How do cow/calf operations work?

Beef cattle begin on a cow-calf operation, where the producer has a herd of cows bred to produce calves that are then sold at six to ten months of age. In this cow-calf stage, cattle receive their nutrition by grazing pastures and rangeland; cow-calf operations are found across the country.

What is the difference in a cow/calf operation and a feedlot operation?

The cow-calf industry is focused on reducing mature size, while the feeding industry is looking for increased growth. And, the cow-calf industry is looking for earlier-maturing cattle, while the feeding industry is looking for cattle that are leaner (more efficient) at ever-increasing outweights.

What is one advantage of a cow/calf operation?

Cow-calf operators in the West and Southern Plains had significant cost advantages because climatic conditions allow for a longer grazing season, requiring less supplemental forage during the winter.

What do cow/calf operations eat?

Pastures. Approximately two-thirds of the forage requirements for a cow-calf herd should come from pasture and the other third from stored feed (hay or silage). Feed costs for the cow herd can be reduced by grazing corn fields after harvest and providing stockpiled cool-season forages such as tall fescue.

Where are most cow/calf operations located?

About 60 percent of U.S. beef cow-calf farms produce calves that are sold at or shortly after weaning. These are usually small farms, and most are located in the Southeast and Southern Plains. Many of the farm households on these operations generate most of their income from off-farm sources.

What are the calf management practices?

Some practices within the following areas in calf management were considered: calving management, care for new-born calves, use of painful procedures, colostrum management, cow–calf separation, calf feeding, weaning, calf housing, and general monitoring.

How long do calves stay in cow/calf operation?

The calves will remain by their mothers’ sides until about eight months of age. Then they will be weaned and sold somewhere from October to December.

What are the 4 stages of beef production?

The Beef Cattle Lifecycle

  • Cow/Calf Stage.
  • Backgrounding or Stocker Stage.
  • Finishing Stage.
  • Artificial Insemination (A.I.)
  • Average Daily Gain (ADG) – Calculation of post-weaning gain, figured by dividing the weight gain by the days on feed.

What are calves?

The calf (Latin: sura) refers to the posterior portion of the lower leg. The two largest muscles in this region include the gastrocnemius and the soleus. The gastrocnemius is the most superficial of the muscles and has two heads, medial and lateral.

What is cattle management?

Meaning of Livestock Management Livestock management refers to the activities carried out by a farmer in his effort to raise farm animals from day old to the point of marketing or disposing the animals. It involves the provision and maintenance of adequate housing, good feeding, sanitation and medicare.

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