BEEF CATTLE SCIENCE Agriculture Science/Production Management Beef Cattle Science (14-45 days) This unit deals with the management and care of beef cattle and its related industry. Topics include careers, breeding stock management, beef cattle production systems, beef cattle facilities, health and sanitation, fitting and showing of beef cattle, and marketing of beef cattle. Objectives To acquaint students with employment information and career opportunities in the beef science industry To provide students with the history of the beef science industry To provide students with criteria needed to evaluate beef production as a means of producing income and other personal values To create student awareness of approved beef production management techniques including breeding, marketing, feeding, disease and pest management, and waste management To make students familiar with the extent and nature of government involvement in the regulation of the beef production industry Competencies At the conclusion of this unit, students will be able to explain current employment information such as job descriptions, job availability, personal and educational requirements, working conditions, opportunity for advancement, and other factors relative to potential employment in the beef science industry and to relate it to their personal needs and aspirations; understand the systems of beef production; describe chronologically the cow, calf, and bull through all phases of their productive life; identify beef breeds and the respective characteristics and advantages of each; understand the physiological make-up of cattle and relate it to management practices of beef science; identify the diseases and pests of beef cattle and their prevention, control, and treatment; understand the current Food and Drug Administration regulations of drugs and chemicals pertaining to raising and marketing beef cattle; understand the environmental and fertility impact of proper waste disposal; and understand the proper marketing of beef cattle through carcass grading, showing and fitting, consumer market preferences, and local marketing channels. Subject Matter (Basic skills integration areas are shown in brackets following title) Careers - Current and future employment needs - Job description - Training requirements - Working conditions - Opportunities for advancement - Other factors Historical background of the beef industry - Early development to present - Characteristics of breeds Systems of beef production [Science] - Cow-calf operations Calving to weaning Calving to finishing - Feeder calf to market (long-term feeding) - Yearling to market (short-term feeding) - Breeding stock production Breeding herd management [Social Studies] - Selection - Before breeding - Gestation - Calving - Lactation - Artificial insemination - Embryo transfer - Genetic engineering - Crossbreeding Calf and young stock management - Calving time to weaning - Weaning to maturity Beef facilities - Confinement - Semiconfinement - Designing functional facilities Health and sanitation [Science] - Disease and parasites related to beef cattle Identification Control Treatment Prevention - State and federal rules and regulations Drugs and chemicals Inspection Fitting and showing of beef animals Marketing [Social Studies] - Types of markets - Market classes and grades Factors determining classes Sex classes Age or group classes Weight classes - Consumer market preferences - Local marketing channels Motivational Activities Take field trips to observe of breeding stock and market cattle. Take field trips to beef cattle operations to view their buildings, equipment, and other facilities. Take field trips to agribusinesses associated with the beef industry. View audiovisual materials on beef production. Post bulletin board displays featuring topics related to this unit. Invite resource people to give class presentations. Learning Activities Participate in a Supervised Agricultural Experience program. Collect and interpret performance data. Evaluate live cattle. Complete individual student research projects. Instructional Materials Textbooks and References Animal Science by M. Eugene Ensminger. 8th ed. Danville, IL: Interstate, 1983. Approved Practices in Beef Cattle Production by E.M. Juergenson. 5th ed. Danville, IL: Interstate, 1980. Available from National Farm Book Company. The Artificial Insemination and Embryo Transfer of Dairy and Beef Cattle: A Handbook and Laboratory Manual by H.A. Herman and F.W. Madden. 7th ed. Danville, IL: Interstate, 1987. Beef Cattle by A.L. Neumann and Keith S. Lusby. 8th ed. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1986. Available from National Farm Book Company. Beef Cattle Science by M. Eugene Ensminger. 6th ed. Danville, IL: Interstate, 1987. Beef Production by Clarence E. Bundy and Ronald V. Diggins. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1984. Available from National Farm Book Company. Beef Production and the Beef Industry: A Beef Producers Perspective by Robert E. Taylor. Edina, MN: Burgess International, 1984. Available from National Farm Book Company. Diseases of Feedlot Cattle by R. Jensen and Donald R. Mackey. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger, 1979. Available from National Farm Book Company. Livestock and Poultry Production by Clarence E. Bundy and Ronald V. Diggins. 5th ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1982. Available from National Farm Book Company. The Meat We Eat by John Romans et al. 12th ed. Danville, IL: Interstate, 1985. Modern Livestock and Poultry Production by James R. Gillespie. Albany, NY: Delmar, 1985. Available from National Farm Book Company. Raising a Calf for Beef by Phyllis Hobson. Pownal, VT: Storey Communications, 1976. Available from National Farm Book Company. The Stockman's Handbook by M. Eugene Ensminger. 6th ed. Danville, IL: Interstate, 1984. Available from National Farm Book Company. Bulletins and Pamphlets The following are available from the Cooperative Extension Service. Alfalfa for Beef Cows. A8MOAFBC. Beef Cattle Breeds. AF2228. Beef Cow-Calf Health Guide. A3042. Beef Production Glossary. BIF:FS1. Calving Difficulty in Beef Cattle. BIF:FS6. Cattle Abnormalities. A78861CA. A Complete Forage Plan for Livestock in Wisconsin. A2550. Culling the Commercial Cow Herd. BIF:FS7. The Farm Beef Herd. AF2126. Freeze Branding. A2824. Identifying Your Cattle. A2834. Modern Commercial Beef Sire Selection. BIF:FS9. Pest Control on Cattle. A2212. Postmortem Abnormalities of Beef. A78868BE. Profit Guidelines for Purchasing Feeder Cattle. A2677. Raising Veal Calves. A8MAB106. Rations for Beef Cattle. A2387. The Systems Concept of Beef Production. BIF:FS8 Understanding and Using Sire Summaries. BIF:FS3. Understanding Performance Pedigrees. BIF:FS2. Utilizing Performance Data in Judging Classes. BIF:FS5. Utilizing Performance Records in Commercial Beef Herds. BIF:FS4. Wisconsin Farm Enterprise Budgets Holstein Steers. A3360. Periodicals Beef Doane's Agricultural Report Drovers Journal Farm Journal: Beef Extra Computer Software The following are available from Agri-Farm Publications, Inc. Beef Cattle Management Tutor. 3221. Apple. Cattle Weight Adjustments. A3250. Apple. Livestock Management Game - Cattle Management. A3201. Apple. VISICALC Feeder Livestock Template. 3081. Apple. The following are available from Cherrygrath Farms Software, Inc. Beef Herd History. Apple. Beef Herd Management. Apple. Beef Production Records. Apple. Cattle Ration Analysis. Apple. Finishing Feeder Cattle. Apple. The following is available from Fred's Micro-ware. Cattle Program. Apple. The following are available from Hobar Publications. Beef Production and Related Review. Apple, IBM, TRS, Macintosh. Calf Crop. Apple, IBM, TRS. Farm Accounting and Records Management Problems. Apple. Livestock Diseases and Parasites. Apple. Livestock Diseases, Parasites and Related Review. Apple, IBM, TRS, Macintosh. Management Decisions: Grow Corn or Soybeans, Raise Steers or Hogs. Apple. The following is available from Micro Learningware. Cattle Program. IBM. The following are available from Midwest Agribusiness Services, Inc. Agri-ID: Beef. Apple. Agri-Quiz: Beef. Apple, IBM. On-line Computer Networks The following are available from Ag Ed Network, AgriData Resources, Inc. Beef Breeds. CSU372. Beef Cow and Calf Health Program. HS704. Beef Diseases. CSU380. Beef Selection. CSU373. Breeding Beef Production. CSU371. Computers for Livestock Records. HS210. Marketing Beef. CSU381. Laboratory Resources The following is available from Interstate Printers and Publishers, Inc. The Artificial Insemination and Embryo Transfer of Dairy and Beef Cattle: A Handbook and Laboratory Manual by H.A. Herman and F.W. Madden. 7th ed. 1987. The following are available from the National Vocational Agriculture Book Company. Vocational Agriculture Math Problems Workbook. 2nd ed. Vocational Agriculture Workbook #2. Films, Videotapes, and Slides The following are available from Nasco. Beef Cattle Identification. C11976N (Color filmstrip with cassette). Combating Diseases and Parasites of Cattle - Parts I and II. C10454N (Two color filmstrips with teacher's guides. Part I, 45 frames; Part II, 71 frames). Cow/Calf Production. C11972N (Color filmstrip with cassette). Market and Feeder Cattle Selection. C11970N (Color filmstrip with cassette). Preparing Beef Cattle for the Show. C10133N (45 color slides). The following is available from Venard Films. 7000 Years New. (16mm film). North American Limousine Foundation, n.d. The following are available from Vocational Education Productions. Beef Management Practices. 1-415-20H (Seven filmstrips, each with a cassette and booklet). Beef Production Systems. 1-424-230H (Three filmstrips, each with a cassette and script). Beef Selection Kit. 1-416-200H ( Three filmstrips, each with a cassette and script). The Reproduction Kit. 1-413-230H (Two filmstrips, each with a cassette and booklet). The following is available from Vocational Media Associates. Beef Production. 30800-93 (Seven sound filmstrips or slidesets, program guide, and reproducible masters). Equipment and Facilities Veterinary supplies Syringes Needles Implant gun Dehorners Castration equipment Identification equipment Balling gun Fitting and showing equipment