ANSC 1401 - Beef Cattle

Beef

The meat from cattle other than veal and calves

Veal

The meat from calves slaughtered before they are about 3 months old (yearling or younger)

• All-milk diet; causes a pale meat

Calf

Meat from a calf OR a young bovine

Bovine

Cattle — Species name

Bull

A sexually mature, uncastrated, bovine male

Steer

A male bovine castrated before reaching puberty

• Done to reduce aggression and similar brought on by testosterone

• Testosterone reduces marbling

Bull Calf

A sexually immature, uncastrated, bovine male

Bullock

Young bull under 2 years of age

Calf Crop

Calves produced by a herd of cattle in one season

Cow

A sexually mature, bovine female that has given birth to at least one calf

Dry Cow

A cow that is not producing milk

First calf

A term commonly used to indicate the first calf born to bovine females

Freemartin

A sterile heifer born twin to a bull calf

• 90% of the heifers will not concieve

Heifer

A young female bovine before the time that she has produced her first calf

Heiferette

Female between 2-3 years of age that has calved once

• Typically a slaughter heifer that accidentally calves

Yearling

A male or female between 1-2 y/o.

• “Short yearling” is 12-18 months

• “Long yearling” is 18-24 months

Bos Indicus (Zebu) cattle

The kind of cattle—originating in India—from which the Brahman breed was developed. Common characteristics include:

• Shoulder hump, drooping ears, a loose, pendulous dewlap

• Seen as sacred and therefore not eaten—retained unwanted characteristics for meat-wise cattle

What is Bos taurus?

Cattle of European origin

• Better meat than Bos Indicus, adapted to cold climates

The beef industry is a _____ integration

Vertical

What are the four structures of the Beef Industry in order?

1. Seed Stock

2. Cow-Calf

3. Yearling/Stocker

4. Feedlot

What is the purpose of the Seed Stock Production?

To produce breeding stock; genetic supplier of Bulls and Heifers

What is the purpose of the Cow-Calf Production?

To produce the heaviest calves possible with the least cost

What is the purpose of the Yearling/Stocker Operators?

To grow calves to heavier weights on low-priced forage

• Only light calves go to these operators

What is the purpose of the Feedlot Operations?

Acts as the “finishing phase,” finishes cattle to market weight before slaughter

Do other countries care about Marbling?

No. Only the U.S. really cares about it.

What happened in 1493?

Spanish cattle were brought to Western Hemipshere by Columbus

What happened in 1519?

Cortez brings Spanish Longhorns to Mexico

What happened in 1609?

English settlers bring European Cattle to America

What happened in the 1850s?

European Shorthorns are brought to America

What happened Post-Cold War (CW)?

Cattle drives from the South to railways in Kansas (KS) and Nebraska (NE)

What happened Post-World War II (WWII)?

Excess grains gave rise to grain-fed to cattle prior to slaughter

• Was the birth of the feedlot industry

What’s happening today?

Smaller herds/greater meat production due to greater efficiency

What is double-muscling?

A term used to described having more muscle fibers

• The fibers are smaller and more concentrated

Leads to extremely tender meat but very low marbling as well as poor reproduction.

• We are trying to eliminate this in the U.S.

What is a Dual-Purpose Breed?

A Breed that can/is used for dairy/reproduction and meat

Are most cattle better in dry or humid climates?

Dry

What beef cattle breeds are polled?

• Angus

• Red Angus

• Red Poll

Buffalo

• Tough, ornery, adaptable

• Crossed to form a beefalo

• Not good meat

Longhorn

• Tough, adaptable

• Comes in any color

• Light muscled

• Good for first-calf heifers

What are the characteristics of the British Breeds?

• Known for being reproductively efficient

  • Good mothers & milkers

• Tend to do well in environments with less forage due to extra fat

• Smaller than a lot of cattle breeds

• Don’t marble as well nor at as early of an age compared to other breeds

• Angus + Red Angus growing in popularity in U.S.

What are the British Breeds?

1. Shorthorn

2. Hereford

3. Mini Hereford

4. Angus

5. Red Angus

6. Black Baldy

7. Galloway

8. Scotch Highland

9. Red Poll Bull

10. South Devon

11. Murray Gray

Shorthorn

• Originated in Scotland

• Will be horned or polled

  • If horned, the horns will be shorter than most cattle

• Can come in red, roan, or white

  • RR - Red

  • RW - Roan

  • WW - White

• White is an unpopular color in Shorthorns

Hereford

• From Herefordshire, England

• Can be horned or polled

• Most important of the British Breeds globally

  • Nicknamed “the cattle that won the west”

  • Tough, durable, can handle having less grass, rugged

• Red bodies with distinct white markings

  • If they have no white on their shoulders, they’re called a “redneck”

• Prone to eye cancer; pink spots absorb UV rays which can lead to cancer

  • Also leads to sunburned utters and testicles

  • A lot of white has been bred off, especially in sensitive areas

Mini Hereford

• Well-known in the Show Industry

  • Therefore, not relevant to commerical industry

• Niche market

• Will be shown with a child for size comparison

Angus

• Originated in Scotland

• The most important in the U.S.

  • Produce more marbling at a younger age & smaller weight

• Will always be black & polled

• Good maternal instincts

• White can only be under belly/scrotum

Red Angus

• Same genetics as an Angus minus the red gene

  • Always polled

• Even etter maternal instincts than the Angus

• Can better withstand heat due to lighter coloring

  • Darker colors absorb more heat

• Genetics

  • Black gene is dominant

  • BB & Br - Black

  • rr - Red

Black Baldy

• Hereford x Angus

  • Hereford face coloring is dominant when it comes to breeding

• Excellent mothers

  • Red Baldy is the most sought after for maternal instincts, heat tolerance, etc

• NOT A TRUE BREED! However, it is an accepted term to describe their crossbreeding

Galloway

• Originated in Scotland

• A lot more hair than typical British Breeds

  • Irrelevant to the industry

  • Helps them keep warm in colder environments

  • Can’t tolerate heat well

  • Used for their genetics in show cattle to buff out imperfections

• Identified by a white belt around their shoulders

Scotch Highland

• Hairy, shaggy haircoat

  • Irrelevant to the industry; typically pets

  • Niche market

• Noted for their long eyelashes which help with insect resistance

Red Poll Bull

• Used to be a Dual-Purpose breed, now solely a Beef Breed

• Have light muscles

  • Too fatty

  • Irrelevant to the industry

South Devon

• Originated from Devon & Cornwall, England (Southwest)

• Largest of the British Breeds

  • Irrelevant to the industry

• Can be horned or polled

• Some can be black; predominantly red

• Has more hair compared to other breeds, but not as much as Highland or Galloway

Murray Gray

• Originated in Australia

• Angus x Shorthorn

• Too fatty

  • Irrelevant to the industry

What breed is this?

Angus

What breed is this?

Murray Gray

What breed is this?

Scotch Highland

What breed is this?

Red Poll Bull

What breed is this?

Shorthorn

What breed is this?

Galloway

What breed is this?

• British

Hereford

What breed is this?

• British

• Most popular in America

Red Angus

What breed is this?

Mini Hereford

What breed is this?

Black Baldy

• Recall that it isn’t an actual breed

What breed is this?

• Not polled

• British

South Devon

What are the characteristics of the Continental Breeds?

• Aka Exotics or European

  • Imported to America after the British breeds

• Selected for meat, milk & work

  • Larger, faster-growing, more muscles, less fat

  • Need a lot more forage to survive

• Poorer mothers

  • Less fertile

  • Attitudinal

• Crossbred most often with the Angus to get desired characteristics in America

Simmental

• Originated in Switzerland

• Horned or polled with no set color pattern

  • Can range from light red to almost yellow

• Fast-growing but too big and little marbling

  • Bred with Angus to fix attitudes, mothering abilities and size

• The most fertile of the Contintental Breeds

• Unlike the Hereford, its white does NOT breed true!

Braunvieh

• Originated in Switzerland

  • Had one of the latest importations to the U.S.

• Have the same genetic origins as Brown Swiss dairy cattle

  • Noted for a lot of marbling, good growth-rates, and being good for crossbreeding

• Quite fertile, gentle and product a sufficient amount of milk

• Chocolate brown color (unlike any other breed)

Charolais

• Originated in France

• White or yellow

• Best used in terminal crossbreeding

  • Good growth rates and carcass

  • Angus x Charolais → Smoky Angus

• Very large: Dystocia

  • Big-Boned

  • Poor mothers (low milk, fertility, poor udders)

Limousin(e)

• Originated in France

• Great for crossbreeding

• Golden in color with coarse hair

  • Angus crossbreeding turned them black

• Typically polled

• Smaller carcass than a Charolais, but still muscular

  • Round and expressively muscled but very lean

Maine Anjou (Maines)

• Originated in France

• Typically dark red but black was bred into the mix

  • White can be bred off but its very difficult

• Fast-growing with lean carcass

• Poor udders and low fertility

Tarentaise

• Originated in France

• Identified by dark pigmentations

• Super light bones, thin muscles

  • Too much fat

  • Able to sire smaller calves → great for first-calf Heifers

• Noted for their ability to tolerate high altitudes and are found in mountainous regions in the U.S.

Salers (Suh’ Lairs)

• Originated in France

• Too high maintenance

  • Long, dark curly hair → no heat tolerance

  • Way too big → need too much forage

  • Attitude issues

• Horned or polled

Chianina

• Orignated in Italy

• They are white with black points

  • Most in the U.S. are black

• Tallest of the Continental breeds

  • Too big and light muscled

  • Big-boned

  • A lot of temperament issues

Piedmontese

• Originated in Italy

• White/gray with dark markings on neck, face, and legs

• Double-muscled

  • Similar to Belgian Blues

Pinzgauer

• Originated in Germany

• Better fertility-wise and have better milk production

• Never really grew too big → altered gentics

  • Bred with Angus

  • Identified by a white topline, tail and belly (alligator)

Gelbvieh

• Originated in both Germany and Austria

• Quite similar to a Limousine

  • Very muscular

• Come in a golden color → bred black now

• Good dual-purpose

  • Good mothers — Gentle

Belgian Blue & White

• All are double-muscled

  • Calves are born large → mothers’ pelvis too small → c-section

  • Fertility isnt good → hard to find testes due to muscles

• They do not marble, therefore no good in beef industry

  • All meat is used for ground beef

What breed is this?

• Continental

Charolais

What breed is this?

Salers

What breed is this?

• Continental

Simmental

What breed is this?

Braunvieh

What breed is this?

• Continental

• From France

Limousin(e)

What breed is this?

Piedmontese

What breed is this?

Chianina

What breed is this?

Belgian Blue & White

What breed is this?

Maine Anjou (Maines)

What breed is this?

Tarentaise

What breed is this?

Pinzgauer

What breed is this?

• Continental

• From Germany/Austria

Gelbvieh

What are the characteristics of the American Breeds?

• Most will have a Brahman base

  • Brahman bred with British and Continental Cattle

  • Traits like different head & horn shapes, humps on shoulders, floppy ears, less hair, and loose skin.

  • Will vary in size depending on % of Brahman

• Noted for heat tolerance and insect resistance

• Bred for the southern U.S. to withstand the hot, humid environments

American Breeds are typically 5/8’s what and 3/8’s what?

5/8’s other breed (ex: Shorthorn, Angus) and 3/8’s Brahman

American Brahman

• Large, floppy ears, dewlap, and long, narrow face

  • Extra leather contained in dewlap

• Tend to have sheath problems due to too much skin

  • Harder to breed

• Will be predominatly grey and red

• Used in crossbreeding to pass heat tolerance and parasite/disease resistance

  • Seen in southern cattle

Tiger Stripe Cattle

• Brahman x Hereford

• Used as a terminal crossbreed

• Used to make a “super baldy”

• Regionally important in the south

Nellore

• Thinnest of the American Breeds

  • Tight skin

• Unique, upward horn shape

• Refined and small udders

• Used to create the Brahman

• Most will be white

  • Jackson will show a white one!!!

Guzerat (Indu-Brazil)

• Originated in Brazil

• Most skin of the American Breeds

• Very unique horn shape

  • Similar to Nellore

• Most will be grey or black

Santa Gertrudis

• Created on King Ranch

  • 5/8 Shorthorn and 3/8 Brahman

• All will be red, can be horned or polled

  • Range from dark red to bright red

• Noted for good growth rate

• Inconsistant marbling

Santa Cruz

• Created to breed off the Gertrudis’ bad traits

  • King Ranch 1990

  • Better carcass

  • Better maturity

• Not a “true” American Breed

  • 5/16 Shorthorn, 3/16 Brahman, ¼ Red Angus, ¼ Gelbvieh

  • SBRaG

Brangus

• 5/8 Angus 3/8 Brahman

  • Marbling + Heat Tolerance

• The most popular of the American Breeds

• Black and polled

  • Can be red, depends on parents

  • Recall that Angus has recessive red gene

Brahford

• 5/8 Hereford 3/8 Brahman

• Will carry the white markings

  • Dominate gene!

• Noted for being excellent mothers

  • High fertility & milk production

Beefmaster

• Created by Tom Lasater

  • Brahman x Shorthorn x Brown Swiss x Hereford

    • BSBsH

• Can be any color

  • Shift to red, but not a breed requirement

• Docile, gentle, and highly fertile

• Good growth rate and size but have carcass issues

Charbray

• 5/8 Charolais 3/8 Brahman

• White or yellow, horned or polled

• Better carcass than a Brahman

  • Terminal crossbreeding

Simbrah

• 5/8 Simmental 3/8 Brahman

• Tend to mark like a Simmental

• Way too big and needs too much forage

  • Good in plains states

• Good maternity

  • Milk production