Cattle Farming For Beginners

Cattle Farming For Beginners

Raising Beef Cattle For Profit On A Small Farm

The selection of breeding cattle is partly based on visual characteristics like soundness, volume/capacity, muscling, and balance. Along with visual selection, producers often use performance values, frame score, and expected progeny differences (EPDs) to evaluate and select breeding animals.

The selection of breeding cattle can have a lasting effect on a producer’s cow herd. If the producer keeps the female offspring from a bull or cow, they will pass on its genetic material to other animals in the herd.

Soundness - Both skeletal and reproductive soundness are important in the selection of breeding cattle. Skeletal soundness refers to the animal’s ease of movement. Beef cattle should take long strides off both ends of their skeleton and fill their track (the rear foot landing in the track left by the front foot) when moving. The animal should set its feet down square and wide. Reproductive soundness is extremely important in both males and females. Bulls need to have at least 32 centimetres of scrotal development at one year of age. Females need to show signs of development of the vulva and udder by breeding age.

Also Read: Article about the importance of herd health management

Volume/capacity - Both males and females should be evaluated for body capacity. An animal should be deep sided (possessing vertical depth) and wide ribbed and have spring or curvature to the outside of its rib cage. Capacity determines how much forage and grains an animal can consume. The more it eats, the higher its production should be.

Muscling - Breeding animals should be heavily muscled to produce feeder and slaughter animals that are heavily muscled.

Balance - Balance refers to the skeletal and muscular formation of the animal. These factors contribute to the beauty of its phenotype, or physical appearance. Beef cattle should be long bodied, level topped, uniform in-depth, stout boned, and clean fronted (free of excess skin).

Attractiveness is more important to purebred producers who show cattle for promotional purposes.

Visual Selection Guide to Breeding Cattle

1. Skeletally and reproductively sound

2. Adequate body capacity

3. Heavily muscled

4. Attractive

In addition to looking at these characteristics, producers may look at other measures to evaluate an animal for breeding. For example, performance data consists of information about how a particular animal has performed in the past. It includes actual weights, such as birth weight, weaning weight, and yearling weight. Feed to gain ratios are another important measure used in selection.

Frame score is a measure of height in relation to the age of the animal. The frame score can be used to estimate the size of the animal at maturity. Frame scores range from one to ten, with five to seven considered ideal. Bulls are generally larger than females at the same frame score.

The current trend in breeding animal selection is to use genetic estimates, or EPDs, as an aid for selection.

EPDs make a prediction about the performance of the future offspring of a parent. They look at the difference in production between the offspring of a particular animal and those of an average animal. All EPDs assume that the parent has been mated to animals of equal genetic value. Negative numbers indicate lighter calves, while positive values identify heavier calves.

The basic EPDs a producer should be aware of are birth weight EPDs, weaning weight EPDs, yearling weight EPDs, and milk EPDs. Birth weight (BW) EPDs are a prediction in pounds of the difference in birth weights. Weaning weight (WW) EPDs are a prediction of the difference in pounds in weaning weight. Yearling weight (YW) EPDs are the difference in pounds at one year of age. A milk(M) EPD shows the difference in pounds in the weaning weights of the calves produced by the parent’s female offspring due to the milk production of the cow.

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Look at the sample EPDs in the box below. Evaluating the EPDs of the two bulls shows that if Bull #1 and Bull#2 are mated to genetically equal cows, calves from Bull#1 should be three pounds heavier at birth (2-(-1) = 3),fifteen pounds heavier at weaning (20-5 = 15), and twenty pounds heavier at one year of age (30-10 = 20). The calves from cows from Bull #1 should be five pounds heavier at weaning than those from Bull #2 because of the cows’ milk.

BW EPD WW EPD YW EPD M EPD

Bull #1 +2 +20 +30 +5

Bull #2 -1 +5 +10 0

Crossbred and Purebred Breeding Systems Crossbreeding is mating animals of different breeds.

Commercial beef producers use crossbreeding to take advantage of the characteristics of different breeds. For example, a producer may want to cross an Angus, with its high carcass value, and a Charolais, since this breed has good growth and muscling.

The offspring produced by crossbreeding display heterosis, or hybrid vigor. Heterosis results in improved performance, growth, and/or carcass traits. It is evident when the animal displays superior qualities in comparison to the average of its parents ‘traits. Producers using crossbreeding need to select bulls to use in their herds as well as replacement females.

Most commercial producers buy purebred bulls and sell feeder calves or retain ownership through the feedlot. Daughters of bulls are usually kept as replacements. Purebred breeders must select registered bulls and females of the same breed to purchase and use as replacements. They produce bulls and females used by other purebred breeders and commercial producers.

The Importance Of Herd Health Management

Preserving herd health is essential to success in beef cattle production. A knowledge of health problems that affect beef cattle is vital. Developing a herd health program and knowing the proper routes of administration for giving vaccinations and medicines are an important part of maintaining herd health. A producer should work closely with a veterinarian to help keep his or her cattle healthy.

Herd Health Problems of Beef Cattle

Many diseases can affect beef cattle. A few of the major disorders are listed below. Producers should be familiar with their symptoms to be able to identify herd health problems.

Anaplasmosis - This disease is caused by parasites spread by biting insects. It results in the destruction of oxygen carrying red blood cells. Symptoms include weight loss and labored breathing. Affected animals may die of a lack of oxygen. Controlling insects and giving vaccinations can help to prevent anaplasmosis. It is treated with tetracycline, a treated mineral, or daily doses of other antibiotics.

Also Read: What are the nutritional requirements of beef cattle?

Blackleg - Blackleg is one disease caused by the clostridia microorganism. This disease usually results in the death of fast-growing calves. Symptoms include swollen and inflamed muscles and lameness. Gas from swollen muscles builds up under the skin and makes a crackling noise when pressed. Vaccines are inexpensive and very effective.

Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) - This virus weakens the respiratory system, making the animal more vulnerable to infection. Symptoms include discharge from the mouth and nose, fever, and a hacking cough. Calves are more likely to become ill, especially ones that are under stress. Producers can vaccinate animals against this disease.

Bovine virus diarrhea (BVD) - BVD can cause severe diarrhea in cattle. Other symptoms that may be present include fever, coughing, and nasal discharge. It can be prevented through vaccinations.

Brucellosis - Brucellosis is an incurable reproductive disease causing abortions. Cows and bulls may also become sterile. Because the disease has no cure, infected animals must be slaughtered to keep it from spreading. Producers should vaccinate replacement heifers as calves. The microorganism that causes the disease can also infect human beings.

Fescue foot - Fescue foot is a nutritional health problem that occurs in cattle pastured on tall fescue due to a toxin in the fescue. In severe cases, the animal may lose one or both of the rear hooves, as well as the tips of the ears and tail. Other symptoms include an arched back, rough coat, and stiffness or lameness. One way to prevent fescue foot is mixing legumes with the fescue.

Grass tetany - This nutritional disorder is found in cattle grazed on grass pastures that have insufficient levels of magnesium. It usually occurs in lactating cows but may develop in other cattle.

Some symptoms are trembling and staggering. If untreated, it may cause death. Prevention involves feeding cattle magnesium supplements. The disorder is treated with intravenous administration of a solution containing magnesium and calcium.

Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR, red nose) - IBR is caused by a virus and takes several forms. One form is a respiratory disease characterized by fever, nasal discharge, and a reddened muzzle. In females, another form attacks the reproductive system and causes abortions and inflammation of the vagina and vulva. A third type is similar to pinkeye. Cattle should be vaccinated for IBR.

Leptospirosis - Leptospirosis is spread through the urine of infected animals. Symptoms of this disease include fever, rapid respiration, poor appetite, and jaundice. It causes abortions, weak calves, and stillbirths. Five different strains of leptospirosis exist, so producers should consult their veterinarian to learn which vaccine is appropriate. Humans can get this disease from cattle.

Also Read: Raising Donkeys For Milk Production

Pinkeye - This disease causes the eye to develop a pinkish color or, in the more serious form of the disease, to water and develop a white, cloudy film. Blindness may occur. Vaccinations can be used to help control pinkeye. Proper fly control also seems to help limit outbreaks of this disease.

Scours - Scours is a complex condition that can have many causes, including BVD. It causes severe diarrhea in calves and can cause death. Producers can vaccinate cattle before calving as an aid in prevention, although good sanitation is also important in controlling this disease.

Shipping fever (parainfluenza-3 virus or PI-3, pasteurella, hemophilus pneumonia) - Shipping fever is a term commonly used to refer to several respiratory diseases.

High fever, coughing, difficulty in breathing, and discharge from the eyes and nose are symptoms. This disease often appears in cattle that are under stress. It can be prevented with vaccinations.

Vibriosis - Vibriosis is a disease spread among females by the bull during breeding. It results in abortions with no outward signs of disease. It also causes poor conception rates. Vaccines are available to prevent the disease.

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