Lecture 20: Beef production

Where can a vet impact cow-calf herds?

• Develop and analyze bio security measures

• Develop and analyze herd health management plants

• Evaluation of reproductive performance

• Opportunities to influence nutrition and management strategies to increase profitability of operation

What is paramount for livestock herds?

Prevention and control of disease

A large number infectious disease in cattle have ___ consequences

reproductive

What vaccines are imperative for the herd if they come in contact w/ outside animals?

IBR and BVD

What vaccines are recommended for closed mature female/male cattle?

• IBR

• BVD

• Campy

• Leptospirosis

• Clostridial

What vaccines are recommended for replacement heifers?

• IBR

• BVD

• Lepto

• Campy (prior to breeding)

• Clostridial

• Brucellosis (4-10 months of age)

What are the most common reproductive services offered?

Pregnancy diagnosis, bull BSE, dystocia

What is most expensive management decision?

Developing a heifer to replace a cull cow

Models utilize development of heifers to ___-__% at the time of breeding

60-65%

What are some opportunities to impact heifer development?

• Utilize records to impact selection of replacement heifers

• Selection of heifers that are conformationally correct

• Selection of heifers that have acceptable RTS

• Utilize AI program to allow synch of females

What is early pregnancy diagnosis of heifers so important?

Those that did not become pregnancy are off-loaded into different management scheme. Inputs into that heifers are cut and cash flow is redirected into continued development of other pregnant heifers.

60 replacement heifers are synchronized and bred by TAI

You are called out to perform pregnancy diagnosis at 75 days post AI

Only 30% of the heifers were confirmed in the TAI window based on

your histogram

During your exam you find

4 heifers not cycling

2 heifers with congenital abnormalities of the reproductive tract

1 freemartin

What opportunities exist?

Move all 7 heifers to meat production

What is repro highly associated with?

BCS

What key minerals play an essential role in repro?

Cu, P, Zn, Mn, Se, Vita-A

Why should you evaluate herd records?

Put a number to herd performance, can be used as a tool for selection and improvement, can show areas of improvement or blind spots

What are the two main goals of production records analysis?

Evaluate productivity of the operation as a whole, evaluate performance of individual animals

What is the most common record keeping system in cow-calf?

Hand-written records

What are the categories for cow-calf records?

Breeding records, calving records, weaning records

What is the ideal breeding season?

64-reeding season, with a 96% calving rate and front-end loaded calving season

Common repro indexes?

• Number of females exposed to produce this year’s calf crop

• Pregnancy percentage

• Live calving percentage

• Calving percentage

• Death losses of calves birth to weaning

• Percent calves weaned of female exposed

• Pounds of calf weaned per female exposed

Suggested benchmarks for a herd

Bench mark	Percent
Pregnancy percentage	>/= 90%
Calving percentage	>/= 97%
Late-term gestation loss	</= 3%
Total calf death loss	</= 5%
Weaning percentage	>/= 85%
Pounds produced per exposed female	>/= 500 lbs

Why do we as the vets care?

• Opportunity to improve health of herd

• Opportunity to provide consultation work to improve herd health

• Develop your reputation as an assist to operation

What can object evaluation of performance aid in?

• Selecting replacement

  • Making breeding/culling decisions

• Calculated by most cow-calf records program

• Allows to ranking of cows according to future production potential based on past productivity

• Interpreted as a ratio

Most probable producing ability

MPPA > 100

Above average

MPPA <100

Average

What are the 7 critical measurements to evaluate herd efficiency/SPA?

• SPA adjusted females exposed

• Pregnancy rate

• Calving rate

• Percent calf death loss

• Percent weaned calves

• Average weaning weight

• Pounds of weaned cow/calf exposed

You are reviewing records and notice that there is a 97% live calving

rate but a 82% weaning rate.

What opportunities might exist for veterinary intervention?

You are reviewing records and notice that there is a 97% live calving

rate but a 82% weaning rate.

What opportunities might exist for veterinary interventioYou are reviewing records and notice that there is a 97% live calving

rate but a 82% weaning rate.

What opportunities might exist for veterinary intervention?

Group of 42 3-year-old cows. At

pregnancy check this is the histogram

following examination. What

opportunities exist for discussion with

this histogram?

A producer is upset they can't

get all of their cows bred in the

breeding season. They comment

they even put an extra bull in

the herd.

What is this extra bull costing

the producer? (Bull-Cost-

Calculator-KSU)

Prevention and control of disease in livestock herds is of paramount importance due to what? a) Increased labor costs b) Environmental concerns c) A large number of infectious diseases in cattle having reproductive consequences d) Consumer preferences

c) A large number of infectious diseases in cattle having reproductive consequences

Prevention and control of disease in livestock herds is of paramount importance due to what? a) Increased labor costs b) Environmental concerns c) A large number of infectious diseases in cattle having reproductive consequences d) Consumer preferences

c) A large number of infectious diseases in cattle having reproductive consequences

Which vaccine is specifically mentioned for replacement heifers prior to breeding in both closed and open herds? a) Brucella b) Trichomonas fetus ("Trich") c) Campylobacter d) Clostridial

c) Campylobacter

According to the sources, parasite management in beef herds should take into consideration which of the following? a) Breed of cattle b) Individual animal weight c) Geographical region d) Time of year only

c) Geographical region

Traditional reproductive services offered by veterinarians include all of the following EXCEPT? a) Pregnancy diagnosis b) Bull breeding soundness exams c) Development of nutrition plans d) Dystocias

c) Development of nutrition plans

What is suggested as a benefit of a technician keeping a spreadsheet during pregnancy diagnosis? a) Reducing the time spent on farm b) Lowering the cost of the service c) Creating a talking point and opportunity to sell further services d) Eliminating the need for veterinarian follow-up

c) Creating a talking point and opportunity to sell further services

Recent more conservative models suggest developing heifers to approximately what percentage of their mature weight at the time of breeding? a) 60-65% b) 70-75% c) 50-55% d) 80-85%

c) 50-55%

Utilizing records can impact the selection of replacement heifers by considering which factor? a) Coat color b) Birth weight only c) Those born earlier in the season d) Sire's pedigree only

c) Those born earlier in the season

What is a benefit of early pregnancy diagnosis in heifers, according to the sources? a) Increased calving ease b) Reduced feed costs for non-pregnant heifers c) Improved milk production in the subsequent lactation d) Enhanced genetic selection

b) Reduced feed costs for non-pregnant heifers

The majority of a veterinarian's clients in beef cattle reproduction will likely be involved in what aspect of bull management? a) Semen collection b) Bull development c) Selection of bulls d) Castration techniques

c) Selection of bulls

Which of the following key minerals plays an essential role in reproduction in beef cattle? a) Sodium (Na) b) Potassium (K) c) Copper (Cu) d) Calcium (Ca)

c) Copper (Cu)

What are the two main goals of production records analysis in a beef operation? a) Increasing individual animal weight and reducing feed costs b) Evaluating productivity of the operation as a whole and the performance of individual animals c) Predicting future market prices and optimizing labor efficiency d) Ensuring accurate tax reporting and compliance with regulations

b) Evaluating productivity of the operation as a whole and the performance of individual animals

What are the two main goals of production records analysis in a beef operation? a) Increasing individual animal weight and reducing feed costs b) Evaluating productivity of the operation as a whole and the performance of individual animals c) Predicting future market prices and optimizing labor efficiency d) Ensuring accurate tax reporting and compliance with regulations

b) Evaluating productivity of the operation as a whole and the performance of individual animals

Which of the following is NOT listed as a common reproductive index for a herd? a) Pregnancy Percentage b) Live Calving Percentage c) Average daily gain of calves d) Percent Calves Weaned of Female Exposed

c) Average daily gain of calves

What is a suggested benchmark for pregnancy percentage in a beef herd? a) ≥ 80% b) ≥ 85% c) ≥ 90% d) ≥ 95%

c) ≥ 90%

MPPA (most probable producing ability) is a calculation that allows for what in beef cattle management? a) Prediction of an animal's mature weight b) Ranking of cows according to future production potential based on past productivity c) Estimation of current feed efficiency d) Determination of an animal's genetic merit for specific traits

b) Ranking of cows according to future production potential based on past productivity

MPPA (most probable producing ability) is a calculation that allows for what in beef cattle management? a) Prediction of an animal's mature weight b) Ranking of cows according to future production potential based on past productivity c) Estimation of current feed efficiency d) Determination of an animal's genetic merit for specific traits

b) Ranking of cows according to future production potential based on past productivity