Beef Cattle

1. Beef Cattle

2. Beef Cattle Facts • The United States and Brazil are the top beef producing countries in the world. • In the US, Texas has the most beef cows. • Cattle outnumber humans in 9 states: Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. • A cow's gestation period is approximately 283. This is the average number of days from the day a cow is bred to the time she has a calf. • The salivary glands of cattle, located beneath the tongue, produce 15-20 gallons of saliva per day.

3. Beef Cattle facts • A 1000-pound cow will produce 4 tons of manure in a year. • Ruminate animals like cows "chew the cud", which means they re-chew the food they've already chewed slightly and swallowed. • A cow spends 6 hours eating and 8 hours chewing its cud each day. • The average cow has more than 40,000 jaw movements per day. • The Chianina cattle were developed in Italy as a dual purpose beef/draft animal when the beef industry wanted extremely tall cattle. Though originally solid white in color, now you will likely only find black individuals in the USA.

4. Beef Cattle facts • Hamburger meat from 1 steer would equal 720 quarter-pound hamburgers, enough for a family of 4 to enjoy hamburgers each day for nearly 6 months • More than 100 medicines, including insulin and estrogen, come from cattle • One cowhide can produce enough leather to make 20 footballs or 18 soccer balls or 18 volleyballs or 12 basketballs. • Other products besides beef are made from the beef carcass. Leather, made from the hide, is used to make a variety of items, from clothing to basketballs. Eight pairs of cowboy boots can be made from one cowhide.

5. Top Beef Production Countries • United States 25% • Brazil 20% • European Union 17% • China 12% • Argentina 6% • India 6% • Australia 4% • Mexico 4%

6. Top Beef Producing States • Texas • Kansas • Nebraska • Iowa • Colorado

7. Top Beef Export Markets • Mexico • Canada • Japan • Hong Kong  • Taiwan

8. Stages of Beef Production • Raising cattle involves numerous farms and operations, each serving a unique role in the process

9. Cow-Calf Operation • Beef production begins with ranchers who maintain a breeding herd of cows that nurture calves every year • When a calf is born, it weighs 60 to 100 pounds • Over the next few months, each calf will live off its mother’s milk and graze grass in pasture • Sell calves to Brokers/Stockers

10. Brokers/ Stockers • Raise calves after they have been weaned • Generally sell to feedlots

11. Feedlots • Typically spend four to six months, during which time they have constant access to water, room to move around, and are free to graze at feed bunks containing a carefully balanced diet • Veterinarians, nutritionists and cattlemen work together to look after each animal

12. Market Ready • Calves are market ready at approximately 1200-1400 pounds • Generally 18-22months old

13. Feed conversions • Feed conversion ratios are a measure of an animal’s efficiency in converting feed mass into body mass • Average FCR for cattle is 6 pounds of feed for every 1 pound of weight gain … 6:1 • Practice on your own!!!!

14. Fill in your chart!!!

15. Cattle Breeds

16. Angus • Origin: Scotland • Colors: Black, Red • Polled • Characteristics: fast weight gain, highly marbled meat, and outstanding maternal qualities (protective mothers that produce lots of milk for their calves) • Resistant to harsh weather, adaptable, good natured,  mature extremely early and have a high carcass yield with nicely marbled meat.  

17. Angus

18. Charolais • Origin: France • Color: White to cream • Medium to large framed , very deep and broad body • Characteristics: superior growth ability, efficient feedlot gains and in carcass cut-out values, excellent meat conformation, late maturing so have high finishing weight

19. Charolais

20. Brahman • Origin: India, from Bosindicus • Horned • Colors: most common- Solid Gray or Solid Red • Easily identified by the hump on their back and long floppy ears • Have loose saggy skin with sweat glands and the ability to sweat freely contributes to their heat tolerance • Can walk long distances to water • These are the "sacred cattle of India” 

21. Brahman

22. Chianina • Origin: Italy • Horned • Color: White to Steel Gray, black pigmented skin • Characteristics: BIG! well-defined muscling

23. Chianina

24. Dexter • Origin: Ireland • Smallest breed in US • Characteristics: small cattle with a broad, deep torso, short legs with heavily muscled hind quarters. • Dexters are a hardy breed.  They perform well in a variety of climates.

25. dexter

26. Gelbvieh (gelp-fee) • Origin: Germany • Horned • Colors: yellow, red, black • Characteristics: excellence in growth, feedlot efficiency, muscling and marketability, while females are known for milking ability, fertility and quiet temperament

27. Gelbvieh

28. Hereford • Origin: England • Color: Red with white head, neck, brisket • Horned • Characteristics: generally docile and fast growing cattle with good beef quality

29. Hereford

30. Limousin • Origin: France • Color: red, golden • Characteristics: excellent feed efficiency, adaptability and high carcass yield, good foragers, genetically "trimmed“ (little fat) • The meat is tender and fine fibered because of their low fat levels. • Poor temperment!

31. Limousin

32. Maine-Anjou • Origin: France • Color: dark red with white on head, belly and rear legs • Characteristics: Very large breed, feed efficient, high cutability and marbling qualities

33. Maine-Anjou

34. Santa Gertrudis • Origin: US • 5/8th Shorthorn, 3/8th Brahman • Color: deep cherry red • Characteristics: high heat and tick resistance, exceptional maternal traits, develop muscle well but with no fat

35. Santa Gertrudis

36. Shorthorn • Origin: England • Color: Red, Roan • Characteristics: early maturity, adaptability, mothering ability, reproductive performance, hardiness, good disposition, feed conversion, and longevity

37. Shorthorn

38. Simmental • Origin: Switzerland • Color: pale gold to dark reddish brown, white head • Characteristics: docile and easy to manage breeds, deeply muscled back and loin, excellent feed conversion  with about a 63% carcass yield.

39. Simmental

40. Beefmaster • 25% Herford, 25% Shorthorn, 50% Brahman • Color: Brownish-red is most common, no color standards • Purpose: develop cattle that would be more productive than existing breeds in the harsh environment of South Texas • Six Essentials - Weight, Conformation, Milking Ability, Fertility, Hardiness and Disposition

41. Beefmaster

42. Beefalo • Cross between Buffalo and domestic cattle (any breed) • Characteristics: Superior hardiness, foraging ability, calving ease, and meat quality of the Bison with the fertility, milking ability, and ease of handling from the bovine

43. Beefalo

44. Grading Scale • All beef is inspected for wholesomeness by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) • Graded for quality and consistency • Prime, Choice and Select grades • Marbling plays a big role in quality grades

45. Marbling • Marbling (intramuscular fat) or the little white flecks in beef, is key to flavor • The higher the amount of marbling, the higher the quality of beef.

46. Prime • Less than 1.5% of all beef earns the Certified Angus Beef ® brand Prime label

47. Beef Cuts Diagram

48. Chuck • Pot roast • Short ribs • Blade steak/roast • 7 bone pot roast • Shoulder pot roast

49. Brisket/ Shank • Brisket • Flat half • Corned brisket • point half • Shank Cross cut

50. Rib • Rib roast • Rib steak • Rib eye steak/roast • Back ribs