Chapter 2: Breeds and Life Cycles of
Livestock and Poultry
Unit 2a: Beef Life Cycle - history and
general production of beef cattle
Cattle in the Americas:
Beef industry evolved from two fronts:
• 1493: Santo Domingo with Columbus
• 1521: mainland of Mexico
• 1607: Virginia colony, all eaten
• 1611: Jamestown colony, survival
• 1625: Dutch colonies; herds grow
– in general: early cattle in the American
colonies were dual or triple purpose:
meat, milk, and draft
Historical Perspectives:
• Spanish influence on Central America and
southwest US - “ranch” system (1493-)
• Eastern colonies - “farm” system (1611-)
• Livestock types (ranch/farm) come together in the
west (late 1800’s)
• Introduce Bos indicus a.k.a. Zebu “hump-backed”
(1930’s)
• Revolution: the “exotic breeds” from Europe (late
1960’s)
Beef Cattle Numbers by State – 2001
Rank
State
1
Texas
Millions of
cattle
13.7
Number of
farms
133,000
2
Kansas
6.7
29,000
3
Nebraska
6.6
23,000
4
California
5.1
14,200
5
Oklahoma
5.0
50,000
Total
All States
97.4
830,880
Beef Cattle Genealogy:
• Genus: Bos
• Species 1: taurus(typicus)
– European breeds, such as Hereford
and Charolais
• Species 2: indicus
– “Hump-backed” cattle such as
Brahman; also termed “zebu” type
• Common term for cattle: bovine
Beef Life Cycle: Calving
• Spring calving is most common in the
US to provide weaned calves in the
fall for feedlot
– Concentrated calving supports uniform
age and size for sale
– Fall calving system is popular in some
states
– Gestation in cattle is about 9 months
Newborn Calf Management :
• Birth weight: 70-100 pounds
• Colostrum feeding - calves should nurse
within first hour
• Navel dipping - antiseptic solution to
prevent infection
• Identification - record keeping begins
Calf Management: First Month
• Horn removal - if not genetically polled
• Castrate - most bull calves destined for a
feedlot will be castrated
• Weaning from dam - approximately 7
months of age; some early weaning
programs down to 45 days of age
• Implanting - growth stimulants may be used
• Creep feeding - may be fed extra energy
Weaning Preparation Programs:
• Preconditioning
– Weaning 30 days before shipment
– Providing a feedlot preparation diet
– Applying specified vaccination programs
• Backgrounding
– Generally refers to a preconditioning type
program with more extensive dietary
supplementation before shipping
Female Replacements:
• Goal 1: first calf by 2 years of age
– Selected females will be bred at about 15
months of age
• Goal 2: 12 month calving intervals
– Rebred by 90 days post-calving
– Full maturity reached at about 5-6 years
Replacement Males:
• Feedlot test evaluation
– Weaning to yearling (“365 day”)
comparisons
• Light use in breeding as 2 year old