Beef Cattle Flashcards
When were cattle domesticated.
6000 to 6500 years ago. (4500 BC)
What were the wild ancestors of cattle called?
Auruch. Generic name.
Why is ancestor of cattle guesswork?
Based on finding animal bones and carbon dating and other methods.
Why do our time estimates of cattle domesication age chnage?
We make new discoveries!! We cant know for sure.
What are the four country clusters where cattle first originated from
India
Tialand
Egypt, Sudan
France, Germany, Poland…
Where did the two distict cattle types develop?
Europe and Indian/Africa
Name of the Indian/Africa cattle type?
Bos Indicus
Name of the european cattle type?
Bos Tarus
What does the map tell us about the timeline of cattle domestication?
Cattle were first domesticated when people stopped hunting and gathering. Domesticated when they started living in villages and become stationary.
In the Old World, wild cattle were ________ but had ______ ranges.
Widespread, narrow.
What are two reasons that cattle were originally domesticaed?
Religious reasons, food.
Where are three places where wild cattle were not present? How did cattle get there?
North/South America
New Zealand
Australia.
Brought by European and Asian explorers.
True/false. Cattle was native to the Americas
False. Brought by explorers.
In 2017, where did the USA rank in beef production world wide?
Number 1!
In the US beef cattle industry of 2017, What was the gross income?
$76.3 billion.
In the US beef cattle industry of 2017, how many beef operations were there?
913,246
In the US beef cattle industry of 2017, what was the total beef inventory?
89.9 million.
In terms of numbers of beef cows, what are the top 5 states?
Texas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and south Dakota.
In terms of market cattle sold, what are the top 5 states?
Texas, Nebraska, Kansas, California, and Oklahoma
In North Carolina specifically, how many total beef operations are there?
18,413
In North Carolina specifically, what is the total beef inventory?
776,271
In North Carolina, what is the gross income?
$275 million.
What percentage of the US total beef operations market share does North Carolina have?
2.0%
What percentage of the US total inventory market share does North Carolina have?
0.9%
What percentage of the US gross income market share does North Carolina have?
0.4%
What do the statistics of North Carolina beef industry compared to the entire US mean?
Farms in NC tend to be smaller than the average American farm.
We have more farms but not as many cows on the farm.
Our gross income percentage is fairly small. We tend to make less because NC normally sells younger animals.
How have the numbers of beef farms changed in North Carolina from 2006-2015?
Decreased slightly. Like 50ish thousand. Mostly steady though.
(I dont know if we need to know this) What are the top five counties in NC in beef production?
Randolph
Chatham
Wilkes
Duplin
Iredell
Directionally, where are the most beef cattle farms in north carolina?
The western part. In the Piedmont region.
In north carolina, what kind of operations are most common?
Cow-calf operations! Backgrounding operations.
Why in the southeastern part of the state has there recently been a large inflex of cattle?
As a part of swine waste management programs!
The southeastern parts of NC is where the most pork operations are.
Explain how cattle farms might help with swine waste management?
Swine farmers are required to do something with swine waste. They start to grow forage with the waste, and then grow cattle on the forage.
What are two huge advatages to production in north carolina?
Mild winters and abundant forage..
Why is it so easy to raise cattle on forage in NC?
We have both warm and cool season grass.
What are cattle without horns called?
Polled!
What are cattle with horns called?
Horned.
In cattle what is the key way of determining which animal is dominant or submissive?
The stance!
What are peck orders refered to as in horned cattle? In polled?
In horned: the hook order
In polled: The bunt order.
Describe the components of dominant beef cattle posture.
Feet underneath and head down.
The animal is leaned forward. Kind of pushing forward.
Animals ears are turned back with inner surface pointed down and back (similar to a dog)
Describe the posture of submissive cattle.
Head down
Ears turned back with the inner surfaces are pointed to the side.
Slightly leaned back.
How do cattle settle dominance disputes?
There is initial posturing. Then, they will either bunt heads or hook horns.
The one that retreats is submissive.
How are cattle unique in dominance disputes?
They don’t need to win every interaction to be dominant! They just need to win most of them.
This is very unique. In most animals if you lose one, you are below the other ones.
When do calves start having dominance fights?
When they are a couple months old.
What might be a possible explanation for why cattle only have to win an average of their dominance fights?
Safety in the herd! It wouldn’t be healthy for the entire herd if the hierarchy was strict and violent.
What might happen if an established dominant cow approaches an established submissive cow?
The dominant may headbutt the side of the submissive cow.
If two cows of a similar dominance status approach each other, what might happen?
A shoving match or a bunt/hooking match.
How many simple vocalizations do cattle have?
What could you argue instead?
Cattle have 3 simple vocalizations! (Dr. Flowers doesnt really argue, but whateva)
You could argue that they have 1 simple and 2 complex.
What is a vocalization commonly used between cow and calf?
“mm” sound.
What does the “mm” sound sound like?
has a low amplitude
What sound is often used when a cow if frustrated? Why might she be frustrated?
“mmh”
Might be from isolation or other frustrations.
What does the “mmh” sound like?
It is a higher amplitude.
What sound is given when animals are threatening or when calves are hungry?
“Menh”
What does the “Menh” sound like?
Very high amplitude.
What is different about the estrius cycle in cattle?
Rebreeding occurs while they are still lactating.
true or false. Cattle is one of the hardest animals to manage. Why or why not?
True!
Very labor intensive management.
Cattle have messy estrus cycles where many stages overlap (Like rebreeding and lactation)
How is it possible for cattle to breed while still lactating?
Remember, The suckling action is a reflex arc. It prevents release of LH and FSH, which prevents estrous.
As the calves get older, they nurse less. The LH and FSH start getting produced again and the mom can go into estrus.
What is an issue with rebreeding in cattle?
Physically it is really hard on the mom! She doesn’t get a break to recover.
What is a factor that determines whether or not cattle will have a successful rebreeding?
Nutrition over the entire life cycle.
When do Bos Taurus reach puberty?
(European breed)
between 10 and 15 months.
When do Bos Indicus reach pubety?
(Zebu breed)
Between 17 and 27 months.
Do we have a lot of Zebu breeds in america? Why or why not?
No! Likely because it takes so long for them to mature.
Where in America might you find some Zebu breeds?
Texas! Its hot and humid.
_____ at puberty differs among breeds.
weight.
____ breeds tend to reach puberty faster.
Small
Compared to their full mature body weight (of the specific breed) how heavy do we want cattle to be when they reach puberty?
100%! At puberty, you want them to be at their full body weight.
What are the two requirements for cattle to reach puberty?
Weight and age! Both requirements must be achieved before puberty will occur.
What is the best case senario when it comes to managing animals to puberty?
That you get her to the proper weight at the right time! You don’t want either to happen too early or too late.
Ideally, she reaches weight and age around the same time for puberty!
How is puberty in cattle a little different than other animals?
In other animals, weight tends to matter less.
True/False. Cattle are bred the first estrous cycle.
False.
Why might a farmer wait to breed a cow until the second/third/forth estrous cycle? (Two main reasons)
To make sure everything is working okay before she starts carrying!
She needs to be able to come in AND out of estrous.
You also want to wait until she is a bit bigger physically so that she can have a successful pregnancy.
What is the target age for heifers to have their first calf?
Two years old.
If you want a heifer to calve at two years old, when should she be bred??
14 to 15 months.
How long do cows gestate?
284 days. Close to 9.5 months.
True or false: During her first pregnancy, the heifer is still growing.
True! Cattle grow until they are about 2.5 years.
What is the most common way that cattle are bred on farms?
Natural mating/service.
Artificial insemination is rare.
What are two important consideration during natural breeding?
Cow to bull ratio
Rotation of the bulls.
Why is cow/bull ratio and rotation of the bulls important?
You have to know how many bulls you need per cow. If all of the cows go into heat at the same time, the bull will not be able to breed them all.
The bull must be able to spread out his mating over days.
How long is the estrous cycle in cattle?
21 days (The usual)
How long do cows go into estrus for?
12 to 18 hours.
What is very unique about cattle in terms of ovulation? Why does it work?
They ovulate after they go out of estrus!
They still get bred because the sperm can survive in the tract for about 24 hours.
Why is the short estrus time beneficial for cattle farms?
It prevents bulls from just breeding one cow and ignoring the others. She isn’t in estrus for long and he only really gets one go at it.
What is a typical cow to bull ratio?
30 to 1.
What is a bulls serving capacity?
How many cows we think a bull can breed in a given time.
What is bulls is positively correlated to sperm production and serving capacity?
Scrotal circumference.
What is a breeding soundness exam?
Measure the scrotum and take a semen sample.
Example the test sample and make sure the sperm is viable.
What is a big downside to natural breeding?
When you take a semen sample and it is viable, you may assume that all of the sperm from the bull will be viable. This may not be true.
In A.I., you can look at all of the sperm and make sure it is good.
What is a common misconception about breeding behavior in cattle?
Generally, the females seek out the males! The females know when they are ready to breed.
Why are you able to put two bulls in the same pen with a herd of cows?
They are more interested in breeding than fighting.
Generally the females will split between the two bulls.
Breeding season determines ________ _____
Calving season.
In most cattle operation, how long is the breeding season? What does this mean?
Most operations try to limit it to between 60 and 90 days.
This means that cows will get two or three chances to get bred.
How do beef industries make sure that their cows go into heat at the same time? Why do we want this?
Two effective products are on the market for control of estrus in beef cattle:
Prostaglandins and progesterone.
We want the cows to go into heat at the same time so that there can be a specific breeding season and a specific calving season.
Prostaglandin _____ the cycle.
Shortens!
How is prostaglandin used to sync up beef cattle?
Two shots are given 14 days apart. 5 days later they should go into estrous and be synced up!
Why are two shots of prostaglandin given at 14 days apart?
It covers all of your bases.
Those who didn’t have a CL when you gave the shot would have been unaffected. They will develop a CL within 14 days, and then the second shot will affect them.
Progesterone _____ the cycle.
Lengthens.
How is progesterone used to affect the estrous cycle in cattle?
Cows are generally given progesterone through an implant. Its left in for 14 days.
The CL will regress, but progesterone will be maintained from the implant.
About 4-5 days after the implant is out, she will go into heat.
Why isnt AI used in cattle as often as other livestock?
Its too labor-intensive! cows have a very short estous cycle and you would need to watch them continuously to know when she goes into heat and then breed her in time.
This isnt possible if you have a lot of cows!
What is one reason where AI in cattle would be easier than other livestock?
Beef cattle sperm can be frozen. This is unique.
It would be easy because you could sync the cycles and then freeze the sperm. But too labor intensive.
How long is gestation in beef cattle?
270-280 days.
How is pregnancy diagnosed in cattle?
Rectal palpation.
What does it mean that a cow must “earn her keep?”
She should be pregnant or lactating. If she isn’t doing these things, she is losing the farm money.
When might a farmer increase nutrition during gestation? Why?
The last 3 months should involve increased nutrition!
This is when the baby is putting on weight in the uterus. (Remember? Frame develops first and then weight is put on)
How can increased nutrition be achieved?
Improving pasture quality or supplemental feeding.
What is the good thing about NC when it comes to beef cattle production?
Supplemental feeding is rarely needed. We have cold and warm grasses all year long.
When do we want cows to reach their last three gestation months? Why?
In march! When new grasses is coming in.
This increases birth weight, which increases chances of survival.
What is a common problem for beef cows specifically?
Dystocia.
What is dystocia?
Birthing difficulty in any animal. General broad term.
Dystocia is a huge problem in cattle. What is a management strategy that helps prevent this?
This is why many farms allow heifers to have a couple of cycles to get bigger before she is bred.
What are the two normal birth presentations in beef cattle?
Frontwards: Calf’s head is pointed towards the cervix. Both legs are facing forward towards the cervix.
Backwards: The calf’s head is pointed down away from the cervix. Both rear legs are facing towards the cervix.
In beef cattle, calving is the most ____ _____ ____
Labor intensive process.
What the big labor trade off in cattle birth?
The birth process is rougher than in other animals. You have to give more help.
BUT after birth, you dont have to do as much with the newborn as you do with other animals.
What is generally the widest part of the baby?
The head and shoulders.
WHat is different about the umblical cord in small animals and big animals?
In big animals like cattle, the body of the baby is longer than the umbilical cord. This means that during delivery, the cord will snap.
In small animals like goats and pigs, the baby can be delivered with the umbilical cord intact.
Why is the umblical cord breaking during cattle delivery an extra issue?
The animal will have to breathe on its own. If the cord breaks and the calf can’t be delivered quickly after, the calf will die.
During delivery, when does the umbilical cord get trapped and snap?
Between calf’s body and bones of the cows pelvis.
When does the umblical cord snap if the calf is forward facing?
After the head of the calf is through the cervix and out of the vagina.
When does the umbilical cord snap if the calf is backwards facing?
While the head of the calf is still in the uterus.
Which presentation do we prefer?
Forward facing. So that the calf can breath after the cord snaps.
When assisting a birthing cow, what is a big mistake many make? Why is this dangerous? How can we avoid this?
People get nervous and try to hurry up and rip the calf out. This can be very dangerous if the cow is not fully dilatated. We can avoid this by testing if you can safely deliver.
What is the firsts step for testing if you can safely deliver?
Pull on both legs and see if head of calf enters or can pass through pelvic cavity.
What is the second step for testing if you can safely deliver?
Pull on one of the legs. You should be able to pull the fetlock one hand-width past the vulva.
What is the third step for testing if you can safely deliver?
Pull on the other leg. You should be able to pull the fetlock one hand-width past the vulva.
If the calf and the cow pass all of these three tests, what can you safely assume?
That the calf can safely pass through the birth canal.
True or false: If the calf passes all of these tests, you will not need to use chains. The cow will be able to deliver.
False! you may still need to help and use chains.
What could happen if you force a calf out without it passing the test?
Could cause nerve damage that would impact the lactation of the cow.
Remember, it doesn’t matter how healthy the baby is, if the mom doesn’t lactate, the baby will die!
How do you safely use chains?
Use a double loop to prevent cutting off blood flow or cutting into the skin.
If the calf is forward-facing but only has one leg pointed towards the cervix, what do you do?
Make sure that the cow is fully dilated.
Reach into the vagina, push the calf back, get under the leg, and push it up and forward. Correct the position and then proceeded.
If the calf is forward-facing but neither legs are pointing towards the cervix, what do you do?
Same thing!
Make sure that the cow is fully dilated.
Reach into the vagina, push the calf back, get under the leg, and push it up and forward. Correct the position and then proceeded.
If the calf is forward facing and both legs are pointing towards the cervix, but the head is turned away, what do you do?
Make sure the cow is fully dilated.
Reach into the vagina, push the calf back, straighten out the head, then proceeded.
If the calf is rear facing but neither of the back feet are pointed towards the cervix, what do you do?
Call the vet! This can not be easily corrected. The cow will need a C-section.
What is colostrum?
The first milk that is produced during gestation. Contains a lot of antibodies. This supports the babies immunie system until their own can develop.
What are two things that are done during new born calf care?
Clean, cut, and treat the navel cord. (Not always, but generally if they are outside)
Vaccinations.
After a couple weeks, what is another step of calf care?
Castration of male calves.
How long do cows normally lactate for?
205 days. About 7 months.
What does the length of cow lactation tell us?
Rebreeding and a portion of gestation occur during lactation.
Other than the last 3 months of gestation, when do cows also need enhanced nutrition?
During their lactational period.
When is pasture quality high during a typical year?
April- September.
What is the relationship between time since calving and fertility in beef cows?
A positive relationship.
As the calving to breeding interval gets longer, the cow becomes more fertile.
in an interval of less than 50 days between calving and breeding, what is the percentage of likeliness of conception at first service?
31%
in an interval of 51-60 days between calving and breeding, what is the percentage of likeliness of conception at first service?
67%
in an interval of 61-90 days between calving and breeding, what is the percentage of likeliness of conception at first service?
70%
in an interval of >90 days between calving and breeding, what is the percentage of likeliness of conception at first service?
76%
What does the calving to rebreeding intervals tell us?
The chances of the cow getting pregnant double when bred after the first 50 days.
Past that, fertility increases, but not by more than a couple of percentage points.
When do most farmers rebreed their cows? Why?
After about 60 days. It gives the reproductive system time to heal and recover.
This is also when the cows chances of getting pregnant are fairly high.
In beef cattle, _____ and ____ are very very important.
timing and schedules
What is the expected schedule for cows?
Calve for the first time as a 2-year old.
Have a calf once a year every year after.
After you do the math, how long do you really have to get a cow rebred? Why?
Only about 20 days.
Gestation is 284 days and then you don’t generally start rebreeding until 60 days after.
365- (284+60)
What are the three main commercial operations in cattle?
Cow-calf
Stocker/backgrounding
Feedlot
What is the most common type of beef operation in North Carolina? Why?
Cow-calf.
This is because we are perfect for just grazing! We have warm and cold grasses.
What is the golden rule in all livestock production?
The more an animal weights, the more you get paid.
In a cow-calf operation, when are calves sold?
At weaning!
In a calf-cow operation what should peak lactation coincide with?
Optimal pasture nutritional value.
To make any genetic improvements, what four qualities should you look for?
-Reproductive performance of cows
-Milk production of cows
-Mothering ability of cows
-Weaning weight of calves.
Second to cow-calf operations, what are also pretty common in NC?
Background/stocker operations
What do background or stocker operations do? Why is this important?
Let weaned calves put on weight by grazing pasture.
Post-weaning growth is important economically. It sets the calf up for success for the next stage.
What weight are calves generally when they enter backgrounding?
400-500 lbs
What weight are calves generally when they are sold from backgrounding?
600-900 lbs
What do many calves go through before entering backgrounding?
Preconditioning!
What four things are involved in preconditioning calves on cow-calf operations?
-They are weaned 45 days prior to being shipped or sold
-Taught to eat from a “feed bunk” or trough
-Veterinary examination. A basic health assessment.
-Vaccinations and medications if needed.
How do regions such as north Carolina differ from regions such as Texas when doing health assessments?
In north Carolina, vets will go around to different farms and do the health assessments.
In Texas, farmers will bring hundreds of cows to clinics and the vets preform them there.
What is the point of a feedlot operation?
Feed steers and heifers to final market weight.
What does final market weight depend on? Why might this be different in different breeds?
It depends on frame score of size of cattle breed.
Large framed breeds of cattle need to be taken to heiver weights than smaller framed breeds of cattle.
What is the generally weight range of a market ready beef animal?
800 lbs to 1000/1500 lbs depending on frame size.
What are cattle generally feed on feedlots? Why?
Roughage/concentrate mixture.
This packs on pounds faster than just forage.
What is a drylot?
Confined area (usually not a pasture)
Geographically, where are most feedlots?
Out west where there are less people.
What is a misconception about feedlots?
That they are easy! They are actually pretty high Maintenace.
Why can feedlots be a lot of work?
Generally, you need a customized feeding plan for the animals. You might need different feeding plans for different cattle.
What is a pasture based system?
From birth to market weight, cattle are raised on predominantly forages. (Hay and pastures)
How is pasture based systems different from non-pasture based?
Cow-calf component remains the same, but basically the backgrounding phase is continued until cattle reach their market weight.
What is a pro and con of pasture based systems?
Con: It takes a good bit longer. (18-22 months to market)
Pro: You get a very good return. Some places will pay a premium for forage raised beef. There is a niche market for forage based beef.
Does North Carolina do forage-based production?
Yes! We are becoming one of the leaders in forage based production.
Explain the average life of a beef steer.
Born on a cow/calf operation Stay there for 7 months.
Moved to a backgrounding farm. Stay for 1-2 months.
Moved to a feedlot. Stay for 5-7 months.
The time to market for most cattle is 13 to 16 months.
Explain the average life of a forage based beef steer.
Born on a cow/calf operation. Stay there for 7 months.
Move to pasture based. (Basically backgrounding) Stay until market time, roughly 11-15 months.
The time to market for these cattle is 18 to 22 months.
What is a current advancement people in the cattle industry are working towards?
To find a cross breed that grows faster and better on pasture.
