All About Cattle

Idaho CattleThere are:

2.11 Million Cattle in Idaho529,366 dairy cows

7,700 beef farming & ranching families77% raise 500 or more cattle!800 dairy farms

History Lesson• The earliest introduction of cattle to our

country was in the 1500s via Mexico• Some decedents of

these early cattle arestill around today

• Domesticated cattle came directly to America in the early 1600s.– Established in Virginia around 1620– Herd of 500

Beef was introduced around the 1500’s via Mexico. The First established heard was in Virginia in the early 1600’s. The cattle industry grew tremendously in the two decades after the Civil War, moving into western Kansas and Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and the Dakotas in the 1870s and 1880s with the expansion of the railroads. Cattle ranching was a big business that attracted foreign investment and helped in the considerable organization and development of the western US.

For a neat history lesson you can research more on Joseph McCoy and learn about the Beef Boom in America and the origin of the saying “the real McCoy”

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Cattle vs. CowsCattle-Group of bovine animals

Cow- Female bovineCalf- Baby bovine Bull- Male bovine

It is important to define the differences between the types of cattle, or bovines. (Bovine is a fancy word for any type of cattle). Cows are mother cattle, calves are babies and bulls are the males. All together, cows, calves and bulls are called cattle.

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Dairy vs. BeefCattle

Beef cow=meat

Dairy cow=milk

In Idaho, there are many beef and dairy cattle. In fact, selling cattle contributes more money to Idaho’s economy than any other industry. Beef cattle are raised to be processed into beef and a variety of by-products, but dairy cattle are raised to produce milk. This presentation will focus on beef cattle.Most dairy cattle in Idaho are black and white Holsteins, while most beef cattle are Angus.

• There are lots of different kinds of Cattle

• Some are Dairy types and others are Beef types

• They are called “Breeds”

Cattle Breeds

Different Breeds have different traits which determine if they are Beef or Dairy Cattle.

Some cattle have better traits to produce milk, while others are better developed for meat production.

The Breeds here are(Top to Bottom): Beef Breeds: Limousine, Angus, Herford, Charolais. Dairy Breeds: Holstein, and Jersey

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Cattle are . . .Solar Powered 4 wheel drive

Forage Bio-Digesters

That means, cattle graze on grasses and rangelands plants and use the energy from them!

Cattle eat the grass that is grown by the sun to power themselves. They use the energy to make muscle which is what makes up Beef!

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How Cows Work• Beef comes from amazing animals – cattle• Cattle eat grass and turn it into highly nutritious

beef, which people enjoy• Cow is a ruminant

– Stomach has four chambers– Ferment grass, which is mostly

cellulose, and turn it into protein and fat

• Beef is the muscle that’s produced from the process

Just how do Cattle turn grass and other forage into meat? Well they are special animals that are called Ruminants. This means that their stomach is specially designed with 4 different parts. The different compartments help digest the lignin & cellulose that make up the plants they eat. Cattle are able to convert the energy in a way that we as humans could not do.

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The Ranch• Home of beef cattle

• Provides food, space and water

• Allows ranchers to take care of cattle

A ranch is a farm that raises beef cattle. There are usually horses that help move the cattle where they need to go and green pastures for the cattle to live in and eat.

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Ranchers, Farmers & Cowboys

-Caretakers of cattle-

Just like children rely on their parents for things such as a home, food and clothes, cattle are dependent on caretakers for their well-being. These caretakers are popularly referred to as cowboys.

How many students have pets? Well, cowboys and their families care just as much about their animals and land as you do about your favorite family pet.

Since there are a lot of cows in herd, cowboys have to work really hard to take care of them all. Cowboys take care of cattle by feeding them hay in the winter (when the snow hides grass), doctoring them when they are sick, and making sure that they have plenty of good food and water. Cowboys also care about the land that they keep their cattle on by managing it to reduce soil erosion, minimize bad plants called noxious weeds, and control the amounts of wild animals that are on it. It’s important to remember that just like everyone in this class, cowboys- people that care for cattle- come in all shapes and sizes.

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Safe Beef Starts with Healthy Cattle

• Treating sick cattle is a science that beef producers take seriously.

• Producers work closely with veterinarians to promptly detect and treat animals with the type of and amount of medication.

• Overusing antibiotics doesn’t benefit cattle health and doesn’t make good business sense.

• Producers and veterinarians take great care to provide the most efficient treatment for returning an animal to good health.

Just like seeing the doctor when you are sick, Beef Producers make sure that sick animals get better as fast as they can. Animal doctors, veterinarians help make sure that proper dosages and medicines are given.

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Feed

Cattle are fed and can easily digest a wide variety of foods, from pasture and hay to leftover produce such as potatoes, apples… even snack foods such as potato chips! A cow’s complex digestive system can turn these foods into nutritious meat for people. Pasture and corn are the most-used feeds for cattle, and most of the ground that cattle graze can’t be used to grow any other crops. In Idaho, 40% of all agricultural land is used for grazing. All of these pictures show things that cattle can eat… what can you eat, too?

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Overgrown grasslands (above) can lead to massive range fires

(right).

One way cattle help the environment is by reducing the risk of range fires.

When grass get unreasonably tall and dry, it is really easy for a stray match, lightning or even sparks from cars and ATVs to start a range fire. These fires can burn thousands of acres, ruin habitat for deer, birds and other animals, and sometimes threaten the homes of families.

When cattle graze these lands they reduce the length of the grass, just like humans do when they mow their lawn.

Cattle…Saving the Bees?

• Cattle keep rangelands healthy by grazing

• Bees, who live on rangelands too are thriving in places where cattle are

Cattle keep the rangeland ecosystem healthy by grazing down old growth . Nationally the bee population is threatened by plant and insect diseases. The rangelands have been a safe haven for Bees and have continued to do very well there. Rangeland ecosystems rely on wildlife and livestock to keep the plants healthy

Bees are thriving in rangeland ecosystems that are grazed by cattle – Read article here: (http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/07/a-way-to-save-americas-bees-buy-free-range-beef/241935/)

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Cattle Are Important• Use grasslands for feed

•Produce important by-products•Create sustainable food for people

•Benefit the environment

Cattle are important for many reasons. They utilize land to create healthy food for people, and by doing so, benefit the environment. They recycle foods that would otherwise be wasted into more nutritious food and important by-products, or things that come from animals besides meat. Cattle are definitely important to each and every one of us.

Wait! What else do Cattle do?

Cattle provide us with many things.

Mostly Milk & Meat

But, there are lots of other things that come from cattle you might not know

about

Now that we know where cattle come from and what they do for our environment --What else do Cattle do?

Cattle give us many things. Primarily Cattle provide us with Milk (from dairy cows) and Meat from Beef cattle. However, It doesn’t stop there, cattle provide us with lots of things you probably don’t even realize! Lets take a look!

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Iowa Beef Industry Council 17

Cattle also provide us with many other by-products – parts of the cow that are used to make products for home, health,

food and industry.

by-productsby-products

Beef Animal Meat Cuts

By-Products

Byproducts are value-added products other than beef that come from cattle. They are of considerably less value than the primary product, which is beef. Cosmetics, Sandpaper, Film, Buttons, Leather, Violin Strings; Medicines for: Insulin and Cholesterol. And MANY, MANY MORE products!

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By-Products• Hundreds of products other than beef are

made from cattle– Hides: car seats, basketballs, clothing, boots,

purses– Household products made from fats or

proteins: crayons, gelatin, glue, linoleum, detergents

– Pharmaceuticals– Antifreeze and asphalt…to tires and brake

fluid

Cattle are ultimately raised for their meat, but you may be surprised to learn that paint is made from beef cattle. All parts of cattle are used by people. Some of the things that cattle contribute to are leather products, candles, basketballs, tires, crayons… and much more! -

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Cattle give us:

Different parts of cattle have to be used to make all of these things, from lipstick to ice cream to crayons like the ones you have in your desk.

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What is Beef?

Beef comes from cattle.

The main purpose of beef cattle is to produce food. We call the meat we get from cattle beef. Steaks and hamburger (in many different forms like sloppy joes and tacos) are all beef. Actually, beef is any piece of meat that comes from beef cattle. How many students have eaten beef in the last week?

Cattle Provide Us With…• A wholesome and nutritious product that

fuels our body:– Beef fuels your brain & keeps your body strong– Beef helps your grow– Beef tastes good!

The main product that we get from cattle is BEEF! Beef is the most nutritious and nutrient rich protein with many minerals that are essential to maintaining a healthy body.

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What Are Your Favorite Beef Foods?

• Steaks• Burgers• Meatloaf• Spaghetti• Tacos

Students, what are your favorite foods? Does anyone like tacos? Or Spaghetti? Those foods have beef in them. Beef is part of lots of things we eat, like Steak and Hamburgers!

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Beef Has ZIP!Besides tasting good, beef is a healthy food from the Meat Group of the Food

Guide Pyramid & fits into the Protein section of My

Plate. Beef gives us protein, vitamins and minerals to

help grow strong and have energy.

We say beef gives you ZIP!

Zinc + Iron + Protein and B-Vitamins

Eating right plays an important role in keeping you healthy and active. Beef has Zinc, Iron and Protein and Vitamin B which are important vitamins and minerals to keep you strong! We like to think of beef as a great tasting multi-vitamin.

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Cattle Are Amazing!• They provide us with beef• They provide us with important by-

products• They benefit the environment and help

prevent range firesCattle enrich our lives!

Brought to you by the

Idaho Beef Council

Additional Resources & Lesson Suggestions

Lower Elementary: - Beef byproducts activity – have

students list and draw things that come from Cattle

- Ask students where they think different things come from: like milk, or hamburgers and then talk about the farm source.

- Talk about the lunch menu (if there is beef) and how it might tie into the lesson.

- Why do Cows Wear Bells activity book

Upper Elementary:- Beef Breeds Identification

sheet- Have a local Farmer/Rancher

who raises cattle come and speak to the class

- Talk about the process of where a cheeseburger comes from – (ie – produce from farms, bun from wheat from farms, cheese from dairy cows and beef from cattle)