12.10.1 Overview
The purpose of this section is to give a final overview of cattle production performance as the essence and heart of cattle farming.
- The key factor of cattle production is ‘live mass’, whether in individuals or in groups of animals. This is what is measured and is the most elementary concept in beef production.
- Production in meat animals has two dimensions:
The first applies to the physiology of the animal. This is where growth in an animal occurs through the processes of hyperplasia (increased cell numbers) and hypertrophy (increased cell size).
Growth in animal tissue results in the formation of distinctive food products, such as meat, which consists of muscle, connective tissue and fat. The result is an increase in the live mass of the animal and is called production.
The second dimension of production is in herds of cattle whose growth derives from the collective live mass increase of all the cattle in the herd due to their life-functions, namely reproduction, growth, lactation and fattening, as pointed out as part of record keeping and production measurement.
- Growth in individuals slows down and ends as they become older. In a cattle herd, the live mass of matured cows might have come to a standstill, although the herd would increase in live mass because new-born calves will grow, thanks to lactation by the cows. So, production carries on, primarily because of reproduction and lactation.
- As said, live mass yield is a function of nutrition in individuals or herds. Without fodder there is no yield and all animals die. With a little fodder available, none of the life-functions can deliver live mass yields because animals will use fodder only for maintenance. Enough fodder will provide functional live mass yield through growth, fattening, lactation and reproduction and, of course, a high live mass turnover.
- The voluntary dry veld intake capacity of cattle is around 2,5% of their live mass per day. Because of this limit in veld intake, there is also a limit in production in whatever form. It follows that improvement in growth, lactation, fattening or reproduction can be obtained through better quality veld-fodder, which reflects how the veld is managed. Supplement feed contributes to the production limits of only natural grazing.
- Three methods can be used to postulate efficiency of production.
Firstly, the common way is live mass production per measured unit of fodder.
Production per hectare on farm level is the second method to apply if all the space on a farm is used only by the cattle.
Thirdly, because of the similarity of veld fodder intake criteria among animals, live mass turnover is the base method of efficiency.
- The point is that cattle are maintained on cattle farms to produce. The live mass product they produce is to be sold for income. Every kilogram production on a cattle farm can be measured.
- Comparisons: If two oxen weigh 280 and 350 kg and both add 120 kg, their efficiency is not equal because they differ in their initial live mass (input).
- Figures and arithmetic: To discuss growth or production, it is inevitable to collect production data as explained in this course. This data is as elementary as explained and easy to understand.
- Cattle production in herd context: The growth rate of yearlings of medium size types is normally taken at 0,35 kg per day, and a cattle herd at 0,25 to 0,32 kg per unit per day, irrespective of the composition of classes. So, a herd of 510 cattle could increase 153 kg per day (510 x 0,30), and over 365 days, 55 845 kg (153 x 365).
This is the way to look at cattle production.
- Finally, it is apparent that the production of animals bears importance in practice only if it is seen as the relation of output to input. It is irrelevant to compare growth (output) of a single animal or a group of animals with another single or group of animals, if their performance is not based on their initial live mass. In doing so, one can compare the level of efficiency.
“Production of animals bears importance in practice only if it is seen as output’s relation to input”
12.10.2 Production from birth to slaughter
As explained earlier in this course, the cattle farmer can make the choice to end his contribution to the value chain though selling weaner calves to a feedlot, or he can make the choice to add value to his weaners though utilizing free natural grazing (and own supplements) to add muscle (add production value), and sell when the animals have reached optimum economic efficiency to be sold directly to an abattoir.
The animals themselves are the production units and their live mass yield is the factor of production.
The graphic explanation below gives a little more perspective of the natural route and production activities followed by every beast from birth to death. The figures in the diagram are of theoretic origin following personal experience and offer nothing more than to illustrate tendencies on the life-route of cattle.
Understanding Live mass in herd context
The only effective way to explain the realities of cattle production is to work with live mass yield, keeping in mind that live mass produces live mass.
This implies:
Firstly: realise that you are farming with kilogram live mass, irrespective of breed, herd classes or composition of a herd. Nothing else is relevant. To repeat, a cattle farm carries live mass, no matter
what breed, type or class, like oxen, cows or weaners.
Secondly: realise that any form of production must always be seen in terms of kilogram product output (live mass yield) per live mass input. Any other interpretation of production means nothing.
Understand that production evaluation of a cattle farm is conducted within a total herd context. Most important is to ignore what are called production characteristics. They have no meaning in production evaluation. You might win a competition for the heaviest weaner crop, or the heaviest steer carcass, but that is not to say you are the best cattle farmer.
As a commercial farmer you are not in the business to deliver the best production characteristics.
You are in business:
- to manage the most efficient producing herd, measured by live mass turnover at lowest cost per kilogram live mass input;
- to market only well-graded carcasses without trying to win competitions;
- not to boast about nice looking animals;
- to remember that what counts is the quality of the slaughter animal you deliver, not the looks of the breeding stock.
There is nothing worthwhile discussing about a cattle herd without information about live mass yields
12.10.3 Measurable outcomes
12.10.3.1 Calving %
A small area of land can be enclosed, or the herd herded into it—the calving ground. Calving index – any method of expressing reproductive efficiency based on the number of calves produced. May refer to the average calving interval or to the percentage of calves produced by the mated group of cows.
12.10.3.2 Pre-weaning mortality / weaning %
Pre-weaning mortality indicates the total of calves that die before they are weaned from their mothers and is expresses as a percentage of calves weaned, against calves born.
12.10.3.3 Weaning weight
Male calves are, on average, about 8% heavier than heifer calves at weaning. For a fair comparison, only compare calves of the same sex. If they are compared across sex, adjust their weights for the effect of sex.
Generally, older calves will be heavier than younger calves. For this reason, compare only calves born within a certain period (100 days, for example). Their age should also be within specified limits (for example, 151 to 270 days). Within such a group, adjust actual weaning weights to a constant age (for example, 205 days) for a fair comparison.
To compare the weaning weight of calves, ensure that a few basic aspects are in place:
- Identify the calves (and their dams). Ear tags, ear notches and branding are the most common ways to properly identify animals.
- Keep basic records of all animals. The minimum is the ID number, sex, birth date and the dam’s ID number.
- Ensure that your cattle scale is in good working order and correctly calibrated.
- Weigh all calves born within a three-month period on the same day when their average age is about seven months. This practice will minimise the influence of seasonal differences such as rainfall or veld condition on the weights. However, you do not need to wean all these calves on the day of weighing – wean younger calves a month or so later.
- Weigh animals early in the morning before they have a chance to drink water (or leave them overnight in a kraal without water) to minimise the influence of gut fill on their weight.
12.10.3.4 Life mass and carcass masses relating to dressing %
Life mass refer to the total weight of a slaughter animal whilst still alive on the hoof. The carcass mass refers to the weight of the carcass after slaughtering when the head, skin, hoofs and intestine have been removed. So, in other words, you start with a 544 kg steer, which has a dressing percent of 63%, so that you have a 340 kg carcass. From that you will get about 65% of the carcass weight, or roughly 222 kg, as boneless, trimmed beef.
12.10.3.5 Meat production / Animal Unit
The gain of weight on an individual animal can be expressed as meat production per average animal over a production season. The live mass of a slaughter steer, minus the live mass at weaning stage, expresses as a percentage of meat produced in kg, per animal unit before slaughtering.
12.10.3.6 Meat production per hectare
The gain in weight of an individual animal can also be expressed as meat production per hectare of grazing utilised over a production season. The live mass of a slaughter steer, minus the live mass at weaning stage, expresses as a percentage of meat produced in kg, per animal unit per hectare.
12.10.3.7 Cow performances
Reproductive performance is the trait of outstanding importance in beef cattle enterprises, where if there is no calf, then there is no economic return. The best cows are clearly those that have their first calf at an early age, have minimum calving intervals, and live a long time.