Beef cattle

A young bull of the Blonde d'Aquitaine breed.

Japanese wagyu bull on a farm north of Kobe

Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat
production (as distinguished from dairy
cattle, used for milk production). The
meat of mature cattle is mostly known as
beef. In beef production there are three
main stages: cow-calf operations,
backgrounding, and feedlot operations.
The production cycle of the animals start
at cow-calf operations; this operation is
designed specifically to breed cows for
their offspring. From here the calves are
backgrounded for a feedlot. Animals
grown specifically for the feedlot are
known as feeder cattle, the goal of these
animals is fattening. Animals not grown
for a feedlot are typically female and are
commonly known as replacement
heifers. While the principal use of beef
cattle is meat production, other uses
include leather, and beef by-products
used in candy, shampoo, cosmetics,
insulin and inhalers.

Calving and breeding

Besides breeding to meet the demand for
beef production, owners also use
selective breeding to attain specific traits
in their beef cattle. An example of a
desired trait could be leaner meat [1] or
resistance to illness.[2] Breeds known as
dual-purpose are also used for beef
production. These breeds have been
selected for two purposes at once, such
as both beef and dairy production, or
both beef and draught. Dual-purpose
breeds include many of the Zebu breeds
of India such as Tharparkar and Ongole
Cattle. There are multiple continental
breeds that were bred for this purpose as
well. The original Simmental/Fleckvieh
from Switzerland is a prime example. Not
only are they a dual-purpose breed for
beef and dairy, but in the past they were
also used for draught. However,
throughout the generations, the breed
has diverged into two groups through
selective breeding[3].

Most beef cattle are mated naturally,

whereby a bull is released into a cowherd
approximately 55 days after the calving
period, depending on the cows body
condition score (BCS). If it was her first
time calving, she will take longer to re-
breed by at least 10 days[4]. However,
beef cattle can also be bred through
artificial insemination[1], depending on
the cow and the size of the herd. Cattle
are normally bred during the summer so
that calving may occur the following
spring.[1] However, cattle breeding can
occur at other times of year. Depending
on the operation, calving may occur all
year round. Owners can select the
breeding time based on a number of
factors, including reproductive
performance, seasonal cattle pricing and
handling facilities.[1]

There are many factors that come into

play when selecting for a bull. Some of
the most important factors are disease
prevention/spread. Buying a bull who
hasn’t been tested for common diseases
is a risk, it would more than likely
transmit to a whole herd. Purchasing
genetics that will improve the original
herd rather than remaining the same or
decreasing. Some breed for mothering
abilities, some for size, some for meat
properties, etc. Breeding Soundness
Examination or BSE are essential to the
quality of any bull, a general physical
exam and inspection of both the genital
organs and their productivity[5]. Knowing
more information about the animal will
help make an educated decision.

Cattle maintenance
Cattle handlers are expected to maintain
a low stress environment for their herds,
involving constant safety, health,
comfort, nourishment and humane
handling. According to the Canadian
National Farm Animal Care Council, beef
cattle must have access to shelter from
extreme weather, safe handling and
equipment, veterinary care and humane
slaughter.[6] If an animal is infected or
suspected to have an illness, its up to the
owners to report it immediately to a
practicing veterinarian for either
treatment or euthanasia. Depending on a
multitude of factors (season, type of
production system, stocking density,
etc.), illness and disease and spread
quickly through the herd from animal to
animal.[7] Owners are expected to
monitor their cattle's condition regularly
for early detection and treatment, as
some cattle illnesses can threaten both
cattle and human health (known as
zoonotic)[6] as witnessed with Mad cow
disease and Tuberculosis.
On average, cattle will consume 1.4 to 4%
of their body weight daily.[8] There are a
range of types of feed available for these
animals and many are depicted by
location and financing. Some animals
live on pasture their entire lives and
therefore only experience fresh grass,
these are typically cow-calf operations in
more tropical climates. Backgrounded
calves and feedlot animals tend to have
different diets that contain more grain
than the pasture type. Grain is more
expensive than pasture but the animals
grow faster with the higher protein levels.
Since cattle are herbivore's and need
roughage in their diet, silage, hay and/or
haylage are all viable feed options.[9]
Cattle weighing 1000 lbs. will drink an
average of 41 L a day, and approximately
82 L in hot weather.[10] They need a
constant supply of good quality feed and
potable water according to the 5
Freedoms of Animal Welfare.[11]

Cattle processing
A steer that weighs 1,000 lb (450 kg)
when alive makes a carcass weighing
approximately 615 lb (280 kg), once the
blood, head, feet, skin, offal and guts are
removed. The carcass is then hung in a
cold room for between one and four
weeks, during which time it loses some
weight as water dries from the meat. It is
then deboned and cut by a butcher or
packing house, the carcass would make
about 430 lb (200 kg) of beef.[12]
Depending on what cuts of meat are
desired, there is a scale of marbled meat
used to determine the quality. Marbling is
the fat that is within the muscle, not
around it. The more marbled a cut is, the
higher it will grade and be worth more
[13].

Slaughtering of livestock has three

distinct stages, preslaughter handling,
stunning and slaughtering. The biggest
concern is preslaughter handling, how
the animal is treated before it is stunned
and slaughtered. Stress at this time can
cause adverse effects on the meat, water
access and lower stocking densities
have been allowed to minimize this.
However, access to feed is restricted for
12-24 hours prior to slaughtering for
ease of evisceration. Stunning is done
when the animal is restrained in a chute
so movement is limited. Once restrained
the animal can be stunned in one of three
methods, penetrating captive bolt non-
penetrating captive bolt and gunshot.
Most abattoirs use captive bolts over
guns. Stunning ensures the animal feels
no pain during slaughtering and reduces
the animals stress, therefore increasing
the quality of meat. The final step is
slaughtering, typically the animal will be
hung by its back leg and its throat will be
slit to allow exsanguination. The hide will
be removed for further processing at this
point and the animal will be broken down
with evisceration and decapitation. The
carcass will be placed in a cooler for 24-
48 hours prior to meat cutting [14].

Beef cattle breeds

 Location of
Breed Description
Origin

A tropically adapted Bos taurus breed, developed from

Adaptaur Australia
crosses between Herefords and Shorthorns.

Afrikaners are usually deep red or black with long spreading

Afrikaner cattle South Africa horns. They have the small cervico-thoracic hump typical of
Sanga cattle.

Aberdeen Pure black, sometimes with white at udder. Polled. Hardy

Scotland
Angus and thrifty.

Australian Developed for resistance to ticks and for heat tolerance by

Australia
Braford crossing Brahmans and Herefords.

Australian
Australia Polled breed developed by crossing Angus and Brahman
Brangus

Australian Developed by crossing Charolais and Brahman and selected

Australia
Charbray for resistance to heat, humidity, parasites and diseases.

Developed by breeding the Brahman, Shorthorn, and

Beefmaster Texas
Hereford.

Belted Black with white band around middle, stocky, fairly long hair,
Scotland
Galloway polled. Very hardy and thrifty.

Grey roan, or white with grey on head. Extremely muscular

Belgian Blue Belgium
(double muscled). Fast-growing if well-fed.

A composite breed using Africander (African Sanga) and

Belmont Red Australia
Hereford-Shorthorn

Black body, white head. A crossbreed produced by crossing

a Hereford bull with Holstein or Friesian cows; used to
Black Hereford Great Britain. obtain beef offspring from dairy cows. Not maintained as a
separate breed, although females may be used for further
breeding with other beef bulls.

Aquitaine
Blonde region of Pale brown, paler round eyes and nose. Muscular. Fast-
d'Aquitaine south-west growing if well-fed.
France.

Developed from 10/16 Afrikaner, 3/16 Hereford and 3/16

Bonsmara South Africa
Shorthorn animals.

Boran Eastern Africa Usually white, with the bulls being darker (sometimes
 almost black).

Large, pendulous ears and dewlaps, hump over the

Brahman India
shoulders

Brangus United States Developed by crossing Angus and Brahman

White body, with black (or sometimes red) ears, nose and
British White Great Britain
feet; polled (hornless). Hardy and thrifty.

Caracu Brazil

Charolais Wholly white or cream, lyre-shaped pale horns, or polled.

Charolais
France Fast-growing if well-fed.

Dual purpose, originally large draft breed, later selected for

Chianina Italy
beef.

Hardy, small, athletic, criollo-type, descended from Iberian

cattle. Used in rodeo sports, noted for lean meat. Short
Corriente Mexico
horns, various colors, often spotted. Also called Criollo or
Chinampo

400-year-old longhorn breed with around 700 individuals

Crioulo Iberian
that live close to the plateau of Lages, Santa Catarina,
Lageano Peninsula
Brazil.

Southwest of Very small, black or dun, dark horns. Sometimes has a

Dexter
Ireland dwarfing gene leading to very short legs. Hardy and thrifty.

Developed by crossing Brahman cattle with taurine breeds,

Droughtmaster Australia
especially Beef Shorthorn. Tolerant of heat and ticks.

Red or brindle, with white back and belly. Very long

English Midlands of cylindrical horns usually spreading sideways or downwards,
Longhorn England. often curving and even eventually making a circle. Medium
size, hardy.

Red pied or solid red, polled or horned. Sturdy dual-purpose

Fleckvieh Switzerland for beef and dairy. Formerly triple purpose of beef, dairy and
draught. Fast growing if well-fed.

Small, criollo-type descended from cattle brought to the

Florida Cracker
Florida, USA Southern U.S. by the Spanish Conquistadors. Adapted to
cattle
subtropical climate, parasite-resistant. Endangered breed

Galloway
Galloway region of Black, stocky, fairly long hair, polled. Very hardy and thrifty.
Scotland
Gascon cattle French Grey, hardy, maternal breed. Good growth and conformation
Pyrenees of calves. Suitable for all farming systems, bred pure or
crossed with a terminal sire

Red, strong skin pigmentation, polled. Superior fertility,

Gelbvieh Germany
calving ease, mothering ability, and growth rate of calves.[15]

Han-u Korea

Herefordshire,
Hereford Red, white head, white finching on neck, and white switch.
England

Small, stocky; black, red, dun or white. Very long coat and
Highland Scotland. very long pale horns, upswept in cows and steers. Very
hardy and thrifty.

Robust, easy-calving and long-lived. Horns long, curved and

Hungarian Grey Hungary. directed upward. Slender and tall. Well adapted to extensive
pasture systems.

Northwest of Red with white back and belly, or white with red ears, nose
Irish Moiled
Ireland. and feet. Polled. Hardy and thrifty.

Central Java, Colors varied from light brown to dark brown with a black
Jabres
Indonesia. stripe spans from back to tail.

Limousin and
Marche Mid-brown, paler round eyes and nose. Fast-growing if well-
Limousin
regions of fed.
France.

Lowline Australia Developed by selectively breeding small Angus cattle.

The isle of
Luing /ˈlɪŋ/
and
surrounding Rough coat, red-brown, polled. Bred by crossing Beef
Luing
islands in the Shorthorn with Highland. Very hardy and thrifty.
Inner
Hebrides,
Scotland.

East Java,
Madurese Small body, short legs, reddish yellow hair.
Indonesia.

Maine-Anjou Anjou region Red-and-white pied, polled, fast growing if well-fed.

in West
France.
Mocho
Brazil Polled
Nacional

Grey or silver polled cattle developed from a roan Shorthorn

South Eastern
Murray Grey cow and an Angus bull. Easy-care versatile cattle that have
Australia
been exported to many countries.

Nelore India Exported to Brazil, where it has become a dominant breed.

Extremely hardy breed developed by Nguni tribes for harsh

African conditions. Originally derived from the African
Nguni South Africa
Sanga Cattle, although quite distinct. Three subgroups are
recognised, Makhatini, Swazi and Pedi.

Devon,
Cornwall and
Somerset: the
North Devon West Country Ruby-red, white tail switch, white horns.
in the south-
west of
England.

Bred both for beef and dairy production; double muscled.

Piedmontese Piedmont
White colored and possessing myostatin genes.

Landrace heritage endangered breed, lean, small, adapted

Gulf coast,
Pineywoods to climate of the deep south, disease-resistant. Short horns,
USA
various colors, often spotted

A breed of cattle indigenous to the Pinz Valley, near

Salzburg, Austria. Reared and used as dairy cattle in Europe
although they are well adapted to drier landscapes of there
Pinzgauer Austria USA, Australia and Southern Africa where they are kept for
beef production or dual purposes. Solid red with very
distinctive white blaze from wither, down to tail tip and
underside.

Red Angus Scotland Colour variety of Angus: solid red. Polled.

East Anglia in
Red Poll Red with white switch, polled (hornless), dual purpose.
England

Red Sindhi cattle are the most popular of all Zebu dairy
Sindh in
Red Sindhi breeds. In Pakistan, they are kept for beef production or
Pakistan
dairy farming.

Romagnola Italy Bred primarily for beef production; often used as draught
 beasts in the past. White or grey with black pigmented skin
and upward curving horns.

Romosinuano Colombia

Salers France Red. Hardy, easy calving.

Southern
Santa Gertrudis Developed by crossing red Shorthorn and Brahma
Texas

Western Yellowish-brown, white head. Fast-growing if well-fed. Dual

Simmental
Switzerland purpose (beef, dairy & draught).

Shorthorn/Beef Northern
Red, red with white back and belly, or white.
Shorthorn England

New South
Square Meater Wales, Small, grey or silver, polled; similar to Murray Grey.
Australia

Rich chestnut red with white tail switch and white horns.
South-east
Sussex Also used for draught until the early 20th century. Hardy and
England
thrifty.

Tabapuan Brazil

Black Wagyu bred for internationally renowned beefs such

Tajima Japan
as Kobe and Matsuzaka.

Various colours, with very long, tapering, upswept horns –

Texas extending as much as 80 inches (2.0 m) tip to tip. Very
Texas
Longhorn hardy in dry climates. Light muscled, so bulls often used for
first-calf heifers.

Black, horned, and noted for heavy marbling (intramuscular

Wagyū Japan
fat deposition).

Welsh Black Wales Black, white upswept horns with black tips. Hardy.

Great Britain, White, with black (or sometimes red) ears, nose and feet;
White Park
Ireland. white horns with dark tips. Hardy and thrifty.

See also
Conjugated linoleic acid
 List of breeds of cattle

References
1. "Beef Production" . University of
Guelph, Animal Sciences. Retrieved
April 6, 2013.
2. "Beef Research School: What's the
Latest Research on Antimicrobial
Resistance?" . RealAgricultureOnline.
Retrieved April 6, 2013.
3. "The History of Fleckvieh Dual Purpose
Cattle" . Better Dairy Cow. Retrieved
February 1, 2018.
4. "Pregnant cows, timing of pregnancy,
open cows, pregnancy rate" . University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, Institute of Agriculture
and Natural Resources. Retrieved
February 1, 2018.
5. "Overview of Breeding Soundness
Examination of the Male" . Merck Manual
Veterinary Manual. Retrieved March 27,
2018.
6. "Recommended code of practice for the
care and handling of farm animals: Beef
cattle" (PDF). Agriculture Canada.
Retrieved April 6, 2013.
7. "Code of practice for the care and
handling of beef cattle: Review of
scientific research on priority issues"
(PDF). Agriculture Canada. Retrieved
February 1, 2018.
8. "How much feed will my cow eat" .
Ministry of Agriculture Alberta. Retrieved
April 6, 2013.
9. "Feeding Beef Cattle: Tips for a Healthy,
Pasture-Based Diet" . Mother Earth News.
Retrieved February 1, 2018.
10. "Beef Cattle: The codes of practice"
(PDF). Agriculture Canada. Retrieved
April 6, 2013.
11. "5 Freedoms of Animal Welfare" .
Canadian Federation of Humane
Societies. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
12. "1000 lb. steer to 610 lbs. beef" .
Oklahoma Food Safety Division. Retrieved
April 6, 2013.
13. "What is Marbling in Meat?" . The
Spruce. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
14. "Meat processing - Livestock
slaughter procedures" . Encyclopedia
Britannica. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
15. "Breeds of Livestock" . Gelbvieh.
Archived from the original on 4
November 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-11.

External links
Oklahoma State University pages
about cattle breeds.

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