Animal Sciences Commons^™

Genetic Aspects Of Calving Ease, James S. Brinks

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Several trends in cattle production and marketing are becoming evident. Leaner and perhaps heavier muscled slaughter cattle will be in demand through the chain from consumers back through retailers, packers, feeders and finally the producers. Emphasis on growth in the feedlot will continue. Thus, the feedlot and carcass characteristics desired point towards fairly large, heavier muscled cattle. At the producer level, increased emphasis is being placed on matching cow size, milk level, and overall biological type to available resources. Thus, the trend for maternal herds in the Great Plains point towards an adapted, probably moderate size, and milking cow that …

1970 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report, J. L. Adams, E. F. Frolik, H. W. Ottoson, F. E. Eldridge

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

The use of high concentrate rations in finishing cattle has led to a rather high loss of livers due to abscesses.

The 1967 Statistical Summary of the Federal Meat Inspection Service of the USDA indicated the total number of cattle inspected was 27,859,980. Of these, 9.6% were condemned because of liver abscess. Considering the value of a liver to be about $3, the estimated loss to the industry because of condemnatIon due to abscess would be over $8 million annually.

The incidence of liver abscesses increases as the roughage level in a finishing ration decreases below 5% (Table I). The …