beef cattle i

1. USA total cattle pop

   1. beef cattle pop

2. % of worlds cattle in US

3. metric tons of beef US produces

4. % of worlds beef + veal produced in US

   1. age difference in beef vs veal

5. lbs beef consumed per person

6. % ag receipts (beef cattle)

   1. in $ ?

7. how has population changes in the US

   1. 5 things that alter US inventroy

8. cattle feeidng areas

   1. top stops w/ cattle

9. format of the cattle production industry

10. what % of operations are less than 50 cows

    1. what % of cow pop is on these

    2. what % has 500+ cows on it

       1. total cow % pop

1. 87 mil (4th)

   1. 28 mil beef cattle

2. ~9.5%

3. 12.3 (top producer)

4. 20% of beef/veal

   1. beef >1 yr, veal <3m

5. 58 lbs / yr

6. 20% all ag receipts

   1. 108 bil dollars - below chickens

7. increased… peaked (1965) and decreased since

   1. demand, beef prices, production cost, weather, land prices

8. southern/central region of great plains

   1. TX, NB, KS

9. segmented!

10. 80% <50

    1. 28% of beef inventory pop

    2. 1% has >500 cows

       1. 17% of beef inventory

Cow-calf operation

1. what occurs here?

2. goal weight + age

3. 3 possible paths from here

4. diet

Stocker/yearling operation

1. term?

2. goal weight and age

3. diiet

Finishing/feedlot

1. term for this operation?

2. goal weight and age

3. diet

   1. what % of US Beef cattle are in feedlots with more than 1000 cattle

Processing/Slaughter

1. different types?

Market/Retail

1. locations

Cow-calf operation

1. breeding, pregnancy, nursing, re-breeding

2. 400-750 lbs by 6-10 months

3. light weanlings = stocker operation, heavy weanlings = feedlot, and possible retainment to slaughter

4. forage (pasture/hay based)

Stocker/yearling operation

1. backgrounding

2. 600-900 lbs by 12-16 months

3. forage (grass/crop residues/silage/pasture)

Finishing/feedlot

1. CAFO - concentrated animal feeling operation

2. 900-1450 lbs by 18-24 months

3. concentrates + forage

   1. >85%

Processing/Slaughter

1. industrial or small scale

Market/Retail

1. wholesalers, grocery store, etc

1. four goals of a cow on a beef farm

   1. best breeding season length?

2. overall goal + what is their diet based on

3. estrous cycle overview

   1. length

   2. phases

4. stocking density for natural service

   1. yuong bull

   2. mature bull

   3. ratio of bulls : 100 cows? '

5. best exposure time for ideal calving season?

   1. step to take before breeding

6. two methods of AI

   1. 4 adv

   2. 5 disadv

1. goals!

   1. Conveive early in breeding season

      1. w/in first 40 days

   2. deliver a live calf each yr

   3. re-breed on 40-90 day schedule after calving

   4. wean a big calf

2. yield positvie return! feed forage based diet

3. nonseasonally polyestrous

   1. 21 day avg

   2. pro - est - mete - die

4. stocking density for natural service

   1. 1 : 20-25

   2. 1 : 25-40

   3. 4 bulls per 100 cows

5. exposure time of =< 60 days

   1. BCS!

6. heat detect or synchronize etrus/ovulation

   1. genetic improvemnet, max use of bull, safer w/o bull, limit spread of dz

   2. costly, trained labor needed, time consuming, special handling, equipment needed

1. goal season for calving

2. ‘breeding season’

   1. what does this benefit

3. when does weaning occur?

   1. where they go after

4. ideal cow calf cycle

   1. breeding

   2. calving/nursing

   3. re-breeding

   4. weaning

5. 3 indicators of when a heifer should be bred

6. when should preg checks occur after bull removal

   1. 2 methods

   2. is culling neccesary?

7. 5 tasks for calving

   1. ideal MT

1. spring or fall (spring = march - june, fall = sept to oct)

2. late spring - early summer (so calves arrive late winter/spring)

   1. cows lactating when natural grazing is avbl so minimal supplemental feed is req - less $$$

3. weaning = fall

   1. prep for feedlot where feed supply is large

4. ideal cow calf cycle

   1. breeding - may through july

   2. calving/nursing - february through may

   3. re-breeding - may through july

   4. weaning - october

5. breeding heifer

   1. @ 65% of adult weight/height (~700-850 lbs)

   2. 15 months - calve ~ 2 years

   3. date - early in season so they calf before cows (promotes observation, return to estrus, and max size of calves)

6. 45-90 days post

   1. palpation per rectum or US per rectum

   2. yes - dont waste food and time

7. 5 task

   1. provide clean, safe environment

   2. freq observation

   3. provide assistance when needed (heifers)

   4. save calves (MT <3%)

   5. keep records

6 steps of calf processing

1. name

2. what

3. two names

   1. what is the difference

   2. how to avoid

4. name

5. name

   1. expected appearance

   2. two methods

6. name

   1. desired age… or else?

   2. 3 methods

1. ear tag

2. bull or heifer

3. disbud / dehorn

   1. disbud = <8 wks (before attached to skull) - dehorn is when attached - do younger

   2. avoid by using polled genetics

4. tattoo

5. brand

   1. lettters 4” tall, 3/8-1” wide

   2. hot iron or freeze brand

6. castration

   1. <2 months, staggy if >8

   2. burdizzo/elastrator band/surgical

1. what should be given for any disbudding/dehorning situation

   1. what can be used if <2 wks

   2. <8 wks?

   3. <6 months?

   4. young adult

1. nerve block - lidocaine, ± sediation, and NSAIDs

   1. caustic paste

   2. tube dehorner or heat dehorner

   3. barnes dehorner

   4. gigli wire (or wire saw)

1. average weaning weight

2. 7 things that may affect weaning weights

   1. how does x-breeding impact it

3. how do growth stimulants work

   1. 2 types

   2. what is zeranol stim

1. 480-520 lbs

2. 7 things

   1. calving date (fertlity by association)

   2. avbl forage for cow/calf

   3. creep feed

   4. dz or illness

   5. genetic selection

   6. crossbreeding (10-30% increase in lbs calf weaned per cow bred

   7. growth stimulants

3. works w/ animal’s endocrine system to partition nutrients to support more muscle growth for increased wt gain, feed efficiency, + leaner carcass

   1. natural hormones (estradiol, progesterone, testosterone) or synthetic hormones (zeranol, trenbolone acetate, etc)

   2. zeranol stims PG to produce more somatotropin - natural growth promoting agent

1. 4 reasons to use growth stimulants

   1. acres of land needed ofr cattle if 1955 practices were used?

2. % cow-calf producers used G.S

3. % sm feedlots (<1k) use at least once

4. >1k at elast 1x

5. who doesnt use implants

   1. reqs

1. improve growht rate, imrprove feed efficiency (save 6 bil lbs feed, increase 700 mil production), generate leaner carcass, and make economic sense to producers (10:1 return)

   1. 165 mil acres

2. 9-30%

3. 34-90%

4. 78-99%

5. organic meat! CANNOT be given abx or growth hormones - produced w/o using artifical stuff

   1. gvmt approved certifier must examine farm and handling processes must be certified