Beef Cattle

Question 1

cash receipts from beef cattle account for how much total recepts

Answer 1

18% of that money comes from beef cattle

Question 2

money coming from animal agriculture

Answer 2

39-40%

Question 3

What is the total cattle production from USA?

Answer 3

9%

produce 19.7% of the world’s beef and veal

Question 4

new industry developed= concentrate large# of cattle and feed them…

Answer 4

grain in the finishing chase (just prior to slaughter)

Question 5

Feedlot industry (1970s)

Answer 5

needed cattle that would grow faster to heavier weights and produce less waste fat/more muscle on grain diets

Question 6

The needs of the Feedlot industry ushered in an era often referred to as the

Answer 6

breeds revolution

Question 7

herefored x angus =

Answer 7

black baldies. crossbred cows have longer productive lives, healthier cows, better calving rates

Question 8

why has the beef industry declined?

Answer 8

environmental factors
alternative options
price

Question 9

What is the structure of poultry and swine industry?

Answer 9

vertical integrated (one company or corp owns most of them)

Question 10

downer cow

Answer 10

a cow that cannot get up

Question 11

seed stock production

Answer 11

the only segment that doesn’t produce animals whose primary use is meat

GOAL = Produce breeding stock

Product of greatest demand = Bulls

Question 12

cow-calf production

Answer 12

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

Question 13

yearling-stocker operation

Answer 13

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

Question 14

feedlots

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Reproductive Management of Beef Cattle

Answer 15

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

Question 16

when should you breed?

Answer 16

beef cows cycle year-round

typically bred to calve in the spring or the fall

Question 17

cow estrus cycle

Answer 17

nonseasonally polyesrous
18-24 day cycle
proestrus—estrus—metestrus—diestrus—repeat

Question 18

replacement heifers

Answer 18

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

Question 19

repro management of bulls

Answer 19

bulls should be evaluated before they are used in a breeding program for both genetic contribution and breeding soundiness

Question 20

breeding soundness exam

Answer 20

performed prior to the breeding season

evaluate testicular development, physical ability to breed females, semen quality, and libido

Question 21

when is “calving season” and what are some things you have to do?

Answer 21

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

Question 22

calf diarrhea (scours)

Answer 22

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

Question 23

bovine spongiform encephalopathy clinical signs

Answer 23

(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

Question 24

BSE etiology

Answer 24

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