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Cattle are the most numerous, most widely distributed, and most important of all the livestock species
Historical Perspective
Probably domesticated by 6500 B.C. Historical look at U.S. cattle Numbers - notice the cyclic ups and downs of the numbers in that figure - the cycles are roughly 10-year cycles
Columbus brought cattle to the West Indies on his second voyage in 1493. - Cortez - Spanish missionaries distributed cattle across the American West - By the middle of the 19th century
Per capita demand for beef has been declining since 1975
- quality issues began to plague the industry - how the industry responds
In simplest terms, two factors affect all the economic traits in cattle 1) genetic progress is dependent on how heritable the trait is
Tools are available to help producers make genetic progress - such practices as performance testing (discuss bull test station), sire summaries and EPDs are examples
Crossbreeding is the appropriate mating system of choice for commercial cow-calf producers - pounds of calf weaned per cow - a big problem with the nations cowherd - Crossbreeding is not fix all
The importations changed the face of the American cattle industry since the 1970s - the British breeds had to make room for European breeds - commercial cows in the U.S. - Not one perfect breed
- 85-90 days of calving season - the cow must recover from calving, start her heat cycle again, and conceive - good management is absolutely essential if this goal is to be reached
The estual cycle for a cow is 19-21 days and the duration of estrus (heat) is usually 13-17 hours.
Net calf crop number of calves weaned and sold/number of Cows exposed - it is the simplest and best way
Most beef cows are mated by natural service - artificial insemination is more likely to be used Purebred or club calf situations - approximately 15 to 20%
Bulls should be evaluated before they are used in a breeding program - evaluation - major factors of a breeding soundness exam - a bad bull can do tremendous damage - his presence is felt for generations - bull selection is more important than the selection of any single female
Good records are essential to managing reproductive issues in the cow herd
Stocker feeding programs - the first is to meet minimum requirements of the calves - the second is to graze calves on forage as long as we can
Feedlots - use high quality feeds to bring cattle to a suitable slaughter end point - several types of feed programs - Yet the endpoint is to produce beef that will fit in the box and satisfy the consumer
Nutritional benefits to humans from beef Beef provides high proportions of the recommended daily dietary allowance for several nutrients. Beef is a nutrient dense food
In light of the more recent medical findings
Nutrition and health consciousness - beef is good food that is nutritious -lean beef - the problem is when beef is fat - steps have been taken - we trim and discard - genetics - cattle are being sent to market are significantly leaner - National Quality Beef Audit(s)
Convenient foods is also an issue related to consumption - beef doesnt have enough good, convenience foods - three-fourths of the cooks - beef must become more convenient
Exports. The export market for beef looks bright for the long term - exports have been increasing since the early 1980s - the U.S. has been a net exporter of beef since 1991 - world-wide trade agreements
Food safety
Food borne illnesses Bovine Spongiform Encephalophathy (BSE) Hormone implants and feed additives Antibiotics
Environmental concerns
- in 1998, the U.S. EPA announced it would increase the attention given to concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) - final rules - you can bet this means more money added to the cost of production
Industry Integration - vertical cooperation, vertical coordination and alliances - it amounts to vertical integration