Beef Production and Management Decisions

Tom Field, Ph.D., serves the people of Nebraska as the Director of the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program and holder of the Engler Chair in Entrepreneurship at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  An enthusiastic advocate for free enterprise, the potential of young people, and opportunities in both agriculture and rural communities, Tom is an internationally recognized educator and innovator who has the ability to connect the dots between people, industries, and ideas.  A fifth generation cattleman who is in a partnership in a family cow-calf business in western Colorado, he also authors the column “Out of the Box,” is a featured commentator on business and entrepreneurship for Angus TV on RFD, and is a sought-after speaker who challenges and inspires audiences to lead their organizations to excellence by asking the right questions, seeking solutions beyond conventional wisdom, and unleashing the power of focused creativity.  A frequent speaker at agricultural events in the United States and abroad, he has consulted with a number of agricultural enterprises and organizations.  He is also the author of Scientific Farm Animal Production now in its 11th edition.  He and his wife Laura and their family live near Raymond, NE.

Chapter 1      An Overview of the U.S. Beef Industry

General Overview

Contribution to the U.S. Economy

Beef Industry Segments

Beef Industry Organizations

Beef Industry Issues

Animal Well-Being

Selected References

 

Chapter 2      Retail Beef Products and Consumers

Retail Beef Products

Beef Consumption and Expenditures

Beef Palatability and Consumer Preferences

By-Products

Selected References

 

Chapter 3      Management Systems: Integrated and Holistic Resource Management

Resources and Principles

The Human Resource

The Financial Resource

Land and Feed Resources

The Cattle Resource

The Market Resource

Management Systems

Selected References

 

Chapter 4      Management Decisions for Seedstock Breeders

Breeding Program Goals and Objectives

Production Records

Sire Selection

Selecting Replacement Heifers

Selecting Cows

Marketing Decisions

Selected References

 

Chapter 5      Commercial Cow-Calf Management Decisions

Creating the Vision

Information Systems

Profit-Oriented Management Decisions

Factors Affecting Pounds of Calf Weaned

Managing Percent Calf Crop

Managing Weaning Weights

Managing Annual Cow Costs and Returns

Matching Cows to Their Economical Environment

Weaning Management

Marketing Decisions

Establishing a Commercial Cow-Calf Operation

Summary of Cow-Calf Operational Types and Management Practices

Selected References

 

Chapter 6      Stocker Management Decisions

Computing Breakeven Prices

The Budgeting Process

Management Considerations

Pasture Leases

Selected References

 

Chapter 7      Feedlot Management Decisions

Types of Cattle Feeding Operations

Non-Finishing Feeding

Managing a Feedlot Operation

Selected References

 

Chapter 8      The Beef Supply Chain

Trust

Sustainability

Value Creation

Source Verification, Traceback, and Identification Systems

Structural Changes in the Beef Industry

Supply Chain Coordination/Business Relationships

Selected References

 

Chapter 9      The Marketing System

Market Classes and Grades

Marketing Cows and Bulls

Market Channels

Grid Pricing

Major Factors Affecting Cattle Prices

Assessing Marketing Costs

Forecasting Beef Prices and Managing Price Risks

The Futures Market

Advertising and Promoting Retail Beef

Selected References

 

Chapter 10    The Global Beef Industry

Numbers, Production, Consumption, and Prices

International Trade

Beef Suppliers

NAFTA Partners

Buyers

Trade Policy and Other Factors

Selected References

 

Chapter 11    Reproduction

Structure and Function of the Reproductive Organs

Breeding

Artificial Insemination

Synchronization of Estrous

Embryo Transfer

Cloning

Pregnancy

Calving

Rebreeding

Adaption of Reproductive Management Technologies

Selected References

 

Chapter 12    Genetics and Breeding

Genetic Principles

Mating Strategies

Traits and Their Measurement

Improving Beef Cattle Through Breeding Methods

Selection Programs

National Sire Evaluation

Genetic Testing and Marker-Assisted Selection

Selected References

 

Chapter 13    Cattle Breeds

Breed Variation

Breed Evaluation for Commercial Producers

Breed Evaluation for Low-Cost Production

Breed Evaluations to Improve Consumer Market Share

Integrated Production Systems

Selected References

 

Chapter 14    Nutrition

Nutrients

Proximate Analysis of Feeds

The Ruminant Digestive System

Digestibility of Feeds

Energy Evaluations of Feeds

Feeds: Classification and Composition

Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle

Ration Formulation

Pricing Feedstuffs

Cow-Calf Nutrition

Yearling-Stocker Cattle Nutrition

Feeding Feedlot Cattle

Selected References

 

Chapter 15    Managing Forage Resources

Grazed Forage Resources

Plant Types and Their Distribution

Grazing Management

Major Grazing Regions of the United States

Hays

Crop Residues

Drought Management

Market Cattle Production on Grazed Forage

Health Problems Associated with Grazing Plants

Selected References

 

Chapter 16    Herd Health

Diseases and Health Problems

Immunity

Establishing a Herd Health Program

Stress and Health

Parasites

Cow-Calf Health Management Programs

Selected References

 

Chapter 17    Growth, Development, and Beef Cattle Type

Growth and Development

Beef Type

Parts of the Beef Animal

Carcass Conformation

Conformation of Market Cattle

Conformation of Feeder Cattle

Conformation of Breeding Cattle

The Livestock Show

Selected References

 

Chapter 18    Cattle Behavior, Facilities, and Equipment

Behavior

Gathering Cattle on Pasture and Training Cattle

Cattle Transport

Facilities and Equipment

Auditing Animal Well-Being

Selected References

 

Appendix

The Metric System

Other Weights, Measures, and Sizes

Volumes and Weights of Stacked and Baled Hay

Round Grain Bin Volumes

Measuring Irrigation Water Flow

Land Description for Legal Purposes

Major Organizations Within or Affecting the Beef Industry

Glossary

Index

Additional Resources