Beef Book Raising

Mature female cattle who have birthed a calf.

cow

Young, uncastrated male

Bullock

In a ________ the rancher maintains a herd of

cows with is used to produce offspring.

cow-calf operation

The gestation period of cattle.

285

The vast majority of cattle are born in a ____ day

window.

90

The last stage of cattle production.

Finishing

How long are cattle in a backgrounding

operation?

1-2 years

Cattle purchased to go to the feedlot are called

______.

Feeder cattle

grass-fed cattle cannot enter the ______stage of

cattle production

feedlot

the amount of money and resources it takes to

add weight to cattle is called the _____

cost of gain

_____ beef is known for more marbled cuts and

efficient growth.

grain-finished

average birth weight

65

average weaning weight

550

This short stage helps keeps animals healthy by

vaccinating and transitioning them to eating

dry feeds.

pre-conditioning

During which months are cattle sent out for

winter grazing?

November-April

Young female cattle. More than 6 months and less

that 2 years, that has no more than 1 calf

Heiferette

Young female that has not yet produced a calf

Heifer

____ are intended to bear offspring that will

produce high-quality steaks.

Beef cattle

_____ are selected for beef production

Beef-type cattle

After a calf is _______, it is sent to a

backgrounding operation

weaned

Cattle that are put out to pasture to graze ad

gain weight.

stocker

A calf is weaned from its mother at _____

months on average.

6-7

In the feedlot, cattle are given a high energy

ration containing ______ and _____.

cereal grains, roughage

intramuscular fat

marbling

Cattle fed in a feedlot typically gain ____ lbs per

day.

2-4

The cyclical increases and decreases in the

cattle herd over time.

Cattle cycle

When the cattle population ______ it results in a

____ in calf number and prices start to increase.

decline, decline

Cattle can be in pens or lots and feed on dry

forage, silage, and grain

Backgrounding

It takes approximately ____ lbs of feed to

produce one lb of muscle

7

In this stage, cattle graze on summer grass

stocker