Livestock Exam Review Flashcards
(145 cards)
What are the three main types of beef cattle production systems?
- cow-calf producers 2. purebred breeders 3. cattle feeders
What is the cow-calf system?
Cows bred each year to produce calves, then calves are sold to cattle feeders who feed them to slaughter weight. Less labor & lower investment in equipment in facilities.
Beef cows are mostly maintained on what in cow-calf production operations?
Roughage - little or no grain is needed
What are feeder calves?
Weaned calves that are under 1 year of age & sold to be fed for more growth
What are yearling feeders?
1-2 years of age & sold to be fed to finish for slaughter
What are purebred breeders?
Breeders who keep herds of purebred breeding stock. They provide replacements for cow-calf operations.
Purebred breeders are mainly responsible for the genetic ________ that have been made in beef breeds.
improvements
The cattle feeder feeds animals for the __________ __________.
slaughter market
What is the objective of cattle feeder operations?
To produce finished cattle in the shortest time possible.
Feed costs, labor requirements, & transportation costs are all higher in what type of enterprise?
Cattle feeders
A beef herd is improved by selecting animals that have the desired _________.
traits
Beef animal selection is primarily based on what two traits?
conformation & performance records
The _______ _______ is a measurement based on observation & height measurements when calves are evaluated at 205 days of age.
frame score
Frame scores are made on a scale of ___ to ___.
1 to 7
__________ refers to the appearance of the live animal. It includes the skeletal structure, muscling, fat balance, straightness of the animal’s lines, & structural soundness.
Conformation
________ is the use of high-frequency sound waves to measure fat thickness & loin-eye area. It is a useful tool for selecting meaty animals for breeding purposes.
Ultrasonics
_______ testing refers to an animal’s own performance in relation to important economic traits.
Performance
________ _______ refers to measuring a brood cow’s production by the performance of its offspring.
Production testing
_______ _______ usually refers to the evaluation of a bull by the performance of a number of its offspring.
Progeny testing
_______ _______ may be defined as a method of collecting records on beef cattle herds to be used for selecting the most productive animals.
Performance testing
What are the 3 main steps in setting up and conducting a testing program?
- Identifying each cow & calf 2. Recording birth dates of calves 3. Weighing & grading calves at weaning time
A _______ is the record of the ancestors of an animal.
pedigree
The selection of the ______ ______ is one of the most important decisions the cattle breeder makes.
herd bull
________ ________ provide information on traits that are economically important to cattle producers. Included is information regarding the ability of the bull to transmit growth rate to his offspring.
Sire summaries