ANFS251: Beef Cattle

Beef Cattle Classification

ruminant herbivores

Beef Cow Calf Feeding

mainly forages, may require supplements in late gestation or lactation

Beef Dry Matter Intake

most critical for growth and production, physical volume and kinetics

Beef Gestation Trimester Length

95 days

Beef Post Partum Period Length

80 days

Beef Production and Feed

optimum not maximum, depends on feed amount per day

Beef First Trimester

nutrients for lactation and maintenance

Beef Second Trimester

after weaning, lowest nutrient requirements, good time to add condition if needed

Beef Third Trimester

rapid fetal growth increases requirements

Beef Thin at Calving

may cause dystocia, weak or sick calves, decreased milk production

Beef Best Quality Feed Timing

60 days before and 90 days after calving

Beef Post Partum Interval

nutritionally critical for lactation and rebreeding

Beef Energy Needs

larger breeds have greater maintenance requirement, longer range distance increases needs

Beef Protein Needs

most commonly deficient, microbial synthesis provides 50%

Beef Mineral Requirements

calcium and phosphorus are critical

Osteomalatia

calcium or phosphorus deficiency in mature beef cattle

Parturient Paresis

calcium deficiency in beef cattle near parturition

Forage Legume Minerals

high calcium, low phosphorus

Grain Minerals

low calcium, high phosphorus

Beef Maintenance Water Requirement

3 parts water per dry matter intake

Beef Lactation Water Requirement

additional 0.1 gallons per pound

Beef Deficiencies at Pre-Breeding

causes longer calving interval, low fertility, silent estrus, failure to conceive

Beef Deficiencies at Growth

causes delayed sexual maturity

Beef Deficiencies After Calving

causes reduced fertility, body reserve depletion

Beef Body Condition Scoring

estimate body fat reserves, helps with marketing

Beef Ideal Grazing Management

reduce feed costs, optimum stocking density

Beef Maximizing Production

cannot maximize animal performance and gain per acre at the same time

Beef Overstocking Increases

gain per acre, time and energy grazing, deficiencies, loss to poisonous plants

Beef Overstocking Decreases

gain per animal, dry matter intake, nutrient quality of forage, pregnancy rate, calf crop

Beef Supplementation

may add free choice protein or energy

Beef Grazing Time

early morning, late evening

Beef Linear Dominance

age and size are more dominant, separate younger cows to even odds

Creep Feeding

providing suckling animals with supplemental feed

Beef Creep Feeding

can add 25-50 pounds to weaning weight

Beef Creep Feeding Drawbacks

not always profitable, 7-10 pounds fed per pound gain

Beef Weaning Timing

6-9 months, 205 days

Beef Weaning Weight

shrink 3-5% during weaning, gain 30-50 pounds during preconditioning

Beef Replacement Heifer Size

50-60% of mature weight by 15 months

Beef Heifer Rate of Gain

too slow delays puberty, too fast impairs lactation and reproduction

Beef After Weaning

replacement heifers, stock/back grounding, or feedlot

Beed Extensive Feedlot

grow at low/moderate rates on pasture, produces older and heavier calves

Beef Back Grounding

for later maturing calves, finish skeletal growth

Beef Intensive Feedlot

complex, applied nutrition, larger

Beef Feedlot Sorting

by body type and outcome, match feeding programs to cattle types

Beef Feedlot Feed Transition

gradual change over 3-4 weeks, increase concentrate, heating up

Ionophores

additives to diets to increase efficiency

Ionophore Effect

increase energy from the diet for the animal

Ionophore Mechanism

affects gram positive bacteria and protozoa

Ionophore Examples

monensin, lasalocid

Beef Feed Bunk Goal

maximize feed intake with minimal variance

Beef Finishing Diets

corn and grain based with high concentrate, still some forage

Anabolic Agents

steroids to increase average daily gain

Anabolic Agent Types

estrogenic, androgenic, combo

Anabolic Agent Examples

ralgro, revalor, synovex-s

Anabolic Agent Effect

increase average daily gain 15-20%< increase feed efficiency 10-15%

Beta Adrenergic Agonists

fed during finishing to increase average daily gain

Beta Adrenergic Agonist Effect

binds to fat cells and redirects metabolism, increases muscle and lean %

Beef Antibiotics

increases weight gain and feed efficiency

Beef Tylan

decreases liver abscesses in confined cattle

Beef MGA

inhibits estrus in finishing heifers

Beef Direct Fed Microbial Products

feed preservation, gut function, feed utilization

Beef Finishing Timing

90 to 300 days

Beed Average Daily Gain

2.5-4 pounds per day on 6 pounds feed

Majority of Beef Feedlots

under 1000 head, small market share

Largest Market Share Beef Feedlots

over 1000 head are 80-90% of the market

Large Scale Beef Feedlots

>32,000 head are 40% of market share