Massey Documents by Type

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/294

Browse

Filters

1994 - 19972

Settings

Subject: search.filters.subject.Beef production

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The potential for out-of-season beef finishing systems on farms in the lower North Island : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Agricultural Systems and Management at Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 1997) Sherlock, Thomas Jon
    Beef production in New Zealand is strongly seasonal and reflects the pattern of pasture production on which livestock farming is based. Providing a more uniform supply of beef cattle to processors has the potential to improve returns to the New Zealand beef industry, first by increasing the market opportunities for New Zealand products, especially in the more lucrative markets requiring fresh (short shelf-life) beef cuts, and second by improving the utilisation of capital invested in processing. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the potential of Out-of-Season (OOS) beef finishing systems to reduce the seasonality of beef cattle supply to meat processors. The study focused on developing an understanding of the biophysical, social and economic factors that would affect the implementation of OOS polices for a sample of 14 farmers in the lower North Island. A Farming Systems Research (FSR) approach provided the framework for the field work and methods used in the study. A secondary objective of the study was to investigate the applicability of Farming Systems Research (FSR) methods for obtaining an improved understanding of the on-farm implications of OOS finishing systems and thereby enhancing the relevance of the findings to industry stakeholders. The first phase of the study involved semi-structured interviews with eight meat industry key informants. Their views were obtained on the effects of the seasonal pattern of beef cattle supply and the potential of OOS production systems to address this issue. Semi-structured interviews with 14 farmers with contrasting farming resources in a defined study region were then completed. Data was obtained from these farmers in order to identify the constraints, costs and opportunities they associated with OOS beef finishing policies. The final phase of the study included three in-depth case farm studies. The whole-farm computer simulation model StockPolTM was used to investigate and quantify the costs and implications of OOS finishing systems for each case farm. The seasonal pattern of beef cattle supply was confirmed as being a major disadvantage for processors and marketers in the New Zealand meat industry. Processing and marketing representatives believed that on-farm OOS beef finishing systems provided a realistic option for addressing the disadvantages. However, farmers believed that OOS finishing systems were less suited to, and more demanding of, their pasture-based systems. The effects of OOS polices on winter feed levels, summer pasture quality, and soil damage were identified by farmers as constraints to their adoption. The simulation of alternative production systems for the case farms suggested that premiums for cattle produced OOS would need to be about 20% above normal schedule payments in order to compensate for the lower biological efficiency of OOS systems. While it was difficult to formally evaluate the success of the FSR approach, the methods used proved successful in obtaining a detailed understanding of the constraints and impacts of OOS beef finishing systems faced by farmers.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Nutritional, genetic and meat quality aspects of once-bred heifer beef production systems in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Animal Science at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1994) Khadem, Ali-Akbar; Khadem, Ali-Akbar
    Issues related to the nutrition, management, carcass and meat quality traits, and the profitability of "Once-Bred Heifer" (OBH) beef production systems under New Zealand pastoral conditions were investigated in this research programme. Once-bred heifer beef production systems involve surplus heifers from the dairy industry which are mated to beef sire breeds at about 15 months of age and rear their calves for 3-6 months before being slaughtered at 30-32 months of age. Both the heifer dams and their progeny are thus prime meat-producing animals. The performance of once-bred v. unbred heifers and of early-weaned (EW) heifers (heifers weaned at day 84 of lactation "L84") v. normal-weaned (NW) heifers (heifers weaned at L147) were studied in the first two trials. In the third trial, Hereford x Friesian (H x F) v. Simmental x Friesian (S x F) heifers offered a restricted herbage allowance (RHA, an allowance to maintain weight) v. normal herbage allowance (NHA, an allowance to grow at 0.6-0.7 kg/d) during mid pregnancy (from pregnancy day 114, "P114", to P214) were studied in an attempt to investigate the effects of dam genotype and prior herbage allowance on the performance of heifer dams (growth rate, reproduction and carcass and meat quality traits) and their progeny (growth rate and weaning weights). A gross margin analysis was also performed to evaluate the profitability of alternative OBH beef production systems. Once-bred v. unbred Hereford x Friesian heifers consumed similar amounts of herbage organic matter (OM) during the period equivalent to late pregnancy of the former group (4.72 v. 5.15 kg OM/hd/d), but lactating heifers consumed more herbage OM than the comparable unbred group (11.36 v. 9.19 kg OM/hd/d, P < 0.05) to support the growth of their calves, as well as themselves. Unbred heifers had greater carcass weights and higher dressing-out percentages than once-bred heifers. However, the differences in other carcass and meat quality traits between the heifer groups were small, indicating that once-bred heifers are capable of producing meat comparable in quality to that of unbred and empty heifers. Higher gross margins ($5-10/Stock Unit (SU)) were calculated for once-bred v. unbred heifers. During the 10 days immediately prior to weaning, NW heifers had organic matter, dry matter and energy intakes which were slightly higher (P < 0.10) than those of EW heifers (weaned at L84). Weaning caused a slight weight loss in both early- and normal-weaned heifers for the first 30-45 days post-weaning, but liveweight (LW) was recovered after this period. During L84 - L147, EW heifers had a higher daily liveweight gain (LWG) than NW heifers (0.79 v. 0.51 kg/d, P < 0.01). Calves weaned at L84 had significantly lower daily LWG than NW calves during the period L84 - L147 (0.73 v. 1.30 kg/d, P < 0.001). This resulted in EW calves being 30 kg lighter (P < 0.001) than NW calves at the time of weaning for the latter group. Early-weaned heifers reached the target slaughter weight in March and, overall, had slightly better carcass and meat quality characteristics than those of the normal weaned group. Although similar gross margins were calculated for EW ($41.68/SU) v. NW ($42.00/SU) heifers, early weaning offers advantages to OBH beef production systems through increased flexibility of grazing management and selling times for animals. From P114 until P214, NHA heifers had significantly (P < 0.001) higher growth rates (0.72 ± 0-03 kg/d) than the RHA group (0.16 ± 0.02 kg/d). This resulted in a higher LW in NHA heifers at P214 (P < 0.001) and P270 (P < 0.01) than the RHA heifers. Gestation length, calving score, LW loss at calving and calf birth weight were not affected by dam genotype (Hereford x Friesian v. Simmental x Friesian) or prior herbage allowance. Meat quality traits were not affected by dam genotype, but it was concluded that the use of Simmental x dairy heifers in a OBH beef production system increases carcass weights of heifer dams in comparison to those of heifers derived from traditional British beef x dairy animals. However, gross margins were similar for H x F and S x F heifer groups indicating that little incentive would exist for dairy farmers to use sires of the large European breeds (e.g. Simmental) rather than Hereford sires which are commonly used to mate first-calving heifers in the dairy industry. The results are discussed in the context of the development of once-bred heifer beef production systems in New Zealand.