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In the US, there are over 720,000 cow-calf operations that are spread out over all 50 states. Over 1/3 of all US farms have beef cows.
At any 1 time during the year, most US beef cattle are on grass and ~15-18% of the 🐂 herd is located in feedlots for finishing.
At any 1 time during the year, most US beef cattle are on grass and ~15-18% of the 🐂 herd is located in feedlots for finishing.
Regional distribution of beef cows (just the females having calves) on Jan. 1st this year. The state of Texas alone was home to over 14% of the beef cow herd. This is why if drought affects TX or the Great Plains, it impacts the whole beef industry.
US beef cattle production is mostly extensive & so climate/soil differences dictate a lot of the regional production practice differences.
For example, US has a strong E-W precipitation gradient & N-S temp gradient that affects how many cows can be supported/acre
For example, US has a strong E-W precipitation gradient & N-S temp gradient that affects how many cows can be supported/acre
From surveys of beef producers across the US, we know areas with less precipitation & less forage growth, support substantially lower stocking rates. Within region variation is considerable.
beefresearch.org/characteristic…
beefresearch.org/characteristic…
Even though the photo on the left (Point Reyes CA - a steer demonstrating disrespect for fences) & right (San Luis Valley CO) are both located in a region w/ an average of 43 acres/cow-calf pair, they clearly have different amounts of nutrients & energy (🌱) they can grow per yr
There's also regional variation in cow body weights & size. A region with less available forage means a smaller cow (w/ lower maintenance requirements) should be able to support herself better than a larger cow. Producers attempt to "fit" their cows to the environment.
