Publication of The College »of A'gricult & .2 nlifornia BEEF PRODUCTION H* R. Guilbert G. H. Hart CALIFORNIA AGRICULTI EXPERIMENT STATION and MANUAL 2 EXTENSION SERVICE Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of California, Davis Libraries http://archive.org/details/californiabeefpr02guil California BEEF PRODUCTION H. R. GUILBERT G. H. HART California Agricultural Experiment Station and Extension Service The College of Agriculture—University of California THIS MANUAL is one of a series published by the University of California College of Agriculture and sold for a charge which is based upon returning only a portion of the production cost. By this means it is possible to make available publications which due to relatively high cost of production or limited audience would otherwise be beyond the scope of the College publishing program. CONTENTS SECTION PAGE I. THE BEEF-CATTLE INDUSTRY 1 Present status 1 Range and wildlife problems 4 Production costs 7 Capitalization 8 Percentage calf crop 8 Beef per animal unit 8 Age of marketing 8 General management 8 Future possibilities 9 Literature cited 10 II. PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND CATTLE BREEDING 1 Reproduction 1 Physiological basis for inheritance 3 Rumination 3 Rumen fermentation 4 Water utilization and heat regulation 5 Market factors in beef-type selection 8 Weight 8 Yield of wholesale cuts 8 Shape of wholesale and retail cuts 8 Proportion of meat to bone 8 Distribution of fat and lean 10 Dressing percentage 11 Production factors in beef-type selection 12 Size 12 Conformation 14 Efficiency of feed utilization and earliness of maturity 16 Environmental adaptation 18 Reproduction 23 Longevity 24 Lactation 24 Records of performance 24 Grading 25 Form 1, Get-of-sire record 29 Form 2, Individual life record 29 Form 3, Breeding list and reproductive record 35 Systematic identification 36 Selective breeding of commercial cattle 36 Selection of bulls 38 Selection and culling of cows 40 Crossbreeding 45 Literature cited 49 Recommended references 50 PAGE III. NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS AND CATTLE FEEDS i Vitamins 1 Minerals other than calcium and phosphorus 3 Common salt 3 Iodine 4 Magnesium 7 Cobalt and copper 7 Symptoms of nutritional deficiencies 8 Energy intake (total digestible nutrients) 9 Protein 9 Salt (sodium chloride) 9 Phosphorus 9 Calcium 10 Iodine 10 Vitamin A 10 Important toxic trace elements 12 Fluorine 12 Selenium 13 Molybdenum 14 Characteristics of range forage 14 Annual forage plants . 14 Perennial grasses 16 Browse 16 Acorns 18 Effect of rain on dry forage 19 Characteristics of harvested roughages, grains, and by-products 20 Legume hays 20 Nonlegume hays 20 Straw 21 Silage 21 Roots and tubers 21 Grains 22 Mill feeds 22 Beet by-products . 22 Dried fruits and fruit by-products 24 Molasses 24 Brewery and distillery by-products 24 Protein-rich concentrates 25 Preparation of feeds 26 Determination of the most economical feeds 26 Literature cited 28 Recommended references 28 IV. PRODUCTION OF FEEDER CATTLE 1 Percentage calf crop 1 Udder development and lactation 2 Range and irrigated pasture 2 Supplemental feeding of cows on range 3 Wintering cows on harvested roughages 8 PAGE Planning the breeding season 9 Age of breeding heifers 9 Diseases affecting the calf crop 11 Growth and development of feeders 12 The principle of continuous growth 12 Supplemental feeding of calves and yearlings on the range 14 Wintering weaners and yearlings on harvested roughages 14 Adjustment of cattle numbers to feed supply 17 Management practices 18 Dehorning 18 Castration 19 Vaccination 19 Branding 20 Equipment 20 Weighing cattle 22 Selling policy 22 Literature cited 23 V. FATTENING CATTLE AND THE DRESSED PRODUCT 1 Recommended nutrient allowances 2 Expected gains 2 Feed capacity 2 Total digestible nutrients 3 Minimum roughage allowance 3 Protein allowance 4 Calcium and phosphorus 4 Carotene 4 General feeding rules 6 Fattening cattle on pasture 6 Finishing yearlings and two-year-olds on the range 6 Fattening cattle on irrigated pasture 10 Fattening cattle on beet tops , 13 Feed-lot rations 15 Silage 16 Wet beet pulp 17 Dried molasses beet pulp 18 Beet tops 18 Raisins and prunes 18 Dried orange pulp 19 Cane and beet molasses 19 Roots and tubers 19 Brewers' and distillers' grains 20 Rough rice 20 Straw 20 Creep-feeding of calves 21 General cattle-feeding problems 24 Age of cattle 24 Sex 26 Feeder and market grades 27 PAGE Length of feeding period 28 Feeding practices 28 Production and conservation of manure 31 Necessary margin or spread 31 Beef cuts and their uses 34 Value of meat in the diet 35 Tenderness 35 Flavor 36 Color of the lean 36 Color of the fat 37 Fattening 38 Literature cited 39 CALIFORNIA BEEF PRODUCTION MANUAL 2 Hart H. R. Guilbert and G. H. Section I UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA • COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE Agricultural Experiment Station and Extension Service THE BEEF-CATTLE INDUSTRY Present Status Production Costs Range and Wildlife Problems Future Possibilities Even so old and venerable an occupa- Since about half of the feed-lot rations are tion as beef production may well be re- concentrates, at least 90 per cent of the viewed in its position in the general total beef tonnage produced was depend- scheme of things. Multitudinous plans are ent upon range, pasture, and harvested now extant concerning such matters as roughage. For the United States as a public-land use, wildlife, recreation, whole, only 10 to 15 per cent of the total water storage, stream flow, runoff, erosion, beef production has been attributed to and the type of ground cover desired. It concentrates. is necessary for all this planning to be Stated briefly, the most important fitted together in some orderly fashion. problem facing the beef-cattle industry California is an area deficient in the in California is to share with the sheep production of beef cattle—and all other industry and with wildlife the forage pro- types of livestock; furthermore, it does duced on at least 60 per cent of the land not grow enough feed for the animals area of the state. Few people realize the that are produced and finished here. Be- importance of this natural vegetation in cause it is still a great importing state the production of wealth and the improve- for livestock and feed, its cattlemen ment of human welfare. Over much of should utilize all native resources and the area the value of the produce per acre find means by which to improve them. is low ; but the large total number of acres makes this forage the most valuable crop Present Status produced in the state. Table 1 (Sec. I) shows the number of Piper and others (1) in a comprehen- California livestock and poultry for 1942, sive report in 1924 on national forage together with the production by classes. resources, discussed the importance of Table 2(1) covers the feed requirements doing more extensive research on the for the same year, including pasture and subject of pastures. Since their observa- range. Table 3(1) presents the details of tions are equally pertinent today, the fol- beef production and feed requirements. lowing significant statement is quoted from the paper: Manual 2, a revision of Circular 131, replaces Circular Extension 115, Beef Production in Cali- Relegated largely to land too poor or too fornia, by H. R. Guilbert and L. H. Rochford. rough to till, neglected commonly by the farmer, Some tables and other data from the original often abused by the grazier, ignored by most circular are used in the manual. investigators, our permanent pastures, both tame Mr. Guilbert is Professor of Animal Hus- bandry and Animal Husbandman in the Experi- and wild, still furnish nearly four-tenths, and our ment Station. rotation and temporary pastures over one-tenth, Mr. Hart is Professor of Veterinary Science of all the feed consumed by domestic animals. and Veterinarian in the Experiment Station. Pasture is the key to profitable utilization of Page 1—Section I TABLE 1 (I) Number of California Livestock and Poultry, and Production by Classes Number on farms Production from farms and feed lots in 1942 Meat Milk (live (4 per Eggs, Wool, Jan. 1, 1942, Jan. 1, 1943, thousands thousands weight), cent fat), million million million million dozen pounds pounds pounds Beef cattle and calves 1,526 1,545 - 475 Dairv cattle 786* 786* 236 5,133 Hogs 894 1,019 197 Sheep 2,977t 2,828t 162 24 Chickens 12,4941 14,034* 60 159 Turkeys 428§ 492§ 58 * Milk cows two years old and older, t Stock animals, j Hens and pullets of laying age. § Breeding hens. Source of data: California Agricultural Experiment Station. Feed requirements for California livestock and poultry production. 4 p. 1943. (Litho.) TABLE 2 (I) Feed Bequirements for California Livestock and Poultry in 1942 Protein Pasture and range Barley (or concentrate Legume Nonlegume Silage or equivalent), (40 per cent hay, hay, soilage, thousand equivalent). thousand thousand thousand Irrigated, Nonirrigated, tons thousand tons tons tons thousand thousand tons acres acres Beef cattle and 176 45 168 391 150 40 000 Dairy cattle 177 44 2,623 816 432 224 1,050 352 46 21 23 Sheep 20 10 121 78 120 18,000 Chickens 473 146 27 74 Turkeys 115 25 10 36 Totals 1,313 316 2,970 1,285 542 517 59,050 Source of data: California Agricultural Experiment Station. Feed requirements for California livestock and poultry production. 4 p. 1943. (Litho.) TABLE 3 (I) California Beef Production and Feed Requirements, 1942 Production Feed requirements Pasture and range of live weight' Type of Barley or Protein Non- Legume Non- production Amount, equiva- concen- legume Irrigated, Per cent hay, irrigated, million lent, trates, hay, thousand of total thousand thousand pounds thousand thousand thousand acres tons acres tons tons tons Range and field cleanup 342 72 8 30 111 258 40,000 Irrigated pastures 60 13 150 Feed lots 73 15 168 15 57 133 Total 475 100 176 45 168 391 150 40,000 Source of data: Guilbert, H.