Beef Cattle (EXAM #3)

world cattle numbers and beef production

top 3 countries: India, Brazil, China

USA → 87 million cattle, 12.3 metric tons of beef

• ~9.5% of the world’s cattle

• produce ~20% of the world’s beef and veal

beef cattle vs veal calves

beef cattle → more than 1 year of age

veal calves → less than 3 months of age

beef industry in the USA

2024 → 58 lbs of beef consumed per person

2025 → 87 mil total head of cattle

• 28 million beef cows

• $108 billion in cash receipts

  • ~20% of all agriculture cash receipts

inventory changes based on

demand (domestic & exports)

beef prices

cost of production (feed)

weather (drought vs flood)

land prices

cattle feeding areas

• southern and central region of the great plains

top cattle states: Texas, Nebraska, Kansas, california, oklahoma, montana

cow calf operation

heifer breeding → pregnancy → calving/nursing → cow rebreeding

WEANING

→ sell light weanlings to stock/yearling operations

→ sell heavy weanlings to finishing/feedlot operations

→ retain ownership and send them to processing/slaughter (veal calves)

fed: FORAGE

stocker/yearling operations

→ backgrounding

GOAL: grow light weanlings to 600-900 lbs in 12-16 months

fed: FORAGE

finishing/feedlot operation

CAFO: concentrated animal feeding operation

GOAL: grow heavy weanlings orweanlings sold from stocker/yearling op. to 900-1450 lbs in 18-24 months

fed: GRAIN

• >85% of US beef cattle in feedlots with >1000 cattle

processing/slaughter → market/retail

industrial vs small scale slaughter houses → then sent to whole sales, grocery stores, restaurants

U.S beef cow farms

more farms with a small amount of beef cows than small amount of farms with A LOT of beef cows

a cow’s role on a beef farm

• conceive early in the breeding season → first 40 days

• deliver a live calf each year

• rebreed on schedule (40-90 days after breeding)

• wean a big calf

cow estrous cycle

NONSEASONALLY POLYESTROUS

cycle: 18-24 day cycle → AVERAGE 21 days

natural service (bull bred)

fertile & healthy bull @ right stocking density:

• young bull = 20-25 cows

• mature bull = 25-40 cows

range: 4 bulls per 100 cows

exposure time <60 days → but calving season depends on how fertile the herd is

body condition score of cows

artificial insemination

heat detect or synchronize estrus and/or ovulation

advantages

• genetic improvement

• maximize use of bull

• safer without a bull

• limit spread of disease

disadvantages

• costly

• trained labor

• time consuming

• special handling facilities

• equipment

when should you breed cows?

typically bred to calve in spring or fall

breeding season: LATE SPRING or EARLY SUMMER

• calves arrive following late winter or spring

calving in the spring

cows will be lactating when natural grazing is available

• little - no supplemental feed is required

• less money for housing, feed and labor

cows will be weaned in the fall and ready to go to a feedlot when the feed supply is large

when should you breed heifers (first time calving)?

• breed at 65% of projected adult weight + height

  • breed dependent but usually around 700-850 lbs

• age → breed by 15 months so they calve for the first time by 2 years

• date

  • early in the season so they have 20-30 days before the cows calve

    • more time for observation of the calves and heifers

    • more time for calf growth (typically born smaller)

    • more time for 1st time calf heifers to return to estrous cyclicity post calving

pregnant cow or open cow…..should be culled or not?

check for pregnancy 45-90 days after removal of bull

• check by palpation per rectum

• check by my ultrasound examination per rectum

open cow…CULLED

calving goals

calving season: 40-90 days

• spring: March-June

• fall: Sept to Oct

clean safe environment

frequent observation

provide assistance when needed (heifers)

save calves → mortality rate <3%

keep records

calf processing

1) ear tag

2) bull/heifer

3) disbud → before ~8 weeks when horn attaches to skull

dehorn → the younger, the better (avoid by using polled genetics)

4) tattoo

5) brand: letter 4’’ tall and 3/8 to 1’’ wide

• hot iron

• freeze brand

6) castrate (bull→ steer)

• ideally at less than 2 months of age

  • more than 8 months = staggy

• elastrator band

• burdizzo or emasculotome

• surgical

disbudding/dishorning

nerve block (lidocaine ± sedation; NSAID - anti-inflammatory) before!!

less than 2 weeks: shave hair and apply caustic paste

less than 8 weeks: tube dehorner or heat dehorner

less than 6 months: Barnes dehorner

young adult: gigli wire

weaning at 6-10 months

calves in a herd will be weaned at the same time

weaning weight: ~ 500 lbs

factors affecting calf weaning weights

1) calving date (cow fertility)

2) available forage for the cow and calf

3) creep feed

4) disease or illness

5) genetic selection

6) cross breeding → 10-30% increase in lbs of calf weaned per cow bred (calves are bigger at weaning???)\

7) growth stimulants

• ralgro (zeranol → synthetic estrogen)

• synovex C (progesterone & estrogen)

• compudose (estradiol)

growth stimulants

1) improve growth rate

2) improve feed efficiency

• increase annual U.S beef production by more than 700 mil lbs while saving more than 6 bil pounds of feed

3) generate a leaner carcass

• produce leaner meat in a shorter amount of time/less feed/money input

4) make economic sense to producers → 10:1 return

do NOT implant breeding cattle (bulls + replacement heifers)

who uses implants for growth stimulants

9-30% of cow/calf producers use growth-promoting implants

34-90% of feedlots with <1000 head of cattle use implants at least once during the finishing phase

78-99% of feed with >1000 head of cattle use implants at least once during finishing phase

who does not use implants?

USDA: ORGANIC meat comes from cattle that are not given any antibiotics or growth hormones

factors affecting cow costs

1. feed → ~50-70% of annual cow costs

   • use rotational grazing and minimize supplemental feed costs

2. genetics

3. labor → ~15-20% of annual cow costs

4. herd health

5. interest on capital → ~10-15% of annual cow costs

   • minimize payments for machinery, mortgage etc

6. other: fuel, repairs, supplies, utilities, taxes

Shipping Fever (bovine respiratory disease complex)

caused by a combination of viral infection, bacterial infection and stress

sources of stress:

• transportation

• extreme temps

• diet changes/hunger

• fear/discomfort

• exposure to new animals → microbes + social interaction

• exposure to new surroundings

cow calf herd health protocol

pre-breeding

• vaccinate

• body conditioning score

• parasite control

calving

• colostrum

• ear tag

• ± vitamin E and selenium

• ± vitamin A and D

• ± dehorn

• ± castrate

• ± implant

mid lactation & pre-weaning

• vaccinate

• parasite control

• ± dehorn

• ± castrate

• ± implant

Preconditioning

management practices implement around weaning to optimize a calf’s immune system and nutritional status and minimize a calf’s stress + value added to calf (can sell for higher price)

1) identify - ear tag, brand, tattoo

2) vaccinate

3) parasite monitor/control

4) castrate

5) dehorn

6) train calves to eat from a feed bunk & drink from a water trough

shrink →stocker/yearling operations

loss of weight when handled or shipped

• due to decreased feed consumption, manure losses and water loss from both the digestive tract and tissues when cattle don’t drink

shrink 3-15% from on-farm weight to delivered weight

• recovery takes 2-3 weeks

Health Management - stocker yearling operations

management of newly received or weaning calves in the first 3-4 weeks may determine profit/loss

• maintain clean, quiet, uncrowded receiving pen

• ± vaccinate and deworm within 24-36 hours of arrival

• ± metaphylactic antibiotics → based on risk level; controversial

• feed high quality grass hay and fresh clean water

• provide adequate bunk space

• observe frequently for health and feed intake

feedlot- environmental management

• dust

  • overhead sprinklers

  • timely manure removal

• odor

  • regular pen maintenance

• flies

  • composting

  • release fly-parasites

• water quality

dressing percent

the amount of the live weight to enter the freezer as a carcass

• without hind, blood, internal organs, head, and hooves

hot carcass weight/ live weight *100

average dressing percent of a grain fed beef

60%-63%

average dressing percent of grass fed beef

56-58%

carcass cutting yield

percent of hanging carcass that actually ends up as meat

carcass cutting yield = lbs of meat/carcass weight * 100

how much hanging carcass will yield?

~60-70% edible meat

USDA Quality Grades vs Yield Grade

quality grades: flavor, juiciness, tenderness of meat

• prime > choice > select > standard> commercial> utility > cutter > canner

• determined by marbling on ribeye (12th + 13th rib) and maturity of animal

yield grade: how much usable meat is on the carcass