Beef Cattle Breeds and Management

Beef Cattle Breeds in Tropical Countries

• Specialized beef breeds are uncommon in tropical regions
• Breeds utilized for beef production in the tropics include:
  • Boran
  • Africander
  • Brahman
  • Gir
  • Nelore
  • Guzerate
  • Red Sindhi
  • Indo Brazilian
  • Ankole Watusi
• These breeds are used because of high carcass percentage, dressing percentage, and meat quality
• These breeds are crossbred with local cattle to enhance productivity

Key Characteristics of Common Breeds

• Boran (Southern Ethiopia)
  • Purpose: Meat
  • Features: Hardy, Excellent meat quality, Small to medium size
  • Weight: Bulls (250–850 kg), Cows (225-355 kg)
  • Tolerance: Native climates
  • Coat Color: Black, fawn, red, white
• Brahman (India)
  • Purpose: Meat, milk, drought
  • Features: Heat tolerant, insect resistant, hardy
  • Weight: Bulls (800–1000 kg), Cows (500–700 kg)
  • Tolerance: All climates
  • Coat Color: Gray, red, and other variations
• Africander (South Africa)
  • Purpose: Meat
  • Features: Tick resistant, well muscled, good temperament
  • Weight: Bulls (820–1090 kg), Cows (450–600 kg)
  • Tolerance: Native climates
  • Coat Color: Deep red

Temperate Cattle Breeds

• Common breeds in temperate zones like USA and Europe include:
  • Hereford
  • Angus
  • Shorthorn
• These breeds are well known for beef production

Hereford (England)

• Purpose: Meat
• Features: Hardy, adaptable, medium to large size
• Weight: Bulls (~1200 kg), Cows (~800 kg)
• Tolerance: All climates
• Coat Color: Dark red to red yellow

Angus (Aberdeen Angus)

• Primary Purpose: Meat production
• Special Characteristics: Very hardy and strong; well adapted to cold climates
• Size: Medium to large
• Weight: Bull (~850 kg), Cow (~550 kg)
• Climate Tolerance: Adaptable to all climates
• Coat: Black or red
• Horned: Naturally polled (hornless)
• Milk Yield: Poor
• Place of Origin: Scotland

Charolais

• Primary Purpose: Meat production (main) and draught work
• Special Characteristics: Extremely hardy and strong; Easy calving with excellent maternal qualities; Produces high quality meat
• Size: Large
• Weight: Bull (~1100 kg), Cow (~900 kg)
• Climate Tolerance: Adapted to native climates
• Coat Color: Mainly white
• Horned: Can be horned or polled
• Milk Yield: Poor
• Place of Origin: France

Beef Cattle Traits for Selection

• Weaning weight indicates growth potential of calves and milking ability of dams
• Dressing percentage is the ratio of dressed carcass weight to live weight
• Birth weight is calf weight at birth
• Pre/Post weaning weight is taken before/after weaning to assess growth
• Yearling weight measures growth from birth to ~1 year (320–410 days)
• Carcass traits include weight, grade, fat thickness, loin eye/rib eye area, tenderness, marbling, and meat quality

Carcass Traits

• Quality traits include marbling, fat thickness, ribeye area, and yield grade
• Quantity traits include live weight, hot carcass weight, and dressing percentage

Beef Cattle Selection Methods

• Selection improves genetic traits in herds for high meat yield, quality, growth rate, and disease tolerance
• Selection criteria include foraging ability, feed intake, growth, meat quality, and heat resistance

Beef Cattle Feeds and Feeding Methods

• Feed Types:
  • Dry feeds: Hay, grains, oilseed meals, straws
  • Green feeds: Pasture, green chop
  • High moisture feeds: Silage, roots, tubers, wet byproducts
• Feeding Methods: Nutrient requirements vary based on maintenance, reproduction, and production
• Nutritional factors include age, weight, breed, production level, activity, environment, and physiological status
• Feed adjustments are made for conditions like pregnancy, lactation, and weather stress
• Feedlot: This refers to an intensive feeding system for beef cattle prior to slaughter

Beef Cattle Housing and Disease Management

• Beef Cattle Housing
  • Orientation: East-West orientation minimizes exposure to sun and rain
  • Roof Design: Gable roof is preferred for better heat and cold protection
  • Predominant Systems:
    • Open Overhead Shelter: Common in Ethiopian commercial cattle fattening
    • Open Enclosures: Used in medium and small scale fattening farms

Major Diseases of Beef Cattle

• Types:
  • Infectious: Viral, bacterial, protozoal diseases
  • Parasitic: Internal and external parasites

Viral Diseases

• Rinderpest (RP)
  • Symptoms: Fever, nasal discharge, bloody diarrhea, rough coat
  • Transmission: Direct contact with infected animals
  • Prevention: Vaccination, sanitation, and destruction of infected animals
• Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)
  • Symptoms: Vesicles on feet, mouth, and teats; lameness and drooling
  • Transmission: Contact with infected secretions or aerosols
  • Prevention: Vaccination
• Rabies
  • Symptoms: Restlessness, aggression, paralysis, and excessive salivation
  • Transmission: Bite from rabid animals
  • Prevention: Vaccination and movement restrictions
• Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD)
  • Symptoms: Fever, diarrhea, reduced milk production, and abortions
  • Transmission: Contact with infected animals or contaminated materials
  • Prevention: Vaccination two weeks before movement

Disease Control

• Vaccination Programs: Regular Vaccination for diseases like RP, FMD, rabies, and BVD
• Biosecurity: Prevent disease spread by isolating sick animals, cleaning housing, and managing animal movements
• Early Detection: Monitor for symptoms to control outbreaks quickly
• Proper Housing: Ensure clean, ventilated, and stress-free housing to reduce disease risk

Bacterial Diseases in Cattle

• Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP)
  • Cause: Mycoplasma mycoides var. mycoides
  • Symptoms: Fever, loss of appetite, coughing, shallow respiration, extended neck, and arthritis
  • Transmission: Aerosol and droplet infection; carriers can shed the bacteria
  • Treatment: Tylosin and danofloxan (in endemic areas)
  • Prevention: Vaccination
• Bovine Tuberculosis (TB)
  • Cause: Mycobacterium bovis
  • Symptoms: Low grade fever, chronic cough, difficulty breathing, emaciation, and swollen lymph nodes
  • Transmission: Inhalation of infected milk
  • Treatment: Antibiotics
  • Prevention: No effective prevention
• Anthrax
  • Cause: Bacillus anthracis
  • Symptoms: Sudden death, tarry blood, swelling of throat and neck, and convulsions
  • Transmission: Inhalation, ingestion, skin wounds, and biting flies
  • Treatment: Antibiotics
  • Prevention: Vaccination and carcass disposal (burning/burial with quicklime)
• Black Leg
  • Cause: Clostridium chauvoei
  • Symptoms: High fever, lameness, muscle inflammation, and rapid breathing
  • Transmission: Ingestion during grazing; found in soil and digestive tract of healthy animals
  • Treatment: Ineffective
  • Prevention: Vaccination of calves and carcass condemnation

Diseases Caused by Protozoa

• Trypanosomiasis
  • Cause: Tsetse fly transmission
  • Symptoms: Fever, weakness, anemia, reduced fertility, and milk production
  • Transmission: Tsetse flies
  • Treatment: Trypanocidal drugs (e.g., diminazene aceturate)
  • Prevention: Killing parasites/vectors with insecticides
• Coccidia
  • Symptoms: Loss of appetite, diarrhea, dehydration, and abdominal pain
  • Transmission: Fecal oral route; contaminated feed/water
  • Treatment: Antibiotics
  • Prevention: Clean water tanks, disinfect feed bunks, reduce overcrowding, and manage manure
• Cryptosporidium
  • Cause: Cryptosporidium parvum
  • Symptoms: Watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, dehydration, fever, and weight loss
  • Transmission: Fecal oral route; contaminated food/water
  • Treatment: Antiprotozoal drugs
  • Prevention: Clean housing/equipment and frequent bedding changes

Parasites

• Impact: Blood sucking, nutrient competition, significant economic loss due to reduced productivity
• Animal Parasites:
  • Internal Parasites: Nematodes (round worms), tapeworms, and liver flukes are infected through grazing lands
  • External Parasites: Horn flies, face flies, stable flies, grubs, ticks, lice, and mites
• Disease Control in Beef Cattle
  • Strategies: Risk based surveillance, proper disease diagnosis, quality vaccines, functional veterinary services, animal house cleaning, proper drainage, and rotational grazing
  • Treatment: Vaccines and anthelminthic drugs

Meat Production in Ethiopia

• Sources: Old oxen, culled cows, surplus young bulls
• Statistics:
  • Average live weight: 250 kg
  • Offtake rate: 14%
  • Carcass weight: 110 kg
  • Dressing percentage: 44%
• Challenges: Production issues, husbandry practices, marketing difficulties
• Trends:
  • 2004: 578,240 tons
  • 2010: 749,430 tons (increased)
  • 2017: 597,765 tons (decreased)
• Contribution:
  • 0.2% of the world's total meat production
  • Annual beef production: ~1 million tons (USD 5.1 billion)
  • Ruminants: >3.2 million tonnes (>72% of total meat production)

Meat Processing

• Steps:
  • Slaughtering
  • Processing carcasses (cutting, inspecting, packaging)
• Technologies:
  • Physical/Technical Processes: Cutting, chopping, mixing, tumbling, stuffing, and heat treatment
  • Chemical/Biochemical Processes: Salting, curing, utilization of spices, smoking, freezing, and drying
• Key points:
  • Ethiopia has a large livestock population but low meat production
  • Main issues include low offtake rates and inability to meet international standards
  • Meat processing involves various physical and chemical methods to ensure marketability and safety

Meat Canning

• Process Overview:
  • Pasteurization: Accepts the survival of heat resistant microorganisms
  • Sterilization: Aims to destroy all contaminating bacteria and spores to ensure safety
• Essential Operations:
  • Heating: The product must be heated to a high temperature for a sufficient duration to make it fully or commercially sterile
  • Sealing: Must to be sealed in a hermetic container to prevent recontamination
• Target Bacteria: Clostridium botulinum, an anaerobic, rod-shaped, spore-forming bacteria responsible for foodborne botulism
• Botulism Symptoms:
  • Muscle weakness
  • Double vision
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Paralysis
• Key Points:
  • Sterilization is critical for inactivating large numbers of spores
  • Proper canning processes are essential to prevent botulism

This lesson covers breeds for beef production in tropical and temperate climates like Boran, Brahman, and Angus. It also includes traits (weaning weight, dressing percentage, yearling weight), feed types, and housing for beef cattle.