VTS257: Lg Animal Diseases & Nursing

1. Beef Cattle

2. Beef Cattle Breeds
Long Horn:
- Original beef cattle
- USA/Spanish extraction
- Lean meat

3. Angus Aberdeen
- 1930’s or earlier
- Solid black, occasionally red
- More fat in meat for a better taste
- Polled: born without horns
- Black, red becoming more popular

4. Hereford
- More fatty meat, increases flavor
- Red with a white face
- Polled or horned
- White on underline

5. Black Baldy
- Not a breed, a hybrid of breeds
- Hereford/angus cross
- All black cow with a white face

6. Charolais
- 1940
- Leaner meat
- Good conversion of fiber to meat
- White/cream color
- High carcass quality and good taste

7. Simmental
- Brought from Canada
- Red and white spotted
- White face with yellow skin
- Good conversion of fiber to grain,
- High carcass value

8. Limousin
- From France
- Wheat or rust colored
Chianina
- Italy
- White with black switch on tail
- Largest of modern breeds, 4000 lb male, 2400 lb
female

9. Brahma
- India
- Grey or red
- Hump on shoulder, heat tolerant
Santa Gertrudis
- texas, cherry red
- First north american cross breed

10. Beef Cattle Operations
• Cow/Calf
- Conditioning, weaned, introduce grain,
vaccinated
- Calves in spring, feb, mar, april
- At 6 months, sold as 500 lb feeders

11. Cow Calf system
• Replacement heifers
• Calves to feed out or sell
• Average birth weight 75-80lbs
• Average weaning weight 400-500 lbs
• Weaning weight: influenced by environment
factors, sire and dam growth genetics, and
dams milk production

12. Preconditioning
• A vaccination, nutrition, and management
program designed to prepare young cattle to
withstand the stress of weaning and shipment

13. • Backgrounding
- Also called stocker
- Buy 6 mo old calves and switch gradually to
hay

14. Backgrounding
• Weaned cattle turned out on pasture/corn
stalks
• Average daily gain is 2 lbs
• Move to feedlot at 800-900 lbs

15. • Finisher
- Stock yard feeder
- 1 year old on high concentrates for 6 months
- 18 months at 1000 lbs for slaughter

16. Feeder Cattle
• Purchased at 800-900 lbs
• Exercise restricted an fed concentrates for 90-
120 days
• Average daily gain is 3 lbs
• Finished cattle average market weight is 1200
lbs

17. Beef Cattle Processing
Handling
- Movement of cattle at plant, stress diminishes
quality of meat
- Captive bolt renders animal unconscious
Kosher
- Processing is a religious ritual slaughter

18. Beef Grading
• Quality- based on marbling, firmness and
color
1. Prime
2. Choice
3. Select
4. Standard
• Maturity- age of animal at slaughter

19. Cost Benefit Ration
• If cost of medical care exceeds the potential
return on investment then it is not a viable
option
• Production animal medicine requires an
understanding of the fluidity of the animal
production industry
• Variable expenses: feed, livestock, labor,
equipment, land, interest, meds, vaccines,
veterinary care

20. Efficiency
• Minimize infectious disease, parastism
• Maximize rate of gain
• Feed conversion ratios ( lb of feed/lb gain)
- Beef cattle 8-10 lb feed /lb gain
- Hogs 3-6 lb feed /lb gain
- Poultry 2 lb feed/lb gain

21. Variable product value
• Supply and demand
• Public perception may determine value
• Genetically engineered products banned in
some areas
• Mad cow disease rendered all british beef
worthless