Beef Cattle Flashcards
cash receipts from beef cattle account for how much total recepts
18% of that money comes from beef cattle
money coming from animal agriculture
39-40%
What is the total cattle production from USA?
9%
produce 19.7% of the world’s beef and veal
new industry developed= concentrate large# of cattle and feed them…
grain in the finishing chase (just prior to slaughter)
Feedlot industry (1970s)
needed cattle that would grow faster to heavier weights and produce less waste fat/more muscle on grain diets
The needs of the Feedlot industry ushered in an era often referred to as the
breeds revolution
herefored x angus =
black baldies. crossbred cows have longer productive lives, healthier cows, better calving rates
why has the beef industry declined?
environmental factors
alternative options
price
What is the structure of poultry and swine industry?
vertical integrated (one company or corp owns most of them)
downer cow
a cow that cannot get up
seed stock production
the only segment that doesn’t produce animals whose primary use is meat
GOAL = Produce breeding stock
Product of greatest demand = Bulls
cow-calf production
1st phase of breed production
Breeding —- Pregnancy —- Calving —- Nursing —- Weaning
Goal = Produce the heaviest calves possible with the least cost
6-10 month old are sold to stocker calf operation or a feedlot
yearling-stocker operation
goal = raise calves to heavier weights on low-priced forage and high-roughage feed before the calves are sold to auction or a feedlot
grow to 600-850 lbs (by 12-16 months of age) on primarily roughage
feedlots
finishing phase of the beef industry
Feed or “finish” to market weight & condition
using high-energy rations
GOAL = 900 to 1,400 lbs
by 18- to 24 months of age for slaughter
Most (80-90%) of fed beef cattle are in feedlots housing
Reproductive Management of Beef Cattle
GOAL = Produce and raise 1 healthy calf per year from each reproductively mature female in the herd
net calf crop = # of calves weaned/ # of cows in the breeding herd
when should you breed?
beef cows cycle year-round
typically bred to calve in the spring or the fall
cow estrus cycle
nonseasonally polyesrous
18-24 day cycle
proestrus—estrus—metestrus—diestrus—repeat
replacement heifers
future of the herd
must be managed so they reach 65% of their adult weight by 15 months of age for breeding
should have calve for the first time at 2 years old
repro management of bulls
bulls should be evaluated before they are used in a breeding program for both genetic contribution and breeding soundiness
breeding soundness exam
performed prior to the breeding season
evaluate testicular development, physical ability to breed females, semen quality, and libido
when is “calving season” and what are some things you have to do?
spring calving: march to june
fall calving : sept. to oct.
clean, safe environment frequent observation provide assistance to heifers when needed save calves (goal: lose <3%) keep records
calf diarrhea (scours)
several causes, including infectious agents (such as bacteria, viruses, and protozoa), as well as non-infectious causes
Calves – failure of passive transfer is a risk
bovine spongiform encephalopathy clinical signs
(Mad Cow Disease) Nervous, Aggressive, Ataxic, Abnormal posture, Unable to rise “downer cow” Muscle twitching, Loss of weight, Signs progress over weeks to 6 mos Death
BSE etiology
pathogenic form of a normally occurring protein known as a prion
Transmission:
Classical = Ingestion of animal by-product feeds, such as meat and bone meal, from animals infected with TSE.
Atypical = Spontaneous disease
