Beef Cattle Flashcards

1
Q

parturition

A

calving

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

intact male

A

bull

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

castrated male

A

steer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

female

A

cow

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

young male

A

bull calf/ bullock

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

young female

A

heifer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

all young

A

calves

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Who is the father of animal breeding (selective breeding)?

A

Robert Bakewell

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is the process of breed development?

A
  1. define: traits of interests
  2. selection: parents of next generation
    - (like to like) inbreeding
  3. evaluate: offspring (records)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

breeds created from cross breeding other breeds

A

synthetics

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is a purebred?

A

defined set of characteristics that are passed from parents to offspring

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are the genetics of a purebred?

A

homozygous for traits of interests

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How many cattle breeds are recognized?

A

250 breeds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

How many breeds are not given names?

A

> 300 breeds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are the four types of beef cattle?

A
  1. European (Bos taurus)
  2. Continental (Bos taurus)
  3. Zebu (Bos indicus)
  4. synthetics
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

examples of European beef cattle

A

Hereford, Angus, Shorthorn

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

examples of continental beef cattle

A

Charlois, Chianina, Simmental

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

examples of Zebu beef cattle

A

Brahman

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

examples of synthetics beef cattle

A

Brangus, SImbrah, Santa Gertrudis, Beefalo

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

what is a problem with the beefalo?

A

decrease in reproduction

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
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.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What are continental beef cattle known for?

A
  • meat
  • maternal ability
  • reproduction
  • milk
  • draft (large breeds)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Where do Zebu beef cattle live?

A

tropical and subtropical environments

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What are Zebu beef cattle known for?

A
  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
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Where is most of synthetics production located?

A

central US

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What is infrastructure?

A

levels or steps in an industry or business

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What are the different steps in the beef industry?

A
  1. producer
  2. cow-calf
  3. stocker
  4. feedlot
  5. packers
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What is the purpose of a producer?

A

provide the genetic base/material for beef production system
- sell bull to cow-calf operation (1 bull = breeds 30-50 cows)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

How many cows does 1 bull breed?

A

30-50 cows

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

What percent of beef cattle are AI?

A

< 30%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What percent of AI happens in purebred cattle?

A

> 99%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

What is the purpose of the cow-calf operation?

A

to wean one calf every 365 days (12 month calving interval)

34
Q

What age and weight is a calf weaned?

A

5-7 months (400-600 lbs.)

35
Q

What percent of cattle goes to the meat production system?

A

all males and 60% of female

36
Q

What percent of cattle goes towards replacement?

A

40% female

37
Q

What is heterosis?

A

average performance of crossbred offspring are superior/higher that the average of the parental breeds in a given trait

38
Q

What traits are looked at during breeding?

A
  • weaning weight
  • reproduction
  • early growth
  • maternal ability
  • survivability
39
Q

Why is it so hard to produce a weaned calf every 365 days?

A

because of uterine involution and lactational anestrous

40
Q

What is uterine involution?

A

repair of reproduction tract to facilitate next pregnancy

41
Q

What is lactational anestrous?

A

production, synthesis of milk interfere with hormone, regulate reproduction

42
Q

How many days do you have to rebreed if everything is perfect?

A

1 day

43
Q

What is a stockers purpose?

A

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
Q

What do stockers feed to the weaned calves?

A

low energy diet
- pasture
- crop residue

45
Q

What is the purpose of the feedlot?

A

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
Q

What is the purpose of the packers?

A

slaughter and processing (disassembly plant)

47
Q

What age does slaughtering happen?

A

12-16 months (1,100-1,200 lbs.)

48
Q

How do you turn a live animal into a carcass?

A

remove
- internal organs
- hide
- head
- feet

49
Q

What is fabrication?

A

processing carcass

50
Q

What is boxed beef and what is the purpose?

A

beef in a box
1. can order specific cuts
2. shipping and transport

51
Q

What are two types of grading systems for cattle carcasses?

A

quality grade and yield grade

52
Q

What is the quality grade for a cattle carcass?

A

proportion of primary retail cuts of meat compound to entire carcass

53
Q

Why is a younger animal for favorable for the quality grade?

A

because they have less connective tissue

54
Q

Where is intramuscular fat located and why is it important?

A

located between muscle fibers and provides the flavor and tenderness

55
Q

What are the two things to look at in the highest quality grades?

A
  1. young animal
  2. certain level of intramuscular fat
56
Q

How much marbling (intramuscular fat) is in each of the types of cut?

A
  1. prime- lot of marbling
  2. choice- moderate marbling (restaurant)
  3. select- little marbling
57
Q

What do the numbers in yield grade mean? (1-5)

A
  1. Most meat/carcass (less fat)
  2. least meat/carcass (more fat)
58
Q

What is the relationship between quality grade and yield grade?

A

(inverse relationship)
- increase quality grade, decrease yield grade

59
Q

Which cattle has the most (extreme) marbling?

A

Wagyu (Japanese)

60
Q

how long is a beef cattle estrous cycle?

A

21 days

61
Q

how long is a beef cattle estrous cycle?

A

21 days

62
Q

how long is the estrus cycle of beef cattle?

A

12 hours

63
Q

how long is the estrus cycle of beef cattle?

A

12 hours

64
Q

how long is beef cattle gestation?

A

285 days

65
Q

what type of breeders are beef cattle?

A

non-seasonal (polyestrous)

66
Q

What happens on day 0 and day 365 of the beef cattle life cycle?

A

Breeding

67
Q

What month does rebreeding usually happen in?

A

April, May, or June

68
Q

What day does calving happen in the life cycle of beef cattle?

A

Day 285 (March)

69
Q

What happens the first 6-8 weeks after calving?

A

spring work (branding, dehorning, castration, vaccinations)

70
Q

What happens 5-7 months after calving?

A

fall work (weaning, keep 40% heifers, sell 100% males + 60% heifers)

71
Q

What happens to cows 5-7 months after calving?

A

pregnancy check

72
Q

Why is the first-calf heifer the hardest to breed?

A

because of stress (decreases reproduction)
causes of stress:
- growing
- parturition
- raise calf
- lactation
- uterine involution

73
Q

Why breed virgin heifer a month earlier than the rest of the breeds?

A

easier to get pregnant (highest dystocia)
allows you to:
- watch for dystocia
- extra month for first-calf heifers to recover

74
Q

What are the advantages for spring calving?

A

weather
nutrition (forages)

75
Q

What are the disadvantages for spring calving?

A

decrease in value because of high supply

76
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages for fall calving?

A

weather and nutrition (depending on where you live)
higher value because low supply

77
Q

Methods of Identification

A
  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
Q

What are the pros and cons of ear tags?

A

pros: easy administration, readability (can easily be seen by person)
cons: not a permanent form of identification, can readily fall out

79
Q

What are the pros and cons of neck chains?

A

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
Q

What are the pros and cons of a tattoo?

A

pros: permanent identification
cons: typically in ear or upper lip, typically requires physical restraint to read, cannot be observed from a distance

81
Q

What are the pros and cons of an EID?

A