Beef Cattle

• Typically calve in October to meet the pasture growth curve
• Calving typically occurs in October

  
• As liveweight increases so too does maintenance energy requirement, but not in a linear manner.
• For every 100kg increase in cow liveweight requires an additional 11 MJME/day (about 1 kg of good spring grass or 1.4 kg of hay)
• When animals lose weight, energy is produced by mobilisation of body tissue. In lactating animals, this energy can be used to maintain

  milk yield
• 1 Kg of liveweight loss in mature cows substitutes for about 30 MJ ME.
• Average performing cows wean 82 calves per 100 cows mated
• Global demand for beef increased from 64M tonnes in 2005 to 106M tonnes in 2050
• Argentina consumes the most beef followed by USA second
• Beef consumption in New Zealand is decreasing
• Beef is the second most costly but doesn't vary much in price
• NZ only produces 1% of beef produced globally
• New Zealand is 6% of the global beef production trade
• 70-75% goes to export markets in China and the USA
• 85 % of New Zealand’s beef is

  exported
• Steer average carcass weight = 310 kg
• Bull average carcass weight = 300
• 50 % killed before 2 years of age
• All plants are accredited to USDA standards
• Charolais and Simmental are

  used as Terminal Sire
• Calving percentage is 85%
• Most farmers aim to calve

  over a two month period
• Age at weaning is 180 days

  and 220 Kg live weight (6 months and 250kg is good)