Certificate of Beef Cattle

Unit 1 – Introduction to beef cattle and beef cattle breeds

• The role of beef cattle in agriculture
• Scientific classification
• Examples of breeds worldwide
• British Beef breeds – Angus, Hereford, South Devon, Sussex, Red Poll
• S. Developed Beef breeds – Santa Gertrudis, American Brahman, Amerifax, Beefmaster
• Eurpean Beef breeds – Salers, Charolais, Simmental, Gelbvieh
• Australian Beef breeds – Braford, Beefmaster, Droughtmaster, Murray Grey, Australian Lowline
• South African Beef Breeds – Salorn, Tswana, Tuli, Africkander,
• Breed selection considerations – horned vs poll, colour, gestation length, birth weight, mothering ability, post weaning growth, meat quality etc

Unit 2 – Beef Cattle Production Systems

• Various systems of production – extensive, intensive, semi-intensive
• Choosing a suitable system – considerations include size, climate, soils, transport, markets etc
• Cattle handling facilities
• Materials used in cattle handling
• Cattle identification – branding, ear marking, tattooing, ear tags
• De-horning – chemical and mechanical methods
• Castration, dips and dipping, and injecting cattle

Unit 3 – Beef Cattle Breeding

• Heritability, performance testing, progeny testing, selection
• Pure versus cross breeding – advantages and disadvantages
• Calving percentage
• Management factors to improve calving percentage
• Weaning calves
• Factors affecting calf weaning
• The anatomy of the male reproductive system
• The physiology of the male reproductive system
• Fertility problems in the male
• The anatomy and physiology of the female reproductive system
• Fertility problems
• Pregnancy and partition
• The structure of the mammary glands
• Secretion of milk
• Growth and development
• Post natal growth
• Compensatory growth

Unit 4 – Diseases in Beef Cattle – Viral and Bacterial

• Determining health status of the animal
• Signs of a healthy animal
• Causes of ill-health
• Injury, poor nutrition, poisoning, parasites, hereditary conditions etc
• Preventing ill-health
• Correct feed and nutrition, insect control, parasite control, vaccinations, control stress etc

Unit 5 – Parasitic and Other Diseases in Beef Cattle

• Some parasitic diseases
• Other ailments of cattle – actinobacillosis, anaplasmosis, arthritis, beef measles
• poisoning, pink eye, milk fever, bloat etc

Unit 6 – Nutrition in Beef Cattle

• Feed type – roughages and concentrates
• Carbohydrates, protein, fats
• Grass or grain feeding
• Rations for beef cattle – maintenance or production rations
• Maintenance rations
• Procedure for calculating a ration
• Supplementary feeding of protein
• Lot Feeding
• Minerals
• Common macromineral deficiencies
• Common trace mineral deficiencies
• Diagnosis of trace mineral deficiencies
• Vitamins
• Water for farm animals
• Protein

Unit 7 – Commercial Herd Management

• The breeding herd
• Production systems
• Cow-calf herd
• Beef production systems using dairy stock

Unit 8 – Feed Lot Management

• Lot feeding – types of feedlot
• Managing cattle in a feedlot
• Feedlot Records
• Article on pen feeding in South Africa

Unit 9 – Stud Herd Management

• Time of calving
• Feeding
• Fertility
• Indicators of fertility in bulls
• Indicators of fertility in cows

Unit 10 – Management, Economics and Marketing

• Profitability
• Factors affecting gross output
• Factors affecting variable costs