Off-campus UNL users: To download campus access dissertations, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your NU ID and password. When you are done browsing please remember to return to this page and log out.
Non-UNL users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this dissertation through interlibrary loan.
Biological and economic interactions between intensive and extensive beef production systems
Abstract
An intensive system, where cattle were finished (236 d) on grain directly after weaning, was compared to an extensive system, where cattle were grown (310 d) on high forage diets prior to grain finishing (122 d). Cattle in the extensive system were heavier before (388 vs 233 kg) and after (595 vs 531 kg) grain finishing (P $<$.01) than those in the intensive system. During finishing, cattle from the extensive system made compensatory gain (1.70 vs 1.26 kg/d), consumed more feed (12.4 vs 8.0 kg/d, or 2.52 vs 2.08% of average body weight) and were less efficient (.137 vs.158, gain/feed) than those from the intensive system (P $<$.05).
Wintering effects of the extensive system were further evaluated in a second experiment designed to produce three rates of wintering gain (.28 to.50 kg/d). Cattle were then grazed on summer pasture and then finished on grain. Summer pasture daily gain was reduced 81 g for each 100 g increase in wintering gain (P $<$.01). No differences were observed in total weight after grazing summer pasture. Finishing daily gain increased slightly as summer daily gain decreased, due to increased feed intake, but efficiency was not altered. A model was developed to integrate the economic parameters of the two biological experiments. Overall cost of gain and final breakeven price were lower for cattle finished through the extensive system except when the price of corn was very low in relationship to other inputs. Interest cost was lower for cattle in the intensive system. Cattle grown on forages prior to grain finishing, consumed 85% of the total amount of grain consumed by those finished directly after weaning. Increasing the feeder calf purchase price had almost no effect on differences between the two systems. Corn price and purchase price affected both systems similarly while interest rate, wintering yardage and finishing yardage affected the systems differently. The additional weight produced through the extensive system yielded lower final breakeven prices in most situations.
Subject Area
Livestock
Recommended Citation
Lewis, Joseph Michael, "Biological and economic interactions between intensive and extensive beef production systems" (1988). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8914084.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8914084