Selection and Judging of Beef Cattle Chapter 14

Objectives Describe the different types of beef production systems Name the parts of a beef animal Select superior animals

Types of Beef Production Cow-Calf Producers Keeping a herd of beef cows to produce calves Sold to feeders who feed to slaughter weight Performed mainly in Western range states Requires less labor, large investment of land Calves are either feeder (under 1 year of age) or yearling calves (aged 1-2 years)

Types of Beef Production (cont.) Purebred Breeders Provide replacement bulls for cow-calf operations Responsible for genetic improvements Knowledge and skill are required Costs are higher Takes many years to develop

Types of Beef Production (cont.) Cattle Feeders Feed animals for slaughter Use more grain in feeding to provide desired market results Return on investment in 4 to 6 months High-risk enterprise due to price fluctuation

Selection of Beef Animals Conformation Appearance of the live animal Skeletal structure Muscling, fat balance Straightness of animal’s lines Structural soundness Proper conformation = more high-value cuts

Selection of Beef Animals Conformation (cont.)

Selection of Beef Animals (cont.) Performance Records Performance testing: collecting records to select most productive animals Production testing: measuring brood cow production by evaluating performance of the offspring Progeny testing: evaluating a bull by the performance of the offspring

Selection of Beef Animals (cont.) Pedigree Record of animal’s ancestors including names and sometimes, performance data Recent ancestors most important in selection Use of bloodlines can become a fad

Selection of Beef Animals (cont.) Other Factors in Selection Only healthy animals should be brought into the herd Check animal’s health carefully Females should test negative for various diseases

Selection of Beef Animals (cont.) Selection of the Herd Bull One of the most important decisions a cattle breeder makes Consider Sire summaries Maternal breeding value (MBV) Expected progeny difference (EPD)

Judging Beef Animals Comparing animals based on conformation Usually four animals in class to be judged Certain procedures should be followed when judging

Judging Beef Animals (cont.)

Judging Beef Animals (cont.)

Judging Beef Animals (cont.)

Judging Beef Animals (cont.)

Judging Beef Animals (cont.) Judging Market Classes The main things to look for are Type Muscling Finish Carcass merit Yield

Judging Beef Animals (cont.) Judging Market Classes (cont.) The main things to look for are Quality Balance Style Smoothness

Judging Beef Animals (cont.) Breeding Classes Judged on several traits Condition Size Feet, legs, and bone Breed character Sex character

Judging Beef Animals (cont.) Judging Terms Correct terms should be used when judging General terms used and listed describe Breeding and slaughter cattle Expressions for slaughter cattle Expressions for breeding cattle

Judging Beef Animals (cont.) Oral Reasons Provided to explain the difference of animals that influenced placing Basic guidelines should be followed for: Completeness Length Presentation and delivery

Judging Beef Animals (cont.) Oral Reasons (cont.) Basic guidelines should be followed for Accuracy Terms Taking notes

Judging Beef Animals (cont.) Oral Reasons (cont.) An example of note-taking