Beef Cattle Production

Objectives:

1. Explain the importance of beef production.2. Explain how to select beef animals.3. Name and identify common breeds of beef animals.4. List the advantages and disadvantages of beef cattle production.5. Describe the types of beef production systems.6. Describe the promotion of herd health.7. Assess methods of animal identification.8. Describe two common herd management practices.9. Describe facility and equipment needs with beef cattle.10. Identify selection, feeding, grooming, and training practices with show animals.

Key Terms

anthelmintic creep feedinggrade cattlebackgrounding system curability halter brokenBos indicus dehorningheterosisBos taurus dual-purpose breed marblingbranding elastratorpolledconformation finishing system purebredcow-calf system forager

steer

Importance of Beef Cattle Production

Beef cattle are raised for their meat/beef. The animals are selected to yield a high amount of good meat. This is contrasted with dairy cattle, which are used for milk.

Beef production is a large part of ag in North America. Providing quality beef requires good animals and efficient marketing. Products must reach the consumer in wholesale condition.

Origin of Beef Cattle

Bos taurus - cattle common to the temperate regions, such as the midwestern United States. They are often known as the European breeds. Examples: Angus and Herford

Bos indicus cattle are those cattle that are descendants of the Zebu cattle with humps on their necks. They also have large, droopy ears and loose skin. Bos indicus cattle are common to warmer tropical areas, such as the southern part of the U.S.

Christopher Columbus introduced beef cattle in the U.S. on his second voyage to America. Early settlers from the British Isles and other European countries brought cattle with them as they settled new land in America. As the settlers moved west, so did the cattle because abundant pasture was found in the great plains.

The Beef Cattle Industry

Sales of cattle amount to a large portion of all farm markets. There are 86 million head of beef cattle on farms and ranches in the U.S. There is a global market for beef, we export to Japan, Canada, Republic of Korea, Mexico, and Hong Kong. Japan is by far the larges foreighn customer of the U.S.'s beef industry (meat and hides).

Consumption

The consumption of beef is part of a balanced diet designed for good nutrition and health. Beef continues to be one of America's favorite foods. The per capita consumption of beef is 65.8 pounds/year in the U.S.

Beef helps consumers meet daily nutrient requirements in protein, vitamin B-12, iron, zinc, and other essential nutrients. However, it is under fire due to the amount of fat and cholesterol it can add to the diet. New research, improved genetics, and better management techniques are reducing these concerns. Keep in mind, balance, variety and moderation are the key to a good diet.

Most desirable cuts include: Rump Roast, Round, Sirloin, Arm Roast, Chuck Roast, Rolled Roast, Standing Rib Roast, Delmonico Steak, Club Steak, T Bone, and Porterhouse.

Beef Cattle Selection

Selecting beef cattle is an important decision. Much money and other resources are involved. Some people want a specific breed, the strengths and weaknesses of each breed should be considered. This will allow producers to meet their goal.

Purebred and Grade Cattle

Purebred - is an animal of a particular breed and is entitled to be registered as a purebred animal. Breed associations set rules that purebred cattle must meet. Producers must follow the rules and certify breeding.

Some cattle producers decided to crossbreed cattle, mix bulls of one breed with cows of another. Grade cattle are not registered even though they may have a purebred background, most are mixed breeds.

Selection Guidelines

1. No one breed is the best for all traits, so you must have priorities on what is most important to you.2. All breeds have variation within their genetics, so you must decide what traits are most important.3. Selection of superior animals and sound breeding practices are as important as the breed.4. Select a breed that has the desired conformation - type, shape, and form of an animal. It is related to muscle (meat) in the valuable cuts and the ability of the animal to be productive.5. The breed needs to be selected on its production capabilities in the specific environment where it will be raised.6. Markets for the breed should be evaluated.7. The producer should consider personal preference and select a breed they are familiar and comfortable with.8. Buy animals from established breeders with good reputations.

Beef Breeds

The breeds of beef cattle common in the U.S. are breifly described next. These were developed in Europe, Great Britain, or the U.S. Some genetics of Indian cattle may be included. Animals in the breeds conform to standard set by the breed associations. Many are purebred and registered.

Angus

·Originated in Scotland·Solid black in color and skin·Naturally polled - without horns·Consumer preference led to Certified Angus Beef - high quality marbling (intramuscular fat)·281,965 purebreds registered in 2002

Red Angus

·Carry the recessive red gene for color·Red does not absorb the heat as much as black, so they are somewhat more heat tolerant

Ankole Watusi

·Originated in Uganda, Africa·Colors are dark red, black, white, gray, and yellow.·Largest horns of any beef cattle.·Horns may reach 8 feet in total length with a diameter of 9 inches at the base.·Have a slight hump.

Hereford

·Originated in Hereford, England·Red with white head, legs, and underline·Horned·Early maturing·“Mothering” breed·Good foragers - makes good use of grasses and plants for food.

Polled Hereford

·Developed in Iowa by Warren Gammon·Naturally hornless·Red with white face, legs and underline

Shorthorn

·Originated in England·Red; red & white or roan in color·May be polled or horned·Originally used as a dual purpose breed for meat and milk·Generally gentle and have good disposition.·Mothers are good milkers

Simmental

·Originated in Switzerland·Oldest breed of cattle in the world·Large, powerful breed, lean carcass·Brought to the United States in 1969 from Canada·Orange/Yellow and white to black in color, pigment around eyes.·Horned and polled

Gelbvieh

·Originated in Germany·Red in color·Noted for superior fertility and mothering ability·Tend to be extra fleshy under the throat·Medium framed, acceptable carcass

Charolais

·Originated in France·Introduced in 1936 by King Ranch·Traditionally white in color with pink skin·Long bodied, large cattle·Heavily muscled·Polled or horned·Used in crossbreeding to increase frame and muscle

Maine Anjou

·Originated in France·Dark red with white markings or black·Developed by crossing the Mancelle breed with the Shorthorn breed·Typically horned·Have good marbling

Chianina

·Originated in Italy·One of the oldest breeds of cattle·Tallest breed of beef cattle·Short hair that is white to steel gray·Low milk production·Good maternal traits

Salers

·Originated in France·Fastest growing breed in the United States·Mahogany red to black in color·One of the last breeds to be imported into the United States·Calve easily because of smaller heads and slender necks and bodies.·Good milkers

Brahman

·Originated in India·Able to survive on very little, poor feed·Insect & heat resistant·White to gray, red to black·Sweat glands ·Bos indicus - have a hump, long floppy ears, loose hide·Good mothers·Unpredictable temperament

Santa Gertrudis

·Developed on the King Ranch in Texas·They were created by crossing shorthorn cows and Brahman bulls·Horned or polled·Deep cherry red·Carry many of the Brahman characteristics

Texas Longhorn

·Developed entirely by nature in North America·Known for its long horns·High fertility·Were near extinction in 1927

Longhorn

·Brought to US from Mexico in the 1800's by Spanish explorers·Good fertility·Used in cross-breeding due to light birthweights·Do not grow very fast, but are durable and adapt well to rough range conditions.

South Devon

·Developed in England·Developed for dual purposes of meat and milk production·Imported in the late 30s/early 40s·Medium-red color and usually horned.

Brangus

·Crossbreed between Brahman and Angus·Developed in 1912·Have many shared characteristics·Typically solid black in color, long floppy ears (not as long as Brahman) and loose hide·Adaptable to various climates·Good mothers

Beefmaster

·Developed in 1931 in Texas·Cross of Hereford, Shorthorn, and Brahmans·Color varies from reds and yellowish-whites·Hardy and milk well

Limousin

·Originated in France·Color is light yellow or an orange color, or black·The area around the muzzle will be a lighter version of the body·Horned and polled·Moderate, heavy-muscled frame·Lean carcass and large loin·Cutability - amount and quality of salable retail cuts that may be obtained from the carcass

Tarentaise

·Originated in the French Alps·Hardy breed, relatively free of eye cancer and udder burn due to dark pigment around eyes and udder·Wheat-colored from cherry to dark blonde·Bulls are well-suited for 1st time heifers·Calves are smaller and more lively at birth·Good performance at high elevations.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Beef Cattle Production

Advantages

·Beef cattle can consume roughages, including most grasses and several legumes, which other livestock may not eat or be able to use. Therefore, little forage is wasted with beef cattle.·Labor requirements are usually not as great because they don't necessarily have to be fed every day.·Death losses are relatively low if good practices are followed.·Beef cattle adapt well to various sizes of operations.·There is a good demand for meat.·The beef industry creates many jobs. What are some jobs you can think of?·Beef cattle may provide avocational interests, as well as youth projects through FFA and 4-H.

Disadvantages

·If cattle are fed to slaughter weight, the producer incurs risk. Grain prices tend to fluctuate and available forage is dependent on precipitation for a specific area.·Beef cattle don't convert feed and forages into meat as efficiently as other animals.·Because of the 283-gestation period of beef cattle, it takes longer to increase herd size. The producer will usually only get one offspring a year from each cow.·Capital investment is high to start a modern beef operation. Not only does the producer have to invest in the cattle, but also facilities, equipment, and herd management.

Types of Beef Production Systems

Cow-Calf Systems - keep adult cattle to raise calves for sale to other growers and mostly involve high-quality grade cattle. The cows are bred to calve in the late winter or early spring. The calves are sold in the fall. This takes advantage of the warm summer growing season. Most calves go to feedlots for finishing into meat animals.

Natural breeding is typically used with grade cow-calf systems. The bull may be put in the pasture with the cows at breeding time to assure calving at the desired time. One 3 year old bull will breed 25 to 40 cows/year. Some producers use AI to breed their cows.

Heifers need to be the proper size and age before breeding. Most heifers will have their first calf at two years of age. Cows will occasionally have twins or multiple births, but this isn't a common thing in beef.

The cow-calf system uses forages for feed. Several kinds of plants are grown in pastures for forage. Both grasses and legumes are used. Pasture grasses include fescue, orchard grass, or Bermuda grass. Legumes include several kinds of clovers, lespedeza, vetch, and alfalfa. Keep poisonous weeds out of pastures. If pasture is not available, feed hay or silage in its place.

An additional mineral supplement should be fed free-choice to meet the need for minerals. Calves that are a few months old may be supplementally fed with grain. A method known as creep feeding - using equipment that only allows small animals to enter, is used. This allows the calf to gain more weight while it is nursing and is done when the calf is not receiving enough milk from the cow, forages are limited, or grain prices are low.

Creep feeder for calves.

Producers of purebred cattle follow a somewhat different cycle. They raise herd replacements and animals for other cattle breeders. Purebred cattle are not raised to go to a feedlot.

Backgrounding Systems - an approach that takes a calf from the time it is weaned from the cow to the feedlot phase. Backgrounding is essential to add more weight to the calf before it enters the final feeding phase.

During the backgrounding, forages, such as annual grasses, are commonly used to add more weight to the calf. Supplemental grain may also be fed to the calves to increase the rate of gain and prepare the calves to enter the finishing phase earlier. Calves that are backgrounded will also need a free-choice mineral supplement.

Finishing System - an approach that takes a calf through the complete grow-out phase of beef production. The calf is fed to harvest weight, which is usually 1100 to 1300 pounds, depending on the breed.

Some beef producers feed calves to harvest weight, but most cattle will be finished by commercial feedlots. The feedlots are located in the western and southwestern United States. During the finishing period, calves are fed concentrates high in energy from grains, such as corn, milo, and oats. Free-choice minerals may be provided.

Herd Health

Parasites - Beef cattle are affected by both external and internal parasites.

- External Parasites - flies, mosquitoes, lice, mites, and ticks. Good sanitation practices with facilities and equipment will reduce problems with these parasites. In addition, they can be controlled using insecticides. You should consult your vet for parasite control. In general, you can apply insecticides by spraying or dipping the cattle. Backrubbers can be used in a high-traffic area with insecticide poured inside it. As the cattle walk under the backrubber, the insecticide is applied.

Internal Parasites - roundworms and flatworms, must be controlled. Common symptoms include weight loss, poor weight gain, rough hair, and diarrhea.

Anthelmintics are chemical compounds used for deworming animals and can be administered orally, by injection, by pour-on, or by adding to the feed or minerals. A regular worming schedule should be followed once or twice a year. Consult a vet for what should be used.

Pathogenic Diseases

Blackleg, Bangs(brucellosis), bovine virus diarrhea (BVD), foot and mouth, anaplasmosis, mastitis, and shipping fever are all problematic diseases.

Animal Identification

Most beef animals need to be identified in some way in order to manage the beef herd as well as specifying ownership. It allows the producer to identify all animals and keep records on production.

·Tags are usually placed in the ears of animals, some are place on chains around the neck. The tags have numbers or letters that aid in record keeping. Some tags allow electronic codes that are sensed by a scanning device hooked to computers. Source verification tags may also be used to identify origin of the animal. This record keeping helps in accountability of animal health and quality.

·Branding is a permanent method of identification and may be done with a hot iron or by freeze branding. The producer needs to select a brand design that will represent ownership of the cattle. Brands are usually registered with a state agency. A hot iron brand will burn the surface of the skin, leaving a permanent mark. When freeze branding, liquid nitrogen is used with the iron, which freezes the skin pigment. This depigments the hair white in color, in white-haired cattle, the liquid nitrogen is left on a longer time. This produces a bald spot the shape of the branding iron.

·Earmarks may be as simple as using a knife or an earnotcher to cut a notch in the ear. The notch can be identified by it's placement on the left or right ear. Tattoos may also be placed in the ear.

·Neckbands or chains can be used for identification, however, they do tear or someone other than the owner may remove the chain. An animal could also catch the chain on something and choke to death.

·Tattoos are a method of identification frequently used among purebred breeders. An instrument applies letters and numbers by piercing the skin and then ink is rubbed into the area. A common place for tattoos is inside the ear. The drawback is that the animal must be confined for the tattoo to be read and are hard to read on dark-skinned cattle.

·Other methods include nose prints, DNA testing, and microchips. The first two are used to establish the precise identity of an animal in show cattle. Microchips are placed beneath the skin where a scanner will decode the signal and identify the animal. Microchips should not be used in an animal to be slaughtered.

Common Herd Management Practices

Care is known as management practices. Several areas of care include providing feed and water, breeding, disease control, worming, and animal identification. Animals should be observed each day to check for injury and disease.

Dehorning is used with horned breeds of cattle to remove horns. Large horns can be dangerous and injure other animals as well as people. Several dehorning methods are used, it is preferable to dehorn young calves because larger animals are more difficult as well as traumatic to the animal. Caustic chemicals may be placed on the location where horns grow and prevents horn growth by destroying tissue. Horns can also be sawed or clipped off. All bleeding must be stopped afterward and a repellent should be used to keep flies off the wound.

Castration - is removing the testicles or destroying their development. Castration makes male calves easier to handle and manage. A calf castrated at a young age is a steer. Except for breeding animals, steers often bring higher prices than bulls and prevents bulls from breeding any females that are present once puberty has been reached.

A common method used is the elastrator that stretches a specifically made rubber band over the scrotum which will cut off circulation. The scrotum will essentially dry up and fall off. Good for younger and smaller calves.

A knife or a scalpel may be used to cut the testicles from the scrotum. Bleeding must be stopped and lies controlled and the calves must be watched for infection.

A Burdizzo clamp can be used, there is no bleeding because the clamp crushes and severs the cords and blood vessels going to the testicles causing them to dry up. It is possible to miss the cord when clamping.

Facilities

Facilities range from simple to elaborate. Producers should allow for flexibility so they can expand or change beef production systems. There is not a large need for shelter, however they do need shade in the summer and protection from the harsh winter. All beef producers need fences that must be kept in good condition.

Equipment

Cattle production requires various equipment depending on the type of animal produced. Water tanks must be available to all cattle. Feed storage is needed to assure high-quality feedstuff and reduce the amount of feed wasted by spoilage and pest damage. Feeds for hay, forages, and grain need to be large enough to accommodate several cattle at once to alleviate the dominant, aggressive animals from keeping others away.

Equipment for handling cattle is needed in all beef operations. A good corral makes it easier to work cattle and should decrease labor and time, reduce cattle stress, decrease chance of injury and weight loss, and increase safety for the producer. Corral designs vary, allow room for expansion in the future. Sharp turns and corners should be avoided and corrals should have easy access to trailer loading. Working chutes and headgates are used to hold and restrain cattle for tagging and vaccinating.

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