ANSCI 101: Beef Cattle Production

Cattle Terminology

• Backgrounder operation involves raising weaned steer and heifer calves to 12-16 months while grazing inexpensive feeds, developing lean muscle before entering feedlots.
• Bulls are sexually mature male bovines used for breeding, while beef cattle are specifically raised for meat production.
• A cow-calf operation aims to produce one calf per cow annually, typically with a gestation period of about nine months, from birth to weaning at 6-10 months.
• Culling refers to removing animals from a herd for health or production issues, ensuring herd efficiency.
• Feedlot operations confine beef cattle on high-energy diets, lasting 90-180 days, to reach market weight (1,200-1,400 lbs) at 18-22 months of age.
• Finishing period denotes the final feeding stage before cattle reach market weight.
• Grass-fed beef comes from cattle raised mainly on pasture rather than concentrated feed, emphasizing a natural grazing system.

Beef Cattle Breeds

• Angus is popular, hornless, adaptable, and comes in black and red varieties.
• Brahman, known for heat tolerance and insect resistance, is a zebu breed imported from India.
• Charolais is a white French breed known for its size and meat quality.
• Hereford features a red coat with a white face, originating from southern England, and has horned and polled varieties.
• Limousin is another French breed recognized for its lean meat.
• Santa Gertrudis, developed in Texas, comes from breeding Brahman bulls with Beef Shorthorn cows, thriving in harsh climates.

Production System and Life Cycle

• The four types of beef production systems are cow-calf, backgrounder, feedlot, and seedstock.
• Cow-calf operations typically produce calves for breeding or meat, requiring each cow to raise one calf annually.
• Backgrounder operations take calves at 6-12 months, providing forage until they reach 12-16 months before entering feedlots.
• Feedlot operations finalize cattle growth through high-energy diets, creating market-ready animals within a defined finishing period.
• Seedstock operations focus on producing purebred cattle for genetic improvements in specific breeds.

Feeding

• Beef cattle are ruminants with multi-compartment stomachs that digest fibrous plants through symbiotic bacteria.
• Profitability in cow-calf and stocker operations depends on affordable feed, primarily grasslands.
• Finishing diets in feedlots consist of high-energy cereal grains, promoting growth rates of 2.5-4 pounds per day.
• Cattle in feedlots are fed twice daily with constant access to water through troughs or automatic systems.

Housing

• Cattle on cow-calf and stocker operations are primarily raised outdoors, receiving shelter during bad weather.
• Feedlots confine cattle to maximize feed intake, with pens often having dirt floors and provided bedding.

Identification

• Animal identification is crucial for traceability in disease management, with plastic ear tags being the most common method.
• Alternative identification methods include Brucellosis tags, hot-iron branding, ear tattooing, and electronic IDs or microchips.

Culling

• Reasons for culling include health issues, production problems, infertility, or economic factors that necessitate herd reduction or market adaptation.