Exam 2 - beef Flashcards
segmented beef cattle industry
each phase has a new owner - animals are sold as they from one phase to another
seedstock producers
purebred animals with particular characteristics that may be more/less desirable for particular producers
fecundity, size, carcass characteristics, etc.
sell to commercial producers
commercial producers
sell animals to the marketplace for consumption
use diff breeds and production practices to meet marketplace demands
grain-fed, grass-fed, organic, etc.
yearling stock operations
convert grass –> weight
feedlots
grain –> beef
feed cattle for weight gain prior to slaughter
packers
processing
beef production
size
geographic location
small herds = largest # operations, require supplemental income
large herds = small # operations, primary source of income
feedlots in highplains TX, OK, CO, KA, NE, IO = dust problem; central states
beef cattle producers are ______
price takers
beef production cycle
seasonal breeders?
gestation?
cycle takes a full year
not seasonal breeders - sesonality schedules for feed and marketing
gestation 283 days
flow of animals through cow/calf production system
calving period - April-June =cheaper/easier to feed
breeding - june-aug
weaning - october
lactation april-october
when is energy demand the highest
lactation/breeding
advantages of short breeding season
short calving season
less labor
less calf disease
improved return to breeding
more uniform weaning weights
____ is the largest of the world’s land
grazing
finished cattle
ready for slaughter
non-fed cattle
sent to slaughter after culled (removed from herd)
when are beef cattle weaned
7 mo
550 lbs
slaughter weight
1400-1450lbs
what are cattle fed on feedlots
cereal grains - concentrates
but must be gradual change for the adaptation of rumen microbes
pharmacological contributors
implants/hormones
abx
ionophores
repartitioning agents
parasiticides
vx
purpose of hormone implants
steroid hormones; implanted in ear
most fed cattle are castrated = negative impact on growth characteristics thus require hormones
why do we castrate bulls
behavior
handling
injuries
meat quality
dark cutters
1 feedlot disease challenge
what other diseases are common
respiratory disease
GI - bloat, acidosis, infectious
lameness, injury, mortality
cow/calf gross revenue
animals sold x weight of animals sold x price per unit weight
cow/calf profit
value of calves sold/breeding female vs the cost of producing calves
what is the carrying cost
cost of producing calves
extensively managed cattle
raised outside - more risks
intensively managed cattle
control feed and genetics
major problem for cows and calves
dystocia
when do majority of calves die
<3 weeks old = perinatal or neonatal due to dystocia, weather and digestive problems
>24 hrs < 3 weeks
main risk for growing preweaned calves (>3weeks <7mo)
respiratory then GI
main risk of mature cows
dystocia, lameness injury, GI
beef industry primarily a _______
domestic market
cattle trade vs beef trade
cattle trade - import/export of cattle inside/outside country; IMPORT > EXPORT
beef trade - import/export of meat; EXPORT > IMPORT
