Tracking Performance and Health of the Beef Calf From Birth to Carcass

摘要

Tracking of individual cow/calf, feedlot and carcass performance/characteristics is necessary for producers to be able to establish a base-line for comparison of their herd to the global population and to effectively evaluate the potential need for adjustment of their genetics to more readily meet present market demands. Knowing the carcass characteristics of their cattle allows producers to more effectively target niche markets. Individual tracking lends itself to using a systems approach to measure producer profitability as a result of having analyzed cow-calf, feedlot and carcass net returns. Finally, individual tracking at the very least should enhance consumer confidence in beef.