beef cattle management

Cattle >1yr

Beef

Calves <3m age

Veal

58

In 2024, how many pounds of beef were consumed per person

87 million

In 2025, how many total head of cattle on Jan. 1

108 billion

In 2025, how much $ in cash receipts

87 million

In 2025, how much total cattle inventions

28 million

In 2025, how many beef cows

Birth to 6-10 months at 400-750lb

Goals of cow-calf operations

Light weanling to 600-900lb at 12-16months

Goals of stocker/yearling operation

Grow to 900-1450lb at 18-24 months

Goals of finishing/feedlot

Cow calf operation, stocker/yearling, finishing/feedlot, processing/slaughter, market/retail

segmented beef industry

First 40 days

When should cow on beef farm conceive early in the breeding season

One live calf

How many calves should a cow on a beef farm deliver each year

40-90 days after calving

Re-breeding schedule of cow on beef farm

No seasonally polyestrous

Cow estrous cycle

18-24 days, 21 average

Cycle of cows estrous

Spring or fall

When are cows typically bred to calve

65% adult weight

What size to breed heifer

By 15m, calve for first time at 2years

What age to breed heifer

Early in season, calve 20-30 days before cows

What date to breed heifers

45-90 days after removal of bull

When to check for pregnancy

<3%

Mortality rate goal for calves

Before 8 weeks

When to disbud calf

Younger is better

When to dehorn calf

Less than 2 months, >8m=staggy

When to castrate calf

6-10 months

When to wean calves

Estradiol, progesterone and testosterone

Natural hormones used in growth stimulants

Zeranol, trenbolone acetate, melengestrol acetate

Synthetic hormones used in growth stimulants

9-30

What percent of cow/calf producers use growth promoting implants

34-90

What percent of feedlots with <1,000 heads of cattle use implants at least once during the finishing phase

78-99

What percent of feedlots with >1,000 heads of cattle use implants at least once during the finishing phase

Organic meat

Who does not use implants

Feedlot

Cow-calf and stocker both feed forage, which third one feeds concentrates and forage

50-70

what percent of annual cow costs is feed

15-20

What percent of annual cow cost is labor

10-15

What percent of annual cow costs is interest on capital

#calves born/#cows in breeding herd

Equation for percent calf crop

#calves weaned/#cows in breeding herd

Equation for net calf crop

Annual cow cost/lb calf weaned

Equation for cost per pound

2/3 of costs

Cost of feeder cattle

1/3 of costs

Feed costs

Conformation

Appearance of the live animal

Dust, odor, flies, water quality

Feedlot environmental management

(Hot carcass weight/live weight)*100

How to calculate dressing percent

1000lb

Weight of steer on the hoof

620

Weight of dressed on the rail

400lb

Weight of retail cuts in the store

60-63

Average dressing percent of grain-fed beef

56-58

Average dressing percent of grass fed beef

(Lb meat/carcass weight)*100

How to calculate carcass cutting yield

Carcass cutting yield

Percent of the hanging carcass that actually ends up as meat

60-70

What percent edible meat will hanging carcasses yield