Midterm 2: Beef 1

Question 1

________ x ________ = nutrient intakes in absolute amounts per day to satisy requirements

Answer 1

nutrient concentrations in feedstuff (%DM, g/kg of DM) x dry matter intake (kg/day)

Question 2

what are the 3 big priority of nutrients for beef cattle IN ORDER of biggest priority to least priority?

Answer 2

• 1st priority: maintenance of pregancy (both mother and fetus)
• 2nd priority: production (growth and milk)
• 3rd priority: reproduction (breeding or rebreeding)

Question 3

what are the 3 major components of beef cattle production?

Answer 3

• cow calf
• stocker/backgrounding
• finishing

Question 4

the goal of a cow calf production is

Answer 4

to produce one live calf per cow per year

Question 5

cow calf operations utilize what kind of diet?

Answer 5

• high fiber diets

Question 6

average cow is what weight at weaning?

Answer 6

520kg

Question 7

what is the diet like in a cow calf production?

Answer 7

minaly forages like pasture, hay, crop residues, supplemental energy, protein, mineral and vitamins as needed

Question 8

why are most calves born feb to april?

Answer 8

minimize heat stress that could happen from July to September, and to provide high quality and quantity of forages to support the momma cows in lactation

Question 9

when are beef calves usually weaned? what is average weaning weight? when are most calves sold after weaning?

Answer 9

5 to 9 months
240kg
usually sold in 60 days following weaning

Question 10

in beef cows, immunoglobulin absorption ceases after how long after birth? when is maximum colostrum ingestion?

Answer 10

24 hours
max colostrum ingestion in the first 3 hours of life for the calf

Question 11

what are the 3 main effects when there is failure of passive transfer in beef calves?

Answer 11

• increased risk of getting sick in the first month by 6 times
• increased risk of dying before weaning by 5 times
• decreased weaning weight by about 15kg

Question 12

if a beef calf is not suckling what should you do?

Answer 12

feed colostrium or colostrum replacer, ideally 10% of their body weight in the first 6 hours after birth

Question 13

what is “creep feeding” in beef calves? what are the objectives of using creep feeding?

Answer 13

giving supplemental feed to calves before they are weaned, and the concentrate is formulated specific for the calves, basically the calf has access to a bunker to make adjustment of weaning easier (adult cows do not have access to it)

objectives:
- ease stress of weaning
- reduce burden on thin or young growing cows
- increase in average daily gain in the calves
- use supplemental feed when pasture availability or quality is low
- supplement the calves of heifers (first time moms) which have lower milk production
- to increase stocking rates

Question 14

creep fed beef calves will: (4 things)

Answer 14

• be heavier at weaning than non creep fed calves
• consume grains in drylot background programs more readily
• regain losses from weaning and shipping faster
• often exhibit a lower incidence of post weaning morbidity and mortality

Question 15

creep feeding rations for feeding calves are usually what % crude protein?

Answer 15

14 to 18%

Question 16

what are some benefits of early weaning?

Answer 16

• eliminate the cows nutrient requirements for lactation
• improve cow body condition score
• dry matter intake decreases by about 25%
• decreased trampling losses (removal of calves)
• improves in 30% forage availability for the cow
• early weaned cows are highly efficient at converting feed to live weight

Question 17

when is early weaning of calves recommended? when is the earliest they can be weaned, and when are they usually weaned?

Answer 17

• recommended when cows body condition score or forage supply is low
• calves can be weaned after 2 months or as soon as the rumen is functional, but usually done with calves around 4 months

Question 18

what does “preconditioning” calves mean?

Answer 18

this is when they are vaccinated 2x, dewormed, castrated, dehorned, and trained to eat from a bunk and drink from a trough

Question 19

after weaning, heifers and bull calves are moved to what type of diet? This diet is fed to acheive what goal?

Answer 19

high forage diet, fed to acheive puberty and optimize reproductive efficiency

Question 20

when do young heifers and bulls reach their mature weight?

Answer 20

4 to 5 years of age

Question 21

heifers that conceive earlier in the first breeding season….

Answer 21

have a greater probability of weaning more and heavier calves during their lifetime

Question 22

selection for earlier puberty will do what 2 things:

Answer 22

• decrease feed costs for maintenance
• increased reproduction performance

Question 23

breeding season for heifers should start when? and why?

Answer 23

30 days earlier than the cows because:
- they require a longer period of time to return to normal cycling after calving
- to give them extra time to regain body condition score and grow before the second breeding season

Question 24

what are the major cause of variation in age at puberty?

Answer 24

pre and post wenaing nutrition (aka, the nutrition of the young cow before and after weaning will have a huge effect on how soon they reach puberty)

Question 25

in what way does post weaning nutrition affect pregnancy rates?

Answer 25

the higher the average daily gain, the higher the pregnancy rates, and the younger the age at puberty

Question 26

heifers have a mature body weight of _____. usually weight at weaning is ______ at 205 days

Answer 26

600kg 230kg

Question 27

what is the amount of post weaning growth to acheive puberty at 13 months?

Answer 27

they need to gain 130 kg in 185 days which is 0.70kg per day

Question 28

heifers should be kept at what body condition score?

Answer 28

5 to 7

Question 29

what are the consequences of over conditioning heifers?

Answer 29

- increasing feeding cost - increase incidence of silent heat - decrease conception rate - decrease embryonic and neonatal survival - increasing calving difficulty - decrease mammary development and milk production

Question 30

what are the vitamins of particular concern in beef cattle?

Answer 30

A,D, and E

Question 31

high quality forages are rich in what vitamins? what happens when these forages are stored?

Answer 31

A and E they are lost during storage

Question 32

how do beef cows get vitamin D?

Answer 32

can be made by the animals exposued to light (may become a concern during winter and indoor animals)

Question 33

what kind of diet do heifers usually get after breeding? how about the last third of gestation?

Answer 33

usually a high forage diet the last third of gestation will require concentrate supplementation to sustain the rapid fetal growth

Question 34

in each third of gestation what is the feed for a heifer?

Answer 34

1st: grass pasture 2nd: hay or swath grazing 3rd: hay + concentrate to sustain rapid fetal growth

Question 35

poor heifer cocneption rates are realted to ______, so you should check 4 things if your heifers arent conceiving?

Answer 35

nutrition - age and weight (breeds differ) - body condition score - if vitamin/minerals are being supplemented - for inappropriate use of implants (implants interfere with breeding and result in poor reproductive performance)

Question 36

in order to produce one calf per year, a cow should be pregnant no longer than how many days after partuition (previous calving)?

Answer 36

80 days

Question 37

post partum anestrus is affected by:

Answer 37

- parity - season - calf presence and suckling - breed - dystocia - nutritional status

Question 38

what is ideal body condition for beef cows? in a cow with ideal body condition, should you see an outline of the spine? how many rib outlines should you see?

Answer 38

3 or 3.5 on a 5 scale, and 5 to 6 on a 9 scale no spine outline, 1-2 ribs

Question 39

the principal cause of poor reproduction performance OR extended post partum anestrus is

Answer 39

undernutrition (feed shortage or poor quality feed)

Question 40

________ are important to maximize reproduction performance

Answer 40

adequate nutrition pre and post partum

Question 41

true or false: cows calving in good body condition (above 5) have a higher postpartum interval

Answer 41

FALSE! they have a LOWER post partum interval (time from calving to the subsequent conception)

Question 42

thin cows benefit from what kind of diet after partuition?

Answer 42

higher energy diets (flushing)

Question 43

true or false: a cows requirement greatly increases in the last third of pregnancy

Answer 43

true! requirements may be higher than what is supplied by forage diets, large increase in energy, protein, Ca, and P

Question 44

true or false: birth weights for calves is reduced only if a cow is underweight

Answer 44

false! bith weights will be reduced if cows are overtly fat OR thin

Question 45

when do lactating cows have peak milk production?

Answer 45

around 8 weeks postpartum (5 to 14kg per day)

Question 46

______ is the period of greatest nutritional demand

Answer 46

post partum

Question 47

true or false: cows with higher milk production have higher energy requirements

Answer 47

true

Question 48

inadequate nutrient intake during post partum/lactation leads to what 3 things?

Answer 48

- delayed rebreeding - failure to conceive - weight loss

Question 49

what is the relationship between BSC at breeding and calving interval?

Answer 49

very thin cows have a longer calving interval and fat cows have a shorter calving interval, but the ideal body condition is 5, because it lines up with calving interval of around 365 days, which is 1 year, which is what we want

Question 50

describe the schematic of the different programs/locations a beef cow goes through from birth to death

Answer 50

late winter/spring calving-->summer grazing then to either a) stocker programs b) feedlot finishing c) winter feeding. From stocker programs, to feedlot finishing, from feedlot finishing to slaughter

Question 51

cow calf systems use what kind of land?

Answer 51

lands that are not suitable for row-crop production (grain)

Question 52

why is it important to match the breed/size to the available resources?

Answer 52

different breeds and sizes of cows require different amounts and qualities of feed, so if you don't match the resources with the cows you will lose money (for example, using big cows and not feeding them enough leading to low slaughter weights, or using small cows and feeding them too much and losing money on too much feed)

Question 53

what are the main reasons why cows in a cow-calf system are culled and replaced with replacement heifers?

Answer 53

usually reproductive failure, older cows, lack of productivity, cows that produce light weight calves at weaning, temperment, udder problems, etc

Question 54

cows ______ is an economically important trait in beef cow herds

Answer 54

longevity

Question 55

true or false: the cut off for failure of passive transfer of passive immunity is higher for beef than it is in dairy

Answer 55

true, for beef it shouldnt be lower than IgG 24g/L, and in dairy it's 10g/L

Question 56

true or false: supplementing with vitamin. Dcan be expensive so it's best if cows get vitamin D naturally rather than a supplement

Answer 56

FALSE! usually the vitamins A,D and E can all be supplemented together and it's VERY affordable and the benefits will always outwiegh the costs

Question 57

what is the best way to make sure there are no mineral deficiencies or toxicities in the feed?

Answer 57

analyse the feed samples, remember the soil content will affect the content of the forage, which will affect how much minerals you need to supplement

Question 58

is having a free choice mineral supplement a good idea?

Answer 58

yes, but you need to make sure the animals are actually eating it

Question 59

why do pregnant heifers in the last 3rd gestation have such a high energy requirement?

Answer 59

because not only are they growing a fetus and the fetus is growing, she is also still growing! cows do not fully mature for a few years, so during her first pregancy, she still needs to grow!

Question 60

true or false: overnutrition is more common than undernutrition

Answer 60

false, undernutrition is more common

Question 61

why is it hard to tell which cows have a higher energy requirement during lactation?

Answer 61

it's hard to tell how much milk each is producing, we don't milk them, but the ones that produce more milk do have a higher requirement

Question 62

if you don't feed cows enough during lactation (if you don't adjust the nutrient requirements for lactation), what 3 things can happen?

Answer 62

- delayed rebreeding - failure to conceive - weight loss

Question 63

when cows are lactating and/or pregnant, it roughly should coincide with what season? During this time, what is the majority of the feed? How are minerals and salts given during this time?

Answer 63

summer pasture majority of feed is good quality pasture, usually don't need to supplement unless there's a drought or bad crop year, etc. Mineral and salts given free choice

Question 64

gestation after weaning usually coincides with what time of year? what is the ultimate objective during this time?

Answer 64

winter feeding period (assuming calving was in the spring) objective: maintain cow health and optimal BCS at the lowest possible daily feed cost, feeding them in the cheapest ways possible

Question 65

during gestation after weaning for cows (not heifers), how much weight should cows in good condition gain?

Answer 65

60-80kg, equivalent to calf and uterus growth, but the actual moma cow isn't growing anymore so it's not as much as a pregant heifer

Question 66

what is the logic behind placing cows in different feeding groups?

Answer 66

so you can give them different feeds that meet their group requirements, for example mature cows in good condition can be kept on just a maintenance ration (except for last 3rd of gestation), heifers and 1st and 2nd calf cows can be kept together because they have a higher requirement (still growing), thin and old cows can be kept together which are fed similar to heifers. thin, old, and heifers can be kept together if 3 groups is not possible

Question 67

what is swath grazing? how does it work?

Answer 67

an option for winter feeding, used to extend the grazing season, to reduce feed, labor and manure handling costs. annual cereals are seeded in may/june and are swathed from august to september when the crop reaches the soft to late dough stage and before killing frosts

Question 68

why do you need to restrict access to swath grazing fields?

Answer 68

the cows can trample swaths over a large area and waste a bunch of it

Question 69

what are crop residues and what do they contain?

Answer 69

residues are the leaves and stems left over after harvesting grains like wheat, barley, rice straw, and corn stover. they are high in fiber and lignin, and low crude protein content, low digestibility, low energy. Animals should be supplemented with protein to maximize rumen fermentation (since microbes need protein to break down fiber)

Question 70

true or false: you should not feed straw to lactating cows and heifers

Answer 70

true

Question 71

max daily dry matter intake of straw for non lactating cows is what percent of body weight?

Answer 71

1.5%

Question 72

how much extra should you feed cows when it gets below -20 degrees?

Answer 72

1kg/head/day for every 10 degree drop below -20

Question 73

with legume or grass hay what should your Ca:P ratio be? how about with straw, greenfeed, or cereal silage?

Answer 73

1:1 2:1

Question 74

post calving, how should minerals and salt be given?

Answer 74

requirements go up 25-40%, and it should be mixed in with the grain to ensure adequate intake

Question 75

true or false: snow is a good option to provide cows with water in the winter

Answer 75

false! they can eat it and it can help, but they need actual water

Question 76

how much water should a non lactating vs a lactating cow drink?

Answer 76

non lactating: 3 parts water for 1 part dry matter lactating: additional 0.8 L for each kg of milk produced

Question 77

how should water intake change with an increase in temperature?

Answer 77

water intake and requirements will be increased