apical meristem
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Argentine Beef Production
Inventory: 55 Million head cows and calves
Slaughter: 13 Million head
Production: 2.8 Million tonnes/ yr
Australian Beef Production
Inventory: 27 Million head cows and calves
Slaughter: 8.3 Million head/ yr
Production: 2.25 Million tonnes/ yr
(1 Million head feedlot capacity)
Brazilian Beef Production
Inventory: 170 Million head cows and calves
Slaughter: 34 Million head / yr
Production: 7.4 Million tonnes/ yr
Uruguayan Beef Production
Inventory: 12 Million head cows and calves
Slaughter: 2 Million head / yr
Production: 500,000 tonnes/ yr
United States Beef Production
Inventory: 96 Million head cows and calves
Slaughter: 34.4 Million head/ yr
Production: 12 Million tonnes/ yr
On average it takes around 10 pounds of dry matter to put on a pound of beef, but 6 pounds of feed in a feedlot situation.
Growing and finishing steers have probably less than 50% forage harvest efficiency.
Harvesting corn, soy and alfalfa is probably 90-95% efficient.
Grass finishing can require high loads of fertilizer and lime, much of which is leached or runs off.
Either huge amounts of land would have to be opened up or the cattle herd would have to shrink significantly (probably by half or more) for the United States to convert to a grass fed system.
It takes 20 months to go from weanling to finished steer, but 6 to 8 months to finish a steer on feed.
The bottom line, however is cost. Right now it costs too much to own cattle on feed.
Most cow/ calf producers I know do not excessively feed their cows grain because it is uneconomical.
Inventory: 55 Million head cows and calves
Slaughter: 13 Million head
Production: 2.8 Million tonnes/ yr
Australian Beef Production
Inventory: 27 Million head cows and calves
Slaughter: 8.3 Million head/ yr
Production: 2.25 Million tonnes/ yr
(1 Million head feedlot capacity)
Brazilian Beef Production
Inventory: 170 Million head cows and calves
Slaughter: 34 Million head / yr
Production: 7.4 Million tonnes/ yr
Uruguayan Beef Production
Inventory: 12 Million head cows and calves
Slaughter: 2 Million head / yr
Production: 500,000 tonnes/ yr
United States Beef Production
Inventory: 96 Million head cows and calves
Slaughter: 34.4 Million head/ yr
Production: 12 Million tonnes/ yr
On average it takes around 10 pounds of dry matter to put on a pound of beef, but 6 pounds of feed in a feedlot situation.
Growing and finishing steers have probably less than 50% forage harvest efficiency.
Harvesting corn, soy and alfalfa is probably 90-95% efficient.
Grass finishing can require high loads of fertilizer and lime, much of which is leached or runs off.
Either huge amounts of land would have to be opened up or the cattle herd would have to shrink significantly (probably by half or more) for the United States to convert to a grass fed system.
It takes 20 months to go from weanling to finished steer, but 6 to 8 months to finish a steer on feed.
The bottom line, however is cost. Right now it costs too much to own cattle on feed.
Most cow/ calf producers I know do not excessively feed their cows grain because it is uneconomical.