Beef Cattle Industry
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54 Terms
Bovine
relating to or affecting cattle
Genus
Bos
Generally, Bos Taurus or Bos indicus
Calf
young male or female bovine, typically under 1 year of age
Heifer
female who has not yet given birth
Cow
female who has given birth
Bull
Uncastrated male
Steer
castrated male
Calving
act of giving birth
Beef
meat from cattle
Herd
group of cattle
Head
Singular unit in group of cattle (can apply to other species)
Breed
group of related animals with distinguishing characteristics
Maternal breeds
excel at mothering, raising offspring, producing milk
Terminal breeds
excel at growth, feed efficiency, and carcass yield
Dual purpose breeds
have good maternal and terminal characteristics
Cattle breeds distinguished by
Coat color
Absence or presence of horns
Conformation (muscling)
Angus
Black
British
Maternal (historically)
Lots of selection for carcass quality
Most common U.S. breed
Hereford
Red body, white face
British
Maternal
Hardy
Polled or horned
Charolais
White
Continental Europe
Terminal
Simmental
Black or red
Continental Europe
Dual-purpose
Brahman
Gray
Indian
Heat-tolerant
Aggressive
Structure of industry
seedstock → Cow/calf → Stocker → Feedlot → Packing plant
Seedstock
Purebred operation
Registered with breed associations
Record pedigrees
Provide services to members
High investment in facilities and management
Seedstock part 2
Specialized cow/calf system
Offspring developed to breeding age
Provide genetics for commercial producer
Advertisement – show ring, magazines
Cow/Calf operation
Most beef producers
Calves sold for beef
Feeder calf
6 to 10 months
Calve spring (75%) or fall (25%)
Cow/calf operation
Assessing profitability as a cow/calf operator
1) calf crop percentage – number of calved produced per 100 cows in the
breeding herd
2) average calf weight at weaning
3) annual cow cost ($ required to keep a cow each year)
Stocker
Buy weaned calves
Raise on pasture
Grow slowly
Gain weight cheaply
Sell cattle at 1+ years old
Common in Virginia
Stocker
Factors to consider
Price
Growth potential
Amount and quality of forage
Health status
Cattle move from stocker to feedlot
for finishing
Intensive
High labor and capital
Small area of land
Often indoor, climate controlled
Farmer regularly sees animals
Extensive
Limited labor and capital
Animals scattered across large area of land
Outdoor
Animal harvests own feed
Animal seen daily or less frequently
Cow/calf
Pasture
May supplement hay/grain
Stockers
Pastures
Wheat fields
Feedlot
Final stage
Buy feeders or stockers
Animals are confined to pens and fed high energy grain diet
Market steer or heifer
Grow fast, put on fat
Send to slaughter
Feedlot (part 2)
Growth promotants used in over 80%
Naturally occurring and synthetic forms
Increase feed efficiency
Reduce number of cattle needed – more feed, more carbon emissions
Feedlot (part 3)
Housing
Open to outdoors
May have windbreaks or sunshades
Dirt lot, mound in center
Central alleyway for feed
Small lots may be inside with bunk feeder
Major feeding areas:
Texas Panhandle, SW Kansas, East Nebraska, Central Colorado, and
corn belt states
Factors influencing value
Facilities
Cost of cattle
Feed costs
Yardage – costs of gain that are not feed
Marketing
Yardage
costs of gain that are not feed
Operation size
Small – 500 – 1000 head
Large – 30,000 to over 100,000 head
Grain - finished
Conventional, no special labeling
Animal spends majority of life on pasture
4-6 months at feedlot
May (or may not) be given approved antibiotics to treat, prevent, or control disease and/or growth - promoting hormones
Grass - finished or grass - fed
Animal spends entire life eating grass or forage
May also eat grass, forage, hay or silage at feedlot
May be given antibiotics or hormones
Certified Organic
Cattle never receive antibiotics or growth-promoting hormones
May be either grain- or grass- finished, as long as the feed is 100% organically grown
May spend time in feedlot
Naturally raised, or “never-ever”
Cattle never receive antibiotics or growth-promoting hormones
May be either grain- or grass - finished
May spend time in feedlot
Structure of industry
Seedstock → cow/calf → stocker → feedlot → packing plant
Beef lifespan (spring and fall calving)
Wean - 205 d; 500 lbs,
Breed - 15 months
Gestation - 283 d
Calve - 2 yr; 1400 lbs
Lifespan - 8 yr
Feeder
Born
Wean - 205d
Feedlot - 600 lbs
Slaughter - 14 months; 1400 lbs
Stocker
Born
Wean: 205 d; stocker: 400lbs
Feedlot: 14 months; 900lbs
Slaughter: 18 months; 1,400-1,800 lbs
Reproductive summary
Age at puberty (bulls): 10 (6-10) months
Age at puberty (heifers): 10 (4-14) months
Gestation length: 283 days (275-290)
Estrous cycle length: 21 days
Bull: cow ratio
1:25-1:30 average
Reproductive summary (part 2)
Goal: 1 calf per cow per year
Freemartin – a female calf born twin to a bull calf (approximately 90% will be infertile)
Nutrition summary
Cattle are ruminants
Ruminant – 4 compartments to stomach
Allows for fermentation of forage
Bacteria create protein
Bloat
Can’t release gases from rumen
Rumen expands, pressure on diaphragm and lungs
Swelling on left side, severe discomfort
Prevention key, treatment is difficult due to fast progression
Acidosis
Abrupt decline in rumen pH
Shift to high grain diets, excessive consumption of certain carbohydrates
Signs: cattle weak, appear anorexic, may have diarrhea and be dehydrated
Prevention: transition diets slowly, keep some roughage in diet
Viral and bacterial diseases common
Bovine viral diarrhea
Bovine respiratory disease – several organisms
Brucellosis
Good vaccine regime critical
External and internal parasites common
Prevention with insecticides, dewormers
Sprays, pour-ons, ear tags, drenches