Beef Cattle Flashcards
1
Q
parturition
A
calving
2
Q
intact male
A
bull
3
Q
castrated male
A
steer
4
Q
female
A
cow
5
Q
young male
A
bull calf/ bullock
6
Q
young female
A
heifer
7
Q
all young
A
calves
8
Q
Who is the father of animal breeding (selective breeding)?
A
Robert Bakewell
9
Q
What is the process of breed development?
A
- define: traits of interests
- selection: parents of next generation
- (like to like) inbreeding - evaluate: offspring (records)
10
Q
breeds created from cross breeding other breeds
A
synthetics
11
Q
What is a purebred?
A
defined set of characteristics that are passed from parents to offspring
12
Q
What are the genetics of a purebred?
A
homozygous for traits of interests
13
Q
How many cattle breeds are recognized?
A
250 breeds
14
Q
How many breeds are not given names?
A
> 300 breeds
15
Q
What are there so many breeds of cattle? (beef and dairy)
A
dairy: alter environment to fit animal needs
beef: match animal characteristics to meet the environment
16
Q
What are the four types of beef cattle?
A
- European (Bos taurus)
- Continental (Bos taurus)
- Zebu (Bos indicus)
- synthetics
17
Q
examples of European beef cattle
A
Hereford, Angus, Shorthorn
18
Q
examples of continental beef cattle
A
Charlois, Chianina, Simmental
19
Q
examples of Zebu beef cattle
A
Brahman
20
Q
examples of synthetics beef cattle
A
Brangus, SImbrah, Santa Gertrudis, Beefalo
21
Q
what is a problem with the beefalo?
A
decrease in reproduction
22
Q
What are European beef cattle known for?
A
- meat: quality and quantity carcass
- reproduction
- maternal ability: good milk and care for offspring
- milk: some for human
- moderate size: 1,000 - 1,500 lbs.
23
Q
What are continental beef cattle known for?
A
- meat
- maternal ability
- reproduction
- milk
- draft (large breeds)
24
Q
Where do Zebu beef cattle live?
A
tropical and subtropical environments
25
What are Zebu beef cattle known for?
1. Hair Coat
- increase # of hair/inch
- reflective quality
- hair lays flat
2. Increase in Skin and Surface Area
- increase cooling
3. Increase in Insect and Disease Resistance
26
Where is most of synthetics production located?
central US
27
What is infrastructure?
levels or steps in an industry or business
28
What are the different steps in the beef industry?
1. producer
2. cow-calf
3. stocker
4. feedlot
5. packers
29
What is the purpose of a producer?
provide the genetic base/material for beef production system
- sell bull to cow-calf operation (1 bull = breeds 30-50 cows)
30
How many cows does 1 bull breed?
30-50 cows
31
What percent of beef cattle are AI?
< 30%
32
What percent of AI happens in purebred cattle?
> 99%
33
What is the purpose of the cow-calf operation?
to wean one calf every 365 days (12 month calving interval)
34
What age and weight is a calf weaned?
5-7 months (400-600 lbs.)
35
What percent of cattle goes to the meat production system?
all males and 60% of female
36
What percent of cattle goes towards replacement?
40% female
37
What is heterosis?
average performance of crossbred offspring are superior/higher that the average of the parental breeds in a given trait
38
What traits are looked at during breeding?
- weaning weight
- reproduction
- early growth
- maternal ability
- survivability
39
Why is it so hard to produce a weaned calf every 365 days?
because of uterine involution and lactational anestrous
40
What is uterine involution?
repair of reproduction tract to facilitate next pregnancy
41
What is lactational anestrous?
production, synthesis of milk interfere with hormone, regulate reproduction
42
How many days do you have to rebreed if everything is perfect?
1 day
43
What is a stockers purpose?
takes the weaned calves from 400-600 lbs. (5-7 months) to 800-900 lbs. (9-11 months)
1. natural growth: skeletal size (frame)
2. increase muscle mass
44
What do stockers feed to the weaned calves?
low energy diet
- pasture
- crop residue
45
What is the purpose of the feedlot?
end of the stocker phase: 800-900 lbs. (9-11 months) to 1,100-1,200 lbs. (12-14 months)
NOT TO MAKE FATTER
1. increase intramuscular fat = marbling
2. change taste of fat
3. change color of fat
46
What is the purpose of the packers?
slaughter and processing (disassembly plant)
47
What age does slaughtering happen?
12-16 months (1,100-1,200 lbs.)
48
How do you turn a live animal into a carcass?
remove
- internal organs
- hide
- head
- feet
49
What is fabrication?
processing carcass
50
What is boxed beef and what is the purpose?
beef in a box
1. can order specific cuts
2. shipping and transport
51
What are two types of grading systems for cattle carcasses?
quality grade and yield grade
52
What is the quality grade for a cattle carcass?
proportion of primary retail cuts of meat compound to entire carcass
53
Why is a younger animal for favorable for the quality grade?
because they have less connective tissue
54
Where is intramuscular fat located and why is it important?
located between muscle fibers and provides the flavor and tenderness
55
What are the two things to look at in the highest quality grades?
1. young animal
2. certain level of intramuscular fat
56
How much marbling (intramuscular fat) is in each of the types of cut?
1. prime- lot of marbling
2. choice- moderate marbling (restaurant)
3. select- little marbling
57
What do the numbers in yield grade mean? (1-5)
1. Most meat/carcass (less fat)
5. least meat/carcass (more fat)
58
What is the relationship between quality grade and yield grade?
(inverse relationship)
- increase quality grade, decrease yield grade
59
Which cattle has the most (extreme) marbling?
Wagyu (Japanese)
60
how long is a beef cattle estrous cycle?
21 days
61
how long is a beef cattle estrous cycle?
21 days
62
how long is the estrus cycle of beef cattle?
12 hours
63
how long is the estrus cycle of beef cattle?
12 hours
64
how long is beef cattle gestation?
285 days
65
what type of breeders are beef cattle?
non-seasonal (polyestrous)
66
What happens on day 0 and day 365 of the beef cattle life cycle?
Breeding
67
What month does rebreeding usually happen in?
April, May, or June
68
What day does calving happen in the life cycle of beef cattle?
Day 285 (March)
69
What happens the first 6-8 weeks after calving?
spring work (branding, dehorning, castration, vaccinations)
70
What happens 5-7 months after calving?
fall work (weaning, keep 40% heifers, sell 100% males + 60% heifers)
71
What happens to cows 5-7 months after calving?
pregnancy check
72
Why is the first-calf heifer the hardest to breed?
because of stress (decreases reproduction)
causes of stress:
- growing
- parturition
- raise calf
- lactation
- uterine involution
73
Why breed virgin heifer a month earlier than the rest of the breeds?
easier to get pregnant (highest dystocia)
allows you to:
- watch for dystocia
- extra month for first-calf heifers to recover
74
What are the advantages for spring calving?
weather
nutrition (forages)
75
What are the disadvantages for spring calving?
decrease in value because of high supply
76
What are the advantages and disadvantages for fall calving?
weather and nutrition (depending on where you live)
higher value because low supply
77
Methods of Identification
1. Ear Tags
2. Neck Chains
3. Tattoo
4. EID (Electronic Identification Devices)
5. Paint Branding
6. Hot Branding
7. Caustic Branding
8. Freeze Branding
78
What are the pros and cons of ear tags?
pros: easy administration, readability (can easily be seen by person)
cons: not a permanent form of identification, can readily fall out
79
What are the pros and cons of neck chains?
pros: easy administration, readability
cons: not a permanent form of identification, can come off, poses a high potential risk for the animal if it becomes stuck on an object
80
What are the pros and cons of a tattoo?
pros: permanent identification
cons: typically in ear or upper lip, typically requires physical restraint to read, cannot be observed from a distance
81
What are the pros and cons of an EID?
