Beef Cattle Flashcards
1
Q
what is cow parturition?
A
calving
2
Q
what is an intact male cow?
A
bull
3
Q
what is a castrated male cow?
A
steer
4
Q
what is a female cow?
A
cow
5
Q
what is a young male cow?
A
bull calf/bullock
6
Q
what is a young female cow?
A
heifer
7
Q
what are all young cows?
A
calves
8
Q
what is the ancestor of cattle?
A
the auroch
9
Q
who is considered to be the father of selective breeding and what did he do?
A
Robert Bakewell, he bred sheep, horses, and donkeys for specific traits
10
Q
what is special about Dishley Longhorn cattle?
A
they were selected only for meat characteristics, originally took a long time to mature but through selection matured faster and showed better meat characteristics
11
Q
who were the very first US cattle and why?
A
Corriente, they were very hardy and adaptable
12
Q
what are Corriente cattle mostly used for now?
A
rodeos
13
Q
when did Shorthorns come along and what were they?
A
1783, dual breed —> milk and meat
14
Q
when did Herefords show up and what are they?
A
1817, good beef and good mothering abilities
15
Q
name three European cow breeds?
A
Shorthorn
Hereford
Angus
16
Q
what did the Civil War in the 1860’s do?
A
led to trail driving as westward expansion began
17
Q
when did Angus show up and what are they?
A
the most popular breed today, fertile, good mothering abilities
18
Q
when did cattle importations begin?
A
1960’s
19
Q
when did synthetics/composition breeds begin?
A
1970’s, created from crossbreeding
20
Q
give an example of a synthetic breed?
A
Santa Gertrudis= 5/8Shorthorn + 3/8Brahman
21
Q
what are purebred cattle?
A
they have a defined set of genetically inherited characteristics/traits
22
Q
how many purebred cattle are there?
A
250 breeds recognized
23
Q
how many varieties and types of cattle are there that aren’t given a name?
A
over 300
24
Q
why are there so many beef cattle breeds?
A
you have to make beef cattle to fit their environment
25
what are the four main types of beef cattle?
1. European- Bos taurus
2. Continental- Bos taurus
3. Zebu- Bps indicus
4. Synthetic- any mix of above
26
what are the four types of synthetic crosses?
1. Bos taurus x Bos taurus
2. Bos indicus x Bos indicus
3. Bos taurus x Bos indicus
4. Bos indicus x Bos taurus
27
what is a key driver in improving sustainability in the cattle industry?
productivity
28
what is the main goal of agriculture?
to produce more using less
29
what state is #1 in head of cattle, and where is GA?
Texas
| GA is #30
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
```
31
what is the product of custom genetics/purebreeders?
genetic material to beef supply chain?
32
what are custom genetics/purebreeders?
specialized cow/calf producers
33
how do custom genetics/purebreeders provide genetic material to the beef supply chain?
1. breeding animals- main method
2. semen- (<3% of all beef cattle AI)
3. embryos (<1%)
34
give four examples of purebreeds from cow/calf ranches
Scottish Highlander, Longhorn, Ankole-Watusi, miniature cattle
35
what percent of beef cows are purebred?
20%
36
what percent of beef cows are 2 breed crosses?
60%
37
what percent of 2 breed cross cows are black/white faced?
50%
38
what percentage of beef cows are 3 or more breed crosses?
20%
39
how is crossbreeding success measured?
weaning weight per cow exposed to bull
40
what are the two advantages of crossbreeding?
heterosis and complimentarity
41
how do 2 breed rotation breeds wean compared to purebreds?
15% higher
42
how do 3 breed rotation breeds wean compared to purebreds?
23% higher
43
how do 4 breed rotation breeds wean compared to purebreds?
24% higher
44
what does increasing heterozygosity also increase?
heterosis
45
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
46
what do stocker/backgrounders do?
natural maturation
| -increase frame size and muscle development
47
how much do weaned calves weigh and how old are they usually?
400-600 lbs
| 5-7 months
48
how much do cows weigh when they enter the feedlot and how old are they usually?
800-900 lbs
| 9-11 months
49
what kind of food do stocker/backgrounders provide the cows?
forage
50
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)
51
when do stocker/backgrounders send cows to the feedlot?
once they mature
52
how long are cattle in the feedlot?
50-90 days
53
what are cows fed in the feedlot?
roughage + energy concentrate
54
what does the roughage in the feed lot diet do?
digestive function, keeps system moving
55
what is the main energy concentrate fed in feed lots?
corn, the whole plant is used
56
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
57
what are the 3 objectives of feed lots?
1. increase intramuscular fat
2. influence taste of fat
3. influence color of fat
58
how old are cows that are feedlot finished?
14-16 months
59
how long are feedlot finished cows on the pasture/ranger?
9-12 months
60
how long are feedlot finished cows in the feedlot?
50-90 days
61
what are cows fed in the feedlot?
high fiber diet, whole corn plant
62
what color, content, and flavor of fat will feedlot finished cows have?
white, high (grade dependent), consistent
63
will feedlot finished cows have a lot of connective tissue?
no, they will be more tender
64
how long is feedlot finished meat aged?
less than 72 hours
65
how old are primarily grassfed cows?
over 2 years, 3-5 is common
66
where are grassfed cows housed?
pasture/range only
67
what is the fat color, content, and flavor of grassfed cows?
yellow/orange, composition and amount varies, flavor varies
68
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
69
do feedlot finished or grassfed cows have a lower carbon footprint?
feedlot finished
70
where is most beef cattle production in the US and why?
grain belt, because high corn production
71
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
72
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
```
73
everything from the cow is utilized except what and why?
the brain and spinal cord, Mad Cow Disease
74
what are the two grades for slaughter cattle carcasses?
quality ad yield
75
what is quality grade?
a word, palatability (prime, choice, select)
76
how is quality grade measured?
age and intramuscular fat
77
what is yield grade?
the percentage of meat from live and carcass weight
78
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
```
79
how is age measured for quality grade?
bone ossification and dental aging
80
how many yield grades are there?
5
81
does a relationship exist between quality and yield grade?
yes, high of one usually means high of the other
82
what are Wagyu beef?
they marble really well, especially the black ones, very expensive
83
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
84
what is Kobe beef?
Wagyu beef specifically from the Kobe region of Japan
85
what is the Sale Barn in the Beef Supply Chain?
cattle auction, can be online or in person
86
what does the Processor do in the Beef Supply Chain?
processes wholesale cuts into products, often the same company as the packer
87
what are the 4 main challenged in the beef industry?
1. genotype x environment interaction: Bos indicus would not thrive in the cold up north
2. conflicting traits within sectors
3. technology challenges: AI limitations- lots of cattle on lots of land makes it hard to record reproductive cycle
4. small producers: have less than 50 head of cattle, coordinating lots of small operations is hard
88
how long is a cow's estrous cycle?
21 days
89
how long is a cow in estrus?
12 hours
90
how long is a cow's gestation period?
285 days
91
are cows seasonal breeders?
no, they are polyestrous
92
what happens on Day 0 of the cow life cycle?
Breeding, somewhere around May 15
93
what happens on Day 285 of the cow life cycle?
calving, the next March after being bred in May
94
what happens 6-8 weeks after calving?
Spring work: branding, dehorning, castration, vaccinations
95
what happens in the September after calving?
Fall work: weaning (5-7 months, 400-600 lbs), pregnancy checks
96
after pregnancy checks in Fall work, what happens?
keep or sell
97
who is kept after pregnancy checks, and who is sold from what is kept?
```
replacement females (40%)
cull cows (10-15%)
```
98
what happens after the replacement females are kept and cows are culled?
heifer breeding season
99
how old are the heifers during heifer breeding season, and when does it happen?
13 months old, one month before cow herd is bred
100
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
101
where do the cows that are sold after fall work go?
to the Stocker
102
who is sold after Fall work?
steers and 60% heifers
103
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
104
where do the sold cows go from the Stocker?
to the feedlot
105
how long are the sold cows in the feedlot and how big do they get?
March-June, 1150-1200 lbs
106
where do the sold cows go from the feedlot?
to the Packer
