ANSC 2050 Exam 3 Williams

Intact Male

bull

Castrated male

steer

female (pre-calving)

heifer

Female (post-calving)

cow

young cow

calf

act of parturition

calving

group of cattle

herd

scientific term for cow

bovine

what industry is the largest money-generating commodity in all of agriculture?

beef industry

the gross annual income from beef in the US has averaged approx. ___$ billion

45

which countries are the top producing beef countries in the world?

US and Brazil

what percentage does the US have of the world cattle?

6%

how much does the US produce of the worlds beef and veal?

18%

conversion of roughage

the chief contribution of beef cattle to the welfare of humans

Largest cattle and calves states

1. Texas

2. Nebraska

3. Kansas

4. California

5. Oklahoma

Louisiana Beef Industry

- cow-calf state

- seedstock operations

- stocker operations

- beef cattle production is valued over $200 million

beef industry segments/phases

1. seedstock

2. cow-calf

3. stocker

4. feedlot

5. packer/processor

6. retail

7. consumer

Structure of the Beef Industry

animals change ownership when moving from one phase to the next

different regions tend to specialize in different phases

seedstock production

- only segment that does not produce animals whose primary use is for meat (animals may enter food supply after reproductive life-culling)

- goal: to produce breeding stock

- greatest demand: bulls

- if quality is high, they will be able to market semen and embryos

- female offspring can be used as herd replacements

commercial cow-calf

- first phase of producing animals whose primary use is meat consumption

- product: 6-10 month old crossbred calves that range in weight (300-700lbs)

- calves are usually sold at weaning to feedlot or stocker operation

- main goal: produce heaviest calves at smallest price

stocker phase

- growing calves to heavier weights on low-priced forage before calves enter feedlot

- purchase claves from cow-calf producers and grow them during a specific season then ship to feedlots

- calves that have been through a stocker system have received various health producers (vaccinations, deworming, castration, dehorning or bunk broke)

feedlot

- finishing phase

- cattle go to feedlot at approx. 1 year

- 600-850lb cattle are finished to market weight and condition (900-1,400lbs at slaughter. Usually stay in feedlot 60-200 days)

- vast majority of slaughter in US are fed grain in feedlots before sent to slaughter

packer/processor for beef industry

harvest finished cattle purchased from feedlots

break down carcasses into sub primal cuts (boxed beef)

retailer for beef industry

purchases product from packers/processors

present beef product to consumer (break down subprimal cuts into retail cuts)

consumer for beef industry

behavior and purchasing trends influence subsequent decisions made by every other segment of beef industry

breed

- race of animals within a species

- have a common organ and similar identifying characteristics

- all breeds have strong and weak points

- no one breed is adapted to all situations

breed association

- organization that defines animal type for a breed

- provides base genetic material for beef cattle breeders

- 50-80 breed associations in the US (10 dominant)

Bos Taurus vs Bos indicus

considerations when selecting a breed

- environmental compatibility (they suited for the environment)

- market demand for offspring (does the product meet consumer demands)

English breeds (maternal)

- Angus

- Red Angus

- Hereford

- Shirthorn

Heat tolerant breeds (subtropical adapted)

- Braham

- Senepol

- Longhorn

continental breeds (terminal)

- Charolais

- Gelbvieh

- Limousin

-Simmental

Composite breeds

- Brangus

- Braford

- Beef master

- Santa Gertrudis

Maternal breeds advantages

Good mothering

Excellent fertility

Early sexual maturity

Carcass traits

Milking ability

Maternal breeds disadvantages

Light muscled

Not fast growing

Fat carcasses

Terminal breeds advantages

Fast growing

Heavily muscled

Good feed efficiency

Terminal breeds disadvantages

Large nutrient demands

High birth weights

Large framed

Late sexually maturity

Lower quality carcasses

Heat tolerant breeds advantages

Disease resistant

Parasite resistant

Good mothering ability

Longevity

Strong will to survive

Heat tolerant breeds disadvantages

Temperament (Bos indicus)

Late sexual maturity

Poor carcass characteristics

composite breeds make up

- at least two component breeds, designed to retain heterosis in future generations without crossbreeding and maintained as a purebred

- breed make up of two or more breeds with defined proportions

- retain a level of hybrid vigor normally associated with traditional crossbreeding systems

EX: Brangus (3/8 brahman, 5/8 Angus)

English breed: Angus

English breeds: Hereford

Hereford X Aungus

black baldy

one fo the more common crossbreds in the beef industry

English breeds: Red Angus

English breed: Shorthorn

Continental breeds: Charolais

continental breeds: Gelbvieh

continental breeds: Limousin

continental breeds: Simmental

heat tolerant breeds: brahman (red and grey)

which 3 Zebu breeds was the American Brahman developed from?

Gir , Guzerat, Nelore

Brahman influence in Louisiana

- percent of brahman in commercial cattle increases from north to south

- NORTH: 0 to 1/4 brahman

- MIDDLE: 1/4 to 1/2 Brahman

- SOUTH: 1/2 to purebred brahman

heat tolerance: Senepol

heat tolerance: Texas Longhorn

composite breeds: Brangus

3/8 Brahman, 5/8 Angus

composite breeds: Bradford

3/8 Graham, 5/8 Hereford

composite breeds: Santa Gertrudis

3/8 Brahman, 5/8 Shorthorn

composite breeds: Beefmaster

1/4 Hereford, 1/4 Shorthorn, 1/2 Brahman

crossbreeding

- large majority of beef comes from these cows

- hybrid vigor or heterosis

- breed complementarity

- overall improvements of crossbred offspring resulting from crossing breeds of different but complimentary biological types

hybrid vigor (heterosis)

an increase in the performance of hybrids over that of purebreds, most noticeably in traits like fertility and survivability

degree to which offspring outperforms parents

queens of cow country

F1 brahman female

- increased milk production, higher fertility, wean faster-growing calves with fewer inputs

- longer productive life, raises the most calves over lifetime

- used in Louisiana and across the south

why weigh cattle?

- nutrition

- drug dosing

- marketing

- breeding weight

how can we figure out body weight?

- scale

- formula using measurements (similar to what is done with horses)

identification

- necessary for any type of cattle operation

- very simple or complex

- properly identified cattle can help producers assists with record keeping, theft, shared pastures

- permanent vs temporary identification: ear and RFID tags, tattoos, branding (hot or freeze)

nutrient requirements

- requirements change as cattle go through different stages of production

- three stages with a mature cow

1. maintenance

2. gestation

3. lactation

- 2 and 3 year old heifers have a growth requirement and continue until they reach 60 months of age

maintenance requirements

- nutrients used to maintain life

- occurs everyday

- maintains organs, cells, etc.

gestation (pregnancy) requirements

nutrients used to maintain the fetus and all associated fluids and tissues

lactation requirements (milk production)

nutrients used to make milk

peaks at 45-60 days post calving

stages of production for cow herd

1. calving to breeding (82 days): early lactation, prepare cow for rebreeding- MILK NUTRITION

2. breeding to weaning (83-205days): slow fetal growth, late lactation- MILK NUTRITION

3. weaning- late gestation (206-315 days): slow fetal growth- PRE PREGNANCY NUTRITION

4. late gestation (316-365days): rapid fetal growth- PREGNANCY NUTRITION

ALL THESE DIFFERENT STAGES REQUIRE DIFFERENT NUTRITION MANAGEMENT!

body condition score

- indicator of cow nutrition status

- assessment of energy stores, level of fat (flesh) on cattle

- scale ranges 1-9

- once BCS is approximately 80lbs. on a 1,000 cow with a BCS of 5

- with heathy cattle BCS is an indicator of nutrient intake

BCS for beef cattle

1 to 9

why is BCS important

- related to pregnancy rate, calving interval, calf age at weaning, calf average daily gain etc (money)

- income is reduced when the BCS drops

- Producers work to keep cows at 5-6 to maintain health and profitability

thin cattle

- failure to have normal reproductive cycles and to conceive

- increased calving interval and days to estrus

- decreased calf vigor

overweight cattle

- costly to maintain

- increased dystocia

- impaired mobility

- failure to have normal reproductive cycles and to conceive

herd nutrition

goal: provide adequate nutrition on forages

- cattle consume approx. 2.5% of body weight in dry matter

- supplements may be needed, depending on forage quality and availability

- hay can be fed during winter months prior to grazing rye grass

storage and feed losses

hay should be store off the ground and under a roof or wrapped in plastic to minimize losses

- to avoid feeding loss use a bale feeder to prevent trampling and waste of hay

reproductive management

- cattle typically reach puberty around 10 months

- cattle breed year round: typically bred in fall/spring calving season

- producers can chose to use natural or artificial insemination to breed females (or combo of both)

- estrus (heat) synchronization helps make breeding possible

length of estrous cycle

21 days

length of estrus (heat)

14-16 hours

time of ovulation

10-14 hours after standing heat

length of gestation

283 days

controlled breeding season

- produces a controlled calving season. leaving bull in with cows for limited time

- breeding seasons range from 60-90 days

why have a defined breeding season?

- concentrated labor and other resources

- able to market a uniform set of cattle at one time

- nutrient requirements similar for entire herd (all in the same stage of production at the same time)

Breeding programs: purebred

seedstock producers

mating animals within the same breed

breeding programs: crossbreeding

commercial operations

crossing animals of different breeds

breeding programs: breeding/calving season

- spring calving (60 day season). Breed mid-April to mid-June. Calving at end of January to end of March

- fall calving (60 day season). breed beginning of January to end of February. calve mid October to beginning of December

crossbreeding programs

crossing of one or more pure breeds

benefits: hybrid vigor (heterosis)

heifer reproductive management

- first calf heifers should be bred to calve at 2 years

- breed heifers at 15 months (60-65% of mature body weight)

- producers may wait until 36 months- loss of one calf makes it hard to make a profit

- first calf heifers should be bred 30 days earlier than cow herd. Stressful time- heifer is still growing and now lactating- nutrient demands are high

bull reproductive management

- begin at 15 months. rule of thumb: bull is able to breed one cow for every month of age

- bull evaluation should be more important to the producer than selection for replacement heifers. Bulls produce more offspring per year compared to cows. Bad bull can cause great damage to profitability of an operation

bull reproductive management: breeding soundness exam (BSE)

- must be done prior to every breeding season

- testicular development

- semen quality

- ability to breed females (libido)

diseases that directly affect reproductive efficiency include

- brucellosis (bangs disease)

- Vibriosis

- leptospirosis

- IBR/BVD complex

- trichomoniasis

conception rate (pregnancy rate)

number of females pregnant ÷ total number of females exposed X 100

calf crop percent

number of calves weaned ÷ number of females exposed X 100

calving interval

time period from when a cow calves this year to when she calves next year (12 months is the target)

reasons for calf loss

mother, disease, weather, predator, accident

average cow cost in LA

$550

initial signs of calving

- nervousness

- off feed

- separation

- milk let down (swelling of the udder "springing")

- swollen vulva

- tail kinks

Stage 1 of Parturition

- restlessness, frequent standing up/lying down, not eating

- takes 2 to 6 hours for cervix to dilate completely

stage 2 of parturition

- water sac protrudes and breaks

- fetus enters the birth canal

- regular intermittent straining begins

- once front feet are out, calf expulsion should occur in 1 to 2 hours

stage 3 of parturition

- expulsion of placenta and fetal membranes

- 30 minutes to 8 hours

- membranes not expelled after 12 hours are considered retained

dystocia and results from factors

difficulty with the calving process

- presentation of the fetus

- birth weight (major factor in dystocia)

- sex of calf (bull heavier by approximately 8 lbs)

- pelvic area of mother

- nutrition

- gestation length

- paternal maternal influence (high BW genetics)