The Beef Industry At A Glance
Industry; noun. Definition 1(c): A department or branch of a craft, art, business or manufacture especially: one that employs a large personnel and capital especially in manufacturing.
I try to be careful using the word “Industry” when talking about cattle; it sometimes has negative connotations that I do not want to perpetuate. However, sometimes it just slips out and I find myself talking about how I work in the beef industry, or in my recent past, the dairy industry. After all, by definition, the beef industry (and dairy) is an industry; one that employs several millions of people in several sectors.
Society is experiencing a huge “food connection” movement right now; more and more people are wanting to have a connection to their food and are striving to learn more about where their food comes from. People want to know their food is raised ethically and sustainably. This is amazing! Did you know the average person is four generations removed from the farm? Furthermore, did you know that farmers and ranchers only make up 2% of the population? I’m speaking for all farmers and ranchers when I say “we would love to teach you about what we do”! We would all especially appreciate it if you would come to us with questions regarding something you heard on social media because oftentimes misinformation moves like wildfire on the internet! Being only 2% of the population, it can be easy for our voices to be drowned out!
My goal here is to teach you just a little about the various sectors within the beef industry with intentions of giving you a little more peace of mind when purchasing beef either from the grocery store or directly from a local rancher. Let’s start at the beginning!
Cow/Calf
This is the sector that you’re most likely looking at when you see cattle grazing the country side. This is where cattle spend the vast majority of their lives – grazing green grass. You heard right! Almost all beef cattle spend the majority of their lives on grass! It is a misconception that beef cattle spend their whole lives in feedlots. However, there are a few exceptions (very few!). For example we currently raise our cattle on a dry lot (a large coral), much like a feedlot does, because we are first generation ranchers so we have to start from scratch, so to speak. Grazing land in California is expensive and it’s really hard to find land that’s available to lease. We are very much in the minority when it comes to where our cattle live, so I will speak more to what the majority of this sector is like.
A cow calf operation consists of – you guessed it – Cows and their calves. The cows stay in the herd for years, some their whole lives, raising babies, courting bulls, and eating grass. The calves stay with their moms until they are old enough to be weaned and can get all their dietary needs from only what they graze as opposed to mom supplying a portion of their diet. From here these calves often get evaluated by the rancher who may keep a few heifers (sometimes bulls too) as what’s called “replacement heifers”. These are animals that will stay on the ranch to replace an older cow (or bull) that is no longer in the herd, or simply just to add to the herd. The goal here being to at least maintain herd size while keeping only quality genetics within the herd. Calves that will not be staying in the herd are taken to local livestock sale yards or are remotely featured on online livestock auctions that can reach a broader customer base. Buyers can range from other ranchers looking to add to their herd to stockers and cattle buyers for feed lots.
Stocker/Backgrounder
Stocker and backgrounder are two synonymous terms used to describe someone who will purchase calves that need to gain a little more weight before they go to a feedlot. Sometimes stocker cattle are used to graze corn stalks (or other crops) that are left over after harvest; other times they can be put back out on a pasture until they are big enough to be sold to a feed lot. Generally speaking, backgrounding is a short turn around. Backgrounders will hold on to a group of cattle for just a few months until they’ve put on enough weight to move to the next sector.
Feedlot
A Feedlot is where cattle will ultimately be put on a finishing ration to reach the optimal weight for harvest. This ration will have been created by an animal nutritionist to make sure they get a balanced diet that will enable them to put on weight in an efficient manner while allowing for the optimal development of intramuscular fat, also known as marbling. Feedlots put a lot of thought and effort in their protocols to ensure animals are not only comfortable but are gaining weight efficiently. Cattle that aren’t comfortable will be stressed out, and stress is entirely counterproductive to ANY animal agricultural program.
In a feedlot, stress can lead to animals not gaining weight, possibly increased morbidity (sickness) and mortality. The death of an animal would be an obvious loss, they aren’t paid for animals that don’t survive. Maybe slightly less obvious, a sick animal or an animal that goes off feed costs the feedlot money because they aren’t gaining weight in a timely fashion; a sick animal also brings on vet bills and medications which have withdrawal times that will be enforced further dragging out time on feed. Not gaining weight efficiently means more than average time spent on feed – and that feed is expensive. Each ingredient has its own cost that the feedlot must pay for. It is also important to remember that ration is formulated by a trained nutritionist who needs to feed his or her own family. Simply put, it pays to treat animals well and make sure all their needs are met.
There are a lot of factors that go into determining when cattle will be ready to harvest. Things like age, weight, and frame size of the cow are taken into consideration. Generally speaking, cattle spend 3-6 months on a feed lot, give or take some change.
Packer
Once the animal has met the desired finished weight they make their way to the packer; this is where the animal is humanely harvested. I feel it’s important to note here that there are several federal laws in place to ensure humane treatment is awarded to all animals destined for our food chain. Furthermore, all meat that reaches your local grocery store was required by law to have been inspected by a USDA inspector. These inspectors make sure everything is done in accordance with the law and that a wholesome product is being delivered to the consumer.
In an excerpt from The Beef Checkoff Masters in Beef Advocacy program on packing houses:
“Since 1978, the Humane Slaughter Act has ensured a humane and proper death for all food animals. The Humane Slaughter Act is an amendment to the Federal Meat Inspection Act to ‘require that meat inspected and approved under such Act be produced only from livestock slaughtered in accordance with humane methods and other purposes.’ The Humane Slaughter Act sets the standards for how livestock should be slaughtered and is taken seriously by all members of the beef community.”
Virtually every part of the animal is used in one way or another, and many of those uses are outside the food chain. For example, that “pigskin” we’ve all tossed around on weekends with friends and family is actually cow hide! Industrial lubricants, shampoos, soap, and even some lotions utilize fat from cows.
In conclusion, when you hear the phrase “the beef industry”, know that it is a broad term for one or all of these sectors. Each sector takes care to ensure the animal’s well-being right up to harvest. Whether you choose to purchase conventional or organic beef, Grass finished or grain finished, or directly from the rancher, it is my goal to help you, the consumer, feel good about your decision to eat beef. Ninety-seven percent of cattle ranches are family owned, so no matter where you purchase from, when you purchase American raised beef you are supporting a family ranch!