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Beef Production in Nova Scotia. Terms to Know. Heifer: A young female cow who has yet to give birth. Bull: Uncastrated male used for breeding purposes. Steer: A castrated bull. Often used to provide meat.
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Terms to Know • Heifer: A young female cow who has yet to give birth. • Bull: Uncastrated male used for breeding purposes. • Steer: A castrated bull. Often used to provide meat. • Cull: The process of removing undesirable animals from a herd. This usually involves killing these animals. • Freemartin: A heifer which has non-functioning ovaries and is infertile. Freemartins are always born with a twin male. Phenomenon which can occasionally happen in sheep, goats, and pigs. • Oxen: Usually castrated male cattle of larger breeds used for work tasks such as plowing, hauling cargo, yarding trees, pulling wagons and trailers, etc… Most oxen in Nova Scotia are from the Hereford family.
Terms to Know • Closed Herd: A herd where no outside breeding stock is introduced. • Polled: Naturally hornless cattle with no horns or scurs. • Scurs: Horn like tissue that is attached to the skin and not the bone of the skull. • Weight per day of Age (WDA): Weight of an individual cow divided by days of age.
Beef Farming in Nova Scotia • The majority of beef faming in Nova Scotia consists of a type of faming called “cow-calf” farming. • Cow-calf farming is when a farmers raises beef cattle and will sell the calves in the fall. • These calves are called “feeders” and will be raised by other farmers for meat or to continue their “cow-calf” farming operation.
Beef Farming in Nova Scotia • All counties in Nova Scotia are active in beef production with the highest concentrations in Kings, Hants, Antigonish, Cumberland, Colchester, and Pictou counties. • Farm cash receipts of beef cattle and calves amounted for $18 million in 2003.
Types of Beef Cattle • In Nova Scotia, most beef cattle consist of 6 main breeds: Angus, Hereford, Charolais, Simmental, Shorthorn, and Limousin. • These breeds are preferred because of their large build, mild temperament, ruggedness, and overall meat quality.
Angus • Originated from Aberdeen, Scotland. • Angus naturally do not have horns. • Often come in solid red or solid black color. Known as “Black Angus” and “Red Angus”. • One of the highest ranked beef for good marbling, little outer fat, and solid meat.
Hereford • Originated from Herefordshire, England. • The most common breed used for beef production worldwide. • Known for their hardiness. They can adapt from the cold of locations like Canada and the UK to the hot, dry locations like Australia and South America. • Can also be used as working cattle for plowing, yarding trees, etc..
Charolais • Originated from Charolles, France. • Often used to crossbreed with Herefords and Angus. • Known to produce muscular cattle with dark red meat. • Charolais have pure white coats unless they have a “red factor” (crossbred with cattle of red color) in which they would have a redish-white tinge.
Simmental • Originated from the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland (along Simme River). • Known as one of the oldest breeds of cattle in the world. Can be traced back to the Middle Ages (the year 400-1400). • Known for the rapid growth of calves. • Traditionally produce more milk yield than any other beef breeds. • Very muscular and short in stature.
Shorthorn • Originated from North East England in the late 18th century. • Valued for both their dairy and beef abilities. • Today, most shorthorn are crossbred with dairy cattle and beef cattle to create dairy shorthorns and beef shorthorns. • Colors vary but tend to be predominantly white, predominantly red, and roan (red and white/grey mix)
Limousin • Originated from the Limousin and Marche regions of France. • First exported from France in the 1960’s making Limousin one of the youngest breeds in North America. • Known to produce lean, tender meat. • High dress weight and high meat ratio. • Light brown in color and short in stature.
The Operation • Beef farms across Nova Scotia vary greatly in size and style. • Unlike dairy cattle, beef cattle are not milked and do not require large, complex barns or routines. • Beef cattle must be provided with shelter in the winter months and will often graze on pasture land in the warmer months.
The Operation • Whether grazing or in barns, beef cattle need access to ample water supplies and food. • While in pasture, beef cattle will feed on the grass, alfalfa, clover, timothy, and other natural feed in the fields. • While in barns, beef cattle will consume hay, silage, and grains such as oats, corn, and barley. • Feed lots (areas where cows are manually fed) tend to yield better quality beef due to large amounts of food and protein enriched grains. In these feedlots, cows can gain 1-2 kg per day.
Calves • Most beef cattle will produce one calf each year. • Unlike dairy cattle, the calves will often stay with their mothers and the herd. • Some beef operations will keep these calves with the herd for good while others will eventually segregate the calves together.
Beef Production • As beef reach “market weight” they are monitored for weight, muscle structure, injury, and disease. • When a healthy cow reaches the desired “market weight”, they are transported by truck to packing plants for processing. • When the animals reach the packing plants, they are killed following federal regulations to maintain health and humanitarian standards.
Beef Production • Once killed, each carcass is inspected for any signs of illness, injury, or disease. • Once they pass inspection, the beef are graded on age, quality of the meat, and meat yield. • In Canada, there are thee A grades of beef (AAA being the highest quality). • AAA has the highest level of marbling (fat throughout the meat).
Beef Production • Most beef carcasses are then processed further (depending on plant and products made) or are shipped in sides (cut in half) to butcher shops and meat cutters. • Many carcasses are cut into smaller pieces which are placed in boxes (boxed beef) and shipped to restaurants, markets, and grocery stores.
Difficulties Faced by Beef Producers • The beef market is much like a rollercoaster. One minute the prices are up and the next they are dropping. • The beef market depends on world prices and quality…one infected or ill animal processed can shut down trade. • Environmental regulations on waste management makes it difficult on farmers. • Competition from meat outside of the province and country makes it difficult for NS farmers to make a living.
End of Section Questions • 1) What are the six main breeds of beef cattle in Nova Scotia. Give a brief description of each. • 2) Why are feedlots more productive in beef raising than pasture grazing? • 3) Describe the process after a beef cow leaves the farm for processing. • 4) What are some specific issues faced by Nova Scotia beef producers?
