Transcript Cow Calf Intro Aug 2013.ppt

An
Introduction
to Cow/Calf
Production
The dosage for antibiotic X in
cattle is 5cc/cwt. How much
would you give a 500 pound calf?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5 mL
10 mL
25 mL
50 mL
0%
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0%
2
0%
3
0%
4
♦729,000 beef cow operations
♦29.3 million head of beef cow
♦Average herd size is 40 head
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service
December 2010
♦18,477 beef cow operations
♦1.8 million beef cows (6.2% of the national
herd)
♦Top 3 cow counties in the U.S.
♦Average herd size of 97 head
♦$12.1 billion economic impact
Cattle by-products
• Foods-marshmallows, mayonnaise, oleo, chewing gum,
cake mixes, and pasta
• Home products-candles, cellophane, detergent, paints,
floor wax, wallpaper, sheet rock, and glues
• Personal care items-bandages, cosmetics, deodorants,
perfumes, soap, shaving cream, and bandage adhesive
• Transportation uses-antifreeze, tires, asphalt, hydraulic
brake fluid, bone charcoal for ball bearings, car waxes,
and machine oils and other viscous fluids
• Miscellaneous items -tortoise shell, combs, imitation
ivory, piano keys, artist’s paint brushes, and crayons
Beef Cattle Life Cycle:
Alternate
Calving
Season
From birth to first calf produced
Sold as
Bred Heifer
Out of
Season
Breeding
Calving
Weaning
Pregnant
Feeder
Cattle
Open
Feeder
Cattle
Purchased
for Breeding
Replacement
Pool
Pregnancy
Check
Breeding
Season
Sold as Replacement
Candidates
Feeder
Cattle
Calf Age and Organism
Organism
Approximate Calf Age
E. coli
Day 1 (days 1-7)
Rotavirus
Day 4-9 (days 1-14 up to 5 wks)
Coronavirus
Day 5-9 (days 2-14 up to 6 wks)
Clostridium perfringens
Day 1-2 (days 1-7 & weeks 4-6)
Cryptosporidium parvum
Salmonella spp.
Coccidia
Day 7-10 (days 7-21)
Day 7-21 (day 7 through 4 mo.)
Day 21 and up
Most of the time it is a mixed infection!
Weeks
1&2
Week
3
Week
4
Week
5
Week
6
Week
7
Week
8
Week
9
Age
Scrotal
Circumference
≤ 15 months
30 cm
15-18 months
31 cm
18-21 months
32 cm
21-24 months
33 cm
>24 months
34 cm
Minimum Semen Standards
Sperm Motility:
≥ 30% individual motility
“Fair” gross motility
Sperm Morphology:
≥ 70% normal sperm
When does a spring calving cow
have her highest energy and
protein requirements?
1. Spring (Mar, Apr,
May)
2. Summer (Jun, Jul,
Aug)
3. Fall (Sep, Oct, Nov)
4. Winter (Dec, Jan,
Feb)
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4
Cow Nutritional Demands
• Phase 1
– Middle 1/3 of pregnancy
– Requirements are just above maintenance
• Phase 2
– Last 1/3 of pregnancy
– Increased energy requirement
• Phase 3
– From calving to breeding
– Energy and protein requirements are 70% and 100% greater
than phase 1
• Phase 4
– Breeding to weaning
– Lower requirements
Economics
“Agriculture is a business. Farming
without a financial motive is
gardening.”
Russ Parsons, “The California Cook”
food editor and columnist
Los Angeles Times
How many cows does it take to
support a family of 4?
1.
2.
3.
4.
40
80
97
194
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3
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4
Economics
• Standardized Performance Analysis (SPA)
• Breakeven
– Annual cow cost
– Weaning weight
– Percent calf crop
Annual cow cost
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•
•
•
•
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Feed Costs
Labor
Taxes
Veterinary expenses
Interest on loans
$734.35/cow/year – BCPMS 2007
$595.00/cow/year – ND herds 2008
$765.12/cow/year – KFMA herds 2010
The single most important
determinant of calf weaning weight
is:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Genetics
Nutrition
Age
Color
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What breed does this cow
represent?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Simmental
Horned Hereford
Polled Hereford
Angus
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Heterosis
Complementarity
Calf Nutrition
Weaning weights
• Dependent on several factors:
- Age
- Nutrition
- Genetics
• Average weights:
- Client A: 462# (185d), 510# (193d), 535# (201d)
- Client B: 558# (196d), 546# (204d)
Percent calf crop
General Target Herd Health Benchmarks (Radostits et al. 1994)
Production Stage
Pregnancy failure rate in cows and
heifers exposed to bulls
Abortion rate after first trimester
Born dead or die within 24 hrs (dystocia)
Die after 24 hrs of age and before
weaning
Calf-crop weaning percentage (number
of calves weaned divided by number
of females exposed to bulls)
Production
Loss
Goal %
Cumulative
Production
Trigger Level
for Concern
<= 5%
95%
< 95%
<= 2%
93%
> 2%
<= 2%
91%
> 2%
<= 3%
89%
> 3%
89%
< 85%
Breakeven example
Annual cow cost
BE =
Weaning wt. x Percent calf crop
BE =
$734.35
= $1.55/lbs
532 lbs. x 89%
BE =
$595.00
532 lbs. x 89%
= $1.26/lbs
Calf prices
• NE Weekly Summary(8/3/13) - $1.72/lbs
• 3 year average – $1.27/lbs
• 10 year average – $1.02/lbs
• 30 year average – $.72/lbs