Page 219 - The Welfare of Cattle

196 the WeLfare of CattLe

The cattle health challenges that producers deal with are very different in these segments of the
industry. Stocker and feedlot cattle are very uniform in age, and they are young, growing animals.
On a cow/calf operation, the beef cattle range in age from newborn to very old mature cows. They
undergo all of the life changes of a reproducing population, including growing, breeding, gestating,
birthing, and lactating. Therefore, the health challenges they face are very diverse.
Beef cow/calf production occurs throughout the continental US. East of the 100th Meridian
there is sufficient rainfall to have relatively lush pastures and production of beef cattle may require
as little as an acre per cow/calf pair. In the Western US, much of the landscape is more arid and larger
land base is required to grow sufficient forage for a cow/calf pair, sometimes equaling 20–80 acres
per pair. Therefore, there can be large differences in some aspects of production between the East
and West. Although much of the information in this chapter is applicable to any cow/calf operation,
the focus of the chapter is on beef production in the western range.

COW/CaLF MaNaGeMeNt

An important aspect of cow/calf production is that the final product a producer markets is the
calf. In other words, a commodity rather than a finished and differentiated product bought directly
by a consumer. Calves are priced by their weight, with little difference in the value of each calf
beyond its size. This is different than selling a finished product like a choice steak, or a marinated
roast, where the seller can set different prices for their products based upon what it cost to produce
them. The price a cow/calf producer receives for their calves is mainly determined by the commod-
ity markets, and that price is beyond the producer’s control.
This means that a producer may have invested a considerable amount of money in producing and
raising the calf to weaning weight and then find that the money received for the calf is less than the
cost to produce it. Many of the costs are substantial, such as owning land, buying feed, and main-
taining buildings and equipment. Most producers strive to produce their animals for as little cost as
possible, in order to optimize their chances of making a living.
Most cow/calf producers manage their cattle “extensively,” rather than “intensively.” Intensive
management of livestock is typical of poultry, pork, dairy, and feedlot production. The term means
that the feeding and housing of animals is very intensively overseen. In such systems, all feed ele-
ments are gathered and processed and fed to maximize animal production. Housing is designed to
control the environment. This increases the cost of production, but the production gains that are
achieved outweigh these costs and are more profitable.
By contrast most beef cows and calves are managed with limited control of what they eat and
how they are shielded from the elements. Cows are left outside to face the elements, graze the for-
age that is available and find shelter in a more naturalistic way. This keeps costs lower, and relies
on having animals that can fend for themselves. While this somewhat feral and naturalistic process
can be appealing to some members of our society, it also carries many risks, as would be seen in
a population of wild animals. Some of the health and welfare challenges that face beef cattle are
direct results of this style of production. For example, it is highly unusual for intensively managed
poultry, pigs, or dairy animals to experience blizzards or predation, but these are relatively common
challenges for beef cattle.
The significance of these aspects of cattle management relative to cattle welfare is profound.
This is not a highly profitable industry. Producers are involved in the industry for numerous reasons,
including love of the land, enjoyment and great pride in their cattle, enjoyment of working with the
cattle, and appreciation of this style of living. For all of these reasons producers typically work very
hard to ensure the well-being of their animals. It is important to make money to remain in business,
even though this is not a business where people can reasonably expect to get rich. The investment
of time, energy, and money in the business is very large. In an industry where monetary return on