degrees to tenderize meat
quality grade means …
prediction of palatability
yield grade means ….
estimated proportion of “primary retail cuts” from a carcass (lean meat : fat)
what two things determine quality grade
age and intramuscular fat
how old is a grade A carcass
9-30 mos
how old is a grade b carcass
30-42 mos
how old is a grade c carcass
42-72 mos
how old is a grade d carcass
72-96 mos
how old is a grade e carcass
> 96 mos
what are the 3 grades of intramuscular fat
select (slight bit of fat), choice (modest bit of fat), prime (slightly abundant + of fat)
what are the primary retail cuts
chuck, rib, loin, round
what are the degrees of yield grade
1-5
1 = more primary cut –> less fat, 5 = less primary cuts –> more fat
what is the relationship of yield grade and quality grades
inverse relationship - more meat:fat (higher yield) = lower quality grade
estrus cycle of beef cattle
21 days
estrus of beef cattle
12 hours
gestation of beef cattle
285 days
type of estrus for cattle
non-seasonal polyestrus
what happens 6-8 weeks after calving?
branding, dehorning, castration and vaccination
at 5-7 months old ..
calves are weaned
how much of the calving offspring are sold
100% of steers + 60% heifers
why are heifers bred a month prior to rest of herd
they have the highest dystocia rate and need the extra month to recover before rebreeding
