Animal Sciences Commons^™

Effect Of Source And Level Of Supplemental Protein On Performance Of Postpartum Range Cows, M. C. Namminga, R. J. Pruitt

South Dakota Beef Report, 1992

Two postpartum grazing trials were conducted from early March to mid May in consecutive years to determine the effects of supplemental rumen escape protein on the performance of spring calving beef cows grazing native range. Simmental x Angus cows were allotted within 7 to 14 days of calving to three supplement treatments formulated to provide equal amounts of energy from corn, soybean meal, and a combination of blood meal and corn gluten meal. Cows supplemented with corn lost more weight than cows supplemented with soybean meal. Supplemental escape protein did not improve weight gains over the soybean meal supplement. Supplemental …

Effects Of Level Of Concentrate And Forage Availability On The Performance Of Beef Cows Grazing Winter Range, M. C. Namminga, R. J. Pruitt, C. A. Tusler, P. S. Johnson

South Dakota Beef Report, 1992

Two winter grazing trials were conducted on consecutive years to determine the effect of level of concentrate supplement and amount of forage available on performance of cows grazing dormant winter range. Simmental x Angus cows were fed concentrate supplements containing combinations of corn and soybean meal at either high, medium or low levels. Supplements were formulated to provide .7 Ib of crude protein during year 1 and .51 Ib of rumen degradable crude protein in year 2. Two pastures with differing amounts of available forage were grazed each year. In year 1, the amount of available forage had a greater …

Milk Production In First-Lactation Beef Heifers, D. M. Marshall

South Dakota Beef Report, 1991

Milk production was estimated by weigh-suckle-weigh procedures at six dates during the first lactation of 250 first-calf beef heifers representing several crossbred types. The effect of dam breed group on milk yield was significant for each measurement date. The effect of calf sex on milk intake was significant or at least approached significance for the three earliest measurement dates but was nonsignificant for the last three dates. Compared to milk production at an average of 51 days, production at 79 days was similar, while production estimated at later stages of lactation declined. Estimated milk production during later lactation was less …

The Wokalup Beef Cattle Selection Experiment, Alan Lymbery, Mick Carrick, Patrick Donnelly

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The aim of the Department of Agriculture's long-term beef cattle selection experiment at Wokalup is to examine the effects of selection for faster-growing cattle on biological traits that may influence the productivity of a commercial beef herd. Selection lines were established from Hereford and multibreed cattle in 1977. Twelve years of selection have produced an increase in growth rate to weaning of about 120 g per day in both lines. About 40 per cent of this increase is the result of permanent genetic improvement.

We plan to compare these characteristics in cattle from the selection lines with cattle that have …

Miscellaneous Publication 33/91 - Markets For Western Australian Beef, Alan Peggs

Animal production and livestock published reports

In 1990/91 the Western Australian beef industry generated close to $172 million and was the State's third largest rural industry.

As at 31 March this year the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates the State's cattle herd at 1,651,000 head of which 108,000 head are dairy cattle. Of the beef cattle 832,000 are located in the agricultural area and 819,000 in the pastoral area.

The principal market for Western Australian beef is the domestic market. This market consumes around 65 per cent of the State's annual production. Export markets use close to 35 per cent with the principal markets being the …

Interrelationships Of Heifer Milk Production And Other Biological Traits With Production Efficiency To Weaning, B.A. Freking, D.M. Marshall

South Dakota Beef Report, 1990

Interrelationships among milk production, cow-calf feed efficiency and other biological traits were evaluated on first-calf females and their calves. Production efficiency was defined as cumulative feed metabolizable energy consumed by the dam-calf pair during the year divided by calf weaning weight. Results indicated that increased levels of milk production were associated with improved production efficiency to weaning as long as calves have the genetic potential to convert the extra milk into body weight gains. However, the incremental improvement in efficiency per unit of increased milk was less for each additional unit of milk.

Evaluating Growth & Maternal Traits Of Beef Cattle, Nyle J. Matthews

All Archived Publications

No abstract provided.

The Pesticide Residue Problem In Beef Cattle : Success With Contaminated Power Poles In South Coastal Areas, Bob Mitchell

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Western Australian beef producers faced a major crisis in 1987 because of organochlorine pesticide residues in some Australian beef cattle. We had to react quickly to find the sources of these residues and to keep contaminated cattle out of our abattoirs. Trace-backs led to 269 Western Australian properties in quarantine by the end of 1987. About 85 per cent of quarantined properties had cattle contaminated with pesticide residues from 'broadacre' sources, especially from potato and other horticultural crops. Another 10 per cent of properties were in quarantine because of contamination from basal treatment of timber power poles

Relationship Of Relative Calving Date Of Beef Heifers To Production Efficiency And Subsequent Reproductive Performance, D.M. Marshall, W. Minqiang, B. A. Freking

South Dakota Beef Report, 1989

Relative date of first calving of beef heifers was studied in relation to production efficiency and subsequent reproductive performance. Crossbred heifers were managed in drylot for 1 year, providing for measurement of feed intake through weaning of the first calf. Production traits were evaluated by calving group (CG), where CG1 included records of heifers calving (and calves born) in the first 21 days of the calving season for a particular year, CG2 included those calving from 22 through 42 days and CG3 included those calving after 42 days. Calving groups did not differ significantly for preweaning calf average daily gain, …

Finishing Kimberley Cattle In The South-West, Brian L. Mcintyre, Bill Ryan, Neville Macintyre

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The idea of integrating the Kimberley cattle industry with that in the south-west of Western Australia is no new, but until recently it had not been critically evaluated.

Over the past eight years the Department of Agriculture's Beef Cattle Branch has been assessing the performance of Kimberley cattle transported south for finishing in the agricultural areas.

This research has show that Kimberley weaners can be finished in the south, and that under the present (December 1988) economic conditions it is more profitable than running breeding cattle in the south-west and comparable with fattening store steers.

Beefin : Maximizing Profits From Feeding Beef Cattle Out Of Season, R G. Grieve, David Barker, Jim May

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

BEEFIN is a computer model that formulates profit maximising diets for finishing beef cattle to a specified carcass weight and fat thickness. It predicts cattle growth rate, feed conversion ratio, final liveweight, number of days on feed and the amount of available feedstuffs required to finish cattle to specification, The diets fulfil the animal's energy, protien, mineral and roughage requirements.

BEEFIN also calculates a profit and loss budget for the enterprise, performs a sensitivity analysis on changes in the price for both cattle and feed and determines the changes in feed prices needed before the composition of the diet is …

Prospects For Leucaena On The Ord, D Pratchett, Tim Triglone

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

For the past few years, the Department of Agriculture has been fattening cattle on the forage shrub leucaena which is grown under irrigation with pangola grass. About 400ha of leucaena is under commercial production in the Kimberley.

Cattle grazing leucaena show promising growth rates but other problems need to be overcome before its use is more widely adopted. Leucaena establishes slowly. It is also costly to transport fattened cattle to southern abbatoirs.

Weaning Kimberley Cattle Pays Off, D Pratchett, Stuart Young

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Research results show that weaning Kimberley calves when they reach 140kg liveweight is one way of increasing herd productivity by changing management practices. However, removing the bulls from the breeding herd, rather than running them with the cows ywear round as is the practice, does not increase branding percentage.

Direct Selling Is A Plus For Cattle Producers, P G. Frapple

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The aim when marketing cattle is to maximise the net return with the minimum level of risk. To do this a producer needs an accurate description of the stock for sale and information on the likely gross returns and costs of selling through the different marketing systems.

Since producers' selling costs and processors' buying costs are lower in direct sales, it is more likely that net returns from direct delivery will be higher.

Comparison Of Sire Expected Progeny Differences To Actual Performance Of Crossbred Offspring, B.A. Freking, D.M. Marshall

South Dakota Beef Report, 1988

Actual performance of crossbred calves produced at the Antelope Range Livestock Station was evaluated and compared to the sire's expected progeny differences (EPDs) as reported in 1988 beef breed association sire summaries. Comparisons were made between high EPD and low EPD sire groups in retrospect for actual birth weight and weaning weight performance of crossbred progeny. Separate analyses were completed for Polled Hereford, Simmental, Tarentaise and Angus sires. Progeny of high EPD sires ranked higher for average birth weight than progeny of low EPD sires for all sire breeds. Rankings for calf weaning weight were less consistent than for birth …

Relationship Of Sire Expected Progeny Differences To Maternal Performance Of First-Calf Daughters In A Commercial Herd, D.M. Marshall, B.A. Freking

South Dakota Beef Report, 1988

Maternal performance for first calf production was evaluated in retrospect for daughters whose sires had expected progeny differences (EPDs) available from 1988 beef breed association national genetic evaluation summaries. When grouped into high EPD and low EPD groups, sire EPD group averages for actual daughter milk production and weaning weights of daughters' off spring consistently ranked the same as sire group average EPDs for milk and maternal weaning weight, although differences between groups were not statistically significant.

An Evaluation Of Cattle Types For The East Kimberley, David Pratchett, Mick Carrick, Stuart Young

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The first cattle to be introduced to Western Australia's Kimberley region arrived at Ord River Station in 1884, after Nathaniel Buchanan had walked 4000 head of Shorthorn cattle overland from Queensland, on behalf of the owners, Osmond and Panton.

In the early years of the Kimberley pastoral industry the virgin pastures allowed stock numbers to increase rapidly. Little consideration was given to stock or rangeland management, or to whezther other types of cattle could be raised for improved production.

The Department of Agriculture started a comprehensive trail at Ord Regeneration Research Station (previously Ord River Station) in 1980 to evaluate …

Production From Heifers And First Calvers, G J. Sawyer

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Heifers and first calvers present the major problems of the beef breeding herd. Reproduction rates, calf growth and survival of first calvers are generally much poorer than those of adult breeders.

Early successful reproductive performance is important in beef herds because of the high overhead cost of keeping breeding beef heifers or cows, Where possible, beef producers should aim to join heifers at 14 to 15 months of age. To achieve this goal, producers should set production targets for those animals. These targets will differ from farm to farm depending on when calves are turned off and the seasonal feed …

The Problems And Prospects Of The Kimberley Pastoral Industry, R B. Hacker

Resource management technical reports

The pastoral industry in the Kimberley region began in the early 1880s withthe introduction of cattle overlanded from Queensland and New South Wales into the East Kimberley and with the almost simultaneous introduction, by sea, ofboth sheep and cattle into the Fitzroy Valley.Occupation of the more accessible areas was gradually achieved by theprogressive extension of these two arms of settlement which ultimately metaround the present location of Fitzroy Crossing. Extensive development of themore rugged areas of the North Kimberley came later with the construction ofreasonable access roads to the few isolated stations which had been initiallyestablished in this area.

Producing 20-Month Old Beef Steers Off Annual Pasture, K D. Greathead, D. J. Barker, W. J. Ryan

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A recent Mt Barker experiment compared two systems of fodder conservation with continuous grazing, using two types of steers, at three stocking rates. Year-round performance, carcass composition, and resulting costs and returns per hectare were assessed.

Production per hectare was greatest from crossbred steers at the intermediate stocking rate with either type of fodder conservation.

The Autumn Feed Problem In Beef Cattle Management, D J. Barker, P. J. May

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

In south-western Australia all grazing stock face a period of 'inadequate' nutrition each autumn.

The Department of Agriculture's beef production research programme has for some years sought solutions to this problem, and the results from the programme have been used to develop strategies for achieving satisfactory production levels at least cost during autumn.

This article discusses the resulting techniques, and the research on which they are based.

Profitability Of Finishing Cattle On Grain : Recent Research Results, W J. Ryan

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Some thoughts on how to finish beef cattle in time for the autumn-winter period.

Physical And Chemical Properties Of Outdoor Beef Cattle Feedlot Runoff, C. B. Gilbertson, J. R. Ellis, J. A. Nienaber, T. M. Mccalla, T. J. Klopfenstein

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

Within the past decade, emphasis has been placed on the quality of our environment. Beef cattle feedlots have been singled out as a significant source of environmental pollution. Environmental protection provided by control facilities requires basic knowledge of the physical and chemical properties of feedlot runoff. This bulletin summarizes studies of physical and chemical properties of beef cattle feedlot runoff completed from August, 1968 through December, 1972.

Nutrient And Energy Composition Of Beef Cattle Feedlot Waste Fractions, C. B. Gilbertson, J. A. Nienaber, J. R. Ellis, T. M. Mccalla, T. J. Klopfenstein, S. D. Farlin

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

This bulletin describes nutrient and energy composition of beef cattle waste fractions as a function of the ration roughage level and type of feedlot. Results can be used to plan engineering system approaches and research to develop handling and processing equipment necessary for recovery of the most valuable portion of waste.

Beef Marketing As A Guide To Production Techniques, D J. Barker

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Until about a year ago beef was in strong demand. Almost anything was marketable at favourable prices and good profits could be made even if the production process was wasteful in some respects.

Now the tide has turned. The demand for beef is weak, prices are low and some types of beef are virtually unsaleable. Now more than ever it is important to look critically at the factors which affect beef quality and to seek ways of reducing waste in both feed used and end products marketed.

This article examines production and marketing of beef and points out some inadequacies …

New Cattle Breeds : How Do We Use Them?, J L. Anderson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Traditionally, beef production in Australia has been based on a few of the many breeds that developed in the United Kingdom. Pedigree breeding was used to maintain these breeds and was probably a sound policy, when combined with selection on performance, to maintain and concentrate merit in stud herds.

Emphasis on pure breeding has caused many prejudices against the practices of mixing and selection which were the original bases of breed formation.

Despite the adaptation of British breeds to the various environments in Australia there was, and still is, continuous interest in introducing other breeds of cattle to improve beef …

Meat From The Dairy Herd, R A. Bettenay

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Beef raising is a profitable sideline for many West Australian dairy farmers and gives their farming operation flexibility and versatility.

With suitable management and feeding the weight gains and consumer acceptance of dairy beef allow it to compete strongly with beef from other sources.

The breeds most common on W.A. dairy farms are well suited to beef production.

Kimberley Research Station Review Of Progress, 1968-71, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The potential for harnessing northern rivers flowing to the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Timor Sea was realised many years ago.

These rivers together are estimated to carry about three times the water transported annually over the Murray drainage system and the South Eastern slopes, which comprise the closely settled agricultural areas of South Eastern Australia.

The Kimberley Research Station was established in 1946 to investigate the potential for irrigated agriculture in the Ord River valley. This is a review of the Station's sixth progress report which is being published as Department of Agriculture Bulletin No. 3861.

Grain Finishing Of Beef Cattle Grazing Dry Pasture Or Stubble, D J. Barker

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

WHEAT quotas, poor wool prices and the availability of cheap grain on the farm have stimulated interest in grain finishing of cattle for out-of-season beef production. For many years, Animals turned off in the autumn-winter period have brought better prices than those sold in summer, at the end of the pasture flush.

Feeding grain supplements to cattle on dry pasture or stubble requires less capital than feedlotting and saves the cost of handling and processing roughage.

This article gives the essentials for grain supplementation of dry pasture or stubble but warns that grain finishing is unlikely to be profitable outside …

Feedlots For Beef In W.A. : Some Guiding Principles, D J. Barker

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

FEEDLOTS are small enclosures where all of the animal's feed is supplied from an outside source. Compared with grazing, feedlotting is an expensive method of beef production.

This article gives a guide to the requirements for establishment and management of a farm feedlot, especially the basic equipment and materials, the type of cattle most suited to feedlotting, rations and feeding techniques.

The author warns that skill and experience are needed to run a feedlot and describes feedlotting as an expensive method of beef raising when compared with grazing.

Further details are available from the author