Final Flashcards
How many cows are in the “average” beef cow-calf herd in the United States?
44 cows
About how much of the total beef slaughter capacity is accounted for across the largest 4 packing companies?
88%
What is the capacity of the most common type of feedlots in the United States?
Less than 1000 head accounts for 2/3rd of the feedlots in the U.S.
What is the capacity of feedlots that account for the majority of cattle fed for slaughter?
Greater than 50,000
Define a stocker operation.
Stocker operations are operations where recently weaned calves are grazing pasture in order to increase their growth prior to sending them to finishing and slaughter.
Where are the majority of calves born in Missouri fed and slaughtered?
Out of state
Why does the “slide” exist?
The “price slide” occurs because cost of gain is less than the value of additional gain.
How many USDA thickness scores are used to grade feeder cattle and what score is the most desirable?
There are four USDA thickness scores used to grade feeder cattle and the score of 1 is most desirable.
Why are feeders heifers commonly sold at a discount relative to steers?
Feeder heifers are sold at a discount because heifers don’t get as big as steers, but they do weigh as much as a steer at a market. This means they have less potential of gain because a heifer’s mature body size is 100 pounds less than her steer counterpart. Thus, there is less overall gain available in a heifer then there is in a steer.
What are the USDA frame scores used in grading feeder cattle?
The USDA frame scores used in grading feeder cattle are large (premium), medium, and small.
What does the number of days per year feeding hay in a cow calf management system reflect?
An increase in the number of days feeding hay per year is the measurement of the relationship between forage productivity and forage demand of your cow herd.
How does mature cow body weight appear to influence 205 day calf weaning weight.
Cow body weight is not correlated with calf weaning weight.
What is harvest efficiency or forage utilization rate?
The proportion of feed harvested from your pastures that actually ends up in your cows mouth.
Generally, feeding hay compared to allowing cattle to continuously graze the same amount of forage from pasture cost about:
150% more
What are two examples of measures that can be used to determine productivity in a cow-calf management system?
1) . Pounds of calf/weaning weight
2) . Weaning weight as a percent of cow body mass
Illustrate the seasonal relationship between cow and intake requirements and forage production in a tall fescue system in the figure below. Clearly label each axis and lines
Image on phone
Describe how competition for feed influences diet selection among cows housed in a grazing system.
Increased competition decreases diet selectivity among the cows.
Decreased competition increases diet selectivity among the cows.
What is a realistic range in harvest efficiency among cows grazing pasture? Describe how one could influence harvest efficiency in grazing cows.
A realistic range in harvest efficiency among cows grazing pasture is 60 to 70%. A way to increase harvest efficiency in grazing cows is by implementing better grazing management practices.
What weight target expressed as a percent of mature body weight is a common goal for replacement heifers developed in intensive management systems?
65%
How does failing to obtain a pregnancy early in the breeding season impact a replacement heifers longevity within a herd?
if a replacement heifer fails to obtain a pregnancy early in the breeding season, it will decrease her longevity within a herd.
How does failing to obtain a pregnancy early in the breeding season impact performance of progeny born to replacement heifers?
Calves that are born earlier in the breeding season are heavier at weaning. Thus, by failing to obtain a pregnancy early in the breeding season it decreases the performance of progeny born to replacement heifers because they will be smaller at weaning.
How does extensive vs. intensive development of heifers influence pregnancy rate in replacement heifers?
The extensive vs intensive development of heifers does not have much of an influence on pregnancy rate in replacement heifers. The percentage difference between the pregnancy rate on a drylot (intensive) versus a range (extensive) was only 2%.
How are heifers commonly selected for development as replacements in intensive vs. extensive heifer development programs?
With intensive development they are maximizing probability of pregnancy in every heifer deemed worthy. In this case, it is the producers phenotypically selecting the biggest and the prettiest replacement heifers. Then, they do everything they can to get as many pregnant as possible. In contrast, with extensive development it is a systems approach in which the bulls and the environment will select better heifers than the producers. In this case, the producers are going to keep more of the replacement heifers around, develop them all, and let the bulls and the environment select them. The replacement heifers that become pregnant are the ones being selected.
Match each factor with the number that most closely reflects the percent it impacts profit in fed cattle.
Feeder Price
Feed Conversion
Corn Price / Feed Price
Fed Price
34%
6%
10%
42%
What factor or variable most influences carcass profitability?
Hot Carcass Weight (HCW)
Why do pay weight and dressed weight differ in a close out or harvest sheet?
Dressed weight is the carcass weight as it hangs on the rail. Pay weight is the weight for which you get paid, taking into account premiums or discounts. The pay weight is not the actual weight of the carcass. We get premiums when we beat plant averages and we get discounts when we fall below plant averages.
What is the purpose of heavy weight discount in grid pricing structures for beef carcasses?
The purpose of heavy weight discounts in grid pricing structures for beef carcasses is because heavy weight carcasses affect the ribeye size. If the ribeye size is too big then grocery stores and restaurants will have to decrease the thickness, which is not good for cooking.
What is the primary disadvantage to purebred beef cattle breeding systems?
There is not as much heterosis (hybrid vigor) achieved as compared to other breeding systems. Thus, there is not as much gains in weaning weight in the offspring.
What are some of the challenges to operating a Roto – terminal crossbreeding system?
It is usually the most labor and management intensive breeding strategy. Another challenge is that because you need at least three different breeds of bulls, you will need at least three different pastors.
What is the greatest challenge to a terminal crossbreeding system?
They cannot retain any of the replacement heifers and have to send all of their calves to market. This is because they are sired from a terminal sire and have terminal characteristics which are not desirable in replacement heifers. Thus the producers have to purchase all new replacement heifers which is costly.
What defines a beef cattle breed?
Animals that through selection and breeding closely resemble one another and pass their shared traits uniformly to offspring
How do British and continental breeds of beef cattle generally differ from each other?
British breeds of beef cattle have maternal characteristics (eg increased milking ability) while continental breeds of beef cattle have terminal characteristics (eg larger carcass)
What is the largest current operating expense to cow-calf operations beyond feed cost?
Cow replacement
What is the most effective tool in identifying when to divest from a cow or heifer?
Pregnancy diagnosis
What are at least two factors that contribute to replacement cow cost in a cow calf production system?
1) . Pregnancy – if a cow is open you need to cull her
2) . Performance – if a cow is not performing well you need to cull her
Other than to create a calf each 12 months, why do breeding season’s often have to essentially remain the same year over year?
Because they are tied to the forage.
What impact does the use of reproductive technologies have on calving distribution in a beef herd?
it shortens the calving distribution
What is the primary advantage offered by timed artificial insemination protocols in comparison to other artificial insemination protocols?
It reduces the overall labor involved when carrying out this process, because it eliminates Estrus detection.
How do you artificial insemination protocols that include progestins influence puberty and cycling in heifers?
They cause the heifers to sync up more uniformly with the rest of the hard.
What are two advantages of using artificial insemination protocols to breed beef cattle in comparison to natural service?
1) . It prevents STIs
2) . It is safer for the employees to not have bulls on the farm
Name 4 saleable products generated by a cow calf enterprise.
1) . Calves
2) . Bred heifer/ bred cow
3) . Three in one (pregnant female with her calf by her side)
4) . cull cow
What are two advantages of breeding heifers to calve 21 to 30 days prior to the cow herd?
1) . It gives the employees time to focus solely on the heifers since the heifers and cows will not be calving at the same time. This is important because the heifers are more labor-intensive
2) . It gives the heifers extra time to recover from the birthing event so they can achieve a pregnancy in line with the rest of the cow herd.
