Cow-calf operation
Encyclopedia
A cow-calf operation is a method of raising beef cattle
in which a permanent herd of cows is kept by a farmer
or rancher to produce calves
for later sale. Cow-calf operations are one of the key aspects of the beef
industry in the United States and some other countries. In the British Isles
, a cow-calf operation may be known as a single-suckler herd. The goal of a cow-calf operation is to produce young beef cattle, which are usually sold. A rancher who works within such a model is often called a "cow-calf operator" in the United States.
s until slaughter weight, others sell them as weaned calves. They may have a few herd bull
s and utilize natural mating, but may have no bulls and rely primarily on artificial insemination
. Cattle from a cow-calf operation may be sold after they have been weaned to be matured elsewhere, such as at a feedlot
, or may be raised to near-slaughter weight and sold at the age of 1-2 years. Older cows and bulls, if kept, may also be sold to slaughter after their reproductive years have ended.
Cow-calf operations generally raise their stock primarily on pasture
and other forms of roughage rather than grain feeds, though they may provide vitamin and mineral supplementation. For this reason, they require more land than other cattle operations, such as feedlot
s, veal and dairy cattle
production, or breeding operations that focus primarily on management of bull
s for artificial insemination
. Pastures may be native or "improved" with forage
designed to withstand grazing pressure and help animals gain weight. During periods of shortage, supplementary feeding may be carried out but it is by no means universal. In some areas, pasture is supported by crops for fattening. Intensive rotational grazing systems can reduce the amount of land required; an acre or an acre and half, in some climates, can support a single cow-calf pair for an entire year. Conversely, in countries such as Brazil and Argentina, cow-calf operations may be forced to use more marginal grazing because of changes in the value of land due to high prices for cash crops like soybeans.
Auction
s are a common means of sale, although in some cases, prospective buyers inspect sale cattle on the producer's property with the price negotiated either by weight or on a dollars per head basis.
to be raised by other agricultural enterprises, such as feedlots. These sell their calves after they have been weaned and are under a year in age. The second are those that raise the calves for 1-2 years before selling them directly to slaughter.
The mother cattle, sometimes known as brood cows, generally come from one of two sources: either female calves raised on the farm itself and retained into adulthood, or cows that are purchased from a specialized seedstock operation which often produces purebred
cattle.
Cow-calf operations are widespread throughout the United States. A 1997 census found that this sector of the U.S. beef market produced over $40.5 billion. As of 2007 there were more than 765,000 cow-calf operators in the country, mostly concentrated in the Western and Southeastern U.S. states.
Sale prices for calves sold from a cow-calf operation are subject to fluctuation as part of the cattle cycle
of financial markets. The relatively long period it takes a cow-calf operator to build up a beef herd and raise new calves to the desired weigh tends to extend the length of such a cycle.
All states and territories of Australia support cattle breeding in a wide range of climates. The Australian system of cattle production is a major industry that covers an area in excess of 200 million hectares. Cattle producers have increased breeding operations, to produce young feeder cattle for feedlots or live export. This switch has been in response to the increased cost of purchasing young stock to sell as finished steers and bullocks.
In contrast to breeding systems in other parts of the world, Australian cattle are reared on pasture as the principal source of feed. Furthermore, the breeding cow rears her own calf and approximately 90% of the cows are beef cows. In southern Australia (NSW
, Victoria, Tasmania
, South Australia
and south-western Western Australia
) beef cattle are often reared on smaller properties as part of a mixed farming or grazing operation, but some properties do specialise in cattle breeding. The southern calves are typically reared on pasture and sold as weaners, yearlings or as steers at about two years old or older. Herds of more than 1,000 dairy cows are relatively common in the south with some exceeding 2,000 head. Artificial insemination
and embryo transfer
are more commonly used in stud cattle breeding in Australia, but may be used in other herds.
In the Top End
, sub-tropical areas and in arid inland regions cattle are bred on native pastures on expansive cattle station
s. Anna Creek station
in South Australia, Australia is the world's largest working cattle station
. The North Australian Pastoral Company
Pty Limited (NAPCO) is now one of Australia's largest beef cattle producers, with a herd of over 180,000 cattle and fourteen cattle stations in Queensland
and the Northern Territory
. The Australian Agricultural Company
(AA Co) manages a cattle herd of more than 585,000 head. Heytesbury Beef Pty Ltd owns and manages over 200,000 head of cattle across eight stations spanning the East Kimberley, Victoria River
and Barkly Tablelands regions in Northern Australia. Most cattle from these regions are exported as manufacturing beef or as live animals under 350 kilograms live weight to South-East Asia for fattening in feedlots there.
Prior to Europe
an settlement there were no-cattle in Australia. The present herd consists principally of British and European breeds (Bos taurus), in the southern regions with Aberdeen Angus and Hereford
s being the most common. In northern Australia Bos indicus breeds predominate along with their crosses. They were introduced to combine the resistance to cattle ticks and greater tolerance of hot weather.
A variety of selling methods are used in Australia and cattle may be sold as studs, store or finished stock. A number of different selling methods are used, depending on the age, type and condition of cattle and the markets.
Auction
sales are the most common means of sale and are conducted at saleyards. The cattle are sold on either a dollars per head basis (store stock) or, if the stock are weighed, on a cents per kilogram live weight basis. Over the hooks sales are made when a price is negotiated on a cents per kilogram carcase weight basis. Paddock sales occur when prospective buyers inspect the cattle on the producer's property with the price negotiated on a dollars per head basis or for cents per kilogram live weight. AuctionsPlus (formerly CALM), is an electronic sale by description.
Beef cattle
Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat production . The meat of cattle is known as beef. When raised in a feedlot cattle are known as feeder cattle. Many such feeder cattle are born in cow-calf operations specifically designed to produce beef calves...
in which a permanent herd of cows is kept by a farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
or rancher to produce calves
Calf
Calves are the young of domestic cattle. Calves are reared to become adult cattle, or are slaughtered for their meat, called veal.-Terminology:...
for later sale. Cow-calf operations are one of the key aspects of the beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
industry in the United States and some other countries. In the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
, a cow-calf operation may be known as a single-suckler herd. The goal of a cow-calf operation is to produce young beef cattle, which are usually sold. A rancher who works within such a model is often called a "cow-calf operator" in the United States.
General characteristics
Cow-calf operations are widespread throughout beef-producing countries, and the goal of a cow-calf operation is to produce young beef cattle, which are usually sold. True to the name, farm and ranch herds consist mostly of adult female cows, their calves, and young females, called heifers, which will produce calves once of breeding age. Some operations may raise their steerSteer
Steer, Steers or Steering may mean:* Steering, mechanism used to turn a vehicle* Steer or bullock, castrated male cattle* "Steer" , song by Missy Higgins* George Steer, British journalist and soldier* Steers, South African fast food chain...
s until slaughter weight, others sell them as weaned calves. They may have a few herd bull
Bull
Bull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
s and utilize natural mating, but may have no bulls and rely primarily on artificial insemination
Artificial insemination
Artificial insemination, or AI, is the process by which sperm is placed into the reproductive tract of a female for the purpose of impregnating the female by using means other than sexual intercourse or natural insemination...
. Cattle from a cow-calf operation may be sold after they have been weaned to be matured elsewhere, such as at a feedlot
Feedlot
A feedlot or feedyard is a type of animal feeding operation which is used in factory farming for finishing livestock, notably beef cattle, but also swine, horses, sheep, turkeys, chickens or ducks, prior to slaughter. Large beef feedlots are called Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations . They...
, or may be raised to near-slaughter weight and sold at the age of 1-2 years. Older cows and bulls, if kept, may also be sold to slaughter after their reproductive years have ended.
Cow-calf operations generally raise their stock primarily on pasture
Pasture
Pasture is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep or swine. The vegetation of tended pasture, forage, consists mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs...
and other forms of roughage rather than grain feeds, though they may provide vitamin and mineral supplementation. For this reason, they require more land than other cattle operations, such as feedlot
Feedlot
A feedlot or feedyard is a type of animal feeding operation which is used in factory farming for finishing livestock, notably beef cattle, but also swine, horses, sheep, turkeys, chickens or ducks, prior to slaughter. Large beef feedlots are called Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations . They...
s, veal and dairy cattle
Dairy cattle
Dairy cattle are cattle cows bred for the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. Dairy cows generally are of the species Bos taurus....
production, or breeding operations that focus primarily on management of bull
Bull
Bull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
s for artificial insemination
Artificial insemination
Artificial insemination, or AI, is the process by which sperm is placed into the reproductive tract of a female for the purpose of impregnating the female by using means other than sexual intercourse or natural insemination...
. Pastures may be native or "improved" with forage
Forage
Forage is plant material eaten by grazing livestock.Historically the term forage has meant only plants eaten by the animals directly as pasture, crop residue, or immature cereal crops, but it is also used more loosely to include similar plants cut for fodder and carried to the animals, especially...
designed to withstand grazing pressure and help animals gain weight. During periods of shortage, supplementary feeding may be carried out but it is by no means universal. In some areas, pasture is supported by crops for fattening. Intensive rotational grazing systems can reduce the amount of land required; an acre or an acre and half, in some climates, can support a single cow-calf pair for an entire year. Conversely, in countries such as Brazil and Argentina, cow-calf operations may be forced to use more marginal grazing because of changes in the value of land due to high prices for cash crops like soybeans.
Auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
s are a common means of sale, although in some cases, prospective buyers inspect sale cattle on the producer's property with the price negotiated either by weight or on a dollars per head basis.
In the United States
Cow-calf operations are generally divided into two types. First are those that produce feeder cattleFeeder cattle
Feeder cattle are steers or heifers mature enough to be placed in a feedlot where they will be fattened prior to slaughter. Feeder calves are less than 1 year old; feeder yearlings are between 1 and 2 years old. Both types are often produced in a cow-calf operation.-References:...
to be raised by other agricultural enterprises, such as feedlots. These sell their calves after they have been weaned and are under a year in age. The second are those that raise the calves for 1-2 years before selling them directly to slaughter.
The mother cattle, sometimes known as brood cows, generally come from one of two sources: either female calves raised on the farm itself and retained into adulthood, or cows that are purchased from a specialized seedstock operation which often produces purebred
Purebred
Purebreds, also called purebreeds, are cultivated varieties or cultivars of an animal species, achieved through the process of selective breeding...
cattle.
Cow-calf operations are widespread throughout the United States. A 1997 census found that this sector of the U.S. beef market produced over $40.5 billion. As of 2007 there were more than 765,000 cow-calf operators in the country, mostly concentrated in the Western and Southeastern U.S. states.
Sale prices for calves sold from a cow-calf operation are subject to fluctuation as part of the cattle cycle
Cattle cycle
Cattle cycle — The approximately 10-year period in which the number of U.S. beef cattle is alternatively expanded and reduced over several consecutive years in response to perceived changes in profitability by producers. Generally, low prices occur when cattle numbers are high, precipitating...
of financial markets. The relatively long period it takes a cow-calf operator to build up a beef herd and raise new calves to the desired weigh tends to extend the length of such a cycle.
In Australia
In contrast to breeding systems in other parts of the world, Australian cattle are reared on pasture as the principal source of feed. Furthermore, the breeding cow rears her own calf and approximately 90% of the cows are beef cows. In southern Australia (NSW
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Victoria, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
and south-western Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
) beef cattle are often reared on smaller properties as part of a mixed farming or grazing operation, but some properties do specialise in cattle breeding. The southern calves are typically reared on pasture and sold as weaners, yearlings or as steers at about two years old or older. Herds of more than 1,000 dairy cows are relatively common in the south with some exceeding 2,000 head. Artificial insemination
Artificial insemination
Artificial insemination, or AI, is the process by which sperm is placed into the reproductive tract of a female for the purpose of impregnating the female by using means other than sexual intercourse or natural insemination...
and embryo transfer
Embryo transfer
Embryo transfer refers to a step in the process of assisted reproduction in which embryos are placed into the uterus of a female with the intent to establish a pregnancy...
are more commonly used in stud cattle breeding in Australia, but may be used in other herds.
In the Top End
Top End
The Top End of northern Australia is the second northernmost point on the continent. It covers a rather vaguely-defined area of perhaps 400,000 square kilometres behind the northern coast from the Northern Territory capital of Darwin across to Arnhem Land with the Indian Ocean on the west, the...
, sub-tropical areas and in arid inland regions cattle are bred on native pastures on expansive cattle station
Cattle station
Cattle station is an Australian term for a large farm , whose main activity is the rearing of cattle. In Australia, the owner of a cattle station is called a grazier...
s. Anna Creek station
Anna Creek station
Anna Creek Station is the world's largest working cattle station. It is located in South Australia, Australia. Its area is roughly which is slightly larger than Israel...
in South Australia, Australia is the world's largest working cattle station
Cattle station
Cattle station is an Australian term for a large farm , whose main activity is the rearing of cattle. In Australia, the owner of a cattle station is called a grazier...
. The North Australian Pastoral Company
North Australian Pastoral Company
The North Australian Pastoral Company is a large, privately owned, Australian cattle company which operates 13 cattle stations covering over 60,000 km2, managing about 200,000 cattle, in the Northern Territory and Queensland...
Pty Limited (NAPCO) is now one of Australia's largest beef cattle producers, with a herd of over 180,000 cattle and fourteen cattle stations in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
. The Australian Agricultural Company
Australian Agricultural Company
The Australian Agricultural Company is a company which serves to improve beef cattle production through responsible natural resource and land use...
(AA Co) manages a cattle herd of more than 585,000 head. Heytesbury Beef Pty Ltd owns and manages over 200,000 head of cattle across eight stations spanning the East Kimberley, Victoria River
Victoria River
Victoria River may refer to:*Victoria River , the longest river in the Northern Territory of Australia*Victoria River, New Zealand in New Zealand*Victoria River in Newfoundland and Labrador...
and Barkly Tablelands regions in Northern Australia. Most cattle from these regions are exported as manufacturing beef or as live animals under 350 kilograms live weight to South-East Asia for fattening in feedlots there.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an settlement there were no-cattle in Australia. The present herd consists principally of British and European breeds (Bos taurus), in the southern regions with Aberdeen Angus and Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
s being the most common. In northern Australia Bos indicus breeds predominate along with their crosses. They were introduced to combine the resistance to cattle ticks and greater tolerance of hot weather.
A variety of selling methods are used in Australia and cattle may be sold as studs, store or finished stock. A number of different selling methods are used, depending on the age, type and condition of cattle and the markets.
Auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
sales are the most common means of sale and are conducted at saleyards. The cattle are sold on either a dollars per head basis (store stock) or, if the stock are weighed, on a cents per kilogram live weight basis. Over the hooks sales are made when a price is negotiated on a cents per kilogram carcase weight basis. Paddock sales occur when prospective buyers inspect the cattle on the producer's property with the price negotiated on a dollars per head basis or for cents per kilogram live weight. AuctionsPlus (formerly CALM), is an electronic sale by description.
External links
- How to Start up a Beef Cow Calf Operation at wikiHowWikiHowwikiHow is a web-based and wiki-based community, consisting of an extensive database of how-to guides. wikiHow's mission is to build the world's largest and highest quality how-to manual. The site started as an extension of the already existing eHow website, and has evolved to host over 127,000...
- - Beef Industry - Australia