Sustainable Beef Production

7/26/2019 Sustainable Beef Production

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ATTRA is the national sustainable agriculture information center funded by the USDAs Rural Business -- Cooperative Service

Abstract

This publication is designed to serve as an overview ofproduction and management of beef sustainably. It introducesconcepts of sustainable beef production, which a farmer oreducator can use as a guide to enhance the sustainability of afarm. The two key factors in assessing the sustainability of afarm are profitability and stewardship of natural resources. Tobe sustained over a short term, the enterprise must beprofitable; to be sustained over a long time period, themanagement of the natural resources such as soil and watermust be considered. Planning a beef cattle program shouldbegin with the whole farm. One way to view cattle producers isas grass farmers. The product being produced and sold isgrass, through the cattle.

Consideration of the type of cattle enterprise and the type ofcattle which will best fit the resource base is a next step.Another key decision also is determining what product is beingsold, as well as where and how. An increased interest in

natural beef and organic marketing is allowing some producersto develop niche marketing approaches. Details such as healthprograms and the everyday handling of cattle also impact themanagement of the operation. There is social concern about theoveruse of antibiotics and other products, such as implants.

SUSTAINABLE BEEF

PRODUCTION IS:

!

Stewardship of natural

resources

!

Profitable

!!

!

!Addresses consumer concerns

about beef production

!Beef producers could be viewe

as "grass farmers" in thebusiness of converting plant

material into an animal produ

and harvesting solar dollars

!

Sustainable beef production

uses a whole-systems approac

of land, water, energy, labor,

technology, and capital

management to meet the goal

of the ranch and develop

diversity and resiliency.

WHATS INSIDE:Controlled grazing // Page 3

Pasture management // Page 4

Matching livestock/forage // Page 4

Alternative feeds // Page 5

Resource management // Page 5

Breed selection // Page 5

Health // Page 6

Health management // Page 6

Low-stress handling // Page 6

Fly control // Page 7

Parasites // Page 7

Environmental concerns // Page 8

Social concerns // Page 9

Marketing // Page 9

Further resources // Page 10

800-346-9140

Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas

SUSTAINABLE BEEF

PRODUCTIONLIVESTOCK PRODUCTIONGUIDE


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Introduction

Sustainable beef production has as its focus the long-term health of the environment, while maintaining theeconomic viability of the farm and addressingconsumer concerns about the beef they eat.

Sustainable beef production optimizes the use ofpasture while reducing the dependence on grain andharvested forage. Forage-based production utilizes afeed source not directly available to humans, often onland not suitable for cropping. Cattle, as ruminantherbivores, may be thought of as "solar-powered grasscombines," having the ability to convert plant materialinto high-quality beef for human consumption.Raising grain to feed ruminants requires higherfertilizer and pesticide inputs and consequently, is

more energy-intensive and possibly more expensivethan pasture. Land that is too erodible for annualcropping can be maintained as permanent sod.

On land suitable for row crops, pasture is sometimesincluded in a crop rotation plan. Pasture, whenproperly managed, interrupts the life cycles of annualweeds and other crop pests and builds the soil byadding organic matter. Manure disposal problems arereduced on pasture, since nutrients are naturallyspread on the soil and recycled as fertilizer.Sustainable beef production is economically viable.

With pasture-based production, costs for chemicalinputs (fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides) arereduced. Since pastured livestock harvest the feedthemselves, inputs of machinery and energy arereduced because there is less need to harvestmechanically. Less capital is needed, since pasture,animals, fences, water, and management are the maininputs.

Sustainable beef production emphasizes alternativehealth practices to keep animals healthy and costs

low. Preventative methods are used to reduce pest,parasite, and stress problems. A livestock componentdiversifies a grain farm, while manure and foragescan reduce input costs and soil erosion in croppingsystems.

Alternative marketing can increase the economicviability of the beef operation. For example, bymarketing a value-added beef product directly to

customers, profits go to the producer instead of amiddleman. Swings in market prices will not affecproducer who direct-markets as much as one whomarkets beef conventionally. Value-added marketsuch as organic, natural, and grass-fed, are potentiaattractive to customers, many of whom are intereste

in meat products that have been raised inenvironmentally sound ways and without the routiuse of medications and growth hormones.

There is potential to improve the regional economyprocessing the beef that is produced locally insteadsending it out of state. Many consumers will,therefore, support locally grown beef.

Sustainable beef production addresses social concerabout food safety and environmental degradation.

Many consumers want lean, clean beef. The "waon fat is a major focus in the beef industry and hasresulted in leaner beef products. Many consumers fethat livestockfeed additives such as hormone implants and routinuse of antibiotics could adversely affect their health.Some even want certified organic beef raised with npesticides in feed and no synthetic parasiticides.Other consumers want to buy products they believehave been raised in an environmentally sound way.

Sustainable beef production uses a whole-farmsystems approach of land, water, energy, labor,technology, and capital management to meet the goof the farm or ranch and develop diversity andresiliency. In an integrated system, animals andplants are adapted to the site and operation goals,records are kept to measure progress, and marketinfits with the skills and interests of the ranch.

Controlled grazing

A common type of grazing in the U.S. is continuousgrazing, characterized by animals having unrestricteaccess to a pasture. However, animals soon eliminathe most palatable plant species because they grazethem continually. Less desirable plants, on the othhand, are undergrazed and may spread in the pastuWeeds can become a problem and overgrazing canaccelerate erosion as compared to some type ofrotational grazing.


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ATTRA//SUSTAINABLE BEEF PRODUCTION Page 3

A rotational grazing system that results in moreefficient use of pasture is controlled grazing ormanagement-intensive grazing (also referred to as MIGor rotational grazing). In controlled grazing, pasturesare divided into smaller paddocks. The stock graze the

foragedown to a pre-determined level and then are moved toanother paddock, not returning to the first paddockuntil the plants have regrown to the desired height.Stocking rate can be increased and pounds of meat peracre are increased. One study has shown that whensteers were rotated through 10 paddocks, the landsupported 41% more steers per acre, compared withcontinuous grazing (1).

Controlled grazing systems have initial costs of electric

fencing and watering facilities. Cattle become trainedto electric fences and frequent paddock changes. Waterneeds to be accessible from every paddock. Alleywaysgive animals access to one water source from severalpaddocks placed side by side. Many producers do notlet their cattle in ponds or streams due tocontamination with excrement and muddy banks, orthey limit access with fencing. Some watering systemsuse electricity, solar, or wind pumps to pump water toa central holding tank, and gravity carries it to othertanks. Above-ground pipes and portable waterers cancreate flexible, moveable water systems. For furtherinformation on fencing and watering in rotationalgrazing systems, request ATTRAs publicationIntroduction to Paddock Design and Fencing and WaterSystems for Controlled Grazing.

The ATTRA publication Rotational Grazing, availableupon request, provides information on paddocklayout, grass growth cycles, and books and otherresources for rotational grazing.

Sustainable pasture management

Improving the management of an existing pasturemay be more cost effective than establishing a newone, since seed, tillage and weed control areexpensive. Also, it is possible that many pastureproblems--such as sparse plant cover, weed invasionand slow growth--are caused by current grazing

management. When rotational grazing is used, plaspecies that have not been present in the past maybegin to grow.

Managing fertility is important in sustainable pastumanagement. When animals graze, nutrients are

returned to pastures in the form of manure.Rotational grazing systems can be designed todistribute the manure more uniformly thancontinuous grazing. In any grazing system, cattletend to congregate at watering and mineral feedingareas and shade; these areas can become nutrientsinks.Various plants contribute to soil fertility as well.If legumes are present, they can increase the totalnitrogen content of the soil because they can converthe nitrogen in the air into a form that they can use

Deep-rooted plants bring up nutrients from lower sprofiles.

Extending the forage season is important insustainable pasture management. Feeding hay andsilage is expensive compared to grazing due to laboand machinery costs, but conserved forage for thedormant season is needed in most parts of thecountry. Also, in rotational grazing systems, since may not be possible to graze all the spring growthwhen it is most palatable, the forage may need to beharvested to ensure good quality later in the grazinseason.

For more information, request the ATTRA publicatiSustainable Pasture Management.

Matching forage and livestock resources

Matching animal production and forage productionmakes effective use of pasture resources. Forexample, stocker cattle may require higher qualityforage than cow/calf herds; however, this depends

the level of milk production of the cows.

Forward grazing, a practice that increases pastureefficiency, involves grazing animals with highernutrient requirements, such as stocker cattle first, sothat they have a high intake of quality forage. Animrequiring a lower level of nutrition, such as non-


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lactating cows, are grazed second. Calves aresometimes allowed to creep graze high-quality forageahead of the cows to provide extra nutrition.

Matching the reproductive cycle of the cow toforage production by calving in the spring instead of

the winter takes advantage of lush spring foragegrowth at a time when the cow needs maximumnutrition. Calf health benefits from the warm, dryground compared to the mud and cold of late winter.However, calving in the spring may require the cowsto be bred back later during the summer slump whenforage production is low and offers less nutrition. Itmay also require the calves to be sold at the lowestpoint in the annual market cycle. Refer to ATTRAspublicationMatching Livestock and Forage Resources inControlled Grazing for more information.

Multispecies grazing can increase net return per acre,since cattle, sheep, and goats do not eat exactly thesame types of plants. Cattle tend to graze grasses,sheep eat grass and forbs (herbaceous plants), andgoats prefer browse (leaves, stems, and twigs). Theaddition of goats to a cattle operation is a viable option;goat meat is lean and market demands for it have beenincreasing. When sheep are bonded to cattle, sheeplosses to predators decrease. Another benefit ofmultispecies grazing is parasite control; however,including sheep or goats in a cattle operation will

require extra fencing and management costs. ATTRAcan provide further information on multispeciesgrazing.

The ATTRA publicationMeeting the NutritionalRequirements of Ruminants on Pastureaddresses theimpact of grazing management on nutrition,supplemental feeding on high quality pasture, andfeed budgeting to efficiently manage pasture. Furtherinformation is also provided on matching livestockand forage resources.

Alternative feeds

Millions of tons of crop residues have potential asfeedstuffs. Low-quality crop residues such as strawand stover may be treated with ammonia (urea is asource) or alkali to improve digestibility of fiber andprotein. Cattle can derive considerable feed value in

the winter from grazing the residue left in the field acorn harvest, particularly from spilled grain and husCash crops (soybeans, wheat, millet, etc.) spoiled bybad weather may be utilized as well.

By-products can be used as feedstuffs in sustainable

beef production. Cereal milling by-products (grainscreenings) and wheat milling by-products (bran,middlings, mill run, shorts) are useful cattle feeds.Food processing and industrial by-products includemolasses, reclaimed bakery products such as bread acookies, beet pulp, dried citrus pulp, and vegetablecanning by-products. Cull vegetables (onions, carrohave even been fed. Sources of protein for livestock distillery and brewers' grain and fishmeal; corn glutefeed is a good source of by-pass protein and digestibfiber (2).

Alternative feeds such as roots and tubers (sugar beemangels, sweet potatoes, turnips) can be produced ofarm and fed or grazed for their energy content ornutritious greens. Lesser-known grains such asamaranth and buckwheat are also sometimes used. Tannual reference issue of Feedstuffs (3) magazine liststhe nutrient makeup of many nontraditional feedsuseful in ration-balancing.

Resource management

Working with available on-farm resources instead ofhigh capital inputs helps to reduce risks and increaseprofit margins. For example, an alternative to owninexpensive heavy machinery that only sees occasionause is to borrow or rent machinery or services. Leasiland instead of buying it presents an opportunity foryoung people to get into ranching.

Management programs, such as SPA and IntegratedResource Management, are helpful for record-keepi

and evaluating an operation. These functions are vito judge the economic health of the operation and tomeasure progress towards goals.

Holistic Management is a decision-making process tpromotes the establishment of a single holistic goal,which includes quality of life, plans for incomegeneration, and the future vision for the land. The


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holistic practitioner considers the effects on the goal ofdaily and long-term decisions. Contact Alan SavorysCenter for Holistic Management (4) for moreinformation.

Breed selection

Producers should choose a breed that matches theneeds of the operation and the market they will beselling to. Instead of raising feed to support aparticular type of cattle, a rancher should choose abreed that effectively uses the forage the land caneconomically produce. Choosing a breed adapted to anarea helps lower inputs. Some breeds show heattolerance and parasite resistance; others tolerate cold.

Producers can select for traits in the herd, such asfertility, mothering instincts, parasite resistance, andperformance on forage. In the past, a few productiontraits, such as heaviest calf weaning weight, have beenemphasized for breed selection. Anoptimal cow includes a balancedvariety of traits: a very fertile,moderate-sized crossbred cow. Strictculling of cows that do not fit theoperation's standards can improve theherd, its adaptation to a particularfarm and environment, and,ultimately, profitability.

Producers interested in animals thatcan produce well and finish on forageshould look for a bull that has beenperformance-tested on forage insteadof on grain. The South MississippiForage Bull Test Sale (5) has testedbulls on forage.

Health

Preventative management for health

Proper nutrition, reduction of stress, sanitation, andculling of problem animals help maintain a herd ingood health, which can increase resistance to diseaseand pests. Although some producers do not vaccinate,most give vaccinations appropriate for the geographicarea and according to regulations.

The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Associati(6), can refer ranchers to veterinarians who specializehomeopathic treatments of large animals. ATTRA caprovide more information on this subject.

Low-stress handling

Stress can result in disease and weight loss, reduces tvalue of meat, and interferes with reproduction. Streoccurring during handling and shipping may triggerrespiratory disease. Stress occurring in feedlots, asunacquainted animals are concentrated together, maresult in lower gains. Since cattle are herd animals,they have a social dominance order that is disturbedwhen new animals are added to the group. Stress prto slaughter is thought to cause dark-cutters, meatwhich is almost purple. Dark-cutters are discountedbecause they are difficult to sell.

Animal handling to reduce stress is discussed in BurSmith's book,Moving Em: A Guide to Low Stress AnimHandling(7). This book covers low-stress handling of

animals during herding, loading, shipping andreceiving.

Awareness of the "flight zone" that cattle have arounthem aids in moving cattle with minimum stress.When a person invades the flight zone, cattle will moto escape (see box). Smith has developed a 52-minut

Awareness of flight distance

The flight distance is the closest distance a dominant animal of thesame species can approach a less dominant one. In cattle the distanceis about 2 to 3 body lengths. The flight distance for approachinghumans depends on what the animal has experienced in the past withhumans. To herd beef animals, if a human approaches a cow on

head, she will back up or whirl. If she is approached head on butslightly to the side, she will move to the other side. If she isapproached broadside but slightly in front of her front shoulder, shewill go backwards; if approached slightly behind her shoulder, shewill go forward. To move animals directly forward in a pasture, theherder should be positioned about 20 degrees off to one side andbehind the herd (7).


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video, Basic Herding: A Home Study Course (8),which includes a manual and guide.

Burt Smith and Bud Williams recommend low-stresspasture weaning in which the calves are kept onpasture and nothing changes except that the cows are

separated. Calves are not penned up and their dietsare not changed. A three-strand electric fence canseparate the cows and the calves, which may be puton a fresh paddock adjacent to their mothers. Fencewalking and bawling is minimized.

Temple Grandin (9) at Colorado State University is anexpert in livestock handling. She designs handlingsystems that take advantage of natural stock behavior,such as a tendency to move towards light. Her corralshave curved lanes and round pens so cattle cannot

crowd together in a corner. Her designs of loadingramps, squeeze chutes, pens, and gates, herd cattlewithout jerky motions and minimize clanging or loudnoises. Her restraining devices have solid sides toprevent cattle from seeing people within the flightzone, and a solid barrier in front of the headgate blocksthe view of an escape path. Grandin is author of thebook Corral Designs(10) and editor of Livestock Handlingand Transport(11).

Fly Control

Pests affecting livestock include flies (horn, face andstable), ticks, grubs, and lice. Integrated pestmanagement (IPM) is an important strategy forcontrolling pests with a minimum of pesticide use.IPM combines biological, physical, and culturaltechniques to reduce pests to economically tolerablelevels.

ATTRA has a publication available calledAlternativeFly Control. It discusses culturalcontrols for flies, suchas cleaning up moist manure, spilled feed and damp

bedding. Parasitic wasps are used as a biologicalcontrol for flies that affect animals in confinement.Other biological controls include range chickens whichpick apart dung pats on pasture and eat fly maggots.Also, dung beetles have been studied for their ability tobury manure piles, thus lowering populations of hornflies and other dung-breeding flies. Physicalcontrol

includes a walk-through trap for controlling horn flieon pastured cattle, which has been found to be aseffective as insecticidal ear tags. Light traps, baitedtraps, electrical traps, and sticky tapes are useful wayto physically control flies in barns. Least-toxicchemcontrol is also discussed.

Parasites

Reducing the use of synthetic dewormers on the faris important to reduce costs and to reduce parasiteresistance to dewormers. Taking fecal samples to avet for examination gives an idea of the parasite loa

Beef cattle are subject to intestinal and stomachworms and coccidia. The brown stomach worm(Ostertagia ostertagi) is the most common worm in

cattle. This parasite has the ability to seasonallyinhibit its maturation inside theanimal (towards the end of spring in the South andthe end of fall in the North) to avoid unfavorabletimes on pasture. Parasite populations can build upthe animal and, after the inhibition period, the wormall mature at once and make animals very sick.Producers should be knowledgeable about parasitelife cycles in order to provide more effective controRefer to the ATTRA publication Integrated ParasiteManagement of Livestock.

Least-toxic deworming

Although producers believe that diatomaceous eart(DE) controls internal and external parasites inlivestock, it has not been shown scientifically that Dis effective. DE is the fossilized remains of diatoms,tiny sea creatures with microscopic cutting edges. Dis generally fed to cattle in the mineral mix.Theoretically, DE pierces the outer protective layer oparasites and fly larvae in the gastrointestinal tract anmanure, respectively.

Other least-toxic alternatives for deworming exist inherbal and folk medicine, in this country and othersFor example, garlic has a history as a wormpreventative.


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Producers may find it necessary to use chemicaldewormers. Dewormings should be strategicallycarried out in order to reduce the number oftreatments. Producers should check with their stateparasitology specialists to determine the mosteffective times to deworm cattle in their states. Some

research has shown that it is not cost-effective toworm adult cattle at all.

Livestock pests usually develop resistance to pesticidesover time, resulting in reduced pest control. Somecattle breeds, such as Brahman, and individual animalsshow natural resistance to pests.

Inter-species grazing

Rotating livestock species such as cattle and sheepthat do not share the same parasites aids in control.One species sanitizes the pasture for the other.

Clean pasture

Clean pasture is pasture that has not been grazed bythe host animal (cattle) for 12 months. It may be newpasture, pasture grazed by livestock that do not sharethe same parasites, or pasture that has been hayed orrotated with row crops. Dewormed animals shouldbe placed on clean pasture if possible to preventre-infection. Do not move the animals for 24 hours

after being de-wormed to allow all dead worms to bepassed and lower reinfestation of clean pasture.

Dung-burying beetles help disperse dung pats,reducing the environment for parasites. Free-rangingchickens also help reduce parasites by picking apartfresh dung pats, which dries the pats out faster anddestroys a harbor for parasites. Drought controlsparasites. Livestock in arid areas have fewerproblems with internal parasites, but they aresusceptible when moved to areas with heavy parasite

loads.

Some individuals and some breeds show moreresistance to parasitic infection than others. Selectionprograms can be designed to take advantage of this.

Wildlife/Environmental concerns

Rangeland evolved with herbivores, and propermanagement of grazing animals can be beneficial torangeland health. Grazing is a natural process onrangeland. However, rangelands may still be

recovering from misuse in the late 1800s whensettlers brought large herds of cattle and sheep. Thmisuse caused increased soil erosion, loss of desirabplant species, and invasions of weeds (12). Rangelaconditions have been improving since the 1930's duto grazing systems, brush control techniques, andreseeding. The absence of grazing does not mean aautomatic improvement in rangelands (13).

It is necessary to protect riparian areas (the naturalvegetation near streams) from prolonged cattle grazi

Riparian vegetation keeps stream banks from erodinand prevents nutrients from entering streams andcausing pollution downstream. Continuouscongregation of cattle around streams can cause the sto erode from the banks and enter the water, creatingconditions detrimental to fish.

Low to moderate grazing at optimal times is notdetrimental to riparian areas. On rangelands, lateseason or dormant periods are optimal grazingperiods for riparian areas (14). Fencing and rotatiograzing can limit access to streams, and water can a

be provided from troughs, ponds, or wells. Somefarmers are developing riparian pastures, which aregrazed rotationally at times most protective of theriparian zone.

Wildlife and lease hunting can be sources of income ranches. Wildlife habitat can be improved on a rancby providing cover for game. Water and salt sourcesmay also attract wildlife. Rotational grazing providemore cover than continuous grazing for bobwhite quas well as higher beef production in a southwest Tex

study (15). Cattle are sometimes grazed in refugeareas in order to improve wildlife habitat byencouraging plant succession and diversity.

Agroforestry combines trees with livestock orcrop production. Trees have a role in pastures andrange and along permanent fencelines. Trees aremulti-purpose, providing shade and shelter from wi


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as well as aiding in erosion control. Trees providetimber, firewood, nuts, fruits, enhanced conditions forwildlife, and livestock forage. Black walnut trees can beintercropped with annuals and, when the trees growlarger and create more shade, with forage. However,haying can become a problem with trees in pastures.

With good management and genetic selection, blackwalnut provides nuts after 10 to 12 years, commercialthinnings at 40 and 55 years, and one of the highestquality timbers after 70 years (16). Livestock aresometimes grazed in forest plantations to control brushand reduce weed competition to the trees.

Social Concerns

A 1991 Food Marketing Institute survey found that 56%of the public were worried that antibiotics and

hormones might be present in meat.

Antibiotics inhibit bacteria and are commonly fed inlow levels (subtherapeutic) to livestock to increasegrowth. An article in The New England Journal ofMedicine suggested that the use of antibiotics inlivestock feed can result in the transfer to humans ofbacteria (salmonella) strains resistant to antibiotics (17).Antibiotic use in livestock production has not beendefinitely proven to harm human health, but the issuewill continue to be a major one for consumers.

Most feedlot cattle are implanted with hormones topromote growth. Although the FDA limits the amountof added hormone in one pound of meat to be no morethan one percent of what a prepubertal boy wouldnaturally produce in a day (18), residuals fromimproper use remain a public concern.

Other social concerns about beef production includethe amount of fat and cholesterol in beef, competitionfor food resources (i.e. raising grain for beef feed orhuman food), greenhouse effect and global warming

from methane produced by ruminants, the clearing oftropical forests for cattle pastures, and degradation ofrangelands by poor grazing management practices.The book Impacts of Livestock Production on Society,Diet/Health and the Environment(19) addresses theseissues.

Marketing

Beef producers who market beef conventionallyby selling at sale barns fall prey to low prices brougon by fluctuating cattle cycles. The book CowboyMarketing(20) describes how to increase profits witthe conventional channels by producing a moremarketable product and by improving marketingskills. The publication Value-Added Cattle: Guidelinefor Cow-Calf, Stocker, Feederdiscusses how value canadded when selling to feedlots or packers. Value iscreated when a product meets or exceeds thecustomers expectations every time (21). A value-added product needs to be marketed to a customerwho appreciates the value. Value can be addedconventionally by retained ownership, improving tcarcass value, and ranch-to-rail programs that infora producer about the performance of his/her cattle

the feedlot and the eating quality of the meat.

Value can also be added by creating specialtyproducts sold in non-conventional ways such as dirmarketing. Niche markets (lean, natural, organichumane, green, pasture-finished, etc.) are usefulbecause many consumers are willing to pay apremium forspecialty beef. Please see the ATTRA publicationAlternative Beef Marketingwhich discusses value-added beef , niche markets, and direct marketing.

Further resources

In the information era, acquiring knowledge is anasset for generating wealth. In addition to the materalready mentioned in this publication, other usefulperiodicals, books, organizations, and workshops canprovide information.

The Stockman Grass Farmer(22), published monthly, hmany informative articles about turning grass cropsinto money through livestock, as well as notices of

conferences and other resources. A monthly section,"The Grass Farmer's Bookshelf," features the majorbooks on grazing, as well as videos and audios.Pasture Profits with Stocker Cattle(23) , by editor AllanNation, offers innovative suggestions for increasingprofits with stockers.


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The Noble Foundation (24) and the University ofMissouris Forage Systems Research Center (25) areexamples of organizations that offer grazinginformation and workshops. The Kerr Center forSustainable Agriculture (26) practices rotationalgrazing, multi-species grazing, and alternative

parasite control for cattle. There are many otherorganizations and local, grass roots groups whichpromote grazing, sustainable beef production, andalternative marketing.

Refer to conventional publications on beef productionfor specific information on topics such asreproduction, artificial insemination, fertility testingof bulls, pregnancy checking, culling, castration,dehorning, branding or eartagging, etc.

Summary

Sustainable beef production uses a whole-systemapproach of resource management to meet the goalsof the ranch. Optimizing the use of pasture whilereducing feed grain and harvested forage lowersinputs and is ecologically sound. Sustainable beefproduction addresses social concerns about foodsafety and environmental degradation. Preventativemethods to reduce pest, parasite, and stress-relatedproblems and alternative marketing can increase theeconomic viability of the operation.

In addition to the ATTRA publications listedthroughout the text, ATTRA has a beef cattle farmsustainability checksheet that can be used to assess thesustainability of a farm. It is comprised of over 200questions and can be requested through the office.

References:

1)

Anon. 1993. Moving pastures. Science of Food andAgriculture. January. p. 6.

2) Cheeke, P.R. 1991. Applied Animal Nutrition:Feeds and Feeding. Macmillan PublishingCompany, New York, NY. 504 p.

3) FeedstuffsCirculation ManagerP.O. Box 37183Boone, IA 50037800-888-7580

4) Alan Savorys Center for Holistic Management1010 Tijeras Avenue NWAlbuquerque, NM 87102800-654-3619

5) Frank Holmes, Test Manager565 Stallings Bridge Rd.Tylertown, MS 39667601-876-5204

6) American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association

2214 Old Emmorton Road

Bel Aire, MD 21015410-569-0795

7) Smith, B. 1998. Moving Em. A guide to low stresanimal handling.The Graziers HuiPO Box 1944Kamuela, HI 96743 352 p. $24.95

8) Basic Herding: A Home Study Course VideoBurt SmithP.O. Box 1944Kamuela, HI 96743808-883-9271$98.50 includes video, manual, and guide.

9) Dr. Temple GrandinDepartment of Animal ScienceColorado State UniversityFort Collins, CO 80523

10) Grandin, Temple. Corral Designs. Colorado StaUniversity, Fort Collins, CO. 60 p.

11) Grandin, Temple (ed.). 1993. Livestock Transpo

and Handling. CAB International. 350 p. Orderfrom:

CAB International North AmericaUniversity of Arizona1230 N. Park Ave., #102Tuczon, AZ 85719800-426-3797


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12) Sharrow, Steven H. 1994. Sheep as asilvicultural management tool in temperateconifer forests. Sheep Research Journal,Special Issue: 1994. p 97.

13) Havstad, K.M. 1994. Sheep grazing as arange improvement tool. Sheep ResearchJournal, Special Issue: 1994. p. 72.

14) Glimp, Hudson A. and Sherman R. Swanson. 1994.Sheep grazing and riparian and watershedmanagement. Sheep Research Journal, SpecialIssue: 1994. p. 65.

15) Campbell-Kissock, L., L.H. Blankenship, andL.D. White. 1984. Grazing managementimpacts on quail during drought in thenorthern Rio Grande plain, Texas. Journal ofRange Management. Vol. 37. p. 442.

16) Brusko, Mike. 1988. Have your woodlot andharvest it too. The New Farm. February. p.26, 41.

17) Spika, J.S. et al. 1987. Chloramphenicol resistantsalmonella newport traced through hamburger todairy farmer. New England Journal of Medicine.Vol. 316. p. 565.

18) Herman, R. 1989. Steroids in your hamburger.Washington Post Health. January 10. p. 11.

19) Cheeke, Peter R. 1993. Impacts of LivestockProduction on Society, Diet/Health and theEnvironment. Interstate Publishers,Danville, IL. 241 p.

20) Nixon, Jay. 1995. Cowboy Marketing. JayNixon, Karnes City, TX. 130 p.

21) Coffey, Chuck, Jim Pumphrey, and JackieBrightwell (ed.). No date. Value-addedCattle: Guidelines for Cow-Calf, Stocker,Feeder. Oklahoma State University,

Stillwater, OK. 68 p.

23) Nation, A. 1992. Pasture Profits with StockerCattle. Green Park Press, Jackson, MS. 192 p.

24) The Samuel Roberts Noble FoundationBox 2180Ardmore, OK 73402405-223-5810

25) Forage Systems Research CenterRR #1, Box 80Linneus, MO 64653816-895-5121

26) The Kerr Center for Sustainable AgricultureP.O. Box 588Poteau, OK 74953918-647-9123

Further Reading:

Baker, F. H., F. E. Busby, N. S. Raun, and J. A. Yazman.1990. The relationships and roles of animals in sustainab

agriculture and on sustainable farms. The ProfessionalAnimal Scientist. Vol. 6, No. 3. p 36-49.

Taylor, D. C. and D. M. Feuz. 1993. Beef cattle producerand sustainability and organic indices. Economics SPaper 93-6. Economics Department, South Dakota StateUniversity. Brookings, South Dakota. 23 p.

______________________________

BYANNE FANATICO, RON MORROW,AND ANNWELLS

NCAT AGRICULTURE SPECIALISTS------------------------------------------

AUGUST, 1999

The ATTRA Project is operated by the National Center for AppropriatTechnology under a grant from the Rural Business-Cooperative ServicU.S. Department of Agriculture. These organizations do not recomme

or endorse products, companies, or individuals. ATTRA is located in tOzark Mountains at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. People

may contact ATTRA staff members at P.O. Box 3657, Fayetteville, AR72702, 800-346-9140.

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Sustainable Beef Production