|
 |
|
Beef
Production
Beef cattle production is a
strong animal industry within the United States and throughout the world.
Since beef cattle can graze forages in the open range and pasturelands,
they serve a unique role in providing high quality protein for human consumption
from byproducts and forage sources that humans and non-ruminant animals
do not consume. Considerable land in the U.S. and the world that will not
support intensive crop production, can often times sustain grasses and forages
that provide conservation of the land, and produce feeds that cattle can
utilize. Beef cattle production is dispersed throughout the U.S., but a
significant amount of beef is produced on the rangelands of the Western
U.S. About 830,000 farms had beef cows in 2000 and almost 12 million cattle
on feed annually.
Beef cattle production ranges from the beef cow herd that typically graze
on pastureland or graze the remaining residue on the land after grain
harvest to growing and finishing young cattle in feedlots. The feedlot-housing
systems used in beef cattle production typically varies by climate and
can range from open earthen lots with very little shelter to open shed
and lot or an enclosed confinement building. Manure handling and storage
ranges from solid manure with bedding included, and runoff water from
open lots to liquid slurry and treatment lagoon systems. Due to the increasing
size of beef operations, the large volume of manure production, collection,
storage and application to the land has presented challenges.
This module will look at beef cattle production from a historical perspective,
economic impact of the beef industry in the U.S., typical production practices
and manure management systems used today.
|
