Beef production

Question 1

How many beef cattle in US?

Answer 1

95 million
34.4 million harvested in 1 year

Question 2

Black angus

Answer 2

english
all around good meat cattle
also come in red

Question 3

herefords

Answer 3

english
red/white
easily maintained

Question 4

belted galloway

Answer 4

english
oreo cookie
brown outside, white in middle

Question 5

charolais

Answer 5

continental
have horns
white

Question 6

simmental

Answer 6

continental
various colors
very muscular

Question 7

limousin

Answer 7

red or black
continental

Question 8

brahma

Answer 8

indian
large hump, pendulous sheath
heat tolerant (thinner skinned)
various colors

Question 9

Beef cattle production order

Answer 9

1. cow/calf: breed cows, raise calves, product is weaned calf, smaller operators/producers, forage based feed
2. grower: grow cows, prepare for feed lot
3. feedlot

Question 10

reproduction of beef cattle

Answer 10

mostly natural service
few artificial insemination

Question 11

bulls for breeding

Answer 11

typically purchased at 1-2 years of age
1 bull for 30 cows
typically purebred

Question 12

breeding season

Answer 12

goal: cow calves on same day every year
bulls turned out 80 days after calving (80+ 285 gestation= 365)
typical breeding season is 60 days (cows cycle every 21 days, 3 chances to get pregant, calves are relatively same size)

Question 13

open cows

Answer 13

economic loss
culled
15% every year

Question 14

birth weight

Answer 14

~80 pounds

Question 15

bull calves

Answer 15

usually castrated (steer)
more fat in muscle (marbling)

Question 16

weaning

Answer 16

5-10 months old (usually 5-6 months)
depends on marketing, weather, give cow dry period before next parturition

Question 17

replacement heifers

Answer 17

replacement rate of 15%
Goal for heifers to calve at 2 years
substantial growth from weaning to breeding

Question 18

backgrounders

Answer 18

growers
teach cows to eat out of bunk, give vaccines
in dry lot or barns
own animals for 1-3 months
feed silage

Question 19

stockers

Answer 19

growers
large high quality pastures
cows out on pasture
keep animal for grazing season as they grow

Question 20

weaners

Answer 20

growers
contract with feedlot and teach cows to eat out of bunk then send to feedlot

Question 21

feedlots

Answer 21

CAFOs: concentrated animal feeding operations
very large, specialzed (1,000- 100,000)
goal is to gain weight (fat), mainly fed concentrates/grains
gain 2.5-4lbs per day
there for 3-6 months
slaughters around ~1350 lbs (16-20 months old)