Exploring the Beef
Industry
Next Generation Science/Common Core Standards Addressed!
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.4 - Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing
political, social, or economic aspects of history/social science.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2a - Introduce a topic and organize
ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections
and distinctions; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g.,
figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding
comprehension.
Bell Work
• Name as many beef cattle breeds as
possible?
• What is your favorite steak?
• What is Marbling?
• What does polled mean?
Student Learning Objectives
I. Name the parts of a beef animal.
II. List the common breeds of beef
animals.
III. Explain how to select beef animals.
IV. Identify types of beef production
setups.
V. Describe beef marketing options.
Terms
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Cattle feeders
Conformation
Cow-calf operation
Cutability
Demand
Dual-purpose breed
Desirable traits
Feeder calves
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Frame Score
Marbling
Performance
Polled
Purebred breeders
Supply
Yearling feeders
Objective #1
Name the parts of a
beef animal.
What are the external parts of a
beef animal?
External Parts of a Beef Animal
What are the Beef Animal
Meat Cuts?
Beef Animal Meat Cuts
Objective #2
List the common breeds of
beef animals.
What are the common
breeds of beef animals?
Terms
• Polled
– born naturally without horns
• marbling
– desirable presence of fat in the muscle
• cutability
– amount of available retail cuts from the carcass
• dual-purpose breed
– traditionally used for both milk and beef production
• Originated
– Northeast Scotland
• Most popular purebred
beef animal because:
– vigorous
– perform well in feedlots
• Polled
• Solid black or red
• Known for their marbling
• Originated in:
– Charolais, France
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Pink skin
White to straw colored
Large breed
Polled or horned
Heavily muscled
Popular crossbreeding
The first Charolais in the
US were imported from
Mexico because of
embargos.
P.O. Box 014059 Kansas City, Mo
(816)842-3757 aha@hereford.org
• Originated in:
– Hereford County, England
• White faces & red bodies
• White markings on
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switch, underline, below
the hocks, and on their
crest & flank
Horned
Easily handled
Moderate Sized
Polled Herefords
• Started in
– Iowa by Warren Gammon
– Gathered naturally polled
animals and bred them
• Same traits as Herefords
• Eligible for registry in
– American Hereford
Association
– American Polled Hereford
Association
www.NALF.org
North American Limousin Foundation
Englewood, Co 80112 (303)220-1693
• Originated in:
– Southwestern France
• Wheat to rust red or
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orange colored
Polled & horned
Long & Shallow bodied
Known for calving ease
also their leanness &
large loin eye area
High cutability
American Shorthorn Association
Omaha, Nebraska 402-393-7200
• Originated in:
– England
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Dual-purpose breed
Red, white, or roan
Horned or polled
Short
Docile
Good mothering
ability
Bozeman, MT
800-593-2778
• Originated in:
– Western Switzerland
• White face is dominate
• Red & white spotted or
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solid red
Black strains have been
developed
Polled & horned
Rapid growth
Thick muscled
Houston, Texas
713-349-0854
• Originated in:
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India
Used in crossbreeding
programs
Light gray or red & sometimes
black
loose skin, large hump over
shoulder & large drooping ears
Resistance to disease, insects
Tolerant to heat, rapid weight
gain, quality carcasses
unpredictable temperament
Excellent ability to forage on
poor range
San Antonio,
TX
• Originated from:
– a cross between Brahman
& Angus
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3/8 Brahman & 5/8 Angus
Polled
Solid black
Many of the same
characteristics as the
Angus & Brahman
Beefmaster Breeders United
San Antonio, TX
210-732-3132
• Developed in:
– Texas by combining ½
Brahman, ¼ Shorthorn, ¼
Hereford
• Coloration varies but red is
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dominant
Horned or polled
very hardy and good
milking ability
Good temperaments
Heavy weaning weights
Rapid weight gain
Saler
• Originated in
central France.
• Considered an
intermediate size.
• Thick red/black
hair coat.
• Light colored
horns.
Charbray
• Originally a cross
between Charolais
and Brahman.
• Large
rugged/performs
well in hot humid
conditions
• White in color.
Chianina
• Originated in Italy.
• In Europe the
breed is used for
draught and meat.
• The largest breed
of beef cattle.
• Used extensively
for crossbreeding.
Blonde d’ Aquitane
• Originated in south
west France.
• Color is white to
tan
• Were used as a
draught and meat
animal
• Very heavy
muscled
Brayford
• A cross between
Hereford and
Brahman.
• Suited for
hot/humid climatic
conditions.
• Developed in
Australia & Florida.
Longhorn
• Color varies
greatly, tan, red,
brown, black and
spotted.
• Ancestors of early
Spanish breeds
imported in the
southwest.
• Used extensively
as heifer bulls!
Maine Anjou
• Originated in
France.
• Very heavy
muscled breed.
• Used extensively
for crossbreeding.
• Originally red and
white in color.
• Developed on the
King ranch in
Texas.
• Originally a cross
between Brahman
and Shorthorn
breeds.
• The goal was to
develop a breed
adapted to hot
climates.
Scotch Highland
• Originated in
Scotland.
• Small body size.
• Tan/brown in color.
• Actually have two
hair coats, short inner
and longer outer
coat.
• Ideally suited for
colder climates
Gelbvieh
• Originated in
Germany.
• Tan/red in color.
• Originally a tripurpose breed,
meat, milk, draught.
Objective #3
Explain how to select
beef animals.
How do I know what beef animals are
better than others?
Terms
• Desirable traits
– traits that are in demand at the market place
• Conformation
– the shape, form, and type of an animal
• Performance
– the ability of an animals to reproduce, wean, gain weight and
stay strong
• Frame score
– measurement based on animals being observed and evaluated
at 205 days
How do I know what beef animals are
better than others?
• Selection based on the frame score
– 1 through 7 scale is used for frame score
• Selection based on conformation score
– 1 through 17 is used for performance score
• 9 – 11 below average
• 12-14 average
• 15-17 above average
How do I know what beef animals are
better than others?
• No one breed is superior in all traits
• Decide on individual priorities & select
breed based on them
• Commit to good management practices
– diets nutritious
– comfortable living conditions
– monitor health concerns
– assess breeding stock
How do I know what beef animals are
better than others?
• choose a reputable breeder & producer
• insure animals are free of diseases and
genetic problems
• look at records of the animals
• determine if animal will profit your herd
Objective #4
Identify types of beef
production setups.
What type of production best suits
my needs?
• Cow-calf operation
– keeping mature cattle to produce calves
– cows bred every year
– calves sold 2 ways
• Feeder calves
– weaned animals under a year old until sold to feedlot
and raised to slaughter weight
• Yearling feeders
– calves between 1 and 2 years of age sold to another
producer to feed out to slaughter weight
Cow-Calf Operations
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Advantages
utilizes pastures
less labor intense
low investment costs
require little equipment &
facilities
easy to increase herd
size
Disadvantages
• Large initial land
investment
• long time in between
paychecks
– budget feed, minerals, vet
bills, and other expenses
• Price may be low when
time to sell calves
What type of production best suits
my SAE needs?
• Cattle feeders
– producers that feed beef animals to slaughter
weight
– buy yearling or calves and finish them quickly
Cattle Feeders
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Advantages
production lag is only
4 – 6 months
Quick turn-over time
for money
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Disadvantages
initial investment is
high
– higher feed
– housing & equipment
• more labor & trucking
• fluctuating markets
What type of production best suits
my needs?
• Purebred breeders
– producers that keep herds for breeding stock and
replacement bulls or semen for cow-calf operations
Purebred breeders
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Advantages
provides genetic
improvements to
herds
Receive higher values
for animals sold
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Disadvantages
initial start-up cost
higher for genetically
superior animals
time consuming
record-keeping
Objective #5
Describe beef marketing options.
What marketing options do I have
with beef cattle?
• Supply
– overall amount of product available at a given
time
• Demand
– the amount that could be purchased at a
given time for a given price
What marketing options do I have
with beef cattle?
• Seasonal pricing patterns exists
• Several ways to market beef cattle
– purebred marketing
– local sales barn
– sell directly to packers
• Which one is best for you depends on:
– marketing costs
– convenience
– market price
What marketing options do I have
with beef cattle?
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Purebred Marketing
done privately or
auctions
breed associations
hold consignment
auctions
advertising expense
payment of
auctioneer
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Local Sale Barns
convenient to buyers
utilized by small
producers
selling fee is based
on percent of sale or
fixed amount
cattle goes to the
highest bidder
What marketing options do I have
with beef cattle?
Sell Directly to Packer
• large producers
• avoid paying
commission or
brokers
• 70% of slaughter
cattle going to
packers from direct
markets
Review
• What are the external parts of a beef animal?
• What are the Beef Animal
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Meat Cuts?
What are the common
breeds of beef animals?
How do I know what beef animals are better
than others?
What marketing options do I have with beef
cattle?
What marketing options do I have with beef
cattle?
The End!