Introduction to Cattle Nutrition Flashcards
2 species of cattle
Bos taurus
Bos indicus
dairy vs beef
- Different ability to produce milk
- Different ability to grow
- Different ability to produce body muscle and fat masses
- Different Conformation
important dairy breeds
- Holstein Friesland
- Ayrshire
- Jersey
- Brown Swiss
Jersey
smallest dairy breed
good grazing ability
high milk fat content
brown swiss
good grazers
heat tolerant
ayrshire
good grazing ability
important beef breeds
- Angus
- Hereford
- Highland cattle
- Shorthorn
- Charolais
- Brahman
- Texas Longhorn
Angus
black, smooth hair, polled
high quality carcass, well marbled meat
perform well in feedlots
Hereford
high beef yield
docile and easily handled
shorthorn/polled shorthorn
very adaptable
origin of 30 other different breeds
charolais
large, heavily muscled breed
high carcass yields, lean
brahman
Bos indicus
used for crossing
heat tolerance
forage on poor pastures
quality carcass
texas longhorn
adapted to harsh environments
slow maturity
tolerant to disease and parasites
survive on sparse rangelands
dual purpose breeds
simmentaler/fleckvieh
normande
T/F all dairy breeds can be used for meat production
true its just shitty
composite breeds
optimize beef production on harsh lands
combine hardiness with productive performance
objective of dairy cows
produce 1 calf per year/cow
T/F cows are milked year round
false
milk is produced year round but only milked for 10 months
types of dairy cows (nutrition wise)
grazing
minimal grazing
no grazing
life cycle of a dairy cow
parturition
early and peak lactation
late lactation
dry period
how long does the dry period typically last
60 days
how often do calves have to be milked
BID
365 days a year
quality determinants of milk
volume
fat content
protein content
somatic cell count
what is the objective of beef farm
produce 1 calf per year/cow and finish that calve as soon as possible
two types of beef farms
cow/calf
feedlot
cow/calf nutrition system
pasture
feedlot nutrition system
animals confined and have access to feed (roughage+gran)
what it the job of feedlot cattle
finish out as quickly and efficiently as possible
how long do animals typically stay in the feedlot
3-6m
daily gain in feedlot
2.5-4 lbs per day
