Beef Cattle Flashcards
How many prime cattle are killed every year, and the total herd?
2 million prime beef cattle
3.4 million cows made up of dairy and mixed beef cattle.
What can the dairy farm do if a cow does not produce good enough milk?
Can be bred with a beef bull, using sexed semen. Creates a cross bred calve, which can be fattened up or sold early after weaning.
Why should you not seperate calves immediately from the mother?
The calves need collostrum from the mother, which builds up a strong immune system which cannot be supplemented by man.
What is the life cycle of a pure dairy bullock?
Often they are castrated, and are then called “steers/bullocks” and are fed concentrates and silage, and will go outside for grazing.
Finished off at about 20 months. weighing 600kg ish ko% - 53% 320kg carcass.
What are the differences between beef and dairy cows in terms of genetics?
Beef cattle tend to produce better calves but much less milk. They are generally thicker skinned and can widthstand harsher weathers.
Dairy cows have better milk production but create poor calves. Predominantly indoors and susceptible to injury and cold.
Where are beef cows generally kept?
They can often be put out onto LFA land, for grass feeding. But herds are generally smaller. In Winter or just before being sold off they can be brought in to be fattened up.
What is the benefit to keeping beef cows outside?
They can graze the grass, keeping the grass height down, and it is much cheaper for the farmer instead of feeding them concentrates etc.
What is the optimum method for breeding with a bull in a field?
Before putting the bull int he field; make sure the herd is healthy and do not contain disease/injury.
Then, keep the bull in the herd for a set amount of tiem (e.g. 9 weeks) and REMOVE him from the herd..
cows will calve within the same block. better management
What is the best season for calving?
Best to calve in Spring time (so introduce the bull in spring and next spring they birth). Not Autumn it demands more management.
What is a “terminal sire”
This is when the Heifers tend not to breed again, often breeds such as Limousin and Charlais.
Why should you not overfeed cattle during pregnancy?
It can make the mother too fat, which reduces space for the calve. It also can provide more energy for the calve making it larger and harder to birth.
Why is it important to check bull fertility?
It can be very expensive and result in poor management if the bull is firing blanks, and is expending energy for no gain. Testing is only £100 per bull. Should be tested 2 times; well before going into herd, and just before.
Name some examples of diseases in cattle? and how they spread?
Johne’s disease, it is an infectious wasting condition of the gut, and is spread through fecal contamination; licking themselves or others and swallowing.
BVD bovine viral diarrhoea is a virus which spreads easily within a herd via contaminated surfaces or congenital (from `birth)
What is the benefit of homebred cattle?
Less likey to transmit disease, which can happen if you bring in “replacements”. It also ensures a good quality herd, and consistently. It may take time to get the perfect herd but can be maintained
What order do cattle grow in? How can this affect growth?
1.Bone
2.Muscle
3.Fat
if not fed enough from birth, all the energy will go to bone, and they will be tall and thin.
