How Heavy Is Most Beef Cows

COW  NUMBERS  VS.  BEEF  Production

Based on January. 1, 2016 USDA figures, beef cow numbers have started to build back, only  are still near 1-third lower than the mid-'70s peak of effectually 45 million head. What has happened to beefiness product over that flow? As the chart below shows, cow numbers and beef production tracked closely from 1950 to about 1980. (Before information show that relationship goes back even earlier than 1950.) In 1980, beefiness production started gradually increasing even though cow numbers declined. Why?

Past at least 1950, and continuing for 20-25 years, the average mature beefiness cow weighed about 1000 lb and the boilerplate finished steer weighed about the aforementioned. Today, the average beef cow weighs 1300 lb or more; the American Angus Association reports well-nigh 1400 lb. for mature cows which also is about the electric current average of finished steers. So that factor alone results in more beef per cow.

By at least 1950, and continuing for 20-25 years, the boilerplate mature beef cow weighed well-nigh 1000 lb and the average finished steer weighed about the aforementioned. Today, the average beef moo-cow weighs 1300 lb or more than; the American Angus Association reports about 1400 lb. for mature cows which also is nearly the electric current average of finished steers. So that cistron solitary results in more than beef per cow.

Upwards until the late '60s or so, size (that is, trunk weight, the best measure of size) of beefiness cattle had pretty well stabilized for several decades. Sires and dams being used were about genetically equivalent in size (and had been for a while) and there was fiddling if any involvement in getting cattle bigger. Then, emphasis started being placed on increasing size. Producers started using sires genetically larger than the cows in the herd, both through within-breed choice and use of newly-imported larger breeds. This meant calves were genetically larger than their dam, so more beef was produced per cow. This result is all the same in place today, though not to the extent seen earlier. (Over fourth dimension, every bit replacement heifers were kept from larger and larger sires, average cow size also gradually increased.)

At i fourth dimension, large numbers of calves were slaughtered right off the moo-cow, especially in the South. Old timers here will remember the fatty slaughter calf market. I grew upward in a small town in the northern Blacklands of Texas. Our local, small grocery stores had simply calf and no fed beefiness. With the advent of large-scale commercial feedlots in the '60s, practically everything not kept as replacement females now goes to a feedlot. That results in more beefiness per moo-cow, as practise nutritional advancements, growth promotants, etc .

Finally, does more beefiness per cow necessarily mean college efficiency? Probably not. Without knowing everything that goes into production, including toll, beef produced per cow is more a measure of production than of efficiency.

TIMING  OF  GROWTH  IMPLANTS  FOR   STOCKERS

Stocker calves often experience various types of stress before being received including, but non limited to, weaning, commingling, handling, and transportation. There has been some speculation that such stress might adversely impact response from growth implants. A grouping of 203 balderdash or steer calves of rather uniform weight (averaging 447± six lb) and of unknown health history were obtained from local livestock auctions. Calves were vaccinated for BRD, Clostridia, and tetanus, dewormed, and whatsoever bulls were castrated past banding. At that time, calves were assigned to i of four experimental groups: 1) implanted at processing with Synovex Due south®, two) implanted 14 days later, 3) implanted 28 days later on, or 4) non implanted. All calves were placed on a corn-gluten based receiving ration for 42 days followed by 78 days grazing wheat pasture.

At the end of wheat pasture grazing, non-implanted controls averaged weighing 689 lb. Implanted groups averaged 732 lb, significantly above controls. At that place was no significant difference among the three implanted groups. There were no significant differences among the 4 groups in wellness status during the entire trial. The authors concluded "our observations suggest that there is not a clear do good to delaying growth implantation and that a growth implant does not bear on health or vaccine response in newly received calves".

(J. Animal Sci. 93:4089; Westward Texas A&M Univ., Univ. of Arkansas, Zoetis)

Toll  PREMIUMS  FROM  VALUE-ADDED  SALES

The Oklahoma Quality Beef Network is a joint project of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service and the Oklahoma Cattlemen'due south Clan. Every autumn, OQBS Certified sales are held at livestock markets throughout the state. Two categories of certification are offered:  1)VAC-45 for ranch-raised calves weaned at least 45 days and 2) PRECON which can include calves gathered from various sources that have been together at to the lowest degree 60 days from receiving and processing. For both verifications, producers must follow a specified vaccination protocol for BRD complex, clostridial, and Mannheimia-Pasteurella protection. Groups must exist verified for compliance with program requirements by Oklahoma Land Academy personnel.

Data were collected from eight sales held in October through December last yr. Included in the data set were 501 lots with six,095 calves, an boosted 2,796 head of OQBN calves sold private treaty, and nine,090 non-certified calves. The weighted average cost for certified calves was $eleven.08/cwt higher. This compares to previous twelvemonth's averages of: 2011-$11.09, 2012-$11.31, 2013-$ten.37, and 2014-$xix.xx (when prices everywhere were at an all-time high). Premiums were highest for calves weighing 300-400 lb. Deleting the loftier year, premiums for a 550 lb calf would be about $lx/hd. (In personal conversation, Dr. Ted McCollum, Texas A&M AgriLife Center at Amarillo, notes a good many of these calves may be bought by wheat farmers willing to pay possibly more premium than some producers would to minimize health problems.)

Whatever price premium from value-added programs should be evaluated with weight proceeds realized during the post weaning period and full toll incurred. Other value-added programs are available to producers in several states. For more information on this plan see http://oqbn.okstate.edu/ .

EFFECT  OF  Early  WEANING  ON  Cow/Dogie  Functioning  AND  EFFICIENCY

Early weaning has sometimes been suggested in recent years, particularly when provender availability is reduced, milk production declines, or body condition of cows may become below optimal. 1 of the possible benefits put forward is better nutritional efficiency. Over two years and two locations, 156 lactating cows that had calved at least twice were managed in drylot. At calving, all cows were fed 20lb DM/24-hour interval. One-half of the calves were weaned at an average historic period of 91± 18 days of age (EW) and the other half at 203± xvi days (NW). At early weaning, those cows were limit-fed 15 lb DM/solar day and their weaned calves 9 lb DM/day until weaning. Cow/calf pairs received 24 lb DM/solar day until normal weaning. Throughout the study the ration was 15-20% CP, 78-eighty% TDN (depending on year and location), containing various amounts of corn silage, distillers grains, cornstalks, wheat straw, and supplement.

From the date of early weaning to normal weaning, EW dams averaged gaining significantly more (37 lb) than NW dams. Moo-cow Body Condition Score and formulation rates did not significantly differ between the two groups. At 203 days of historic period, calf weight for NW was significantly college for EW at one location and significantly higher for EW at the other location. Calf ADG/total feed consumed (cow + dogie) was significantly greater for NW at 1 location and tended to be greater for EW at the other location. Across both locations, ADG/feed was not significantly different.

The authors concluded "considering calf ADG per unit of feed energy intake for the moo-cow and calf combined were relatively like, the total free energy requirements for weaned cows and calves or nursing pairs practice not appear to be markedly different".  NOTE: In situations where early weaning has been shown to be beneficial, the master benefit is by and large derived from improved reproduction due to improve cow body status. Too, early weaned calves immediately placed on high concentrate rations accept sometimes been shown to produce higher levels of carcass marbling than traditionally managed calves.

(Prof. Anim. Sci. 31:455; Univ. of Nebraska)

EFFECT  OF  SUPPLEMENTATION  LEVEL  AND  MONENSIN  (RUMENSIN®)  ON  WEANED,  GRAZED  HEIFERS

Heifers were early weaned in April averaging 376± 33 lb and grazed on bahiagrass pasture, stocked at 300 lb initial torso weight/acre. Four experimental groups were established at that time:

• supplemented at 1% body weight without monensin;
• supplemented at ii% body weight without monensin;
• supplemented at 1% trunk weight with monensin;
• supplemented at ii% trunk weight with monensin.

Supplement contained 17% CP and 78% TDN; monensin was provided at 20 ppm.

Both CP and digestibility of pasture significantly decreased during the written report catamenia of April to June. Neither supplement level nor monensin significantly affected pasture CP or digestibility. Heifers on 2% supplementation gained significantly more than than 1% (2.17 lb/day vs. one.89 lb/day); monensin significantly increased gain (2.18 lb/twenty-four hours vs. 1.85 lb/day), then monensin was effective at both supplementation levels. Though an economic analysis was non conducted it appeared from these results that, every bit has been shown in other enquiry, monensin supplementation is an effective and assisting practice. The authors noted that the profitability of increasing supplementation from 1% to 2% will depend on cost of supplement and cattle prices.

(2016 Then. Sec. Am. Soc. Anim. Sci. Meeting, Abst. 53: Univ. of Florida, Sao Paulo St. Univ., Oregon St. Univ.)

BEEF  BREED  NUMBERS,  And then  AND  NOW

The National Pedigreed Livestock Quango is an organization of U. S. livestock registries. Most of the more numerous beefiness breed associations are members of NPLC. Currently, 16 beefiness breed association members written report registration numbers to NPLC. The table below shows percentages of the total registered in 1965 and 2015 by brood (half  of the breeds were not yet registered in the U. S. in 1965):

BREED	1965 %	2015 %
Angus	34.6	43.seven
Beefmaster		2.5
Brahman	one.5	one.iv
Brangus	0.4	3.5
Charloais	2.8	5.2
Chianina		1.0
Gelbvieh		5.2
Hereford	56.0	11.0
Limousin		3.1
Chief-Anjou		one.three
Red Angus	0.two	7.5
Salers		0.vii
Santa Gertrudis	1.1	0.8
Shorthorn	3.4	2.1
Simmental		10.3
Texas Longhorn		1.3

Non shown here simply for comparison, in 2015 there were virtually i-third more Holsteins registered than the most numerous beefiness breed (Angus) and more than Jerseys registered than the 2d most numerous beef breed (Hereford). While registration percentages may non reflect the exact moving picture, they should requite united states of america a good idea of the makeup of the nation'due south commercial beef herd. In 1965, British breeds made upwards about 94% of the full, Continentals (all Charolais) 3%, and Brahman and Brahman influenced three%. In 1990 (not shown above) these percentages were well-nigh 49%, 36%, and fifteen%. In 2015 they were nigh 65%, 27%, and 8%. The trend toward more than Continentals and Brahman/Brahman influenced through the '80s and '90s has been reversed. Who knows where nosotros'll get from hither.

(National Pedigreed Livestock Quango, world wide web.nplc.net)

BQA  TIP-OF-THE-Month,  INJECTION  NEEDLE  Safety

When giving injections, needles can intermission or separate from the barrel of the syringe and remain in the beast. While this is extremely rare, consumer safety is seriously compromised if the animal enters the food chain. Best Direction Practices to prevent broken needles include:

• restrain animals properly;
• do not straighten and use bent needles once more, replace immediately:
• alter needles whey they go boring or after 10 head, whichever comes first;
• if you lot have a problem with bent needles (fifty-fifty afterwards proper restraint), stride upward to a larger diameter needle, such as going from 18 to 16 approximate.

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Source: https://animalscience.tamu.edu/beef-cattle-browsing-march-2016/

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