Beef Cattle

Every day is a workday for beef cattle farmers, including weekends and holidays. They start each workday by checking on the cattle to make sure they are all standing and healthy. They can check on the beef cattle while doing some of their other chores such as filling the watering tanks or checking on the automatic waterers. They fill... more »

To raise prime beef, begin with young cattle bred specifically for beef production such as the Black Angus or Hereford breeds. These beef breeds tend to fill out and achieve ideal weight for butchering by about 13 months of age. The younger the cattle are at butchering the more tender the beef. Allowing beef calves to nurse for four... more »

BSE is short for bovine spongiform encephalopthy, better known as "mad cow disease." Not only is BSE lethal to adult dairy and beef cattle, but it is also lethal to people who eat the beef. The first case of BSE was discovered in the 1970s. According to the United Kingdom's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the cause... more »

Black Angus cattle are known in the cattle business as "the business breed." In fact, the Mid-Texas Angus Association has that line as its catch phrase. The reason is simple: for anyone raising beef cattle it is the breed that puts the most beef on the hoof with the least work and crossed with other breeds they improve the beef load... more »

Each workday a beef farmer needs to check on the cattle to ensure their health and well-being. Starting with filling the water tanks each day, or if automatic waterers are in use, then verify they are functioning as they sometimes freeze in the winter or occasionally the plugs come out. The hay feeders are kept full, usually of round... more »