BeefCattleFinishingSystemsL10

• What is the Beef & Lamb Quality Mark?


  A certification that indicates that the product is derived from animals grown in NZ and meets certain quality standards
• What types of animals may qualify for the Quality Mark?

  All categories of steers, heifers, veal, lamb, and hoggets
• Which types of animals are excluded from the Quality Mark?

  Mutton, cow, and bull
• Where can the Quality Mark be used?

  On carcasses, parts of carcasses, cuts, boneless product, whole muscle table meat, and value-added cuts
• Where can the Quality Mark not be used?

  On processed meat, such as sausage, salami, luncheon, patties, rissoles, meatballs and offal
• Growth promotants aren't allowed in animals that qualify for the Quality Mark
• Where is the product processed?

  In licensed meat export plants or abattoirs, and must be processed through licensed butchery
• What are beef finishing systems?

  A way to maximize the margin between buy and sell prices in any one-year
• Where are beef finishing systems usually located?

  Lowland/flat farms
• What is the objective of beef finishing systems?

  Maximize the margin between buy and sell price in any one-year
• What determines the profitability of finishing farms?

  By maintaining a high rate of live weight gain, meeting carcass and meat quality targets, and efficiency of pasture conversion to meat
• What factors determine the efficiency of pasture conversion to meat?

  By pasture utilization and animal conversion efficiency
• What is pasture utilization?


  Rate at which pasture is utilized by cattle
• What is animal conversion efficiency?


  The efficiency of converting feed intake into meat
• How does stocking rate affect pasture utilization rate?

  Increases in stocking rate result in increased pasture intake per hectare
• How does feed intake affect animal conversion efficiency?

  Influences the ratio of feed going to maintenance and growth
• Why is the per head performance important to profit in beef finishing systems?

  The per kilogram value of a beef carcass depends on carcass weight
• What are the basic principles for achieving high animal performance?

  Do not restrict intake, maximize bite size, allow the animal the ability to choose, and ensure herbage is of high quality
• What's an advantage of starting intensive beef systems with smaller animals?

  Heavier animals have greater requirements for maintenance
• What's the potential advantage for intensive beef systems that start with smaller animals (a 100kg bull calf or a 7 month old beef weaner)?

  Will have a potential advantage over a system that purchases 20 month steers or bulls
• What is the benefit of faster growing animals in terms of efficiency?

  More efficient converters of grass to meat
• What are the principles of finishing systems?

  Buying and selling on the same market to reduce risk, having a large range of options and flexibility in buying options, and having three cattle types heifers, steers, and bulls
• What age groups can farmers choose from when it comes to buy and sell dates for their cattle?

  Before the second winter or after the second winter, giving them more flexibility in their options
• What's a way for farmers to reduce their replacement costs?

  By rearing their own dairy-bred bull, steer, or heifer calves
• What are the advantages of buying younger animals?

  Provide lighter cattle for winter, good on wet soils. High priority in terms of feed all year round where there is a need to be finished before the second winter
• What are the disadvantages of buying younger animals?

  More susceptible to poor feed quality, have more animal health costs and higher mortality rates, often more expensive to purchase per kg LW basis.
• What are the challenges of buying rising 2-year cattle?

  Problem in wet winter on wet soils, in a drought can delay buying in until well into winter or early spring. Generally, only getting second-cut of cattle as fastest growth rate ones already killed
• How does selling 15-22 month cattle require high feeding priority?

  Usually, they require a high feeding priority all year to get to the required target sale weights. Need to enter the first winter at good weights to achieve 550kg liveweight at 20 months
• When is the best time to sell 2-year cattle?

  Before Christmas when the schedule is traditionally better
• Maximizing 2-year cattle growth in the spring is key
• What are the advantages of heifers as an option in a finishing beef enterprise?

  Cheaper to buy on a price per kg basis, can run bigger mobs than bulls, can mix mobs a lot easier than bulls
• What are the disadvantages of heifers as an option in a finishing beef enterprise?

  Grow slower than steers and bulls, schedule is sometimes but not always lower than steers
• What are the advantages and of steers as an option in a finishing enterprise?

  Can run bigger mobs than bulls, can mix mobs a lot easier than bulls.
• What are the disadvantages of steers as an option in a finishing enterprise?

  Slower growth rate than bulls, can have grading problems - big discounts if not sufficient fat cover, i.e., P grade
• Why are bulls traditionally cheaper than steers per kg?

  Bulls traditionally bought cheaper than steers per kg
• What is a disadvantage of mixing bulls together?

  Bulls fight when mixed, leading to increased liveweight cost and death rate
• How many bulls are recommended to be run in small mobs?

  Small mobs of 15-30, especially for older bulls
• What are some potential damages caused by bulls?

  Bulls can cause damage to pastures and infrastructure, sometimes requiring an electric fence system
• What are the advantages of finishing steers over bulls?

  Large mobs are easier to manage - able to mix and match so don't need to worry about behavior or damages
• What is approximate proportion of a steers carcass classified as high value?

  ~20%