Beef Cattle. In the United States there are more than 80 recognized breeds of beef cattle.
-
Upload
ferdinand-hutchinson -
Category
Documents
-
view
228 -
download
1
Transcript of Beef Cattle. In the United States there are more than 80 recognized breeds of beef cattle.
Beef Cattle
In the United States there
are more than 80 recognized breeds of beef cattle.
A breed is a group of animals of
common descent, possessing distinctive characteristics that distinguish them from other
groups within the same species.
When you examine the
characteristics of any breed there are always some advantages and some
disadvantages.
AdvantagesDisadvantagesLow birth weight Lower growth rate High fertilityModerate milk productionModerate frame size
British Breeds:Angus, Hereford, Shorthorn
AdvantagesDisadvantagesHigh growth rate Increased dystociaLarger frame size Increased maintenance High milk production
European Breeds:Charolais, Gelbvieh, Maine-Anjou,
Pinzgauer, Simmental, South Devon,Tarentaise
Beef Cattle Breeds
ShorthornPROFILE From England ColorRed, red and white, or roan SizeMature Bulls: 1,000-1,300 lbsMature Cows: 800-1,200 lbs Popularity FactorsDual purpose breed for milk and meat.
GelbviehPROFILE From Germany ColorRed SizeMature Bulls: 1,000-1,300 lbsMature Cows: 800-1,200 lbs Popularity FactorsFleshy under the throat. Good motherswho have a calf a year.
CharolaisPROFILE From France ColorWhite SizeMature Bulls: 2,800-3,300 lbsMature Cows: 1,400-2,500 lbs Popularity FactorsLong bodied large cattle. Heavily muscled.
BrahmanPROFILE From India ColorWhite to grey, red to black. SizeMature Bulls: 2,800-3,300 lbsMature Cows: 1,400-2,500 lbs Popularity FactorsInsect and heat resistant, ableto survive on little, poor feed. Has sweat glands.
Texas LonghornPROFILE From North America ColorDiverse coloring SizeMature Bulls: 2,800-3,300 lbsMature Cows: 1,400-2,500 lbs Popularity FactorsCan eat very poor vegetation. Lean beef…and really cool horns.
PopularBeef Cattle Breeds
in Utah
Hereford
Black and Red Angus
Simmental
HerefordPROFILE From Hereford, England ColorRed or Black with white head, legs, and underline. SizeMature Bulls: 2,000-2,500 lbsMature Cows: 1,00-1600 lbs Popularity FactorsExcellent mothers. Very adaptable to any environment, juicy tender meat. Very easy to handle.
AngusPROFILE From Scotland ColorBlack hair and skin or red hair and skin. SizeMature Bulls: 1,000-1,300 lbsMature Cows: 800-1,200 lbs Popularity FactorsExcellent mothers. Naturally no horns, and natural marbling for tasty, tender beef. Very easy to handle.
SimmentalPROFILE From Switzerland, came to the United States in 1971 Colorpale yellow-gold all the way to very dark red or black SizeMature Bulls: 2,200-2,800 lbsMature Cows: 1,100-1,500 lbs Popularity FactorsGentle and large with heavy milk production. Very lean meat. Very easy to handle.
Additional Beef Cattle Information
There are approximately 250 breeds of cattle recognized throughout the world, and several hundreds of breeds that are not recognized. The exact count is impossible to determine because other breeds continue to be imported, and crossing existing breeds continuously creates new breeds.
Breeds of Beef Cattle
The major characteristics for beef producers: Mature body size Milk production Age at puberty Environmental adaptability Rate and efficiency of gain Muscle expression Cutability Marbling
Breed Characteristics
Mature cows weigh less than mature bulls.Larger mature size results in: Heifers being older and/or heavier at puberty Heavier birth weights (often associated with
difficult calving) Faster rate of gain Heavier weaning weights
Mature Body Size:If various sizes of cattle are fed for the same length of time, cattle with a larger body size will have faster, more efficient
gains, lower marbling, less fat, and improved cutablity.
The Main reason for increasing milk production in beef cattle is to increase weaning weights of calves.Heavy milk production can be bad— Heavy milking cows often produce milk at the
expense of their body functions (they get skinny) Thin females are less likely to come into heat and
have a harder time getting pregnant Heavy milkers are slow to cycle which lengthens
breeding interval and reduces general reproductive efficiency.
Milk Production
Leaner meat means more muscle Most breeds that are ranked above average in
muscle expression are also above average in size.
One concern with beef producers is that muscularity appears to affect reproductive efficiency (calving difficulties with bigger calves).
Muscle Expression
Age at puberty is important because cattle that
reach puberty at an earlier age conceive at an earlier age. These cattle have the potential to have a long productive life (economically important to cattle producers)
Age at puberty is linked to body size, milking potential, genetic classification, and environmental factors.
Smaller cattle with higher milk yield have been known to mature earlier.
Cattle exposed to harsh environmental conditions, whose nutritional requirements are not being met, reach puberty later.
Age at Puberty
Cutability is the percent of lean in a slaughter
animal and is directly affected by an animal’s muscle structure and directly related to nutrition.
Marbling (intramuscular fat) is often referred to as taste fat.
Cattle that mature early and have high milk yields are usually high in marbling.
Cutablity and Marbling