Beef Production and Management Decisions
Description
Current, authoritative, balanced coverage of the issues impacting the beef industry.
The hallmark text Beef Production and Management Decisions, 6/e, examines the most current and critical biological, ecological, financial, and marketing issues impacting the beef industry today. This updated edition includes concepts of beef quality assurance and devotes chapters to the management of information, the traditions of the business, and the future of the industry. Integrating a management systems viewpoint while drawing on the author's industry and academic experience to explore the challenges of the industry, this text is a must for any professional library.
The new edition is expanded and features 85% new images and more than 60% new tables; the latest industry demographics across the supply chain in the United States and with other major global players; a significant increase in management-oriented information in several areas; comprehensive, in-depth evaluation of the stocker sector; and increased online resource suggestions.
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Persons
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.
Content
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