Beef cows have been actively raised since the 18th century, and their popularity increases every year as high-quality beef is consistently in demand. Mainly large farms are engaged in breeding beef breeds of cows; it is more profitable for small private owners to keep meat and dairy cattle. Business profitability is high if animals are provided with proper care and kept in proper conditions.
Features of the meat direction
When choosing beef cattle, you need to take into account the characteristics of the breed, determined by its purpose and degree of productivity. Meat-producing cattle are divided into 3 categories:
- Intensively developing calves. Immediately after birth, they begin to quickly gain body weight. With the introduction of concentrated complementary foods, weight gain accelerates sharply. Animals are demanding in terms of living conditions. Their meat is of excellent quality.
- Slowly developing. The animals are not capricious in their maintenance, are distinguished by excellent health, and survive on pasture. The business does not require significant cash investments. The meat is dietary and contains a minimum of fat.
- A mixed category that appeared by crossing African and European breeds. The animals are unpretentious and adapted to hot weather. The cow quickly becomes sexually mature.
Beef cows differ from their dairy relatives in their massive build, significant muscle mass, and significantly lower milk yield. The milk of a mother cow is only enough to feed a calf, although some breeds produce not only high-quality meat, but also milk.
Meat-producing cattle are fed intensively according to a specific scheme. A newborn calf weighs 30-35 kg, and its free-range body weight grows quickly. Calves at 18-20 months of age are slaughtered and 3 months before they are transferred to stall housing and intensive feeding. The slaughter yield of early maturing breeds reaches 55%, and for the best-fed bulls it is 60-65%.
The most popular breeds
There are a large number of beef cattle breeds in the world; choosing the right one is problematic, since the productivity of all is approximately the same. When choosing, you should focus on the characteristics of keeping animals, breed advantages and disadvantages, and your financial capabilities.
In the world
Western European breeders were the most successful in breeding meat breeds. Each breed meets the requirements of breeders and consumer preferences. Thus, British cows are early-ripening, French cows are muscular and late-ripening, and their meat has little fat.
Estonian red
The breed appeared at the end of the 19th century, when Estonian cattle were crossed with German animals, and the resulting offspring were mated with Danish cows. Estonian cattle have a stocky build, bulls weigh up to 900 kg, cows - 500-600 kg. The coat is red-brown or light red.
Shorthorn
A hybrid obtained by crossing British, Dutch and Scottish breeds. The cows are beautiful, stately, with harmonious muscles and red coat. A bull weighs up to 1000 kg, a cow – up to 500 kg.
On Russian farms shorthorn cow did not take root due to its pickiness about feeding and living conditions, and sensitivity to unfavorable climatic conditions.
Charolais
A French breed that produces dietary meat with a low fat content.Representatives of the breed are used as draft animals, but the quality of their meat does not deteriorate due to many years of physical stress. A bull can lift up to 2000 kg, a cow – up to 800 kg. The body is heavy, massive, muscles bulge on the chest, shoulders, hips. The color is white and yellowish.
Salers
The meat breed was bred in the 19th century in the French mountain village of Salers. Initially, cows were dairy cows, their milk was used to produce the famous cheese of the same name. But the animals were also used as draft power, which affected their muscle strength. An adult bull reaches 1500 kg and reaches up to 2 m at the withers. A cow produces up to 60 liters of milk per day.
British
Representatives of the British breed are adapted to harsh climates, their body is covered with black and white wool 20 cm long with a dense undercoat. A bull weighs 800-900 kg, a cow - 500 kg. The annual yield is not higher than 1500 liters, but the milk has a high fat content - up to 4%.
Due to their ability to adapt to any climatic conditions and withstand temperature fluctuations, British beef bulls are bred in tropical countries and in Russia.
Belgian Blue
A meat breed with a body so muscular that it looks unnatural. Almost no adipose tissue is formed under the skin, so animals can be continuously fed intensively. A bull eats up to 1300 kg of weight, a cow – up to 900 kg. Color white, light blue, black-blue or black.
Santa Gertrude
The meat breed was created by crossing Shorthorn individuals and Indian zebu. The second ancestor influenced the body structure of the cow: it has convex withers and a wide body. A bull weighs up to 1000 kg, a cow – up to 600 kg.
Grown in Russia
Russian farmers choose for breeding the best beef cattle breeds, adapted to harsh climatic conditions, giving high meat gain even when fed with cheap feed. These breeds include the best British Hereford in the world, and unpretentious Kazakh and Kalmyk cows are also popular in Russia.
Hereford
The most common meat breed. The coat is thick and lengthens by several centimeters in the cold months. The animals are short, with a barrel-shaped body, males weigh up to 1000 kg, females - up to 600 kg. The color is solid red or with white spots.
Aberdeen Angus
Scottish beef breed created by selecting hornless local animals. The slaughter weight is high, since representatives of the breed have a thin skeleton, amounting to no more than 18% of body weight. Adult bulls weigh up to 900-950 kg.
A serious drawback is the ferocity and uncontrollability of adult bulls, the ability to attack people and other animals.
Kazakh white-headed
The meat breed was obtained by crossing Hereford and Kazakh animals. Cows are distinguished by their barrel-shaped physique, straight back, and strong skeleton.
Representatives of the Kazakh breed are divided into meat and meat and dairy. The latter produce milk of good quality.
Kalmytskaya
Kalmyk beef cows are adapted to harsh climatic conditions, do not suffer from frost and winds, and have enough food on scarce pastures. The animals are active, hardy, not afraid of long treks, and do not lose body weight. They have a strong skeleton, red wool with a dense undercoat. A bull weighs up to 1000 kg, a cow – 550-600 kg. The annual milk yield does not exceed 1200 liters.
Aquitaine light
A young French breed with a harmonious physique and well-developed muscles. The coat is yellowish or light brown. A bull eats up to 1300 kg, a cow – up to 900-950 kg.
Selection rules
Meat cattle are purchased for fattening at 6 months of age.The animal must be active and moving normally. The body of a healthy beef cow is elongated, massive, angular, with convex muscles, a wide pelvis, and a voluminous and protruding chest. A narrow chest is a sign of defects in the respiratory and circulatory system.
The head is large, heavy, the neck is short, sinewy, strong. The eyes should not be inflamed, covered with a film, watery profusely, or with a blurred look. The limbs are short, strong, widely spaced. The udder is medium in size and should not sag.
Subtleties of maintenance and care
Beef cows are generally raised in the same way as dairy cows. There are minor content details:
- The basis of nutrition is pasture. It cannot be limited; it provides the main increase in body weight. Otherwise, you will have to use nutritional supplements.
- A young individual requires at least 2 m2 stall, for an adult beef bull – from 10 m2.
- The barn must be ventilated. The optimal temperature is from +5 to +18 °C.
- In summer, pasture housing is used; in hot weather, animals are kept under a canopy. In winter, the cows are in the barn.
- The diet of beef cows includes grass, hay, silage, root vegetables, concentrated feed, and mineral supplements. The grain is given steamed.
- From 10 months of age, cattle are transferred to stall rearing to increase weight. Walking time is reduced to 4 hours. Reduce the amount of succulent grass, increase the portion of hay.
Beef bulls can be aggressive, this must be taken into account when buying them for a small private farm. To fatten the animal, it will have to be kept on a leash, which can negatively affect the quality of the meat.
