Beef cows Flashcards
how many beef cattle in aus
28.7 million
how much beef is exported in aus
60-70%
value of beef industry in aus
- 15 billion
top markets in australian beef
- japan, South Korea, China, US, Indonesia
- marbling, manufacturing and grass fed all factors
common beef breed in aus
Bos Indicus
why is ausralian beef exported
- high quality
- disease free
- lack oof local supply chain
where are cattle mostly disrtibuted
- north to south coast of east aus
- some in south west
what is native pasture system
- tropical and subtorpical aus
- non arable land used fro grazing only
- extensive system
- Bos Indicus
what is improved pasture system
- southern aus
- temeeprate climate
- Bos taurus
- extensive or intensive
what is the tick line
- northern line where temperature and rainfall allows for more tick diseases to spread to cows
zoones where cows produced
- pastoral
- wheat sheep zone
- high rainfall zone
describe pastoral zone beef production
- central aus (north and middle)
- cattle sations
- e.g. anna creek station
- 0.5-1 million hectares
- 50 - 60% aus herd here
- low stocking density
- native pasture
- avg 2600 herd
- low labour
- bos indicus
when does breeding occur in pastoral zone
- wet seasons when cows most fertile
- uncontrolled
describe cattle systems in wheat and sheep zone
- 20 -30% herd
- inland coasts, south
- 3000 hectares
- avg 400 head
- fenced
- 1 cow/6.6 hectares
- bos indicus/taurus
- controlled mating
- conserved fodder
- castrate males
- pregnancy testing
- supervised calving
describe high rainfall zone cattle
- southern coasts + north east coast
- 25 -35% herd
- 950 hectares
- less than 400 herd
- 1 cow/3.4 hectares
- high quality beef
- low transport costs
- Bos taurus
- controlled grazing
- more conserved fodder
what pasture do cows eat
- annual ryegrass and clover
- perennial grasses
when do cows need supplementation?
- late summer to mid winter when pasture dies
- protein supplements
- weaners and breeders
what is feedlots finished beef
- grain fed for a minimum of 60 days in feedlots (pens)
- family owned usually
- 500 to 50,000 head
- 60% are in queensland, 30% in NSW
- national feedlot accreditation scheme (NFAS) = > 400 farms
what is a feedlot
- coonfined yard area with watering and feeding facilities where cattle completely hand or mechanically fed for purpose of production
- fed once or twice daily
- bunk managers
benefits of feedlots
- consistent finihsing product
- useful when pasture low
- controlled diet
- easy disease control
cattle breeds in Northern Aus
- Bos Indicus:
braham
droughtmaster etc
bos indicus features
- hump
- droppy ears
- dewlap
southern aus breed
Bos Taurus
Bos taurus features
British:
- smaller
- more fat
European:
- bigger
leaner
phases of beef production:
- breeding
- preg testing
- weaning
- replacement/ finishing (feedlots or pasture)
how often do cows have a calf
1 per year
methods of cow joining
controlled:
- north
- less productive
uncontrolled:
- south
- 3 cycles of 9 weeks
- time calving
when is pregnancy testing done
- 8-10 weeks
when does weaning occur
- 7-8 months old
what is breedplan
- genetic slection tool -> estimate breeding value
guidlines for cattle welfare includes:
- feed, water, risk management, facilties, equipement, handling, castration, dehorning, spaying, breeding, transport,
feedlots
what welfare laws are in place
- code of practice for the welfare of animals (livestock, 2004)
impacts of malnutrition
- decreased immunity
- stress
- pregnancy toxaemia
- milk fever (Ca)
- Grass tetany
- vitamin and mineral deficiencies
what is lactic acidosis
- overeating carb foods
- sudden intro onto grain-baised diets (common in feedlots)
- reduced rumen pH
- increased fermentation
- weakness, staggers, drunken gait, diarrhoea, weight loss
treatment of lactic acidosis
- reduction is key -> slowly introduce grain diet
- empty the rumen (expensive)
what is laminitis
- caused by high grain diet for long periods
- laminae in hooves imbalanced
- extreme pain, off feed, difficult walking
- sloughing of hooves
how to treat laminitis
- prevent with proper nutrition
- anti-inflammatories
- keep on soft bedding
what are liver abscesses
- caused by sudden changes from pasture to high grain diet
- rumen wall eroded
- bacteria gain acces to liver causing necrosis
- abdominal pain
how to treat abscesses
- antibotics
- manage acidosis
- transition to grain slowly
what is bovine respiratory disease
- VERY serious
- most common
- variety of infectious viruses and bacteria
- coughing, nasal discharge, depression, pneumonia
how to prevent/ttreat bovine resp disease
- vaccines, reduced stress
- antimicrobials
