Americans are a nation of beef eaters. Each year the average person in this country consumes 67.5 pounds of beef and veal. Each year we buy more beef than fresh poultry, pork, and seafood combined. In fact, beef accounts for about 6 percent of all supermarket sales. Over the past few years, the consumption of beef has been increasing both in supermarket sales and as meals in commercial restaurants. In addition to the large amount of beef consumed in the United States, almost a million metric tons of beef are exported each year, which represents a value of nearly $2.5 billion. Lean beef is very dense in nutrients. A pound of beef may equal or surpass the nutritive content of the feed consumed to produce the meat. Of all the foods that humans consume, meat is among the most nutritionally complete. Food from animals supplies about 88 percent of vitamin B12 in our diets because this nutrient is difficult to obtain from plant sources. In addition, meats and animal products provide 67 percent of the riboflavin, 65 percent of the protein and phosphorus, 57 percent of the vitamin B6, 48 percent of the fat, 43 percent of the niacin, 42 percent of the vitamin A, 37 percent of the iron, 36 percent of the thiamin, and 35 percent of the magnesium in our diets. Few nations in the world even come close to United States in the per-capita consumption of beef and other meats. To a large extent, this is an indication of the prosperity of the American people. In the past, livestock ownership has been a sign of prosperity, and in many cultures even today, a person’s wealth is measured by the number of cattle owned.
TYPES OF BEEF
Included in the consumption of beef are various types of beef that meet the needs of different consumers. With such a diverse population, there are different likes and dislikes in almost every commodity produced, and beef is no exception. The following outlines some of the choices in beef offered to the American consumer.
Veal
According to the USDA veal is meat from a calf that weighs about 150 pounds. Calves that are mainly milk-fed usually are younger than 3 months old. Veal is pale pink and contains more cholesterol than beef but is also very tender. Veal is often from dairy calves that are not raised as replacements.
Baby Beef
The USDA defines “baby beef” and “calf” (two interchangeable terms) as beef from young cattle weighing about 700 pounds that have been raised mainly on milk and grass. The meat cuts from baby beef are smaller, and the meat is light red and contains less fat than beef. The fat may have a yellow tint as a result of the vitamin A in grass.
Grain-fed beef is the type of beef that is sold most often in the grocery store. This beef is from animals that have been fed a high-concentrate feed (a high percentage of grain such as corn) until achieving the desired grade. These animals may be as much as 3½ years old and weigh 1,000 pounds or more. As explained in Chapter 20, grain-fed beef is graded according to the degree of fat and the age of the animal at slaughter. Consumers prefer a Choice grade of beef, which is the second highest grade. The top grade of beef, Prime, generally goes to the better restaurants.
Grass-fed beef
A growing demand in the beef market is for grass-fed beef—from animals that are fed grass almost exclusively. Some people think this type is healthier but research has not yet confirmed a significant health benefit over grain-fed beef. However, grass-fed beef does contain less fat than grain-fed beef. The USDA has set the following standards for beef that is labeled as grass-fed: Grass and forage should make up the animal’s diet for its entire lifetime, with the exception of milk consumed prior to weaning. The diet shall be derived solely from forage and animals cannot be fed grain or grain byproducts and must have continuous access to pasture during the growing season. Because the animal must be fed grass or hay, the beef may be more expensive because the seasons may not allow year-round grazing. Also, grass-fed animals may take a longer time to reach maturity than animals fed grain in a feedlot.
Natural Beef
Beef is labeled “natural” if no artificial flavor, coloring, chemical preservent, or any other artificial or synthetic ingredient is added to the meat. “Naturally raised” beef is from animals that have never been given growth promotants (such as hormones), have never been given antibiotics, and were never fed animal byproducts.
Certified Organic Beef
Chapter 11 discusses the rules and regulations regarding the labeling of meat as “organic.” Grain-fed, grass-fed, and naturally raised beef may be labeled organic if additional requirements are met. The biggest difference is that the feed must be certified organic feed.
In the United States’ history, the beef industry has played a prominent role in the development of its economy. Cattle have been in the New World almost as long as the European settlers. The animals were brought across the oceans to feed the settlers in their new homes. Until around the time of the Civil War, most beef was raised on family farms for the purpose of feeding the family. As the population became more urbanized, people had more difficulty raising their own meat. Also, they became more affluent and could afford to buy their food rather than raise it. The large, grassy areas of the West were being settled, and cattle were a natural product to raise on the vast plains of native grasses.
Currently, more than 97,000,000 head of beef are being raised on about 800,000 farms and ranches in the United States. The number of operations far exceeds any other segment of animal agriculture, with the cattle industry accounting for the largest segment of all the agricultural industry in the United States. Most cattle are raised on family-owned farms and ranches. In fact, about 80 percent of all cattle businesses have been in the same family for the past 25 years. Annually, the United States produces nearly 25 percent of the world’s beef supply with less than 10 percent of the world’s cattle. The beef industry contributes more than $66 billion to the U.S. economy each year.
The United States is well suited for the production of animals that supply beef. In the West, vast areas of land are used to graze cattle. Throughout the Midwest, millions of acres of corn are grown on some of the most productive farmland in the world. In the southern portion of the country, beef producers take advantage of the mild climate to produce grass and hay to help feed the millions of head of cattle raised there.
When compared to the rest of the world, Americans spend only a small percentage of their annual income for food. This means that they can afford to buy the type of food they prefer and they prefer meat. Critics of the beef industry contend that feeding several pounds of feed to animals in return for a pound of meat is wasteful. They say that the grains fed to animals could be better used to feed people, and 6 to 9 pounds of feed are required to produce a pound of beef. Beef producers counter the argument by saying that land used to graze agricultural animals would be of little use for other agricultural purposes.
Almost half the land in the United States is classified as land that is not practical for growing cultivated, or row crops. Without the production of grazing animals, this land would be wasted instead of being used as a food-producing resource. Furthermore, beef producers point out that livestock are finished (fattened) using grains that are not considered good for human consumption. The better grades and types of grains are used for human to eat, while the lower grades of corn and grains such as grain sorghum are fed to livestock.
Beef animals also make use of byproducts such as meal resulting from the cooking oil market. The harvested crops such as soybeans and cottonseed are pressed until most of the oil is removed, and the resulting cake is ground into feed for livestock. Also, byproducts such as beet pulp from the sugar industry and citrus pulp from the orange and grapefruit juice industry are fed to cattle. If not fed to livestock, these valuable byproducts might go to waste. As outlined in Chapter 1, other products are obtained from animals as well. Most of the hides from the animals are used in making pharmaceuticals, leather for belts, shoes, and other articles of clothing and upholstery materials.
BREEDS OF BEEF CATTLE
More than three-quarters of the cash receipts for marketing meat animals comes from the sale of beef. These cattle are produced on almost a million farms and ranches across the United States. Contrary to popular belief, most of the beef animals do not originate from large ranches raising vast herds of thousands of cattle. The average size of the beef herds in this country is around 100 head. These producers represent a wide variety of different breeds and types of beef animals. In the United States, there are over 40 different breeds grown, besides all of the different combinations of crosses of these breeds. Livestock producers choose the breed to grow based on the type of market where the animals will be sold, the environmental conditions in which the animals will be produced, and the personal likes and dislikes of the individual producer.
Some breeds are large and produce a large carcass; some mature at a smaller size and produce a smaller carcass. Both have a place in the market, and both are produced. Some breeds are better adapted to hot, humid climates, and some breeds tolerate cold and snow better than others. A producer may like the color pattern or the docile nature of a particular breed and prefer to produce that breed.
Some breeds make excellent mothers, and other breeds grow rapidly and produce high-quality, meaty carcasses. Because of this, some breeds are referred to as sire breeds and some are referred to as dam breeds. A crossbreeding program helps producers take advantage of the good points of both types of animals. Three broad classifications of beef breeds are grown in the United States: the British breeds, the continental European breeds, and the Zebu breeds. The British breeds include the Angus, Hereford, and the Shorthorn. These animals are generally of a docile nature and produce high quality carcasses at a medium size. They were the first breeds brought to the United States, and there are more of this class than any other. The continental European breeds include the Limousin, the Simmental, the Charolais, and the Chianina.
These breeds, once known as the exotic breeds, were brought to this country because of their size and ability to grow. At maturity, most of the breeds in this class become quite large. The largest of the breeds, the Chianina, may reach the weight of 4,000 pounds for the bulls and 2,400 pounds for the cows. They are generally crossed with the British breeds. The Zebu breeds are those that are scientifically classified as Bos indicus, a separate species from the traditional Bos taurus of the other breeds. The most common Zebu type of cattle in the United States is the Brahman, characterized by a large, fleshy hump behind the shoulder and loose folds of skin. They tolerate heat and humidity quite well and are resistant to insects. These characteristics make them well suited to the hot, humid climate of the Southeastern part of the United States and the hot, dry climate of the Southwest.
Brahmans have been used as the basis for developing several breeds such as the Santa Gertrudis, Brangus, Simbrah, and Beefmater. These developed breeds combine the ruggedness of the Bos indicus with the carcass quality and docile nature of the Bos taurus.
The beef industry has four major segments: purebred operations, cow-calf operations, stocker operations, and feedlot operations. Purebred cattle are produced in the first phase of the industry. The purpose is to produce what is known as the seed stock cattle. These represent the cattle that are to be used as the dams and sires of calves that will be grown out for market. As mentioned earlier, different breeds have different advantages, and the growing of purebred stock allows breeders to concentrate on improving and accentuating the advantages of a particular breed. Each year, at numerous shows across the nation, purebred cattle breeders compete with each other by displaying their animals in the show ring. Expert judges select the animals they consider to be the best type for that breed. Shows serve both as a means of education and as a way of implementing change in the industry as economic conditions change and new research reveals new insights into the type of animals that should be selected.
The second phase is the cow-calf operations, where the calves are produced that eventually will be grown out and sent to market. Most of these calves are crossbred animals from purebred parents of different breeds. A large part of this industry is centered in the Southern and Western states.
The mild winters of the South are ideal for calving in the winter. In most areas of the South, calves are born in January and February to take advantage of the weather that is too cold for flies and parasites but not too cold for the calves to thrive. In addition, the calves will be old enough to begin grazing in the spring when the grass begins to grow again.
Cows are fed primarily roughage in the form of grass or hay. The ample rains and mild temperatures of the South provide ideal conditions to produce large amounts of green forage. Some grasses, such as fescue and rye, grow very well in the winter months and supply a good source of feed for cows as they gestate or produce milk for their young. Much of the cropland of the hill country of the South has been converted to pasture and forest. These lands were so susceptible to erosion that it was no longer practical to produce row crops and the growth of woodlands and pastures offered a way to make the land useful and productive. Although the largest numbers of cow-calf operations are in the South, cow-calf operations are found all across the country. In the West, producers can take advantage of the vast amounts of government lands that are open to grazing for a small fee. Often, cows are left on free range (not fenced in) to have their calves, which then are rounded up, weaned, and sold. Calves usually are sold upon weaning. They are weaned in the weight range of 300 to 500 pounds. Buyers prefer calves that have been castrated and vaccinated and are in good enough condition to move to a new environment.
The next phase of the industry is that of the stocker. Stocker operations provide a step between the weaning of the calves and their finishing (or fattening) prior to slaughter. For an animal to start depositing fat in the right places, the animal must be mature enough to have stopped growing. Weaned calves that weigh between 300 and 500 pounds are placed on pasture land and fed a ration designed to allow for skeletal and muscular growth.
The stocker purchases the animals from the cow-calf producer and sells them to the feedlot operator. The stocker’s job is to provide a transition period for the calves between the time they are weaned from their mothers and before they are put in the feedlot. During this time, the animals are fed a relatively high roughage diet and supplied with the proper balance of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals that will ensure that they make sufficient gains to be placed in the feedlot here they will be finished. It is not uncommon for feedlot owners to also be the operators of stocker operations. This arrangement is economical because fewer transportation costs are incurred if the two types of operations are close together. The trend in the industry has been away from the stocker industry since recent research has developed production methods that allow cows to wean heavier calves.
A calf that is weaned weighing 700 pounds may well go directly into the feedlot without going through a stocker operation. The feedlot operation is the final phase before the animals are sent to slaughter. Here the animals are fed a high-concentrate ration designed to put on the proper amount of fat cover. The producers usually want their animals to be marketed when the cattle reach a sufficient fat cover to allow the animals to grade Low Choice. Many feedlots in the United States are situated in the Midwest. The reason is that this is the section of the country that produces the most grain and it is usually more economical to feed the animals there rather than ship the grain across country. An exception is the state of Texas; it has more feedlots than any other state.
Some feedlots are located in other parts of the country to take advantage of byproduct feeds. For example, feedlots in Idaho take advantage of the potato industry and feed cattle byproducts from the processing of potatoes. Likewise, in Florida, cattle are fed citrus pulp that is left over from the processing of orange juice.
Feedlots range in size from a hundred or fewer head to feedlots that feed thousands of cattle every year. Long bunker feeders are automatically filled by automated systems or from trucks. The animals are supplied with all the highquality feed they will ingest. They also are given medicines to prevent disease and to ward off both internal and external parasites.
When the animals have reached the proper degree of finish, they are quickly moved from the feedlot to the slaughterhouse. When the animals are slaughtered, they are generally around 18 to 24 months in age and can weigh from 800 to 1,500 pounds. This age and size offer consumers the type of beef they prefer.
SUMMARY
The beef industry represents a large part of our diet and our economy. The food that comes from cattle provides nutrients that are difficult to obtain from other foods. Our vast continent provides an ideal environment for the production of beef cattle. Often, these cattle make use of feedstuff that otherwise would go to waste. The many phases of the industry provide jobs for millions of people all over the country. The beef industry is a dynamic, growing sector of our country and should remain so for many years to come.
ABOUT THE BOOK
'The Science of Animal Agriculture' is directed toward teaching the basic science concepts involved in the production of agricultural animals. All facets of modern agriculture are based on science. From the most rudimentary cultural practices to the most complicated biotechnology techniques, scientifi c research has produced the phenomenon known as American agriculture. The science of agriculture has brought humans from the stage of wandering and gathering food to modern civilization. Much of what we know about how living organisms reproduce and grow has come about through our quest to be more effi cient in the production of food and fiber. 'The Science of Animal Agriculture' contains chapters dealing with the latest concepts in animal biotechnology. Topics include animal behavior, classification, consumer concerns, animal welfare, genetics, scientific selection, reproduction, cloning, growth and development, nutrition, meat science, parasites, and disease. In addition, the scientific basis for the production of the different types of agricultural animals is presented.
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