1. BEEF CATTLE MANAGEMENT by David R. Hawkins Michigan State University

2. Comparison of Dairy & Beef Industries DAIRYBEEF Biologysame End ProductsMilk & MeatMeat Industry Structure Single Unit Full Time Segmented Part Time ManagementIntensiveExtensive

3. Comparison of Dairy & Beef Industries DAIRYBEEF Milk LevelHighMod. to Low Breeds1 to 570 + CrossbreedingRareFrequent Use of A.I.ExtensiveLimited Genetic Traits1 PrimaryMultiple

4. U.S. BEEF INDUSTRY STRUCTURE Seedstock Commercial Cow-Calf Dairy Stocker/Backgrounder Feedlot Packer Retailer Consumer 120,000 breeders 904,000 producers 117,000 farms 44,000 feedlots 1,250 packers 250 food chains 270+ million

5. BEEF INDUSTRY TIMELINE Conception to Calving Calving to Weaning Stocker/Backgrounder Feedlot Packer Retailer Consumer Total 9 months 6 to 8 months Variable (2 to 8 mo.) Variable (3 to 7 mo.) 3 to 7 days Variable About 30 to 32 mo.

9. SIZE of CATTLE OPERATIONS Dairy and feedlots tend to be full time. Beef cow herds tend to be part time U.S. average herd size is 38 head –1 to 49 hd = 28.9% of cows (78% of farms) –50 to 99 hd = 19.1% of cows (12% of farms) –100 to 499 hd = 37.1 % of cows (9% of farms) –>500 head = 14.9% of cows (0.7% of farms)

10. BREED REGISTRATIONS 2001 Angus – 271,222 Hereford – 80,976 Limousin – 49,036 Charolais – 45,354 Simmental – 44,159 Red Angus – 41,900 Gelbvieh – 32,323 Beefmaster – 30,416 Brangus – 25,500 Shorthorn – 21,608 Brahman – 15,000 Maine Anjou – 12,267 S. Gertrudis – 11,500 Salers – 10,286 Chianina – 6,679 T.Longhorn – 6,200

11. BREED WEBSITE Oklahoma State University maintains an excellent web page for breeds of livestock. www.ansi.okstate.edu/BREEDS/index.htm

12. BEEF BREEDING SYSTEMS Straight breeding Crossbreeding –Breed complementarity –Heterosis or hybrid vigor Individual heterosis Maternal Heterosis Two Breed Cross Terminal Sire Two Breed Rotation Three Breed Rotation Rotation + terminal Sire Composite

13. Effects of Heterosis on Lbs. of Calf Weaned per Cow Mated

14. Example of a Three Breed Rotational System

15. BREEDING SEASON MGT. I Breeding Soundness Exam Natural Service with Bulls –Yearling – 10 to 20 females –Two Year Old – 20 to 30 females –Mature bull – 30 to 40 females Artificial Insemination –Less than 5% of cows in commercial herds –Up to 40% of cows in seedstock herds

16. BREEDING SEASON MGT. II Limited season results in uniform calf crop –60 days would be ideal –100 to 120 days is more common Michigan Beef Cows Calving by Month –Jan. & Feb. 7.3% –March 24.2% –April 39.7% –May 17.1% –Other 11.8%

17. BREEDING SEASON MGT. III At weaning (7 mo.) heifers should weigh 45% of mature weight. At breeding (15 mo.) heifers should weigh 65% of mature weight. At calving (24 mo.) heifers should weigh 85% of mature weight. Measure pelvic areas prior to breeding Use light birth weight and low birth weight EPD bulls for mating to heifers

19. MICHIGAN COW CALF NUTRITION Pasture 5/15 to 10/30 – 165 days –1 to 5 acres per cow calf pair Harvested Forage 11/01 to 5/14 – 200 days –Corn stalk residue – 30 to 60 days –Grass-legume hay or silage – 140 to 200 days –Free Choice Minerals Salt, Ca, P, Mg + Trace Minerals –Clean fresh water

20. COMMON NUTRTIONAL PROBLEMS in BEEF COWS Thin Cows –Body Condition Scores (1 to 9) 5 to 6 is ideal –Calving Difficulty & Delayed Rebreeding –Dry vs. Lactating Fat Cows –Calving Difficulty and Reduced Milk Flow Legume Bloat Grass Tetany

21. SEPARATE HERD INTO MANAGEMENT GROUPS Bred Heifers & Thin Cows Dry Mature Cows Lactating Cows Weaned Heifer Calves Mature Herd Sires Young Bulls

22. HERD HEALTH PROGRAM I Calving Season –Colostrum within first hours after birth –Iodine navel –Selenium – Vitamin E –Scour Vaccine (E.coli 7/or Viruses) Castrate & Dehorn Implant non replacement calves Vaccinate Cows (IBR, BVD, PI3 + Lepto)

23. HERD HEALTH PROGRAM II Pasture and Breeding Season –Deworm & Control Flies –Vaccinate heifer calves for Brucellosis –Consider Blackleg & Malignant Edema –Creep feeding is optional –Keep free choice mineral available

24. HERD HEALTH PROGRAM III Preweaning –Vaccinate calves for IBR, BVD, PI3, Blackleg & Hemophilis somnus –Castrate and dehorn if not done earlier –Get calves used to eating grain & drinking water from troughs Weaning Time –Pregnancy check females exposed to breeding

25. HERD HEALTH PROGRAM IV –Booster vaccinations –Grub & lice control Late Gestation –Check mineral for P and Se –Treat for lice if they are a problem –Consider scour vaccine for cows & bred heifers

26. RECORD KEEPING 27.6% of beef cow calf operations have no records at all. 65.2% keep records by hand Source- National survey of 3,300 producers in 48 states

27. Types of Records Inventory Ancestral Performance –Birth, weaning and yearling data Health –Vaccinations and examinations Financial – IRM & SPA

28. EXPECTED PROGENY DIFFERENCES (EPD) EPDs can be calculated for any trait that we can measure. EPDs are estimates of the genetic ability of animals to transmit to their progeny EPDs are expressed in the same units as the trait is measured Analyses are done by the national breed associations

29. EPDs continued Breed average is not “0”. EPDs change over time as more information enters the analyses. Most breeds run two analyses per year. They are widely used and widely accepted in the industry Accuracy ranges from 0 to.99

30. IRM & SPA Integrated Resource Management (IRM) is a system approach to managing a farm or ranch. Standardized Performance Analysis (SPA) is a way of analyzing records of both production and financial performance of a farm or ranch in order to make better decisions and impact profitability.

31. 2000 ILLINOIS SPA SUMMARY Calf Crop Weaned82.9% Average Weaning Weight486 lbs. Lbs.weaned/Cow Exposed420 lbs. Annual Cow Cost$ 305 –Feed cost was $ 209 Breakeven Calf Price$ 73/cwt. Investment per cow$ 1,858

32. HOW TO IMPROVE PROFIT Improve Reproductive Rate Wean Heavier Calves Wean Higher Value Calves Develop Alliances and Retain Ownership Reduce Cow Herd Costs Use cattle inventory and price cycles in management decision making

33. CATTLE INVENTORY & PRICE CYCLES High inventory = low prices Low inventory = high prices Historically cattle inventory cycles have averaged 9.6 years long from peak to peak. In 2001, we are at the low inventory part of this cycle. Cow calf producers should be profitable for the next 4 to 5 years.

35. STOCKER/BACKGROUNDER Purchase weaned calves in fall, sell in the spring –Goal is 1.5 to 1.75 lb. ADG –Moderate energy, high roughage rations –Growth and normal development are the goals Fattening is not a goal. Grazing winter wheat in the southern plains states from November to March Wintering on hay &/or silage in Michigan

36. STOCKER/BACKGROUNDER continued Buy yearlings in late winter and graze in summer. –Goal is 180 to 300 lb. gain in 120 to 150 days Some programs will combine both a winter stocker and summer grazing program before entering the feedlot.

38. STARTING CATTLE ON FEED First day begin with top quality grass hay Second day top dress hay with grain or silage Transition to high energy ration should be made over 10 to 14 days to avoid digestive upsets. Don’t use all NPN supplements until calves weigh at least 600 lbs. Keep fresh feed and water available at all times

39. FEEDLOT NUTRITION Grains – Corn, Barley & Milo Roughages – Corn Silage, Alfalfa Hay or Haylage Protein Supplements –Soybean or Cottonseed Meals –Brewers Grains –Urea or Anhydrous Ammonia

40. NUTRITIONAL PROBLEMS Acidosis on high energy rations –Ionophores (Rumensin or Bovatec) help Founder (laminitis) on high energy rations Bloat Urinary calculi –Need Ca:P ratio > 1.1 –Often occurs on high energy diets

41. FEEDLOT STEERS & HEIFERS Steers gain 8% to 15% faster than heifers of same body size. Steers consume 5% to 10% more feed than heifers. Heifers require 2% to 10% more lbs. of feed per lb. of gain than steers –Some feeders tend to over fatten heifers To be equal in profit, heifers must be purchased about 10% to 15% less per cwt. than steers.

42. FEEDLOT STEERS & BULLS Bulls gain more rapidly and more efficiently than steers. Bulls produce leaner carcasses that are more variable in tenderness than steer carcasses. Bulls are more difficult to manage than steers or heifers. There is only a limited market for bull beef.

43. AGE OF FEEDLOT CATTLE Yearlings gain 10% to 20% faster than calves depending on weight and condition. Yearlings consume 10% to 40% more feed than calves. Yearlings are less efficient in converting feed to gain than calves. Yearlings require fewer days in the feedlot to reach final weight and carcass grade. Western U.S. feedlots prefer to feed yearlings.

44. BREED EFFECTS Larger continental breeds gain faster than British breeds, but must be carried to heavier weights to grade choice. There is little difference in feed efficiency when fed to the same carcass endpoint. Holsteins require about 10% more feed per lb. of gain than beef breeds but ADG is similar to beef breeds.

45. EFFECT OF BODY CONDITION When placed on comparable diets, thin cattle gain faster and more efficiently than fatter cattle. This phenomenon is called “compensatory gain”. Cattle feeders try to avoid buying fat feeder cattle unless they are priced somewhat lower per cwt. than thin feeder cattle.

46. FEEDLOT PROFIT OR LOSS Dekalb feedlots average profit per head over a 23 year period was $ 26. Profitability is influenced by changes in the grain and cattle markets. Risk can be controlled by use of contracts and trading for future market access. Marketing skills are critical for success.