Beef Cattle IndustryBeef Cattle Industry

Beef cattle industry produces more Beef cattle industry produces more than 45% of total cash receipts from than 45% of total cash receipts from all livestock productsall livestock products

Decline in consumption of beef is Decline in consumption of beef is linked to a drop in the beef supply and linked to a drop in the beef supply and increasing prices for beef because increasing prices for beef because people think it is high in cholesterolpeople think it is high in cholesterol

Very little beef is imported or exported Very little beef is imported or exported out of the USout of the US

Texas and Kansas make up 50% of the Texas and Kansas make up 50% of the feedlotsfeedlots

The demand for beef depends The demand for beef depends on:on:

the # of peoplethe # of people income per personincome per person changes in people’s meat changes in people’s meat

preferencespreferences

Advantages for raising beef:Advantages for raising beef:

beef use roughages for feed that beef use roughages for feed that would be wastedwould be wasted

low labor requirementslow labor requirements small capital investmentsmall capital investment low death losseslow death losses beef adapt for use in small and large beef adapt for use in small and large

operationsoperations high demand for meathigh demand for meat

Disadvantages:Disadvantages:

cattle feeding is a high risk businesscattle feeding is a high risk business not efficient converters of not efficient converters of

concentrated feeds into meatconcentrated feeds into meat takes longer to takes longer to

increase herdincrease herd high capital high capital

investmentinvestment

3 types of beef cattle 3 types of beef cattle production systems:production systems:

cow-calf producerscow-calf producers purebred breederspurebred breeders cattle feederscattle feeders

Desirable conformation of beef Desirable conformation of beef animals:animals:

long, trim, deep-sided bodylong, trim, deep-sided body no excess fat on the brisket, foreflank, or no excess fat on the brisket, foreflank, or

hindflankhindflank no extra hide around the throat, dewlap, no extra hide around the throat, dewlap,

or sheathor sheath heavily muscled forearmheavily muscled forearm proper height to the point of the shoulderproper height to the point of the shoulder correct musclingcorrect muscling maximum development of the round, maximum development of the round,

rump, loin, and ribrump, loin, and rib

Ultrasonics:Ultrasonics:

use of high-frequency sound waves use of high-frequency sound waves to measure fat thickness and loin-eye to measure fat thickness and loin-eye areaarea

use when selecting breeding animalsuse when selecting breeding animals

Performance testing records Performance testing records are used to:are used to:

cull low-producing cowscull low-producing cows check % calf cropcheck % calf crop select replacement cattleselect replacement cattle measure bull productivitymeasure bull productivity improve herd managementimprove herd management improve the grade of calves producedimprove the grade of calves produced increase weaning weightincrease weaning weight give buyers more informationgive buyers more information provide permanent recordsprovide permanent records

Pedigree:Pedigree:

record of the ancestors of an animalrecord of the ancestors of an animal

EPD (Expected Progeny EPD (Expected Progeny Difference):Difference):

measure of the degree of difference measure of the degree of difference between the progeny of the bull and between the progeny of the bull and the progeny of the average bull of the progeny of the average bull of the breed in the trait being measuredthe breed in the trait being measured

usually given in a + or – valueusually given in a + or – value

Feeding Cattle:Feeding Cattle:

Typical roughages: pasture, hay, silage, Typical roughages: pasture, hay, silage, straw, corncobs, and other crop residuestraw, corncobs, and other crop residue

Corn Silage: widely used as a roughage Corn Silage: widely used as a roughage feed for beef herdsfeed for beef herds

Alfalfa: most common roughage in Alfalfa: most common roughage in Midwest and WestMidwest and West

Coastal Bermuda grass: more Coastal Bermuda grass: more common in southern coastal statescommon in southern coastal states

Native range grass: utilized in Native range grass: utilized in western stateswestern states

Feeding Cattle Cont.Feeding Cattle Cont.

Less common roughages:Less common roughages: Oats straw, barley straw, and wheat strawOats straw, barley straw, and wheat straw

Cottonseed hulls, peanut hulls, oat hulls, rice hullsCottonseed hulls, peanut hulls, oat hulls, rice hulls

Grasses for pasture hay:Grasses for pasture hay: Fescue, orchard grass, reed canary grass, smooth Fescue, orchard grass, reed canary grass, smooth

brome grass, Kentucky, bluegrass, perennial brome grass, Kentucky, bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, timothy, redtop, Bahia, dallies, and ryegrass, timothy, redtop, Bahia, dallies, and Sudan.Sudan.

Feeding Cattle Cont.Feeding Cattle Cont.

Legumes: red clover, alsike clover, Legumes: red clover, alsike clover, sercea, lespedeza, peanut hay, sweat sercea, lespedeza, peanut hay, sweat clover, cowpeas, soybean hayclover, cowpeas, soybean hay

Roughages provide the cheapest Roughages provide the cheapest source of energysource of energy