Beef Production Systems

Question 1

What is the average time from breeding until a cow becomes a food product for consumers?

Answer 1

24-36months

Question 2

How has the amount of beef produced per brood cow changed in the last 60 years?

Answer 2

The average amount of beef per brood cow is 800lbs, compared to 500lbs back in the 50’s.

Question 3

What are the industry segments in beef production?

Answer 3

Seed-stock 
Commercial cow-calf 
Shocker/backgrounder 
Feedlot 
Packer 
Consumer, Export, import

Question 4

What is a seed-stock operation?

Answer 4

Purebred or registered cattle breeder

Sell breeding animals, semen, and embryos to commercial cow-calf producers

Genetics driven

Question 5

What is a commercial cow-calf operation?

Answer 5

Breeding cows producing new calves

Question 6

What is the average annual foster per cow?

Answer 6

$377

Calves are kept from birth until weaning

Question 7

A cow her need to contain at least ______ head of cattle to be considered and economic unit

Answer 7

300

Question 8

What is the purpose of stocker operations?

Answer 8

Take light calves that are weaned and grow them to feedlot weight

Question 9

What is the average time a cow is kept in a stocker operation?

Answer 9

45days

Question 10

Why is a stocker operation a segment of beef production that carries a lot of risk?

Answer 10

Cows are just recently weaned
Stress of travel
New environment/feed
Herd

Risk for disease

*most operations should involve a consulting vet: receiving protocols, flow schemes, sick calf management

Question 11

What is the proper stocking rate?

Answer 11

2cows /acre

Can vary based on land/forage, market, time of year etc

Question 12

What is the average feedlot capacity?

Answer 12

5100 head

Question 13

When are cattle on feedlots most expensive and most cheap?

Answer 13

May— cheap (many cattle on the feedlot)

Aug/Sept — expensive (fewest amount of cattle on the lot)

Most cattle are on feed through Jun and July

Supply and demand!!

Question 14

During what months are is there the highest percent of cows on feed over 90 days and over 12days?

Answer 14

90days— March

120days — March /April

Question 15

T/F: Roughly 80% of the annually harvested catted are fed steers and heifers

Answer 15

True

Question 16

Packers prefer carcasses that weigh how much?

Answer 16

65-800lbs

Helps with food safety, lower labor cost, and improve consistency

Question 17

Who does a packer sell meat to?

Answer 17

Purveyor: makes changes to the cuts — selling to food service industry

Distributors: sell to retailers without altering cuts

Consumers

Question 18

What do consumers want inform their meat products?

Answer 18

Complete meal: beef and sides on one plate

Convenience: easy and fast

Smaller size: portion size/family size is decreasing

Consistency !

Question 19

What re the main export markets for US beef?

Answer 19

Mexico 
South Korea 
Canada 
Middle East 
Japan

Question 20

How much beef is imported to the US?

Answer 20

3 billion lbs (Australia, Canada, New Zealand)

Question 21

Exports make up ____% of the beef value and _______% of the beef volume since 2010

Answer 21

47; 25

Question 22

Which one of these is not part of herd health?

A. Vaccinating a group of animals
B. Appropriate management/husbandry to improve overall health
C. Investigating a recognized trend in decreased herd productivity
D. Production management and risk management

Answer 22

All of these are part of herd health.

Sorry for the trick question

Question 23

Why is record keeping important in herd health.?

Answer 23

Indicate changes in herd and individual production

Can provide information on cow-line performances

Indicate loss of efficacy of antibiotics or vaccines

Assess target points and action points

Question 24

What I s the 6 “F” vaccine rule?

Answer 24

Frequent dz — why vaccinate if no one gets it?

eFfective — why would you use a vaccine that doesn’t work?

Functional and practical — just duh

Financially sound — does the vaccine cost more than treating the dz? (Eg Anaplasma is cheaper to treat than to vaccinate if it is rare in your area)

Federal mandates — well you should probably follow these (eg Brucellosis)

Fatal dz — probably don’t want your cows to die

Question 25

T/F: you are getting just as tired of studying these cards as I am making them

Answer 25

True

Question 26

What do you have to take into account when concidering biosecurity and herd health?

Answer 26

Neighbors (how close are they, do they have nasty cows? Ew)

Closed herd

Replacements

Cull truck/ rendering truck/ feed trucks/ milk trucks /grain trucks/livestock trucks (basically vehicles — where have they been prior to your farm?)

Employees / visitors(because people are gross)

Question 27

What is the main underlying caused of poor herd health

Answer 27

Poor management/husbandry

Question 28

Lameness can be associated with what management issues?

Answer 28

Nutrition
Footing
Genetics

Question 29

Poor reproduction can be associated with what management issues?

Answer 29

Nutrition
Heat
Lameness

Question 30

Displaced abomasum can be associated with what management issues

Answer 30

Nutrition
Lameness
RFM/metritis