Beef Cattle

Types of breeds

European/british, continental, zebu, crosses

Bos taurus breeds

European/british and continental

Bos indicus breed

zebu

European/british breeds

Hereford, Angus, Shorthorn

Continental breeds

Charolais, Simmental, Chiaina, Limausin

Zebu breed

Brahmin

Beef cross breeds

Black baldy, Brangus

Beef infrastructure order

Seedstock, commercial cow/calf, stocker, feedlot, packer, consumer

Seedstock purpose

specialized breeders, provide genetic material for commercial producer (breeding animals, semen, embryos) 

Commercial cow-calf purpose

maintain herds, raise calves from birth to weaning (5-10 months)

Stocker purpose

add weight to calves before going to feed lot, use roughages

Feedlot purpose

continued feeding, cattle are fed a finishing diet (high energy), 90-150 days for most cattle, increases the palatability of meat

Palatability of meat factors

Juiciness, tenderness, tenderness

Grain fed cattle timeline

14-22 months total: pasture for 9-12 months, feedlot for 90+ days

Grain fed cattle characteristic

whiter fat, more marbling (visible fat within meat)

Grass fed cattle timeline

24+ months total: pasture only

Grass fed cattle characteristic

yellowish fat, leaner

Packer purpose

slaughter and processing of carcass: cut into smaller cuts, vaccuum package and box them, ship to retailer

Meat quality grading

indicates eating quality of meat based on marbling, higher marbling = higher quality

Meat yield grading

amount of red meat a carcass contains

Common grades of meat

select, choice, prime

Meat quality and yield grading are

inversely related

Beef cattle life cycle

Breeding, calving, spring work, fall work, breeding, sold or kept

Spring work

branding, dehorning, castration, vaccination

Spring work duration

6-8 weeks

Fall work

weaning, pregnancy checks, determine keep vs sell

Fall work duration

5-7 months, 400-600lbs

Sold calves journey

stocker, feedlot, packer

What and when do sold calves go to stocker

steers and 60% of heifers at 750-850lbs, September, february, march

When do sold calves go to feedlot

March - June, 1150-1200lbs

Kept calves journey

heifer breeding season at 13 months (months before cow herd), calve at 285 days, breeding

Kept calves stats

Replacement females 40%, cull cows 10-15%

Challenges of Beef Cattle industry

Genotype x environment interaction alters performance and small herd and part-time ranchers

Small herd and part-time ranchers disadvantage

91% of herds <100 head, slow to adopt AI