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Global Livestock Production  Intensive Beef

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Global Livestock Production  Intensive Beef

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An intensive beef system that s designed to intensively feed and finish beef animals, where they are fed a high concentrate diet, supplemented with straw or other high fibre forage, to maintain the rumen.
Bulls will commonly grow at around 1.4 kg of daily live weight gain, and will be sent for slaughter between 12-16 months of age, because after this age you will be penalised.

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Animal welfare is all about ensuring animals five freedoms which
are:
1
Freedom from hunger and thirst – by ready access to fresh water and a healthy diet

(Intensively-reared cattle may not receive enough fiber which can, lead to metabolic diseases so ensuring that the animal is not just feed concentrates but plenty of supplements and hay or other fibre high feeds)

2

Freedom from discomfort – providing an appropriate environment that includes shelter and a comfortable resting area e.g. Straw or sawdust bedding

3

Freedom from pain, injury and disease – by prevention or rapid diagnosis and Treatment

4

Freedom to express normal behaviour – by providing sufficient space, facilities and company of the animals’ own kind

5
Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment that avoid suffering

All animal housing must conform to the following regulations of Animal Welfare Act (2006) as well as following

Control of Pollution (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) Regulations 1991,

SI No. 324, as amended 197 (SI No. 547)

EU Water Framework Directive, 2000/60/EC (applies to Europe and “UK” other countries have their own)

Beef production assurance schemes have different targets and specifications requiring differing premium beef sires e.g. Aberdeen, Angus, etc. but administration of medication must be strictly followed and recorded.

Beef and lamb AHDB Better Cattle Housing Design 2013

These freedoms are general guidelines of how animals should be treated/kept and are supported by the government, general public and animal welfare groups, as the welfare standard in the UK is High.

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Intensive beef farming is often used to finish cattle as they are raised on a high input high output bases, which means that they are supplied concentrates to increase the animals daily live weight gain over a short period of time this means that after finishing the animal can be sent directly to slaughter
in the UK

There are approximately 9.92 million cattle in the UK (2015)

The total number of prime cattle slaughtered at UK abattoirs in the year 2016 was 1.97 million

The average herd size in 2015 was 88 heads

In 2015 GB consumers spent £3,136 million on Beef

The average UK consumer consuming over 18.4 kg of beef and veal per year and the volume of beef bought is up +2.6% on last year 2016

The UK exports 24,000 tonnes of beef and imports 60,000 tonnes. Exports are mainly to the EU this is because EU regulations affect how much we can export. Although this may change after Brexit

National beef association 2017

Young bulls must be farm assured and between 12-16 months with a minimum residency on last holding of 30 days and a maximum of 4 farms since birth, otherwise a penalty of -10p per kg will apply.
ABP 2018

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Cattle are responsible for a wide range of environmental problems the first been their grazing and the space required for them to graze has lead to many problems such as deforestation however intensive systems keep the animals fed on a more indoor environment so that their roaming area is reduced without effecting their normal behaviour also by feeding them ‘ a Concentrate based diets has shown to resulted in lower methane emissions than mixed forage /concentrate rations, regardless of cattle breed.’ Lead contractor: SRUC Partners:  The Rowett Institute, Bristol University 2015 AHDB

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National beef association 2017

ABP Beef 2018

Control of Pollution (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) Regulations 1991,

SI No. 324, as amended 197 (SI No. 547)

EU Water Framework Directive, 2000/60/EC (applies to Europe and “UK” other countries have their own)

Beef and lamb AHDB Better Cattle Housing Design 2013

Molevalleyfarmers

Lead contractor: SRUC Partners:  The Rowett Institute, Bristol University 2015 AHDB

Outlook for the UK beef market October 2018

Books

Beef production and management decisions Authors: Field, Thomas G.Publication 2017.