Basic Beef Cattle Production

Doug Mayo Livestock Agent

Jackson County Extension

Why Raise Cattle?

• Can be a profitable operation

• Utilize marginal land

• Less labor than other livestock

• Enjoyable work and lifestyle

Operation Goals

• Make profit

• Utilize land & Greenbelt exemption

• Pastime, recreation, enjoyment

• Utilize crop by-products

Annual Goals• 90% of cows calve annually

– not as easy as you might think

• Keep expenses low

• Optimal—medium cost/quality calves

• Best calves money can buy

• Maintain beautiful place and fat cows

2002 Survey of 264 NW FL Cattle Producers

1st Qtr

2nd Qtr

3rd Qtr

33.6% Lost Money 31.6% Broke Even 34.8 % Made Profit

Purebred, Crossbred or Stocker• Purebred

– Select a breed carefully (fads can be very costly)– More money invested– More fences and facilities

• Single bull units

– More marketing options– More detailed management

• Registration, performance data collection and records

• Crossbred (commercial)– Simpler operation/lower investment– Breeds and hybrid vigor compliment strengths

• Stocker Cattle– Can be short term– Can control risk– Requires more experience, labor and better facilities

Cow Calf Overview• Primary expense nutrition

– Pastures, Hay, Supplements• Facilities

– Fence, cow pens, squeeze chute, water troughs/ponds

• Health– Vaccines, wormer, fly control

• Equipment – Tractor, disc, truck, livestock

trailer, feed troughs• Market prices

Reproduction Management

“The #1 factor that influences the profitability of a cow-calf operation is reproduction”

Wise Cowman

Breeding Season Management

• Breeding Season– Forces selection for

fertility– More intensive

management– More efficient—feeding,

labor, health• Target needs of cows

– Market uniform calves– More marketing options– Comparable cow

performance with adequate management (85-90% pregnancy rate)

• Year-round– Have annual income

versus regular or as needed income

– Can follow market and sell accordingly

– Minimal management and labor

– Difficult to evaluate reproductive performance

– Marketing more limited

The #1 Factor for Reproduction• Nutrition

– Permanent Pasture– Annual Pasture

• Winter-rye, oats, ryegrass, clover• Millet, sorghum sudan

– Hay– Supplements

Stocking Rate

• Stock conservative and slowly increase with experience• Stock for drought or wet periods• Stock for short grass season

– April and October

• Permanent pastures– Bahia—2 to 4 acres per cow– Bermuda—1-2 acres per cow

• Annuals (ryegrass, millet)– 1/2 to 1 acre per cow

Bahiagrass Seasonal Production DM Production (lb/acre/day)

Rye-Ryegrass Seasonal Production DM Production (lb/acre/day)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June

Month

Rye Ryegrass

Adding Rye-Ryegrass to Bahia: Forage Production (lb/acre/day)

Hay Storage

Shade + Ground Sun + Ground Sun + Palette

Tarp + Ground Tarp + Palette Barn Stored

Visual Differences after 90 Days

Ground

Palette

Barn

Dry Matter Weight Loss % 5/15 8/14

10

13.6

8

9.8

8.5

4.7

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Shade +Ground

Sun +Ground

Sun +Palette

Tarp +Ground

Tarp +Palette

Barn

Crude Protein 8/14

12.6

14.1

15.414.8

15.4 16.3

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Shade +Ground

Sun +Ground

Sun +Palette

Tarp +Ground

Tarp +Palette

Barn

TDN 8/14

58.558.1

58.958.6

61.261.8

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

Shade +Ground

Sun +Ground

Sun +Palette

Tarp +Ground

Tarp +Palette

Barn

Take Home Message

• Ryegrass makes great quality hay– All treatments 12-16% CP, 58-62% TDN

• $ for $ getting hay off of the ground is best investment– Less dry matter loss for low cost

• Covering hay protects quality• Best to get off the ground and cover• Barns will pay for themselves with

enough volume of hay

Body Condition Scores 1-9• BCS 2

– Very thin• BCS 3

– Thin, backbone visible

• BCS 4– Last ribs visible

• BCS 5– Just right

• BCS 6– Smooth

• BCS 7+– Increasing fat

deposits on tail head, back, hips, ribs, belly, brisket

BCS Scores

2 3

4 5

The Bottom LineBody Condition Affects Profitability

Avg. BCS at Calving, Breeding, & Pregnancy Test

Fencing

• Need Solid Perimeter Fence– Field Fence best & most expensive– Can use stand off electric wire for barbed wire– Good electric fence is secure and legal

• Cross fencing– 2 to 22 paddocks per herd– High tensile ½ the cost of barbed wire

• Brace Posts– Don’t skimp on braces

• Gates– Use better gates that swing and save $$

Cowpens

• Holding pen—34 sq ft per cow-calf pair– Large Enough to pen entire herd or multiple

herds at weaning

• Crowding Pen—18 sq ft per pair• Chute leading to squeeze or head catch—

28-30” wide• Fence—6 ft high, 2x6, pipe, sheet metal

Cow Health ScheduleMinimum Best• Late pregnancy

(summer/fall)– IBR, PI3, BVD,

BRSV (killed)– Vibrio/Lepto (oil)– Deworm

• Pre-breeding (spring)– Vibrio/ Lepto

(water)

• Late pregnancy– IBR, PI3, BVD, BRSV– Vibrio/Lepto (oil)– 8 way clostridium– Scour Vaccine– Hemophilus – Deworm– External Parasites

• Pre-breeding– Vibrio/ Lepto– Deworm– Fly Control

Calf Health ScheduleMinimum Best• 4 Months +

– Blackleg (8 way clostridium)

– Deworm– Castrate– Dehorn– Growth Implant

• 4 Months +– Blackleg (8 way

clostridium)– IBR, PI3, BVD, BRSV– Pasturella– Deworm– Growth Implant– Castrate– Dehorn

• Pre-weaning – IBR, PI3, BVD, BRSV– Pasturella– Blackleg– Deworm

U.S. Cattle and Calves Inventory, 1949-2006Dr. Walt Prevatt, AU Univ.

Cattle & Calves Inventory

Year

Million Head

1949-58 1958-67 1967-79 1979-90 1990-04

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

What time of year are prices the best?

12 yr. Avg Prices by Month

0102030405060708090

100

CowsCalves

Cows 41.6 43.8 43.6 52.4 42.8 42.2 41.5 41.2 39 36.8 37.9 38.7

Calves 86.4 90.3 92.4 92.5 89.4 88.7 88.1 87 83.7 81.3 81.9 83.5

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Try to avoid selling cows and calves in late fall, best prices early spring.

Questions or Arguments?

solutionsforyourlife.com

jackson.ifas.ufl.edu

Thank You

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