Selection and Judging of Beef

Animal Science IBeef

Unit 14

Objectives

• Describe the different types of beef production systems

• Name the parts of the beef animal (quiz)

• Select superior animals

TYPES OF BEEF PRODUCTION

Cow-Calf Producers

• Involves keeping a herd of beef cows• Cows are bred each year to produce

calves that are then sold to cattle feeders

• Difficult to expand (reduce) size quickly• Prices received are closely related to

supply and demand– Therefore producers may not always

recover production costs

Cow-Calf Producers: Location

• Western range states and upper Great Plains on land that is not suitable crop production

Cow-Calf Producers: Requirements

• Little or no grain • Less labor• Lower investment in equipment and

facilities• Large investment in land

Cow-Calf Producers: Production Practices

• Cows are typically bred to calve in the Spring• Calves are weaned in the fall and sold as

feeders• Sometimes calves are fed through the winter

and sold the next year as yearlings.• Feeder calves are weaned calves that are

under 1 year of age and are sold to be fed for growth

• Yearling Feeders are 1-2 years of age and are sold to be fed to finish for slaughter

Purebred Breeders

• Keep herds of purebred breeding stock• Provide replacement animals for cow-

calf operations • Mainly responsible for genetic

improvements• Requires knowledge and skill • Cost are usually higher • Takes years to develop a high quality

herd and achieve success

Cattle Feeders

• Feed animals for the slaughter market• Objective is to produce finished cattle in the shortest

time possible• Operator buys feeders or yearlings and finished them

in a feedlot• Requires more grain • Easy to adjust to changes• Can expect a return in on investment in 4-6 months• Facilities are more expensive for confinement feeding• Higher costs in labor, feed, transportation• Risky due to fairly large fluctuations in the price of

finished cattle

SELECTION OF BEEF ANIMALS

Frame Score

• Valuable tool for selecting replacement heifers and herd bulls

• Measurement based on observation and height measurement when calves are 205 days of age

• Expected mature size can be made from frame score

Frame Score Scale

• 1-7 see p. 269 fig 14-1• English breeds are covered by body

types 1-5• Charolais, Simmental and similarly

sized cattle are usually body types 3-7

Muscle Conformation Scores

• 1-7• 1. Exceptionally thin calf• 2.Very light muscled• 3. Light muscled• 4. Average muscling• 5. Heavy muscled• 6. Very heavy muscled• 7. Double muscled

Muscle score 1

Muscle Score 7

Conformation Score

• 1-17• Low scores indicate inferior animals• 9-11 are animals that are below average

for desirable characteristics• 12-14 are animals that are average or

slightly below average for some desirable characteristics

• 15-17 are superior animals that are growthy, well balanced, well muscled and have adequate frame

Conformation Score and Replacement Animals

• Herd sires should have conformation scores of 14-17

• Replacement heifers should have conformation scores of 13-17

• Small framed cattle should not be kept for replacement animals even if their conformation score is acceptable

Conformation

• The appearance of the live animal• Includes skeletal structure, muscling,

fat balance, straightness of the animals lines and structural soundness

• Animals with proper confirmation will produce the maximum of high value cuts and will have the minimum of less valuable bones and internal organs– See fig. 14-3 p. 271

Desirable Conformation Traits

• Long, trim, deep sided body• No excess fat on the brisket, foreflank or

hindflank• No extra hide around the throat, dewlap or

sheath• Heavily muscled forearms• Proper height to the point of the shoulders• Correct muscling throughout the body• Maximum development of the round, rump,

loin and rib

Ultrasonic's

• The use of high frequency sound waves to measure fat thickness and loin-eye area

• Useful for selecting meaty animals for breeding purposes

• Accuracy and value depends on the skill of the operator

• Widely used

PERFORMANCE RECORDS

Performance Records

• Production Testing– Measuring a brood cow’s production by the

performance of her offspring

• Progeny Testing– The evaluation of a bull by the performance of a

number of his offspring

• Performance Testing– A method of collecting records on beef cattle

herds for selecting the most productive animals– Used by both purebred and commercial

producers

Performance Testing Are Used To:

• Cull low producing cows• Check on percent calf crop• Select replacement heifers and bulls• Measure the productivity of each bull• Improve herd management• Improve the grade of calves produced• Increase the weaning weight of calves

produced• Give buyers more information• Provide permananent records

Steps To Setting Up A Testing Program

• 1. Identify each cow and calf• 2. Record birth dates of calves• 3. Weigh and grade the calves and

weaning time

Adjusting Weaning Weight

• Adjusted to 205 day basis so all calves are compared equally

• Formula

Actual Weight-Birthweight x 205+BW

Age in Days• If the calf is not weighed at birth 70

lbs may be used as an average weight

Pedigree

• Record of the ancestors of an animal• Only the records of the most recent

ancestors are important in selection• Ancestors before the 4th generation

contribute very little to the current generation

• It is important to not keep poor animals just because they belong to a given blood line

Other Selection Factors

• Health– Females should test negative for Bang’s

disease, vibriosis and tuberculosis– Check for mange, ring-worm and lumpy

jaw– Buying females that have been

vaccinated in calfhood is best

SELECTION OF THE HERD BULL

Selection of Herd Bull

• Important• Each calf recieves ½ its genetic

make-up from its sire• When replacement females are

selected 87.5% of their genetic make-up comes from their last 3 sires in her pedigree.

Sire Summaries

• Provide information on traits that are economically important

• These include– Expected birth, weaning and yearling weights– Carcass information

• REA, Fat Thickness, Marbling, Carcass Weight

– Maternal Breeding Value• Includes Calving ease

• Recommended for overall heard improvement

Expected Progeny Difference

• EPD• Measure of the degree of difference

between progeny of the bull and the progeny of the average bull of the breed in the trait being measured

• Calculated from data collected on the progeny of the bulls

• Given as a +/- value

EPD Example

• An EPD for yearling weight of +65 would show that the progeny of this bull should average 65 pounds more at 365 days than the average bull of the breed.

EPD

Other Traits To Determine A Sound Herd Bull

• Scrotal circumference• No apparent physical or genetic

defects– Sickle hocked, pigeon toed, splay

footed, crooked ankles should not be selected

• Disposition• No record of dwarfism