Breeds of Beef Cattle
Cattle
are considered to have been one of the first animals domesticated
by man for agricultural purposes. They were tamed
to provide milk, meat and hides and for draft purposes. The
exact time and place this happened is hidden in the mists
of antiquity, but it is thought they were probably first
domesticated in Europe and Asia about 8500 years ago.
Domesticated cattle are in the family Bovidae which includes ruminates with paired, hollow, unbranched horns that do not shed and an even number of toes. They belong to the genus Bos and the subgenera Taurine which includes the two species tarus and indicus.
Cattle are ruminants (as are sheep, goats, deer, and giraffes), which gives them a unique digestive system that allows the digestion of otherwise unuseable foods by regurgitating and rechewing them as cud. They thrive on grasses and other low quality plants built predominantly of cellulose. Cattle have one stomach that has four compartments. They are named the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. The rumen is the largest compartment and is like a fermentation tank, providing the anaerobic environment, constant temperature and pH, and constant mixing that allows microbes to break down the cellulolse. The reticulum, known as the "Honeycomb", is is the smallest compartment. The omasum's main function is to absorb water and nutrients and is known as the "Many Plies." The abomasum is most like the human stomach; this is why it is known as the "True Stomach."
All breeds of British and European cattle like Angus, Hereford, Charolais and Simmental belong to the tarus species. The humped cattle of the tropical countries like Brahman and Africander belong to the indicus species. Many contemporary breeds are the result of crossing two or more of the older breeds. Most of the new breeds originating in the United States were developed in the Southern states where the standard breeds lacked resistance to heat and insects and did not thrive on the native grasses. Other Bovidae that are so closely related to true cattle that they can interbreed include the bison, buffalo, and yak.
Purebred cattle breeds have been selectively bred over a long period of time to possess a distinctive identity in color, size, conformation, and function and have the prepotency to pass these traits to their progeny.
The world cattle population is estimated to be about 1.3 billion head, with about 30 percent in Asia, 20 percent in South America, 15 percent in Africa, 14 percent in North and Central America, and 10 percent in Europe. The 10 states in the US with the largest cattle populations are Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, Kansas, Iowa, Kentucky, and Florida.
Click on the breed you would like to know more about in the Index on the left.
These are some of the current topics being discussed on CattleToday.com's Breeds Board. Why don't you join in?
Cattle Today Online!
Cattle Today Online is the cattleman's guide to the cattle business. Take your time and look around. You'll find the net's best cattle news, free livestock classified ads, free ranch listing, the latest USDA livestock market report, free ranch email, Baxter Black, and a free newsletter just for ranchers. While you are there browse our Links and find a list of breeders. Or make someone smile by sending them a Cow Card!
These are a few of the topics being discussed on the Q&A Boards.
Just click on the topic to read it. Why not join the discussion?
CattleToday.com
CattleToday's Q & A Boards are a Cattle Forum for swapping information and asking and answering questions about breed, health problems, beginners questions and jokes about cattle and horses.
I don't think it was too bad
by Named'em Tamed'em (Posted Mon, 03 Aug 2015 00:49:43 GMT)
Dealer profit would probably show up on the other side of ticket as "commission " or sellers fee at Chehalis.
Dave would know better .
Bad Mastitis
by regolith (Posted Sun, 02 Aug 2015 23:58:57 GMT)
Are you not milking the bad quarters out every day? It would really help her chances of recovery if you were.
Best case scenario is she clears up now, is light on the two quarters for the rest of this lactation and comes back into milk as normal next year. Give it a few more days, but if she's not showing improvement now it's not unlikely you may permanently lose the two quarters. In which case she's better gone when she weans the calf (and is out of withholding time).
Cows that have had mastitis before are more likely to get it again, I find. That's a law of averages and says nothing about an individual cow; I still have plenty of cows that get it once and either never get it again, or the second time is four years later.
Cow Size
by js1234 (Posted Sun, 02 Aug 2015 23:52:40 GMT)
HDRider wrote:james coffelt wrote:Fenceman:
Thanks
True Grit
Last winter we got thru with no hay.
I have a stockpile if needed, 2 winters ago we fed hay 6 days, as we had ice.
Purchased hay has roughly $70 of fertilizer value per ton, and I can buy 2 year old hay for less.
The less equipment the better. We spend a day a week keeping 4 wheelers and Rangers running.
My plane caught fire in Philly.....
sounds like a bad day.
Have you seen this cross? Limousin/Charolais
by js1234 (Posted Sun, 02 Aug 2015 23:44:55 GMT)
i have very good friends that run a lot of longhorns in West Texas. they breed them to Charolais bulls and feed the calves themselves with very nice results in the yard. i saw several hundred of the yearlings from last years calf crop on feed and was very impressed.
mama cow won't accept one of the 3 babies
by Son of Butch (Posted Sun, 02 Aug 2015 23:36:59 GMT)
melissavanness8 wrote:The dairy we got her from said she always handled 4-5 at a time and was giving 10 gallons of milk a day.
Puffing to sell the cow.
86 lbs per day is a heck of a good Jersey cow. So why were they putting calves on her and not in the bulk tank?
Plus you are not feeding her a hot dairy ration to push her to 86 lbs.
Wake up and smell the coffee....they sold you a racist cow!
Be happy that she luvs the other two
As they get older you could turn them all out together, as long as the holstein has an escape route he'll learn to be a milk thief.
But he will do much better if you get him on a good calf starter rather than stealing milk from a wicked old step mom.
Name him CinderFella and maybe one day he will grow up to live happily ever after.
Things that make you go 'huh'
by branguscowgirl (Posted Sun, 02 Aug 2015 23:10:55 GMT)
Yes Chippie, the classroom is great!
It is so sad the way kids/parents rely on electronics for entertainment when there is so much they are missing all around them.
I have to say that I am very proud of my daughter, (who is even a single parent) for keeping her two active in everything that she can. Church, sports, hiking and exploring everything.
Sioux Steel Hay Max Feeders
by BWfarms (Posted Sun, 02 Aug 2015 23:06:29 GMT)
I'm always implementing new ideas and although it's August, I'm already thinking ahead to purchasing new hay feeders. I like the Sioux Steel Hay Max feeder systems with the suspended bales using tubing instead of chains. Not sure if I like the bracing method at the bottom of the round version. I want opinions and prices from owners that have these round or square systems. Also any reviews on comparable suspended hay feeders. These will be used in small feed yards so not interested in the wagons for this set up.
What I'm specifically looking for is; Price you paid? Durability? Stability?
Hoop Barn lighting question
by mncowboy (Posted Sun, 02 Aug 2015 22:58:39 GMT)
Looking to see what folks use for lighting in their hoop barns (clear span, cover all, pro-tec) and how they go about attaching them.
Thanks in advance
Question regarding weaning calves with nose flap
by Bryan L (Posted Sun, 02 Aug 2015 21:39:38 GMT)
Hi folks,
I'm considering using the nose flaps to wean my calves. I have the applegate 650 lb creep feeders and I want to make sure the calves can still get to the feed?? Does anyone have experience using the two together?
Thanks in advance!
Bryan
Just because....
by Williamsv (Posted Sun, 02 Aug 2015 21:36:16 GMT)
Very good. Beautiful but sad. Thanks for sharing.
UPS/Cashier's check question
by stocky (Posted Sun, 02 Aug 2015 21:33:55 GMT)
Thanks for your helpful replies, everyone. About 2 months ago, the UPS said they have declared it officially lost, paid my friend back his 39 dollars overnight shipping fee and said they have no more liability and to them it is a closed case. They said the last place it was tracked to was Louisville, Ky and it is lost there. Friday, the bank said the check still has not been cashed, so no one has stolen it and cashed it. The bank refused to loan my friend 500 dollars for some expenses while he is waiting on his 7,000 dollars. August 7 will be the 91st day and that is when he will be eligible to fill out the forms for his money. They told him they will be giving him a check for the 7,000 when it is time to pay him. He told them he gave them seventy 100 dollar bills and he will take nothing less than the cash he gave them, no more checks from them. So, they are already in another argument. The whole thing has been a shame and a disaster and he and his son lost the good logging contract in Oregon where his son lives. Thanks again for the thoughts and suggestions. I will update if there is more drama in receiving his money.
3/4 vs 1 ton
by littletom (Posted Sun, 02 Aug 2015 21:27:27 GMT)
That also depends I like along bed when towing. My everyday work truck is a cab and half 7.3 ford. In the bed is a 60 gallon fuel tank with small tool box, that goes all the way to fenders. Then a gas powered air compresser with the random tools not much room left. I think for just a general farm truck not hauling to big of loads and doing everything, a straight cab long bed 3/4 ton diesel would fit the bill nicely.
Hereford Calf Eye Discharge
by BK9954 (Posted Sun, 02 Aug 2015 21:27:16 GMT)
I have several hereford heifers and cows but have never had a young calf until now. This girl has a lot of eye discharge. More than I have ever seen. I dont think its pink eye but anyone have a clue what it could be from? Here are the pics.
https://instagram.com/p/5534zqHYea/
https://instagram.com/p/5539eFHYeh/
https://instagram.com/p/554BT2HYek/
Man with the sure Hand
by D2Cat (Posted Sun, 02 Aug 2015 21:18:24 GMT)
Nice job, but a lot of work. If a portable welder was available you could weld the post as you want them, set the post in concrete, then use a rod to burn the holes for the hinge pins.
What is it?
by Fire Sweep Ranch (Posted Sun, 02 Aug 2015 21:03:16 GMT)
JWBrahman wrote:There are many varieties of Senna, but you won't kill any of them with 24d after they start flowering. Save your money Fire Sweep and use straight Remedy. 24d only works during the growth phase and only if the plant still has the apical meristem. If it has been mowed or is going to flower it is a waste using 24d.
It is a recipe given to me a few years ago that works great. We get tons of buck rush, which is hard to knock out, along with multi flora rose, poke, Buck brush, rag weed.... By using this mix, I have knocked it all back. Will using just remedy cover the variety of weeds I am knocking down?