ANS 402 Final Exam

Alternative production pathways for weaned calves (figure)

Weaned steer and heifered go to wintered or custom lot then go to summer grazing and finally become slaughter, fed steers and heifers

• forage finishing is an alternate market in the US but is the base of the industry for other countries

How does alternative finishing programs rate compare to conventional?

96% of beef is conventionally produced

4% of beef is natural/organically produced (certified organic), not easy to track, some producers do forage based but processors dont know

How does the beef industry review these alternative systems?

Embrace the opportunity

Take advantage of resources

Cautious about consumer perceptions

Consumer education (pros and cons of products)

How does the beef industry review these alternative systems?

USDA does not have approved label for alternative management except for Certified Organic

USDA voluntary label guidelines have been discontinued

• Pasture raised, grass-fed, natural

Many private “certifying” labels

• American Grass Fed, First-hand Foods, American Welfare Approved, etc.

Human nutrition and health perceptions (forage finished)

Pasture-fed cattle have 1/2- 2/3 amount of total fat (depends on finishing goals)

• last year certified organic had more fat than choice. need to look at labels.

• typically are leaner

Pasture-fed cattle have 3-5 x’s more CLA/g of fat

• 0.07 vs. 0.18 g/3 oz serving

• 2.4-6 g daily for human health benefit

• Need 13.5 servings of pasture-fed beef/day

Pasture-fed cattle have 2-3 x’s more omega-3/g of fat

• 35 vs. 45 mg/100 g

• 30 mg/100g can be labeled as source of omega-3 (both meet this need)

*cant eat enough beef in a day to make a difference

*CLA= conjugated linoleic acids. compounds found within fat. more conc. in fat of pasture raised cattle

Human nutrition and health perceptions. Vit and Mineral (forage finished)

Vitamins

• Fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E)

• 1.5-4x’s more concentrated in fat of grass-fed beef

• dark green pasture = more Vit A and E (causing grass fed beef to have yellow fat)

• more concentrated but less total fat may lead to no difference

Minerals

• Selenium (antioxidant)

  • Regional (NC is Se deficient)

  • Prolonged resistance to oxidation

Who purchases these products? (forage finished)

Households with > $90,000 annual income

• 1-2 adults, 0 children

Direct to customers

• Home deliver, Farmer’s markets, Direct sales

Health conscious markets (claiming health benefits)

Specialty restaurants

Health care institutions (hospitals)

Corporate gifting

Financial considerations for forage finished beef

Profitability driven by…

• Cost of grass (land, fertilizer, price, inputs)

• Cost of cattle (often cow-calf and raise to slaughter, can be muckier bc cattle may or may not be sold)

• Death loss (similar across all industries)

• Buy – sell margin

• Merchandizing of product

  • can’t just drop off at stocker yard. need to invest in getting product in correct consumer or slaughter companies hands to get the premium.

Systems Approach to Cattle Management

Not all cattle fit all systems

• need cattle that are proven efficient on forage. finish slaughter, convert grass to fat (not all lean)

Start with the end in mind

• Expected Slaughter Weight (1000-1300 lbs)

  • 580-780 lbs carcass weight (avg. 1050 in commercial)

• Expected or Desired Carcass Composition

  • YG2, Low Choice

  • YG 2 or lower (YG1 too lean)

  • moved from select to low choice

What type of cattle work best for forage finishing?

What works?

• Small-moderate frame

• Forage efficient

• High marbling potential

• Early maturing

• Angus, Gelbvieh, Hereford, Shorthorn, Devon, Dexter, Red Angus, Murray Grey

lot of brisiths breeds and heritage breeds, generally older style angus genetics not same on feedlot feed efficiency, some of these have no selective pressure to do well on grai

Where do you find these genetics?

• Sire directories

• Fellow grass-fed beef producers (often word of mouth)

Management Examples

Forage-finished production timeline of Bos taurus cattle

• Weaned calf is 7 mo old at 400-600 lbs

• 330- 650 days grown at 1.5-2.5 lbs/day on grass or harvested forage until 1000-1300 lbs

  • May have up to 1% BW of grain for many programs (high roughage, low starch byproducts)

  • *high quality grass. have to expand pasture or reduce cattle #. they will be growing for 2 years. eating a LOT

• Average age at slaughter is 18-30 months (want under 2.5 yrs)

Land and Feedstuff Situations

What is the farm capable of providing?

• Year round grazing?

• Grazing + hay?

• Grazing + grain?

• Grazing + hay + grain?

• “The less heavy metal the better!”

• Intensive grazing management is vital for grass- finished success

  • Need 1.7 lbs ADG to finish at 1300 lbs by 24 months

  • need positive ADG (combinations of every type of forage to always have forages growing)

Cost of grass

Pasture value depend on several factors

• NC pasture rental price average $27/acre

  • double this for crop land

  • pasture only has lower nutrient profiles and challenges (slope, water, etc)

• Cost of ownership

• Demand

• Farm programs

• Land productivity

• Rental agreement

  • input responsibility

• Forage species present

• Climate

• Fencing present

• Rotational grazing management inputs

Forage effects on finished “fat” cattle

benefit of mixing different types of forages

Example of an NC Program

Firsthand Foods- Pasture Raised Beef

• Animals must be identified

• Cattle must be slaughtered at <30 months of age

• No hormone implants, no sub-therapeutic ab’s, ionophores only for control of coccidia

  • Anthlementics, vaccinations, and therapeutic ab’s okay

• Must follow all BQA guidelines

• Must be on pasture with at least 75% forage plant cover

• Pasture or harvested forages for all stages of production

  • Vitamin/mineral supplements approved

  • No creep feeding nursing calves

  • Target gain of 1.5-3 lbs/day for growing and finishing

    • Emergency supplemental feeds approved

      • 1% BW of fiber feeds, 0.5% BW of starch containing feeds

  • Finished weight of 1100-1200 lbs at BCS of 6.5 minimum

Why is there a market for alternatives to feedlot finished cattle?

consumer preferences: based on marketing, what they hear from other people on what is good v bad

• in reality, there are pros and cons to each

Six major factors of feedlot finishing

1. Cattle

2. Environment

3. Health

4. Feed

5. Efficiency

6. Marketplace

Management Examples (feedlot finishing)

Conventional production timeline of Bos taurus cattle

• Weaned calf is 7 mo old at 400-600 lbs

• 60-120 days grown at 1.5-2.0 lbs/day on grass or harvested forage until 700-800 lbs (stocker phase)

• 90-150 days grown at 3.0-4.0 lbs/day on grain and harvested forage to slaughter weight of 1200-1400 lbs

  • this is the part that differs from grass finished. in feedlot, finish on combination of grass and grain, increase amt of grain to finish efficiently

• Average age at slaughter is 14-16 months

*southern coast may utilize bos indicus for high heats

Feedlot finishing: What cattle are in the feedlot?

All steers

• calf feds (european breeds, dairy breeds)

• yearlings (british breeds)

75% of heifers (genetics, attitude, etc)

Cull cows and bulls

• small portion, only in feedlots specializing in mature animals. BCS <5 = put more weight on before slaughter. big feedlots won’t buy

Feedlot finishing: Cattle (animal performance)

averages based on feedlot genetics

ADG: 2.9 to 4.0 lbs/day (3.45 ave)

F/G: 5.50 to 8.00 (6.33 ave)

• feed to gain. how many lbs of feed to get 1 lb gain on animal?

% Choice: ~ 80-83%

• high quality, well-marbled beef

Days on feed: 90-300 days (185 ave)

• huge range based on many factors

Carcass weight: 850-1050 lbs (950 ave)

Ribeye: 12 to 14 inches²

Death loss: 1-2%

Cost of gain: $65-155/cwt ($135/cwt ave)

Is mounting behavior a problem in feedlot finishing?

YES. heifers worth less than steers and bulls. moutning behavior causes..

• bruising

• hip injurys and other issues

• energy expenditure = burn calories = less gain

Problems with feedlot heifers

35-40% of feedlot animals are heifers

• going up because we need more beef

Approximately 2-15% of all feedlot heifers are pregnant

• don’t want. often too small to have calf. not good genetics. other issues that cow-calf producer didn’t want

Increased energy requirements

Pregnancy is costly

Mental toll if late term pregnancy at slaughterhouse (euthanize calf)

Common Practices for Heifers in feedlots

Stocker Heifers

• Spaying

  • INC. Costs ($15-20)

  • INC. Morbidity

  • INC. Mortality

    • some seedstock producers do this to prevent bad genetics

• Guarantee open

Feedlot Heifers

• MGA Costs ($10-15)

  • inc. cost ($10-15)

  • only feed additive to prevent cyclicity (mimics P4)

  • has to be fed every day, withdrawal time

• Pregnancy Exam & Abortion

  • ince. cost ($10-15)

  • inc. morbidity

  • inc. mortality

  • challenges: if too late to abort, can sell her (high risk situation)

• Sell pregnant heifers

Feedlot finishing: Environment

dry, low wind, moderate, stable temperature

Feedlot finishing location

 85% of the cattle are fed in 10 states

 < 2,000 feedlots feed 85% of the cattle

2 Major Categories of Feeding Operations (feedlot finisher)

Farmer Feeder

 <1000 head one time

capacity

 Uses homegrown feeds

 Owns cattle inventory

 Uses labor from other

enterprises

 Flexible – only finishes

cattle when it’s

profitable

 1 group/year

 Throughout U.S.

Commercial Feeder

 >1000 head one time

capacity

 Obtain and analyze

more information

 Will own cattle and

custom feed

 Utilize more expertise

 Keep feedlots full of

cattle

 2-2.25 groups/year

 Central U.S.

Responds to management

 Slope

 Manure management

 Shade

 Exposure

 Soil

 Bunk placement

 Pen cleanliness

 Water quality

 Location, Location, Location!