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Essay on the Beef Industry
Essay Contents:
- Essay on the Introduction to Beef Industry
- Essay on the Climate Required for Beef Production
- Essay on the Nutrition Required for Beef
- Essay on the Genetics of Beef
- Essay on the Management of Beef
- Essay on the Diseases Affecting Beef Cattle
Essay # 1. Introduction to Beef Industry:
Cattle are the most important of the domesticated animals used by man. The cattle of the world number about 800 000 000, of which about one-third are used for draught purposes.
Cattle supply man with many products, including beef, veal, milk, butter, cheese, leather, glue, hormones, vitamin extracts, bone meal and protein concentrates, as well as providing the power to pull implements. Cattle are not very efficient users of food, for whereas the pig may turn one-third of its food into meat, beef cattle may turn only one-twentieth of their food into meat. On the other hand, cattle have the ability to make use of foods which are otherwise useless to man, and can therefore be grazed on poor pastures in some of the arid areas of the world.
Nearly all the world’s cattle have come either from the European species, Bos taurus, or the Indian species, Bos indicus, or from crosses between these species. The water buffalo is distantly related to cattle, and although it is the most efficient of all animals in making use of coarse fodder, it has no sweat glands except on its muzzle, and having low heat resistance, must spend most of its life immersed in water.
Cattle hybrids occur in between the areas of Indian and European cattle. By selection, the cattle of the two main species have been formed into breeds, that is to say, groups of animals which look much the same and have the same general characteristics. Both European and Indian cattle have evolved into beef and dairy types, but it has been the custom to think of breeds like the Red Poll as dual-purpose cattle.
In Australia three main groups of cattle are being used in the beef industry. Of first importance are the British breeds like the Shorthorn and Hereford.
The oldest British breed of beef cattle is the Shorthorn, which is either red, white, or a mixture of the two colours called roan. Shorthorns may belong to one of the polled strains, or may possess short stout horns. This breed is noted for its quick maturity and the ability to produce well- shaped rectangular carcases if raised on good feed.
The Hereford is one of the oldest beef breeds, and is used in many countries of the world. It is rich red in colour, with white face, throat, legs and tail, and a white strip along the back of the neck. Herefords do not mature quite as fast as the average Shorthorn, but seem to be hardier and better able to make use of rough feed.
The Aberdeen Angus is a Scottish breed which is black in colour, entirely without horns, and is noted for its rapid maturity. Black Polls, as they are often called, are found in all the southern states and in some parts of Central Australia, but have not been used widely in the northern areas.
The Galloway is another Scottish breed, black in colour, which is better adapted to cold conditions than the Angus. However it has neither the attractive carcase of the Angus nor its early maturity.
Devon cattle are cherry-red in colour and possess short stout horns. They are not as large as Herefords or Shorthorns, but are noted for their hardiness. In the past they have been used in crosses with Shorthorns in the north.
The Murray Grey is really an Australian breed but contains much British blood especially Shorthorn.
Although the Red Poll used to be regarded as a dual purpose breed, the breed in Australia has developed beef characteristics and produces good vealers.
The second group of beef cattle in Australia are the Indian breeds like the Brahman or those derived by crossing Indian cattle with British breeds.
The Brahman is the most widely used Indian breed. It is grey white in colour, has lop ears and is covered with wrinkled skin which hangs in folds around the neck and the sheath. These cattle have great heat resistance due to their ability to sweat and have some resistance to ticks, but are too light in the hindquarters to be classed as first-quality-beef cattle.
The most famous hybrid breed is the Santa Gertrudis developed in the USA by crossing the Brahman with red Shorthorns. They are used a lot in northern Australia and have much of the heat resistance of the Brahman.
The Droughtmaster is a breed developed in Australia from crosses between Indian cattle—Zebus or Brahmans—and British breeds—mostly Shorthorns. To be classed as Droughtmasters cattle must have not less than 5/8 of Indian blood.
The Braford is a breed developed in Australia by crossing the Brahman and the Hereford. It is red with patches of white colour. The Brangus is a breed developed in Australia by crossing the Brahman and the Angus. It is black in colour. Both the Braford and the Brangus have folds of loose skin and a hump on the back of the neck.
Note:
The Indian breeds and hybrids are few in number in Australia in comparison to European breeds. Nowhere are they present to the exclusion of other breeds, but are thinly dispersed.
The third group of beef cattle consists of various European breeds which have been imported since the Second World War.
One of the first to be imported were animals of the French Charolais breed which are mostly white in colour. These cattle are well-muscled and have particularly good development of the hindquarters and thighs.
The Simmentals are red and white European cattle which have been used in crosses with Herefords. They have not so far been used in the north but only in the more favoured southern states. The Limousin is another French breed introduced recently. They are said to produce very good carcases and may be used more in this country.
The Chianini is an Italian breed which contains some Indian blood. They are mostly light in colour or white, and although not as well muscled as some British breeds, are strong animals that may prove useful in crosses.
The worst problem which has faced Australian cattle men has been the uncertain nature of the market. In mid-1974 the beef cattle market collapsed and before long 10 cents per kilogram was considered a good price. The industry went through a very bad time for four years, but late in 1978 the market showed signs of recovery. In March of 1979 the market suddenly improved and prices of 90 cents and above per kilogram were being paid.
In 1978 there were 29 379 000 cattle in Australia of which 3 264 635 were dairy cattle.
Most of the beef cattle in this country are found north of the Tropic of Capricorn. There are usually about 8 000 000 beef cattle in Queensland, the Northern Territory and the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
The northern areas are specialised in beef production, but the average bullock slaughtered is about five years old, slab sided and with a carcase of low quality. Some high quality beef is produced in the more favoured parts of eastern and southern Australia, but about one-quarter of the beef produced in the country consists of culled dairy stock from the southern states.
Beef cattle properties in Australia are of two chief types, each with its own problems. In the north, beef cattle stations are usually of very great size. In the Barkly Tablelands, Alexandria Downs covers 2 916 700 ha, which is about half the area of Tasmania, and Brunette Downs is 1 225 000 ha in area; in the Kimberley region, Victoria River Downs is 1 325 100 ha.
In these huge areas there are not many subdivision fences because the cost of such improvements is too great. Since there is little or no surface water, cattle often have to walk long distances to watering troughs filled by pumping from artesian bores.
Feed is usually poor because of the low and uncertain rainfall, and varies greatly from year to year, which explains why the carrying capacity may be as low as two beasts to a square km or even less. A large staff of stockmen and overseers is needed to run these big properties, and these men and their horses are usually formed into a number of “plants”, each plant consisting of perhaps thirty horses.
Essay # 2. Climate
Required for Beef Production:
Although we cannot alter climates, we can make considerable progress by choosing breeds which are better adapted to certain climates. The intense summer heat of the northern cattle areas is the greatest climatic problem in Australia, and there are three ways in which we may meet this problem.
Since Indian breeds of cattle are able to withstand tropical heat, it seems sensible to use them in northern Australia. However the pure Indian breeds have many faults, and even the improved Brahmans are very leggy, slow in maturing, and have a lot of loose skin around the neck, prepuce and the shoulders.
The Santa Gertrudis cattle have arisen by crossing the Brahman with the Shorthorn, and they possess some of the advantages of both breeds. They are much more heat resistant than the Shorthorns, and have more even fleshing than the Brahmans.
Santa Gertrudis also seem to suffer less from tropical diseases than European breeds, and there is no doubt that they will be used more in the future in the more humid parts of northern Australia. The Droughtmaster, Braford and Brangus breeds also have use in the north.
In temperate climates like New South Wales, European cattle grow thick coats in the winter. In springtime, changes in the length of the day cause these winter coats to be shed, so that the animal may remain cool in summer. As we go north towards the Equator, the length of day does not vary much from winter to summer, and we find that most European cattle cannot get rid of their long winter coats, and so suffer greatly from summer heat.
Some northern cattle, called “tropical degenerates”, go into these long coats and never put on much weight. One way of meeting this problem is to seek short-coated strains of European cattle and try to breed this characteristic into the general herd animals. The importance of a short coat in heat resistance has been shown by experiments, where animals which have had their coats clipped off showed a heat tolerance almost equal to that of Brahmans.
Perhaps a third way of meeting the heat problem would be to make use of top sires which had been reared under northern conditions, and not under the soft conditions of some southern stud. A sire used for breeding herd bulls must show that he can develop good fleshing under tropical conditions.
Besides producing cattle for tropical climates, there is the smaller problem of the cold and windy conditions on some of our tablelands in Victoria and New South Wales. It is possible that we should make use of breeds like the Galloway and the West Highland, and cross them with earlier-maturing cattle to produce cold-resisting strains.
Essay # 3. Nutrition
Required for Beef:
The most valuable beef carcases are those which are unmarked by rough handling, well-proportioned as to fat and muscle and heavier in the hindquarters than at the shoulder. To produce this carcase an animal must have good feed and must be quickly grown.
The average Australian beef steer is not of high quality, but is too heavy in the shoulder, too old when slaughtered, and is likely to have a small quantity of badly coloured fat. Better nutrition is the chief way of improving carcase quality. In southern areas this may be done most readily by providing improved pastures, but in the future it may be also be possible on some properties to fatten beef steers on grain such as grain sorghum. This is the way prime beef is produced in America.
In the less-favoured areas of the north, neither of these methods of improving nutrition is possible, but other steps may be taken. For instance, cows may be found which are feeding two calves, one of them twelve months old. In this situation the growth rate of the smaller calf suffers from a reduced milk supply. If improvements could be made for separating cattle more easily, the best feed could be saved for pregnant cows, and old calves could be taken away from them.
At present it is difficult to do these things because the big properties do not have enough subdivision fences, yards and other facilities. In good seasons on areas like the Barkly Tablelands, there is often a great body of feed which cannot be eaten by stock. This surplus may someday be converted into grass hay which could be used when feed is scarce.
Essay # 4. Genetics
of Beef:
Great progress will be made in breeding better beef cattle. The starting point will be selecting breeds which are best suited for certain conditions, or producing such breeds by crossing.
When selecting males and females to be mated, the most progress will be made if few points are used in choosing animals, for instance, heat resistance and weight gain in northern cattle. Breeding progress will be slowed down if animals are selected on 15 or 20 points, especially if these points are features, such as length of horns, which have nothing to do with beef production. If we hope to raise beef production by breeding, then we must take notice of beef production when selecting animals to be mated, and less notice of things which do not matter.
It is not only the beef production of parents that counts, it is whether the parents can pass these qualities on to the progeny. Therefore the top sires used in any beef property should be progeny-tested sires, whose capacity to breed good beef is known.
In the smaller properties of the south, weighing of cattle will produce improvement, because it will show quite clearly which bulls produce the fastest-growing sons and daughters. To find the rate of weight gain, weaned stock must be weighed regularly. A weighbridge may be used, or weight may be calculated by making certain measurements of the body, such as heart girth.
Essay # 5. Management
of Beef:
Better care and handling of stock will result in better quality carcases and less loss of weight through excitement and overheating.
Perhaps the most important need on the larger properties is that of educating stock right from the weaner stage, and getting them accustomed to moving quietly through the yards. This means that there must be enough yards available, and these should be of large enough size.
Then cattle should be handled a lot right from the weaner stage, and put through the yards and fed as they come out of the crush. This results in less damage and excitement when they have to be mustered and put through the yards for branding or other operations.
Bruising and marking of carcases is caused by cattle horning one another, and by rough handling during operations like branding and culling. Dehorning and the use of polled bulls are ways of reducing carcase damage, but these are of no use if cattle are handled roughly. Instead of the old-style roping and tying of steers, animals should be moved quietly through yards, and use should be made of devices like branding cradles which hold the beast still without damaging it at all.
On the big properties of the north, cattle lose a lot of condition on having to walk long distances to water and to railheads. Better watering facilities and improvements in stock transport will mean that animals reach the abattoirs in better condition. Moving cattle by semi-trailer is rapid; in addition cattle do not lose weight which would happen if they had to walk. For instance in some areas it only takes semi-trailers eight hours to move cattle a distance which would occupy four or five weeks and the loss of much weight if they walked.
Steers commonly lose 70 kg a head when walked from some western Queensland stations to the nearest railhead at Dajarra, and motor transport may find greater use in the future. If cattle have to be moved on foot, then they should be droved and not driven.
The need for better handling extends right up to the time cattle are slaughtered. If they are run about in the trucking and holding yards, and are allowed to become overheated, brown stains will appear in the carcase fat, which will reduce the value. Cattle should be kept cool and quiet before slaughtering.
Essay # 6. Diseases
Affecting Beef Cattle:
There are many diseases which affect beef cattle.
Some of these diseases will be described here:
In the southern areas, especially with improved pastures, bloat is the most serious cause of loss. Bloat usually develops suddenly, and the rumens of affected animals become blown up with gas from foaming feed.
Cattle normally produce about 30 litres of gas in the rumen each hour, but if fed on legumes such as lucerne or white clover, this may rise to 130 litres an hour. The beast usually gets rid of this gas by belching, but for some reason it cannot do this when bloated.
Unfortunately we know very little about the cause of bloat, except that it is most likely to occur when the feed is wet, when cattle go onto it for the first time, and when the feed is very succulent. The strange thing is that some beasts do not appear to be affected, while others may die half an hour after going into a pasture.
The imprisoned gas can be released by using a trocar and cannula if the stockowner is at hand, but since it is impossible to forecast when bloat will occur, most deaths are unobserved. Spraying pastures with oils and administering penicillin are control measures which have been tried, but complete control will only be possible when the cause of bloat is properly understood.
Contagious abortion (or CAB) is caused by bacteria which enter cattle through the mouth and live in the udder. When an affected cow becomes pregnant, the bacteria enter the uterus and cause the calf to be dropped before full time. This cow may be able to bear another calf in the following year, but she carries the bacteria and spreads them to other cows and heifers. This disease causes serious losses once it gets into a herd, and strong steps must be taken if it is to be controlled.
A special blood test will show whether a cow has the disease, and such cows should be slaughtered. All young calves should be vaccinated to prevent them from catching the disease. By using these methods, contagious abortion has been entirely eliminated from Tasmania, but it is still a serious disease in other states. This disease comes onto a property chiefly through infected stock being bought and brought in.