Beef Cattle Production - MP184 - University of Arkansas ...
MP184
Beef Cattle Production
DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE
RESEARCH & EXTENSION
University of Arkansas System
University of Arkansas, United States Department of Agriculture, and County Governments Cooperating
BLANK - inside front cover
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Chapter 2: SYSTEMS OF BEEF CATTLE
PRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
CowCalf Phase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Backgrounding Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Finishing/Feedlot Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The Purebred Herd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Chapter 3: BEEF CATTLE SELECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Major Performance Traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Selection Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Performance Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Genetic Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Chapter 4: ANIMAL BREEDING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Basis for Genetic Improvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Mating Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Crossbreeding Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Genetics and the Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Chapter 5: BEEF CATTLE NUTRITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Essential Nutrients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Protein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Carbohydrates and Fats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Minerals for Beef Cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Vitamins for Beef Cattle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Balancing Rations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Chapter 6: BEEF CATTLE FEEDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Feeding the Cow Herd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Special Nutrient Deficiencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Feeds Produced in Arkansas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Chapter 7: FORAGES FOR BEEF CATTLE . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Matching Pastures With Seasonal Forage
Requirements of Cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Planning the Grazing Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Grazing System Planning Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Pasture and Hay Forage Inventory Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Chapter 8: BEEF CATTLE MANAGEMENT
PRACTICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Management of Breeding Animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Artificial Insemination of Beef Cows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Estrous Synchronization in Cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Embryo Transplantation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Body Condition Scoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Management at Calving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Managing the Calf Crop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Feed Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Chapter 9: KEYS TO SUCCESS IN
STOCKER PROGRAMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Economics of Stocker Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Effects of Health on Performance and
Profitability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Types of Stocker/Backgrounding Programs . . . . . . . . 58
Summary and Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Chapter 10: HERD HEALTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
The Beginning Herd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Herd Health Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Suggested Herd Health Practices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Treatment of Stocker Calves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Common Diseases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Cattle Vaccinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Health Calendar and Cattle Vaccinations . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Chapter 11: WORKING AND FEEDING
FACILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Working Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Feeding Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Chapter 12: MARKETING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Marketing Alternatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Future Price Outlook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Current Market Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Market Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Management Factors Affecting Market Price . . . . . . . . 77
Marketing Purebred Cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Market Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Chapter 13: FARM MANAGEMENT FACTORS . . . . . . . 79
Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Income Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Budgeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Feeder Cattle Budgeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
APPENDIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
The information given herein is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture ? Cooperative Extension Service is implied.
Editors
? Shane Gadberry, PhD
Associate Professor Nutrition and Management Department of Animal Science University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Little Rock
? John Jennings, PhD
Professor Forages Department of Animal Science University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Little Rock
? Heidi Ward, DVM, PhD
Assistant Professor Veterinarian Department of Animal Science University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Little Rock
? Paul Beck, PhD
Professor Stocker Cattle Management Department of Animal Science University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Southwest Research and Extension Center Hope
? Bryan Kutz
Instructor Cattle Breeding and Selection Department of Animal Science University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Fayetteville
? Tom Troxel, PhD
Professor Beef Cattle Department of Animal Science University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Little Rock
Chapter 1
Introduction
All Cattle and Calves
As of January 1, 2015, Arkansas' inventory of cattle and calves was 1.6 million head (Table 11). The record for herd size in the state was recorded on January 1, 1975, with a total of 2.68 million head. Cattle production ranks as the fourth highest income producing commodity in Arkansas (Figure 11). Cash receipts from the marketing of cattle and calves in the state in 2014 were $766 million.
Arkansas is a cowcalf state. Most cattle producers are in the business of selling calves from their herd for further growth and finishing in feedlots. A certain portion, about 20 percent, of the calves are kept to replenish the breeding herd, with the remainder shipped to other states for finishing and slaughter. Arkansas' climate and most of its soil and terrain are suited for the production of grass and other forage necessary for this type of cattle production. Many areas in Arkansas are suited for grazing stocker calves on winter pastures of wheat and other coolseason grasses. Stocker cattle are put on pasture to increase size before placement in feedlots. The stocker calves will eventually go to feedlots in the Plains. Cattle
production is a good way to use land not suited for crop production. Arkansas cattle are of the quality and type that have a ready market.
TABLE 11. Beef Cattle Numbers in Arkansas
Year
2015 2014
Total Inventory1
1,6404
1,650
Beef Cows2 8634
862
Calf Crop3
7504
2013
1,600
851
760
2012
1,670
909
760
2011
1,720
928
800
2010
1,910
937
800
2009
1,800
905
820
2008
1,810
960
770
2007
1,750
940
820
2006
1,710
920
800
2005
1,860
990
850
1All cattle and calves 2Cows and heifers that have calved 3During previous year 4Thousands head
Source: Arkansas Agricultural Statistics Service
Poultry and Eggs
4 7
Rice
1 5
Soybeans
20
Catle and Calves
Coton
5 2
Other Livestock 0
Wheat 1
Hogs 0 5
0
10 20
30
40
50
PercePnertcoefnTt ootfaTloRtaelcReeipcetsipts
FIGURE 11. Cash receipts in Arkansas ? 2014 (as a percent of total receipts).
FSioguurrcee1: .SACorkuaarscnhes:RaAesrckAeaginprsitcassuilnAtugArrraickluaSlnttusarataissl tS?icta2st0iSs1te4icr(vsaiSsceearvpiceer
cent of total receipts).
5
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