Beef Science Commons^™

To Hold Or Sell Breeding Cattle In The Rangelands, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

In a dry season where feed, water and finances are limited, removing less productive animals as soon as possible is a good option. This will free up feed for more productive animals and help preserve ground cover.

This page provides some of the information and a process for making decisions about holding or selling breeding cattle.

Characterizing The Relationship Between Parturition In Beef Cattle And The Lunar Phase And Meteorological Factors., Caroline E. Chambers

Honors College Theses

For beef cattle, parturition is one of the most critical stages in the reproductive process. It is crucial that farmers understand the factors that may influence the timing of parturition. There is a persistent preconception that the onset of parturition is influenced by the lunar phase and weather factors. The objective of this study is to characterize the association between parturition in beef cattle, the lunar phase, and/or different weather factors such as barometric pressure and temperature. Cattle records were obtained from Chambers Family Farm in Cumberland Furnace, TN. Data was collected from 142 calvings from January 2017 to October …

Nebraska Beef Cow Breeding Herd As Capital Stock, Richard Perrin, Margarida Noelia De Aguiar Cunha Souza, Lilyan E. Fulginiti

Cornhusker Economics

Throughout her lifetime, the capital stock value of a cow first rises as the size/quality of calves increase, then declines because there are fewer calves expected over her remaining lifetime. The value later in life begins to rise in anticipation of culling value.

We estimate the age distribution of the Nebraska cow herd every year, then we estimate the capital value of each cohort. Adding these values across ages and adjusting to 2015 prices, we obtain the series of capital values, measured in terms of 2015 dollars.

In addition, we calculate the value of the annual flow of services provided …

Evaluation Of Dual Purpose Canola And Cereals Grazed With Cattle, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development conducted research to investigate and demonstrate the importance of dual-purpose crops (canola, wheat and barley) to improve the feed availability for cattle (in late autumn to early winter) in mixed farming systems of the high rainfall environment of Western Australia (WA).

The grain yield of a wide range of canola and cereal varieties sown in mid-April were unaffected by the grazing of cattle at a stocking rate of 20 to 22 dry sheep equivalent (DSE) per hectare (ha) for up to 4 weeks at Esperance in 2011.

The grazed crops yielded the …

Capeweed And Its Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Capeweed (Arctotheca calendula) is a prostrate, stemless, sprawling annual herb that germinates during autumn and winter. In Western Australia (WA), competition from 7 to 90 capeweed plants per square metre in a wheat crop can reduce crop yield by 28 to 44% and net return by 25 to 76%.

Balancing The Scales: Evaluating Variables Of Greatest Impact To Profit Margins When Finishing Cattle, Ryan Bake

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This study examines the risk associated with finishing cattle in a feedlot, specifically in the context of historically high cattle prices and quality grade grid marketing systems that have not adjusted to these elevated prices. The analysis also looks at performance factors that drive profitability differences in pens of cattle in a commercial feedlot, and how market factors also impact profitability. Regression analysis determines the significance of performance variables such as days on feed, average daily gain, feed conversion rates, and carcass characteristics on pen profitability. The impact of cattle breeding and pre-feedlot management of the cattle are also considered …

Program Requirements For Beef Cattle Certified As Usda Organic, Carsten Loseke, Elliott James Dennis

Cornhusker Economics

This document provides an overview of the use and production of the USDA Certified Organic program for the beef cattle industry, with an emphasis on the state of Nebraska. We detail what cattle qualify, feed requirements, medical and health standards of cattle, and premiums paid by consumers for USDA certified organic products. All information is taken from the Organic Foods Production Act Provisions available in the Federal Register.

Heifers On Feed Indicate Long-Term Liquidation Still Occurring, Elliott James Dennis

Cornhusker Economics

This article was first published in the Livestock Marketing Information Centers' (LMIC) In the Cattle Markets newsletter on January 9, 2023.

Combining the historical quarterly percentage of heifers on feed and cattle inventory report can provide an indicator of how many heifers will be held back for replacement in the 2023 report.

Use Of Livestock Risk Protection Insurance For Cattle Continues To Grow, Jay Parsons

Cornhusker Economics

When used as a regular part of a market risk management plan, livestock risk protection (LRP) insurance can help protect profits in years where markets turn for the worse. The recent changes to the program have made LRP insurance more appealing to cattle producers and sales of LRP have subsequently increased dramatically. Strong price increases may make LRP unnecessary, but it is difficult to predict when the price increases will end. LRP insurance is a safety net, reducing downside price risk by providing a floor on national price expectations while also allowing producers to take advantage of higher national prices …

Regional Minimums In The U.S. Beef Complex, Elliott James Dennis, Bradley Lubben

Center for Agricultural Profitability

This report shows how the currently proposed policies differ; shows how these policies have aligned with historical market behavior; provides alternative specifications to regional minimums; and suggests policy alternatives to regional minimums.

The main purpose of this report is to show how current and potential alternative specifications of regional minimums would have historically aligned with observed market behavior. However, the fundamental question in the debate of the validity and effectiveness of regional minimums first rests on whether robust price discovery has historically occurred over time and within each USDA-AMS region. If there has been a lack of price discovery during …

Cattle Producer Motivations And Willingness To Participate In Industry Animal Welfare Program Verification, Chase Decoite

Master's Theses

As consumers have become increasingly interested in where their food comes from and how it is grown, the cattle and beef industry is without exception. Many consumers are beginning to question traditional animal husbandry practices and on-farm animal welfare protocol. It is essential that the food system meets new demands and understands consumer views. In order to address these concerns, the industry has rallied around the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program to set the standard for cattle welfare and beef quality, with the explicit goal of improving consumer confidence. The goal of this research is to determine if cattle producers …

Nebraska Cow–Calf Operations: Use Of Pricing Tools And Market Diversification Strategies To Manage Market Risk, Logan Kalkowski

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis is divided into three chapters. The first chapter of this thesis investigates years of research and data collection from multiple agencies to find connections to reasoning for producers to choose marketing and diversification tools used in their operation.

The second chapter examines cow-calf marketing and risk management practices in Nebraska. Marketing and risk management behavior are examined by using the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cow-calf survey data collected in 2016. The survey captures characteristics of operations and their use of marketing and risk management practices. While it is important to understand what operations are doing currently, it is also …

Drought Decisions: Profit Maximizing Decisions During And After Drought Conditions, Robert Tigner, Elliott James Dennis

Extension Farm and Ranch Management News

In summary, using available price risk management tools can effectively reduce some of the market price risk variability that is inherent in agricultural production that are caused by either production or price risk.

Feeder Cattle Future Price Spreads: Opportunities To Hedge?, Elliott James Dennis

Extension Farm and Ranch Management News

First paragraph:

Feeder cattle future price spreads across all months have recovered to near pre-COVID-19 levels as quarantine restrictions and packing plant capacity issues have been mostly sorted out. For example, for the week of July 17, 2010 [sic], prices reached levels not seen since the beginning of March 2020. Pasture and corn progress are two factors that have the potential to push prices lower in the next coming months. Given current market conditions, producers have some options to lock in a margin.

Value Added Fed And Feeder Cattle Practices: Are They Paying?, Elliott James Dennis

Extension Farm and Ranch Management News

Summary

Some value added management programs clearly pay more than others and some do not pay at all. However, just like with a breeding or forage management strategy where not every year the cow gets bred back or the grass has sufficient protein, a value added program strategies premiums vary year to year. Switching the way cattle are managed and raised, handled, and fed requires planning and an understanding of labor and management capabilities. Not every cattle producer could or even should switch management practices an animal health protocol – even if premiums do exist. Thus, careful planning and consideration …

Joining The Dots On Ten Key Northern Beef Futures Informing Studies, Acil Allen Consulting

Animal production and livestock published reports

This report summarises findings from 10 completed first phase studies which were selected to:

• outline constraints and opportunities at specific points in the supply chain identified by NBF
• “joining the dots” in terms of what the NBF findings mean across the whole northern beef industry.

Radical Social Ecology As Deep Pragmatism: A Call To The Abolition Of Systemic Dissonance And The Minimization Of Entropic Chaos, Arielle Brender

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper aims to shed light on the dissonance caused by the superimposition of Dominant Human Systems on Natural Systems. I highlight the synthetic nature of Dominant Human Systems as egoic and linguistic phenomenon manufactured by a mere portion of the human population, which renders them inherently oppressive unto peoples and landscapes whose wisdom were barred from the design process. In pursuing a radical pragmatic approach to mending the simultaneous oppression and destruction of the human being and the earth, I highlight the necessity of minimizing entropic chaos caused by excess energy expenditure, an essential feature of systems that aim …

The Use Of Grape By-Products As A Nutrient Rich Cattle Feed, Zachary Christman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In this article you will learn about how to use the grape stems, skins and pulp that are generated by the wine industry. Ruminant animals such as cattle can digest this inexpensive yet nutrient rich material. The complete process from wine press to cattle feed is covered in this article. The historical background of using grape by-products and methods to preserve this food source is also presented.

The Three Creeks Allotment Consolidation: Changing Western Federal Grazing Paradigms, Taylor Payne

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The federal government owns approximately 47% of all land in the western United States. In the state of Utah, about 64% of the land base is managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The government has historically issued permits to owners of private lands to allow the owners to graze their livestock on public lands. The permits (allotments) are generally of 10-year duration and allow for an annual season of use. In some cases, continued and repeated historical annual grazing practices may not be ideal for permit holders and their communities nor …

Potential For Rangeland Grassfed Assurance Programs In Western Australia, Eric Broad

Animal production and livestock published reports

The access to large aquifers in the Pilbara region, the investment in mosaic irrigation, the global consumer demand for certified grassfed product and the need to back any branded product with an auditable assurance program were all key factors contributing to the undertaking of this project.

The project conducted a desktop review of existing global grassfed certification programs, undertook modelling to determine the projected viability for grassfed beef, engaged with producers, butchers and processors in Western Australia to determine the potential for developing a Grassfed Assurance Program for Western Australia.

All sectors of the supply chain expressed support for the …

New And Innovative Beef Supply Chains In Thailand, Carey Ramm

Animal production and livestock published reports

The Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia (DAFWA) has contracted AEC Group Pty Ltd (AEC) to undertake this pre-feasibility study into the creation of new and innovative beef supply chain models in Thailand.

The purpose of this study is to consider the potential industry benefits of diverting existing live export cattle into a dedicated supply chain featuring leading technology and best management practice. A range of potential supply chain models were considered, with detailed analysis focussing on importing, holding, intensively feeding, processing and distributing Western Australian live exported cattle to Thai in-country and regional export markets.

This pre-feasibility study …

Innovative Business Models For Value Creation In The Wa Beef Sector (Northern Beef Futures) - Conceptual Supply Chains For Four Scenarios: Final Draft For Discussion, Ernst And Young

Animal production and livestock published reports

Northern Beef Futures (NBF) is 4-year, $15M program to act as a catalyst to stimulate transformational change for the WA northern beef industry to capture growing export market opportunities, with a view to doubling the WA Beef industry value by 2025.

NBF funded this project to identify and share with the WA beef industry some alternative global agrifood industry growth models and value chain initiatives to improve international competitiveness.

As a result of six global case studies and interviews with agri-SMEs, the following critical success factors have been identified in achieving growth:

• Key client / market facing industry players took …

Northern Beef Infrastructure Audit: Infrastructure Plan And Business Case Summaries - Phase 4 Final Report, Acil Allen Consulting Pty Ltd

Animal production and livestock published reports

The Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) is leading Northern Beef Futures, a four year $15 million project funded by the State Government's Royalties for Regions program, to transform Western Australia’s northern beef industry through improving markets, businesses and productivity. The Northern Beef Futures project will support the success of the beef industry to capture new market opportunities, particularly in Asia, and secure sustainable growth.

ACIL Allen Consulting (ACIL Allen) has been commissioned by DAFWA and Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) to conduct an audit of infrastructure supporting the beef industry in the Pilbara and Kimberley regions, referred …

Carbon Farming In Wa, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia, Department Of Regional Development And Lands, Western Australia

Natural resources published reports

Fact sheets:

1. Applying biochar to improve soil quality and crop productivity

2. Reducing methane emissions from cattle using feed additives

3. Cattle breeding for lower greenhouse gas emissions

4. Managing genetic codes to reduce methane emissions from cattle

5. Managing pastures and stocking rate to reduce methane emissions from cattle

6. Claying as a method of increasing soil carbon content

7. Green and brown manuring as part of carbon farming

8. Permanent environmental plantings to earn carbon credits

9. Nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural soils

10. Sheep genetics in methane reduction

11. Managing sheep pastures to reduce methane production …

Nlis National Livestock Identification System. Frequently Asked Questions, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock published reports

Replaces Miscellaneous Publication 29/2004

Which was issued in December 2004

Traceability is fast becoming the most prominent issue between global livestock trading partners. In the future, international markets will demand assurances that individual animals can be adequately traced for the whole of that animal's life , through multiple transactions, and ultimately to its property of birth.

In Australia, the National Livestock identification System or NLIS is the national system for lifetime traceability of livestock. NLIS will enable rapid trace back through all movements made by that animal to the property of that animal's birth in the event of a disease …

New Beef Zone - The Potential For Beef And Cattle Industry Expansion In The Western Australian Wheatbelt, Alan Peggs, Andrew Quinn, Jason Kelly

Animal production and livestock published reports

Agriculture Western Australia (WA) recently completed a comprehensive analysis of the Western Australian beef and cattle industry entitled, “Rising Above the Herd” (Quin and Manners 1999). A key finding was the need to determine areas where store cattle could be produced competitively in the future. This was in the light of beef production in existing areas such as the South West and western South Coast being “squeezed” out by competition from alternative enterprises. This analysis has been prepared at the request of Agriculture WA to determine the potential for the Wheatbelt to produce store cattle competitively.

The study:

• embraces a …

Bulletin 4422 - Exotic Diseases - Cattle, Agriculture Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

An exotic disease is a disease that is not present in Australia.

If an exotic disease did occur in Australia it would cause· production losses, stock deaths and stop exports of primary production. When export markets are lost they can only be re-established once it is proven the disease is eradicated

Production Practices Of Arkansas Beef Cattle Producers, Michael P. Popp, Lucas D. Parsch

AAES Research Reports and Research Bulletins

This report contains information from a 1996 survey on production practices of Arkansas beef cattle producers. While several studies have been completed on the profitability of retained ownership of beef cattle, few empirical data are available on production practices of cow/calf and stocker operations in Arkansas. This report shows that there are some differences in production methods across operation types. Further, the report summarizes demographic characteristics of Arkansas cow/calf and stocker operations. The results of this study can be particularly helpful in providing the needed data for studying the potential economic impact of feeding weaned calves to heavier weights in …

Miscellaneous Publication 42/93 - Development And Dissemination Of Design Methods For Rangeland Paddocks Which Maximise Animal Production And Minimise Land Degradation, Shane Cridland, Mark Stafford Smith

Animal production and livestock published reports

Surveys of rangeland resources in Western Australia to date have shown that 23% of the area surveyed is in poor range condition. Poor condition is characterised by the loss of perennial vegetation allowing wind and water erosion. Approximately another 37% is in only fair range condition (Curry and Hacker 1990).

The loss of range condition is partly due to uneven use of paddocks by sheep and cattle. The areas close to water and the preferred pasture types are often over-utilised, while areas well away from water and less preferred pasture types are under-utilised. The result is that rangeland in good, …

A Review Of Plant Introductions To The Kimberley 1955 To 1987, R Mccartney

Grain and other field crops published reports

This report summarizes the work done by the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, in the west and north Kimberley in introducing plant species during 1955-1987.

For the purposes of this repor1the following areas are defined thus:

• West Kimberley- lies between latitude 17°5 and 19°5 and longitude 121°E and 127°E, with an extension to the north of 1° between 121°E and I 24°20'E. The area is 118,000 km".

• North Kimberley - lies north of latitude 17°5 and between longitude 124°20'E and 127°30'E. The area is 85,000 km'.

• East Kimberley-lies north of latitude 19°5 and between longitude 127°30'E and …