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Title: EVALUATION OF A NEW SYSTEM FOR FINISHING BEEF CATTLE ON SMALL FARMS IN OKLAHOMA

Author
item PHILLIPS, WILLIAM
item MAYEUX JR, HERMAN
item BROWN, MICHAEL
item DEVANE, LARRY - REDLANDS COM COLLEGE
item GOSSEN, REONNA - REDLANDS COM COLLEGE
item HOLLOWAY, WILLIAM - TEXAS A&M RES STA

Submitted to: Oklahoma Academy of Science Proceedings
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/18/2002
Publication Date: 8/23/2002
Citation: Phillips, W.A., Mayeux, H.S., Brown, M.A., Devane, L.F., Gossen, R.S., Holloway, W.J. 2003. Evaluation of a new system for finishing beef cattle on small farms in Oklahoma. Oklahoma Academy of Science Proceedings. Volume(82)p. 27-33.

Interpretive Summary: Oklahoma winter wheat producers operate integrated agricultural enterprises that include cool-season and warm-season grasses and beef cattle. To be sustainable, producers need new options for marketing beef cattle that they purchase to harvest the grasses they grow. Stocker calves that might be considered too heavy to be marketed effectively in the spring can be finished on the producer's farm with only a minimum of capital investment. Warm season grass pastures that may have low economic return potential can be used to provide all of the needed feed nutrients early in the finishing period. A self feeder filled with a high grain diet is then placed in the pasture to provide the needed energy to finish the calves. Under this option calves yielded acceptable carcasses for the beef processor with less internal and external fat. The system used less feed and eliminated the expense of disposing of cattle waste as compared to total confinement feeding operations.

Technical Abstract: A new system for finishing beef calves on small farms in Oklahoma was compared to the currently used total confinement system. The objective of the experiment was to provide Oklahoma beef cattle producers with an option that would utilize available resources more efficiently and increase farm enterprise returns. Beef calves were born in the spring, weaned in the fall, and transported to El Reno, OK to graze winter wheat or dormant native prairie. In the spring, these calves grazed cool season grass pastures. In June, they were blocked by breed, source and any previous treatments. They were then randomly assigned within block to a conventional total confinement finishing system or to a new system where calves grazed warm season grass pastures with ad libitum access to a high grain diet. Calves gained weight at a similar rate under either system. Calves produced under the new system required less feed and had leaner carcasses than calves produced under the conventional system. This new system does not require a large investment in facilities and gives producers an option for marketing beef calves in a manner that could increase gross revenues to the total farm enterprise.