Beef Cattle Flashcards
what is cow parturition?
calving
what is an intact male cow?
bull
what is a castrated male cow?
steer
what is a female cow?
cow
what is a young male cow?
bull calf/bullock
what is a young female cow?
heifer
what are all young cows?
calves
what is the ancestor of cattle?
the auroch
who is considered to be the father of selective breeding and what did he do?
Robert Bakewell, he bred sheep, horses, and donkeys for specific traits
what is special about Dishley Longhorn cattle?
they were selected only for meat characteristics, originally took a long time to mature but through selection matured faster and showed better meat characteristics
who were the very first US cattle and why?
Corriente, they were very hardy and adaptable
what are Corriente cattle mostly used for now?
rodeos
when did Shorthorns come along and what were they?
1783, dual breed —> milk and meat
when did Herefords show up and what are they?
1817, good beef and good mothering abilities
name three European cow breeds?
Shorthorn
Hereford
Angus
what did the Civil War in the 1860’s do?
led to trail driving as westward expansion began
when did Angus show up and what are they?
the most popular breed today, fertile, good mothering abilities
when did cattle importations begin?
1960’s
when did synthetics/composition breeds begin?
1970’s, created from crossbreeding
give an example of a synthetic breed?
Santa Gertrudis= 5/8Shorthorn + 3/8Brahman
what are purebred cattle?
they have a defined set of genetically inherited characteristics/traits
how many purebred cattle are there?
250 breeds recognized
how many varieties and types of cattle are there that aren’t given a name?
over 300
why are there so many beef cattle breeds?
you have to make beef cattle to fit their environment
what are the four main types of beef cattle?
- European- Bos taurus
- Continental- Bos taurus
- Zebu- Bps indicus
- Synthetic- any mix of above
what are the four types of synthetic crosses?
- Bos taurus x Bos taurus
- Bos indicus x Bos indicus
- Bos taurus x Bos indicus
- Bos indicus x Bos taurus
what is a key driver in improving sustainability in the cattle industry?
productivity
what is the main goal of agriculture?
to produce more using less
what state is #1 in head of cattle, and where is GA?
Texas
GA is #30
what is the order of the beef supply chain?
Custom Genetics/Purebreeders --> Cow/Calf Ranches/Commercial Producers---> Stocker/Backgrounders or directly to ---> Sale Barn --> Feed Lot ---> Packer--> Processor ---> Consumers
what is the product of custom genetics/purebreeders?
genetic material to beef supply chain?
what are custom genetics/purebreeders?
specialized cow/calf producers
how do custom genetics/purebreeders provide genetic material to the beef supply chain?
- breeding animals- main method
- semen- (<3% of all beef cattle AI)
- embryos (<1%)
give four examples of purebreeds from cow/calf ranches
Scottish Highlander, Longhorn, Ankole-Watusi, miniature cattle
what percent of beef cows are purebred?
20%
what percent of beef cows are 2 breed crosses?
60%
what percent of 2 breed cross cows are black/white faced?
50%
what percentage of beef cows are 3 or more breed crosses?
20%
how is crossbreeding success measured?
weaning weight per cow exposed to bull
what are the two advantages of crossbreeding?
heterosis and complimentarity
how do 2 breed rotation breeds wean compared to purebreds?
15% higher
how do 3 breed rotation breeds wean compared to purebreds?
23% higher
how do 4 breed rotation breeds wean compared to purebreds?
24% higher
what does increasing heterozygosity also increase?
heterosis
how does a 2 breed rotation work?
starts at 50/50 rotation, and then stabilizes at 65/35% of 35/65% from the last sire line used
what do stocker/backgrounders do?
natural maturation
-increase frame size and muscle development
how much do weaned calves weigh and how old are they usually?
400-600 lbs
5-7 months
how much do cows weigh when they enter the feedlot and how old are they usually?
800-900 lbs
9-11 months
what kind of food do stocker/backgrounders provide the cows?
forage
what are the two kinds of forage stocker/backgrounders use?
pasture: rotation all summer
crop residue: after harvest, cows graze stubble and add nutrients (feces)
when do stocker/backgrounders send cows to the feedlot?
once they mature
how long are cattle in the feedlot?
50-90 days
what are cows fed in the feedlot?
roughage + energy concentrate
what does the roughage in the feed lot diet do?
digestive function, keeps system moving
what is the main energy concentrate fed in feed lots?
corn, the whole plant is used
why is corn used primarily as the energy concentrate in feed lots?
it is high in energy and takes some time to break down so the digestive system does not move too fast
what are the 3 objectives of feed lots?
- increase intramuscular fat
- influence taste of fat
- influence color of fat
how old are cows that are feedlot finished?
14-16 months
how long are feedlot finished cows on the pasture/ranger?
9-12 months
how long are feedlot finished cows in the feedlot?
50-90 days
what are cows fed in the feedlot?
high fiber diet, whole corn plant
what color, content, and flavor of fat will feedlot finished cows have?
white, high (grade dependent), consistent
will feedlot finished cows have a lot of connective tissue?
no, they will be more tender
how long is feedlot finished meat aged?
less than 72 hours
how old are primarily grassfed cows?
over 2 years, 3-5 is common
where are grassfed cows housed?
pasture/range only
what is the fat color, content, and flavor of grassfed cows?
yellow/orange, composition and amount varies, flavor varies
how much connective tissue do grassfed cows have and how long is their meat aged?
more connective tissue, less tender, aged up to 20+ days
do feedlot finished or grassfed cows have a lower carbon footprint?
feedlot finished
where is most beef cattle production in the US and why?
grain belt, because high corn production
what does the packer do in the beef supply chain?
process beef produced through a line where everyone has a very specific job; harvest carcass and break down into wholesale cuts
how many companies process over 80% of all beef produced, or over 35 million head of cattle, annually, and what are they?
4; Tyson Cargill JBS National Beef
everything from the cow is utilized except what and why?
the brain and spinal cord, Mad Cow Disease
what are the two grades for slaughter cattle carcasses?
quality ad yield
what is quality grade?
a word, palatability (prime, choice, select)
how is quality grade measured?
age and intramuscular fat
what is yield grade?
the percentage of meat from live and carcass weight
what are the five quality grades and their ranges?
A: 9-30 months B: 30-42 months C: 42-72 months D: 72-96 months E: >96 months
how is age measured for quality grade?
bone ossification and dental aging
how many yield grades are there?
5
does a relationship exist between quality and yield grade?
yes, high of one usually means high of the other
what are Wagyu beef?
they marble really well, especially the black ones, very expensive
why do Wagyu cows marble really well?
they were originally draft animals, selected for endurance and strength, which translated into A LOT of intramuscular fat
what is Kobe beef?
Wagyu beef specifically from the Kobe region of Japan
what is the Sale Barn in the Beef Supply Chain?
cattle auction, can be online or in person
what does the Processor do in the Beef Supply Chain?
processes wholesale cuts into products, often the same company as the packer
what are the 4 main challenged in the beef industry?
- genotype x environment interaction: Bos indicus would not thrive in the cold up north
- conflicting traits within sectors
- technology challenges: AI limitations- lots of cattle on lots of land makes it hard to record reproductive cycle
- small producers: have less than 50 head of cattle, coordinating lots of small operations is hard
how long is a cow’s estrous cycle?
21 days
how long is a cow in estrus?
12 hours
how long is a cow’s gestation period?
285 days
are cows seasonal breeders?
no, they are polyestrous
what happens on Day 0 of the cow life cycle?
Breeding, somewhere around May 15
what happens on Day 285 of the cow life cycle?
calving, the next March after being bred in May
what happens 6-8 weeks after calving?
Spring work: branding, dehorning, castration, vaccinations
what happens in the September after calving?
Fall work: weaning (5-7 months, 400-600 lbs), pregnancy checks
after pregnancy checks in Fall work, what happens?
keep or sell
who is kept after pregnancy checks, and who is sold from what is kept?
replacement females (40%) cull cows (10-15%)
what happens after the replacement females are kept and cows are culled?
heifer breeding season
how old are the heifers during heifer breeding season, and when does it happen?
13 months old, one month before cow herd is bred
which calving is the hardest for a cow and why?
her 2nd, she is still growing, and her body has to recover from her 1st calving + nursing
where do the cows that are sold after fall work go?
to the Stocker
who is sold after Fall work?
steers and 60% heifers
how long do the sold cows after Fall work mature at the Stocker and how big do they get?
September to Feb/March, 750-850 lbs
where do the sold cows go from the Stocker?
to the feedlot
how long are the sold cows in the feedlot and how big do they get?
March-June, 1150-1200 lbs
where do the sold cows go from the feedlot?
to the Packer
