Beef Flashcards

1
Q

What is a bail head?

A

Structure in a crush to restrain the neck of the animal and prevent forward and back movement

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2
Q

How can the tail be used to identify if a cow is ‘empty’ what is this called?

A

Bang/bob tail - cutting the switch of the tail at right angles. Can also be for other means of identification.

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3
Q

What is a ‘Barren’

A

Heifer cow - empty/unable to become pregnant

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4
Q

How heavy must a bobby calf be in Victoria prior to slaughter?

A

20kg with dry umbilical cord

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5
Q

What is ‘bulling’

A

Activity of cow/heifer when in heat. Standing still to be mounted.

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6
Q

What is a bullock?

A

castrated male > 30mths old

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7
Q

What does CALM stand for?

A

Computer Aided Livestock Marketing

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8
Q

How long is the gestation period for cows?

A

280 days roughly

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9
Q

What is a calving interval?

A

The time between calves - want as close as possible to 365 days (one calf/year)

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10
Q

What are Bos indicus also known as?

A

‘camel’ or ‘yak’

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11
Q

What do a ‘chopper’, ‘canner’, ‘tinner’ and ‘boner’ all have in common?

A

Cow culled for age - regardless of condition score - meat used for manufacturing purposes

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12
Q

Where is the fat cover measured to condition score a steer or heifer? What is the range?

A

At the 12-13th rib.

0-15mm+

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13
Q

What is a cryptorchid? And a rig?

A

Cryptorchid: if one/both testes retained in abdomen, inguinal canal
Rig: one teste removed, other left behind

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14
Q

What is a dam?

A

The mother cow

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15
Q

What is a dry block used for?

A

land away from irrigated farm - heifer calves reared there

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16
Q

When does drying off commence? How long does this last for?

A

after 300 days of lactation - lasts for approx. 50 days

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17
Q

What are some breeds with dual purpose?

A

Dairy Shorthorn, Red Poll, Brown Swiss, Braunvieh

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18
Q

What term is used to describe calving difficulties?

A

Dystocia

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19
Q

When does a female become a cow?

A

After it has had its second calf. First-calf heifer after first calf.

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20
Q

What is a ‘free martin’?

A

female calf of male and female twins. Likely to be sterile.

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21
Q

What is a grazier?

A

land owner with grazing animals - especially sheep and beef (farmer = dairy cattle producer and wheat/grain)

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22
Q

When does a female become a heifer? And when a barren heifer?

A

Heifer: at 6mths old

Barren Heifer: if she hasn’t calved until 2.5-3yo

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23
Q

What is the difference between a Herringbone and Rotary Dairy?

A

Heringbone: cows walk in angled, rears towards central pit

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24
Q

What is HGP and is it allowed for export?

A

Hormone Growth Promotent - not allowed in the EU - identified with pink ear tags

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25
Q

What is marking and when does it usually happen?

A

Castration, ear tag, branding - between 1-3 mths. often with dehorning and vaccination. Up to 6mths of age.

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26
Q

What is the approx. mating age for heifers and bulls?

A

Heifers: 275kg liveweight, 15mths

Bulls: @15mths with limited cows (15) then more with two years etc

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27
Q

How is oestrus observed externally?

A

Time where cow will stand still for bull

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28
Q

What is an example of a polled breed of cattle?

A

Angus

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29
Q

What is a rig?

A

Bull not castrated correctly with both/one retained test

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30
Q

What is scours?

A

diarrhoea (seen spec. in calves)

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31
Q

What is a springer?

A

A female in late pregnancy - forward/backward used to classify nearness to calving

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32
Q

What is the difference between a steer and a bullock?

A

Steer: castrated male >1 yo
Bullock: castrated male >30 months

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33
Q

What is the term used to describe the removal of all milk from a cows udder?

A

Stripping out

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34
Q

What is a vealer?

A

6-10mth old, sold for slaughter at 100-160kg good condition

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35
Q

What is the definition for a yearling?

A

Weaning - 1st joining age: 10-15 mths

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36
Q

Wha are the main uses for beef cattle?

A
  • meat
  • hide
  • draught power
  • heat (dung)
  • sport
  • religion
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37
Q

What is 100Ha? and 1 Ha

A

100Ha = 1 km^2

1 Ha = 100m^2

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38
Q

Is Australia larger in import or export? Where is beef mainly produced?

A

3rd/4th largest export country of beef (after india and brazil)

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39
Q

Where do culled dairy cows and NT beef get exported to?

A

US - leaner, get used for Hamburgers to get right consistency, mixed with their feedlot beef.

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40
Q

Where does most of our ‘cold’ beef get exported to?

A

Japan, USA, Korea

It has become more varied in the last 10 years

41
Q

Where does Australia live export to?

A

Mainly Indonesia (has reduced slightly), Israel, China

42
Q

How much of our beef is consumed domestically?

A

Roughly 1/3

43
Q

How do meat prices compare across chicken, beef, lamb and pork?

A

chicken < pork < lamb < beef

44
Q

What kind of research does MLA do regarding animal proteins?

A

How to market? What the consumer preference is - what they look for.

45
Q

How does the carcass weiht, fat scores and live weight compare in different markets?

A

local trade; CW: 150kg, LW: 200-300kg
FS: 2-12mm
Increases for supermarket, again for hotels and restaurants and the WU
Japan, Korea - high quality: CW: 350-400kg, LW: 650-700 kg, FS: 22-32mm

46
Q

What is used to size the animal?

A

Frame size and height of shoulder

47
Q

Is the beef from the supermarket slaughtered directly after it leaves the farm? Why/Why not

A

No - brought to a feedlot for 60 days - increase BW, 1kg/day.
This allows for consistent meat quality - meet expectations and is not seasonal

48
Q

What influences the production of beef?

A
  • rainfall
  • temp
  • soil type
  • topography (v steep hills - more goat/sheep)
  • preference in other meats
  • disease
49
Q

When did the beef population in Australia reach its peak and how could we increase it to this number?

A

In 1976 with nearly 30 million

Through increasing pasture quality - fertilisers (superphosphate) and sub-clover

50
Q

What is the tropical cattle breed known as and the temperate breed? where are they found in Australia?

A

Tropical: Bos indicus. In North western Australia
Temperate: Bos taurus
In south eastern Australia and around Perth region

Both and crosses of the two can be found in eastern australia

51
Q

What makes the Bos Indicus better adapted to the tropics?

A

Resistant to ticks and fleas, more heat resistant - often light coloured
better grazing ability - can walk further away from water

52
Q

What does the average rainfall correlate with?

A

The stocking density

53
Q

How does the number of cattle and types of farm vary across northern and southern australia?

A

In North: less farms with most value in very large farms

In South: more farms with lesser cattle

54
Q

How long is a cow usually kept for in a beef system?

A

Approx. 8 years, can stay longer but increase problems - parasites, management

55
Q

How does a beef cow differ to a dairy cow?

A

At the rear end

dairy: concave, low muscle score
beef: convex, muscle score higher

56
Q

How do the dairy and beef system mix?

A

With mop-up bull. Dairy cows normally only AI, if not pregnant - mop-up bull - those calves (females) can go into beef industry.

57
Q

What % does one aim for to be in calf by 9 wks joining?

A

96% - doable if no diseases, milk fever, tetany, calving problems

58
Q

How many seasons is a bull used for? How many can he service?

A

3 seasons

120 cows - gets 105 pregnant

59
Q

How much is one AI straw and for how many cows is this straw used?

A

Approx; $40

usually one per cow

60
Q

What condition score do you want the cow to be in in order to get back into calf? How long after calving should this occur?

A

CS 3+

30-90 days - want her to be in calf as soon as possible so the calving period is not extended the following year

61
Q

Why is AI becoming more popular in the beef industry?

A

The high prices allow for more improvement into genetics to be made

62
Q

What are beef cattle selected on?

A
coat colour
polled/horned
wt gain
ease of calving
carcass
63
Q

What is the average birth wt for a calf?

A

25-50kg - nutrition and gestation length play role

64
Q

How often does a cow get into oestrus?

A

every 21 days

65
Q

List five methods to remove horns

A
  • caustic paste
  • cut
  • gouge
  • burn
  • tip
66
Q

What do you have to watch out for when cutting the horn?

A

That the knife gets all surrounding tissue of the hornbud - it can regrow in weird way

67
Q

What are some common bovine vaccines available in Australia?

A
5 in 1
7 in 1 (dairy)
botulism
BVD
E coli, samonella
tick fever
herpesvirus (feedlot)
M. bovis (pink eye)
anthrax
ephemeral fever
68
Q

Where would you not give a vaccine and does a vet have to give all vaccines?

A

Don’t give into rump (used for meat quality assessment) - neck, behind ear
No farmer can give vaccines, some regulated though (i.e. anthrax)

69
Q

Why does a farmer often have more bulls than required for a 1:30 bull cow ratio?

A

As 20-30% often not fit for joining due to injury etc

70
Q

What are some methods of castration?

A
  • knife - cuts need to be large so all blood can drain out
  • ring
  • emasculator (one side crushing blood vessel/artery)
  • elastic ring - 2-4 wks until drops off
  • burdizzo - crushing blood vessels = atrophy
  • large ring
  • sedation/analgesia if older
71
Q

How are beef cattle identified?

A

branding; fire in NT as freeze needs ntirogen gas - difficult access
ear tags: visual (plastic, metal), NLIS (electronic), ruminal bolus (can’t go under skin as will migrate - don’t want in meat)
Tatto ear (permanent)
Coat colour/pattern
nose rings
DNA
Nose print
Neck bands - but less common in beef as don’t see often = caught on fence and die

72
Q

What is normally included in the brand?

A

Stud

Animals number and year it was born

73
Q

What are anthelmintics?

A

Drugs against internal parasites used in drenches

74
Q

What are the main external parasite concerns? How are they managed

A

Ticks (and lice - min wt loss or damage to coat but fence rubbing)

managed through pour-on, spray on or dip

75
Q

What are endectocidal compounds?

A

internal and external parasite control

76
Q

When is a beef calf weaned?

A

Between 4-10mths onto high protein and energy feed

77
Q

Why is good feed required for a pregnant heifer, more so than a pregnant cow?

A

She is still growing just got new teeth, at 15mths of age - only 250/300kg
At her 4th/5th calf she is more resilient

78
Q

How if beef sold? How does this vary across northern and southern australia?

A

auction
over the hooks (abattoir gives price)
paddock

In northern australia - more sold via over the hook and paddock as more cattle sold at once

79
Q

List some breeds in the Bos taurus/temperate category.

A
Angus
Hereford
Shorthorn
Murray Grey
Charolais
Simmental 
Limousin
Belgian Blue
Wygu
Lowline
80
Q

Give 5 types of Bos Indicus

A
Brahman
Droughtmaster
Santa Gertrudis
Brangus
Belmont Red
81
Q

What are the benefits of mixing the beef and dairy industry?

A

Angus x Friesian
then cross offspring with Limousin
= Get fast growth with high muscle

82
Q

What do farmers try to maximise on their farm?

A

kg of live weight per ha with rainfall

83
Q

Does the average farm profit compare with the top 20%

A

No there is a huge difference - the top 20% earn more per DSE, have lower cost of production and higher stocking rate = key for beef production

84
Q

How much of the live weight is the carcass weight?

A

55-60%

85
Q

Describe the characteristics of a Simmental.

A

from switzerland, gold,red to brown colour, beef (but also milk), rapid growth rate, white face and legs

86
Q

Describe the characteristics of a Limousin

A

from France, now polled, black/orange, high muscling, bulls short next, flattened forehead

87
Q

Describe a belgian blue

A

Double muscling, white to black, high carcass weight as double muscling, often need cesarians

88
Q

Describe a Wagyu

A

japanese breed - highly marbled beef, black or red, horns white at base black tips

89
Q

Describe a charolais

A

White, horned, rapid growth, often used as a terminal sire (all progeny to slaughter)

90
Q

Describe the angus

A

naturally polled, black or red, adaptable to climate and good nature. used to crossbreed - dominant dehorner and good meat, mothering

91
Q

Describe a hereford

A

from the UK, dark red with white face - dominant in crossbreeding with angus, short thick horns

92
Q

Describe a shorthorn

A

red, white, roan in colour used for crosses with other breeds

93
Q

Describe the Murray grey

A

dark grey, light silver, angus ancestors - resistant to light. naturally polled, good for japanese market - marble well, good beef

94
Q

Describe the Lowline

A

from the angus breed
low growth rate and smaller
good for hobby farms

95
Q

Describe Brahman cattle

A

from US, heat and tick resistant - can sweat, large hump over shoulder, loose skin, variety of colours, horned

96
Q

Describe a droughtmaster

A

tan, red colour, low birthweight, loose skin,

97
Q

Describe a Santa Gertrudis

A

blend of bos indices and bos taurus, (from brahman and shorthorn), some horned

98
Q

Describe a Brangus

A

similar to Santa Gertudis but Angus with Brahman, black or red, polled, very versatile, good nature

99
Q

Describe a Belmont Red

A

Mix of Bos indicus and taurus, smooth red coat, docile, fertile,