Beef Cattle Management Practice Flashcards

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the key concepts of beef cattle management, including breeding cycles, selection criteria, management procedures, and breeds.

Three phases of beef cattle management

The distinct stages of the beef industry consisting of Cow-Calf, Stocker-Yearling, and Feedlot.

Commercial feeders

One of the primary types of feeding operations in the beef industry.

Farmer Feeders

One of the primary types of feeding operations in the beef industry.

Bull Selection

A critical management factor as $80-90\,\%$ of genetic improvement in a herd comes from the bull.

Bull Puberty

The age at which bulls typically reach sexual maturity, which is $15\,\text{months}$.

Bull Insemination Average

On average, one bull can inseminate $25-35$ females per day.

Progeny tests

Tests that, along with performance, tell a producer what breed a bull actually is.

Heifer replacement criteria

Selection traits including early conception, easy calving, good milk production, and the ability to wean heavy calves.

Heifer Breeding Timeline

Heifers can start breeding at $15\,\text{months}$ to calve at $24\,\text{months}$.

Cow Selection

Evaluation based on the productivity of calves and the soundness of the udder, eye, skeleton, and teeth.

Calf crop weaned

A profitability measurement defined as the ratio of weaned calves per $100$ cows.

Weaning Age

The age at which calves are typically weaned from their mothers, usually between $7-9\,\text{months}$.

Creep feeds

Supplement feeds provided to calves at $3\,\text{months}$ of age to help achieve optimum weaning weights.

Feed Costs

The largest expense in raising animals, accounting for $75\,\%$ of the cost of beef management.

Yardage

A feedlot management cost affected by animal weight loss or gain and animal deaths.

Permanent Identification

Non-removable identification methods including Freeze brands, Hot iron brands, and Ear tattoos.

Temporary Identification

Replaceable identification methods including Ear tags, Paint brands, and Collars.

Castration

The removal of testicles to produce higher quality meat, make animals easier to handle, and prevent unwanted breeding.

Methods of castration

Techniques used including the Elastrator, Emasculatome ($\text{"Burdizzo"}$), and Emasculator.

Reasons to dehorn

Benefits including higher market value, increased safety for handlers, reduced injury to other animals, and decreased space requirements.

Methods of dehorning

Techniques used including Chemical (caustic paste) and Mechanical (Electric hot iron, Barnes dehorner, Horn saw, or Gigli wire).

Hoof care

Management focused on the prevention of foot rot and treatment of hairy warts, though these are more common in dairy than beef cattle.

Growth Implants

Hormonal substances placed under the skin of the ear to increase weaning weights and decrease feed costs.

Synchronization

The process of breeding females so they enter estrus, breed, and calve at the same time.

Polyestrous

The reproductive characteristic of beef cattle where they cycle year-round.

Estrous Cycle

The period from one heat period to the next, lasting $19-23\,\text{days}$ from start to finish.

Estrus

The period of standing heat, which lasts between $6-27\,\text{hours}$ with a $12-\text{hour}$ average.

Gestation

The length of pregnancy in beef cattle, which is approximately $285\,\text{days}$.

Brangus

A crossbreed of Angus and Brahman cattle.

Baldy

A crossbreed of Angus and Hereford cattle.