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This section
is for Beef Cattle: if you want to go to
Dairy Farming (Cows), then go! For cows gone wild, see:
Mad Cow Disease
Beef Cattle Software - Oklahoma State
The following programs are available free from the Oklahoma Cooperative
Extension Service and the Oklahoma State University Department of Animal
Science and are intended for use by individuals. Please review the
instructions before downloading files.
BASIC
WORKING CHUTE FOR CATTLE and
CATTLE BARN WITH PARTIAL HAY
LOFT. 50' x 70'. These are PDF files
Better Farming Series 11- Cattle Breeding (FAO - INADES, 1977, 63 p.)
This is an FAO manual produced for African farmers. It is pretty simplistic,
but that makes it a good starter-manual.
Cow-Calf Corner - Reference Library
(Replacement Heifers, Calving Time
Management, Cow Herd Health, Bull Management, Heat and Drought Strategy,
Cold Weather Management, Reproductive Management, General Cow Herd
Management)
F-3165 Inbreeding in Cattle (PDF FILE: 2/95 - 281K)
F-3250 Freeze Branding Cattle (PDF FILE: 465K)
CR-3252 Ranch Calculator (RANCALC) A Spreadsheet to Aid in Planning for
Cow/Calf and Cow/Calf-Stocker Operations (PDF FILE: 7/93 - 21K)
CR-3253 How to Estimate the Value of Supplementing Grazing Stocker Cattle
(PDF FILE: 2/93 - 21K)
F-3254 Management of Beef Bulls (PDF FILE: 12/94 - 70K)
F-3255 Livestock Branding in Oklahoma (PDF FILE: 11/97 - 44K)
F-3258
Choosing Calving and Weaning Seasons in the Southern Plains (PDF
FILE: 3/2001 44k)
F-3260 A Planning Calendar for Beef Cattle Herd Health (PDF FILE: 7/93 -
37K)
F-3261 Beef Cow Herd Calendar Many herd health programs fail in
their objectives because too much reliance is put on vaccinations and other
treatments. A comprehensive herd health program recognizes vaccination as an
important tool, but not a cureall. Effective programs integrate medicine and
management to prevent disease. Three major factors should be considered in
attempting to keep disease losses to a minimum...
F-3264
Early Weaning for the Beef Herd
(PDF FILE: 246K) Early weaning can
provide an attractive alternative in certain situations where large amounts
of purchased forage would be necessary to maintain a cow herd through to
normal weaning time. Early weaning would be ideal for fall calving herds,
where harvested forage is fed during the cow’s greatest nutritional demand,
and for cases of drought in spring-calving herds. Cows that are too thin to
re-breed, or have difficulty re-breeding such as first calf heifers and
anestrous cows, are also candidates for early weaning.
F-3266 Health & Nutritional Management of Preconditioning Programs (PDF
FILE: 11/85 - 194K)
F-3271 Hip Height and Frame Score Determination
[PDF
Document] (5/2001) Live animal evaluation
takes into consideration any subjective measurements that help describe an
animal. Some common measurements of cattle include backfat, pelvic area,
scrotal circumference, height at the shoulder, height at the hip, and length
of body.
CR-3273 Program to Estimate Feedlot Breakeven Purchase Price (PDF FILE:
12/91 - 228K)
CR-3280 OSU Cowculator: Beef Cow Nutrition
Evaluation Software OSU
Cowculator is an excel program designed to assist cattlemen in making
informed decisions associated with beef cow nutrition. Animal criteria (such
as cow weight, body condition, stage of production and breed), as well as
the feed and forage library can be customized to each operation or to
specific scenarios within an operation. Animal requirements and performance
predictions are based on years of research data, including the 1996 and
previous versions of the National Research Council's Nutrient Requirements
of Beef Cattle.
F-3281
Biosecurity in the Beef Cattle Operation
[PDF Document] (03/02) Biosecurity is
used to describe programs for preventing the introduction of pathogens
considered potentially harmful to the health and well being of the herd. A
pathogen is defined as any infectious agent that causes disease. Examples of
various pathogens are viruses (foot and mouth disease; bovine viral diarrhea
virus - BVDV), bacteria (Brucella abortus brucellosis;
Mycobacterium paratuberculosis - Johne's Disease), and prions (bovine
spongiform encephalopathy - BSE; scrapie in sheep). Biosecurity on a
national level consists of foreign animal disease surveillance performed by
the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Laboratory (APHIS) at Plum
Island, New York and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Harry S. Truman Animal Import Center, Fleming Key, Florida. APHIS
veterinarians and support personnel across the nation provide constant
vigilance to keep our livestock free of foreign animal diseases that could
cost the industry and consumers billions of dollars. Biosecurity at the herd
level is up to the individual producer and their veterinarian to design
strategies to prevent costly diseases from entering the individual cattle
herd(s). See also:
Biosecurity Protection for Beef Cattle Operations
F-3355 Foot Rot in Grazing Cattle [PDF
document] (6/2000) Foot rot is a subacute or acute necrotic
(decaying) infectious disease of cattle, causing swelling and lameness in
one or more feet. The disease can become chronic, with a poorer prognosis
for recovery if treatment is delayed, which results in deeper structures of
the toe becoming affected. Weight gain is significantly reduced when grazing
cattle contract the disease. In one three-year study, Brazle (1993) reported
that affected steers gained 2.3 lbs. per day, while steers not affected
gained 2.76 lbs. per day. Foot rot is usually sporatic in occurrence, but
the disease incidence may increase up to 25% in high-intensity beef or dairy
production units. Approximately 20% of all diagnosed lameness in cattle is
actually foot rot.
F-3358
Disease Protection of Baby Calves
(PDF FILE: 9/95 - 48K)
F-3401 Buying Beef for Home Freezers (PDF FILE: 12/84 - 175K)
Veterinary Entomology Expert Systems
These computer programs will run under DOS and Windows (3.x and 95). To
download a program, click on the highlighted title. When the downloaded
executable file (.exe) is run, a setup program will appear and the files
will be uncompressed and placed in a directory on your hard drive.
Nitrate Poisoning of Livestock
Nitrate in itself is not toxic to animals, but at elevated levels it causes
a disease called nitrate poisoning. Nitrates are normally found in forages
are converted by the digestion process to nitrite, and in turn the nitrite
is converted to ammonia. The ammonia is then converted to protein by
bacteria in the rumen. If cattle rapidly ingest large quantities of plants
that contain high levels of nitrate, nitrite will accumulate in the rumen.
Nitrite is ten times (10 X) as toxic to cattle as nitrate.
Oats as a Feed For Beef Cattle
Oats is lower in energy and more bulky than other common feed grains
since it threshes with the hull intact. The hull commonly accounts for 24 to
30 percent of the weight of the oat kernel. Since oat grain yield and
quality are highest under relatively cool growing seasons, it is produced
and fed primarily in the northern part of the Great Plains. Quality, as
measured by bushel weight, commonly varies inversely with temperatures
during the kernel filling and ripening period of the grain. A traditional
pattern in movement of feed oats is for high-quality, heavy-test-weight
"race horse" oats to move from northern producing areas to south and
easterly directions. Energy content of oats varies directly according to
bushel test weight, which in turn is dependent upon size of groat (whole
seed minus the hull) and kernel plumpness.
Water Quality: The Animal Component
Good manure management practices are needed more than ever before. Intensive
livestock production schemes put more animals on smaller pieces of real
estate. These operations can be successful environmentally when managed
correctly, but animal waste can cause degradation of water resources if it
is not properly managed. Quality water is essential to maintaining not only
a healthy environment, but also a healthy economy. Typically, major
contaminants arise from residential, industrial, or agricultural sources. To
maintain high quality fresh water it is necessary to minimize contamination
of surface and ground water sources.
Managing Your Cow Herd Through Body Condition Scoring -
PDF Version (697KB) Body condition scoring of beef cattle can be an
effective management tool for evaluating the energy reserves of cows and the
whole nutritional program throughout the year. Adjusting the nutritional
program to obtain desired body condition at different stages of production
is necessary to enhance production efficiency. Females that are too thin or
too fat can be an expensive investment. Thin cows can have difficulty
rebreeding, while fat cows are prone to calving problems and excessive feed
costs. Body condition scores (BCS) allow producers, extension personnel, and
researchers to communicate more effectively regarding the herd's nutritional
status.
The Feeder Calf Grading System
Grading systems are important to the cattle industry for several reasons.
They provide a common language for describing various types of cattle.
Transactions can be made without a buyer seeing the cattle. In the case of
feeder cattle, a grading system allows one to predict the feedlot
performance and carcass characteristics of the finished cattle. They can
also be used by the owner of cattle to evaluate the current breeding
program.
Beef Cattle Frame Scores
Frame scores are an objective, numerical description of cattle skeletal
size which reflect the growth pattern and potential mature size of an
animal. Frame score values typically range from 2 to 9 and are calculated
from hip height and age. Frame scores are frequently reported as
supplementary information to weight and other performance data. They can be
used to project mature size, provide an indication of composition, and
characterize performance potential and nutritional requirements of an
animal.
Determining Pasture Rental Rates
Historically, North Dakota pastureland has been rented by the acre, and the
leasee allowed to graze as many animals as possible for the entire grazing
year. This method of renting pasture by the acre is simple, but has
potential for economic and conservation errors. A more appropriate method to
leasing out or renting pasture is pricing based on animal unit months (AUMs).
Cyanobacteria (Blue-Green Algae) Poisoning
Drinking stagnant pond water during hot, dry weather can cause death in
animals. This water can contain certain species of cyanobacteria (formerly
known as blue green algae). Intoxication with cyanobacteria is characterized
by convulsions, ataxia (in- coordination), bloody diarrhea and sudden death.
Affected animals rarely range far from the water source.
Prussic Acid Poisoning
Prussic acid, cyanide, or hydrocyanic acid are all terms relating to the
same toxic substance. It is one of the most rapidly acting toxins which
affects mammals. Cyanide is a lethal ingredient that has been used in rodent
and vermin killers.
Systems for Backgrounding Beef Cattle
There are many different methods or systems of backgrounding or growing beef
cattle. Each system has advantages and disadvantages which must be weighed
by producers before deciding which system is right for them. Producers
should recognize the need for many different types of systems, since there
are many different types of cattle. Not all backgrounding systems work with
each type of cattle. Some cattle are best suited to be finished directly
after weaning, while other cattle are best finished following an extensive
growing program. This publication will outline the different types of
backgrounding systems which are available for producers to use and describe
the kind and type of cattle which best fit each system.
Nutritional Guidlines for Backgrounding
Calves Backgrounding is a common
practice in many beef cattle operations in North Dakota. In some operations
it serves as a way to add value to feedstuffs or to increase revenue from
the beef cattle enterprise. This circular details nutrient requirements for
backgrounding calves and gives information related to the nutrient content
of feeds available in North Dakota.
Backgrounding Facilities
Backgrounding refers to the confined feeding of calves following weaning to
prepare them to be put on a finishing ration in the feedlot. Calves can be
and are backgrounded in a variety of facilities depending on situation and
numbers, from the seasonal use of existing calving facilities to
specifically designed feeding yards for growing calves. Backgrounding
facilities should provide for animal comfort (protection from wind, dust,
and wetness), ease of handling, and access to feed and water.
Respiratory Illnesses
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a respiratory disease complex that
accounts for a significant portion of cattle/calf losses in the beef
industry. This complex is manifested as one entity, bronchopneumonia. Yet,
it can be caused by a variety of factors that interact to cause severe
respiratory distress and possibly death. BRD in beef calves is called
shipping fever, because the greatest incidence of bronchopneumonia occurs
after shipment to stocker operations or feedlots. The main cause of BRD
illness in calves is the tremendous exposure to infectious agents along with
stress associated with weaning, commingling, and transportation.
A Checklist for Feedlot Siting and
Environmental Compliance One of
the most important decisions when planning any livestock facility is site
selection. The site for the feedlot operation must not only be suitable for
housing, handling and feeding cattle, but also must ensure that surface and
ground waters are protected and that the impact from odors is minimized.
Whether you are planning a new facility or modifying an existing one, the
following checklist may help avoid costly mistakes.
Feeding Management for Backgrounders
This publication addresses feeding management guidelines which can improve
the success of backgrounding operations and practices which can lower cost
of gain in backgrounding operations.
Preconditioning Programs: Vaccination,
Nutrition, and Management
Preconditioning, by definition, is a vaccination, nutrition, and management
program designed to prepare young cattle to withstand the stress associated
with weaning and shipment to a backgrounding yard or feedlot. It is
unfortunate that pre-conditioning is a term that has been loosely applied in
the beef industry.
Cattleman's Guide to Feedlot Lingo
This circular is intended to familiarize cow-calf producers with the lingo
and jargon which may be used by feedlot managers when discussing custom
feeding and feedlots.
A Cow-Calf Producer's Guide to Custom Feeding
This circular will discuss items that a cow-calf operator should consider
before choosing a feedlot to custom feed cattle. Custom feeding refers to
the practice of sending calves, stockers, or yearlings to a commercial
feedyard for feeding to slaughter weights. Custom feeding is not without
risks. It should be viewed as a potential means to add value to your calf
crop and/or to evaluate the genetic potential of your cow herd.
Value-Based Beef Cattle Production
Whether you are feeding a 4-H steer, an FFA beef project or are a commercial
beef producer, this publication is designed to help you learn about the
concepts of value-based beef cattle production and marketing. It consists of
information you can use to help you take market beef animals from weaning
(preconditioning) to finish. The major focus centers around producing a high
quality beef end product for the consumer while adding profitability to the
beef cattle enterprise.
Early Grazing Strategies
Ranchers are usually very anxious in the spring to turn livestock out on
pasture as soon as the snow melts. Early spring grazing comes at
considerable cost to production in those pastures during the growing season.
Grazing before grass plants reach the third leaf stage causes a reduction in
herbage production which can reduce stocking rate and animal performance.
Developing Replacement Heifers: Birth to
Breeding About 30 percent of the
heifer calves produced in North Dakota are retained and developed for cow
herd replacements. Costs associated with heifer development represent a
significant up-front investment. Furthermore, management of the heifer
during the development period can significantly affect her lifetime
productivity.
Wheat Middlings - A Useful Feed for Cattle
In recent years, additional grain milling and processing operations have
come on the scene in North Dakota. A co-product of milling durum for
semolina or wheat for flour is mill feed or mill run commonly marketed as
wheat middlings. Expanded milling and increased availability has created
interest in the state in the use of wheat midds in rations among livestock
producers.
Feed Additives for Backgrounding Calves
Feed additives are ingredients added to calf rations to enhance production
efficiency, improve health, and/or reduce morbidity. A variety of additives
can be safe and effective when used as indicated on label specifications.
Feeding Wheat to Beef Cattle
Wheat remains the leading crop produced in North Dakota. Most wheat in North
Dakota is either hard red spring wheat (HRSW) or durum. Small acreages of
hard red winter wheat and, more recently, hard white wheat are also planted
in the state. Wheat is not traditionally used as a feed grain because its
milling properties make it desirable for use in breads, pastas, and noodles.
At certain times, however, wheat is competitively priced with other feed
grains due to damage from disease, drought, or sprouting. Feed grade wheat
is a palatable, digestible source of nutrients which can be used in beef
cattle diets if fed with caution to avoid digestive upsets.
Using the Net Energy (NE) System to Improve Body Condition Score -
PDF (102KB) The purpose of this guide is to help define the most
commonly used system for expressing energy requirements for beef cows and
energy concentration of feedstuffs, as well as using the system to improve
cow body condition through evaluation of pasture or ration energy
availability.
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE -Mad Cow Disease) -
PDF Version (26KB) Bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE) is a disease condition in cattle which is thought to
have originated in Great Britain. It occurs in cattle between two and eight
years old and is always fatal. The most plausible cause of the disease is a
prion, a "self-replicating" protein, rather than a bacterium or virus. BSE
causes a portion of the brain to become sponge-like. Brain, central nervous
system tissue, and the distal ileum (portion of the small intestine) can
carry the infective agent, and measures have been taken to exclude those
parts known to carry the infective agent (primarily brain and central
nervous system tissue) from the food and feed supply.
Preparing for a Successful Calving Season -
PDF Version (81KB) During the last trimester of pregnancy, the fetus
grows rapidly, placing increasing nutrient demands on the cow. In addition,
cold weather increases the cow's nutrient requirements. Body condition (fat
cover) plays an important role in successfully wintering beef cows. Late
weaning, overstocking, late supplementation, poor parasite control programs,
and inadequate winter rations can all lead to cows in poor body condition.
Feeding Corn to Beef Cattle -
PDF Version (87KB) Corn is commonly used as a feed grain in beef
cattle diets throughout the United States. However, in many parts of North
Dakota and other northern-tier states, feeding corn is less common. With the
availability and improvement of shorter season corn varieties, corn
production in North Dakota doubled from 1995 to 2001. In 2001, 81 million
bushels of corn were produced, with producers in every county harvesting
corn for feed grain.
Feeding Barley to Beef Cattle
Barley is an important feed grain in many areas of the world not typically
suited for corn production, especially in northern climates. Barley is the
principal feed grain in Canada, Europe, and in the northern United States.
The purpose of this review is to compare the nutritive and feeding values of
barley to other common feed grains, review data from feeding trials
involving barley, and offer barley feeding recommendations.
NRC Nutrient Requirements for Beef Cows
To maintain adequate performance at a minimal cost, least-cost diet
formulations are required. The basis of least-cost formulations is a list of
available feeds, feed costs and nutrient concentrations and animal nutrient
requirements. Estimates of nutrient requirements for beef cattle were
revised in 1996. This bulletin contains tables of nutrient requirements for
beef cows generated using the revised estimates.
Mineral Levels in Winter Forages for Beef
Cattle
This paper describes a study that evaluated winter forages on North Carolina
beef farms in the winter of 1992-1993. Because little is known about how
fertilization practices influence mineral levels in forages, samples were
taken from well managed farms utilizing either conventional fertilization,
or fertilization with poultry litter or municipal sludge.
Cattle Behavior During Handling and Corral
Design for Ranches
An understanding of cattle psychology, combined with well-designed
facilities, will reduce stress on both you and your cattle.
Cow Culling Decision Support System
-University of Arizona This
interactive Decision Support System (DSS) will provide recommended culling
decisions generated by the current version of the model described below. The
purpose of the DSS is to provide ranchers educational information on cow
culling decisions.
Livestock Behavior, Design of Facilities and
Humane Slaughter - Dr. Temple Grandin, Colorado State
Estrus Synchronization of Beef Cattle Good heat detection
requires that cows be closely observed several times a day if a large
percentage of actual standing heats are to be detected. Estrus
synchronization is a management technique which makes use of hormones to
control, or reschedule, the estrus cycle. Before discussing the products
that can be used for this task, the limitations as well as the benefits of
an estrus synchronization program are outlined.
Evaluating Body Condition and Using It to
Improve Beef Cow Reproductive Performance - Body condition (degree of fatness) has been demonstrated to have a very
important relationship to rebreeding performance in postpartum cows. In
fact, cow condition at calving seems to be the single most important factor
in determining how quickly a cow returns to estrus following calving.
Research in recent years has shown that beef cows in moderate to good
condition exhibit a significantly earlier return to estrus after calving and
a higher pregnancy rate than cows in thin condition. Subjective systems for
scoring body condition have been developed as a result of this research. The
data have shown that subjective condition scores in live cows are highly
correlated with carcass fatness. See also:
Body Condition, Nutrition and Reproduction of Beef Cows
Functional Reproductive Physiology An important aspect of any
cow-calf operation involves the reproductive performance of the cow herd.
Production losses incurred annually as a result of poor reproductive
management have a major economic impact on the U.S. beef industry.
Nationally, the percent calf crop is estimated between 75 and 80 percent.
However, producers who are also good reproductive managers can realistically
achieve an annual percent calf crop approaching 95 percent. On a per cow
basis, these managers can realize an increase in profits of $70 to $100.
Pelvic Measurements and Calving Difficulty in
Beef Cattle One of
the most serious problems facing cow-calf producers is dystocia. Dystocia is
defined as any birth requiring the assistance of a qualified attendant. The
economic impacts upon the beef industry are high. Although impossible to
evaluate precisely, the annual losses can easily be estimated at between 500
million and 750 million dollars. These losses can be attributed to several
factors. First of all a high percentage of all calf deaths are a result of
dystocia. Montana studies show that 57% of all calf death losses are
attributable to dystocia. Poor calf performance must be considered in
conjunction with calf death losses. See also:
Minimizing Calving Difficulty in Beef Cattle ,
MINIMIZING CALVING DIFFICULTY IN BEEF CATTLE Issue 7 June 1990
, Calving Difficulty in Beef Cattle: Part I
, C705 Calving Difficulty in Beef Cattle: A Review
and Pelvic Measurements and Calving Difficulty
Nutrition for Developing Replacement Heifers
The development program for heifers is divided into a number of
stages. Providing heifers with nutrition to meet the target gains and
weights indicated will result in a high level of fertility and calf health.
Providing heifers with a good start will improve the overall profitability
of the beef operation, and ensuring growth is not excessive will prevent the
decreased lifetime productivity related to fat heifers.
Basic Cattle Handling Practices
Working cattle is one of the most stressful times for you and your
cattle. Some of the stress can be eliminated by using a few common sense
practices. By reducing the amount of stress the animals go through you will
have better results.
Fly Control for the Beef Herd
Tests have shown that the annoyance, irritation and blood loss
caused by flies can reduce weaning weights of calves nursing fly infested
mother cows by 12 to 14 pounds; average daily gain of grazing yearly steers
may be reduced 12 to 14 percent, or as much as 30 pounds during the grazing
season. Both face flies and horn flies annoy cattle, resulting in reduced
grazing time and increased energy expenditure.
Castration- Not Cutting Will Cut Profits
The beef marketing system favors steer carcasses. The steer
carcasses can be marketed through a greater number of channels than bull
carcasses. Feedlot managers prefer steers to bulls for a number of reasons.
Generally, steers are easier to handle and more docile than bulls. Steers
are also not as rough on equipment and are easier to manage as new
individuals added to feedlots.
Raising your own beef for your family
For most homesteaders, the raising of livestock plays a crucial
role in the home based economy. The types of livestock which you choose to
include on your own place may be determined by your climate, the size of the
homestead, food sources available, the available market (if you choose to
sell some animals), and just your personal preference. It is sometimes
argued that you can buy all of your meat—beef, chicken, pork, lamb, rabbit,
etc.—far cheaper than you can raise it. While this may be true when speaking
in terms of money alone, other factors must be considered when referring to
meat raised for homestead use.
Finding, buying, milking, and living with the family
cow Have you ever had
this happen to you? You’ve opened the refrigerator door for a cold,
refreshing glass of milk only to find an empty jug. You’ve already made two
trips to the grocery store this week, and at the price of milk . . . well,
there’s just got to be a better way. Relax. There is. Enter the family milk
cow.
"Beef Cattle Resources"
Virtual library of links re: Beef cattle with extensive article
links. Too many to weed out myself – HELP!!!
"Dairy Cow Resources"
Virtual library of links re: Dairy cows with extensive article
links. Too many to weed out myself – HELP!!!
Ranch Vision From here you can transfer a demo copy of Ranch Vision®
directly to your computer! Ranch Vision creates a computer simulation of
real or hypothetical ranches & tracks them into the future. After
downloading the Ranch Vision Demo, (Approx. 10 minutes download time) just
double click on the Rv.exe program to start the installation. Follow the
easy on-screen instructions in the setup program and check out the future of
ranch management.
On-Line Magazines/Popular Press.
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