Page 221 - The Welfare of Cattle

198 the WeLfare of CattLe

and only leave the herd when they become unproductive or old. It is common for many cows in a
herd to be 10–15 years old before they are culled, which is very old for a cow.
To produce calves, bulls are also included in the herd. Most commonly a producer keeps about
one mature bull for every 25 cows. When young bulls are introduced to the herd, they are expected
to mate with about 17–18 cows. Most producers buy young bulls from a seedstock, or purebred
breeder to maintain genetic diversity in the herd. Bulls are selected for certain traits desired by the
cow/calf producer, such as growth efficiency, frame size, ability to perform in harsh conditions, foot
and leg conformation, or ability to produce calves that birth easily. Seedstock production is similar
to commercial cow/calf production except that the breeder maintains genetically pure stock that
are carefully managed and monitored to demonstrate the special traits desired by the buyer. This
chapter is focused on commercial cow/calf producers who commonly crossbreed to get hybrid vigor
and sell animals into meat production channels.
The third animal population on a cow/calf ranch are the growing youngstock. At calving
season, these will be newborn calves and will face the health challenges common to neonates of
all species. These calves will nurse the dams for the majority of their early nutrition and graze
on forage as they grow. They are most commonly weaned at about 7 months of age. Owners of
Spring calving herds strategize to breed so that calves are born before new grass is growing and
then grass is available for cows and calves during the nursing period. As the grass dies in the Fall,
calves are weaned.
Some heifer calves are kept on the ranch to grow as “replacement heifers,” selected as the most
likely best cows of the future, to replace the mature cows that are culled. These heifers are grown
and bred the next breeding season so that they calve during the regular calving season the year they
turn 2 years old. The remainder of the heifer calves not kept as breeding animals are usually sold in
the fall after weaning to enter the beef production system as stockers or feedlot animals.
The majority of all bull calves are castrated at an early age and marketed after weaning as
animals to be grown and harvested for beef. Some select bull calves may be kept for breeding if
the producer can manage them in a way that avoids breeding with closely related dams. Bull calves
going into meat production systems are routinely castrated because steers are easier to manage as
they do not go through puberty and develop adult male behaviors. This is desirable for the stocker
and feedlot industries as well, avoiding fighting, injury, and metabolic and behavioral changes that
adversely affect meat quality at slaughter.

OVerVIeW OF heaLth PrOBLeMS

Beef cattle on a cow/calf operation are exposed to a wide variety of health risks. Because of the
extensive nature of management on a rangeland operation, the problems most commonly seen are
different from populations managed intensively, such as feedlot cattle or dairy cattle. In an exten-
sively managed system, the cattle are exposed to more environmental risks such as extreme weather.
In an intensively managed system, animal nutrition is very well controlled and diets can be
adjusted to meet animal needs at an exquisite level. Range cattle, however, may have sufficient
nutrients when forage is lush and highly available, but weather and soil conditions may predispose
to imbalanced diets, plant toxicities and nutrient deficiencies. During the 6 months or so when range
plants are not growing, or are unavailable, cattle must be supplemented with additional feed, but this
can still result in dietary insufficiencies.
Cattle in intensive production are usually seen individually at least once a day, and sometimes
more frequently. Appetite, attitude, general well-being and musculoskeletal soundness are con-
tinually monitored. An animal with a health problem is usually promptly identified, treated and
monitored for recovery. In a range setting, cattle are seen from a distance and some disease condi-
tions may be overlooked until they are well advanced problems. Cattle may only be individually