Colorado Reader March 2019: The Story of Colorado Beef | Page 4

Explore The Beef
Life Cycle
The journey of raising beef is complex and beef can be more complex
to produce than other meats, vegetables and fruits. This is because
the nutritional needs of a beef animal change during its life.
As the animal moves through its life stages, one thing remains the same. Cattlemen
and cattlewomen raise beef animals in a safe, humane, and environmentally
friendly way. They make the best use of natural resources, like land, water and
energy. They protect those resources not only for today, but also for the future.
The result is a delicious and nutritious food. You can feel good about eating beef.
A newborn calf with its mother
at a ranch in Elbert County.
Explore the
beef life cycle
from the pasture to your plate.
COW-CALF FARM OR RANCH:
Raising beef begins with ranchers. These ranchers have a herd of cows. The
cows give birth to calves once a year. Calves can be born any time during the
year, but most are born from January to May. About 40 percent are born in the
fall. When a calf is born, it can weigh between 60 to 100 pounds. For the first
six months of its life, each calf will live off its mother’s milk and eat grass.
A cow and a calf in the pasture
right before weaning. Notice
how much bigger the calf is
compared to the black newborn
calf in the picture above.
WEANING:
Calves are weaned or separated from their mother’s milk at six to ten months
of age. At this weaning stage, they weigh between 450 and 700 pounds. These
calves continue to eat grass. They may also eat a small amount of feed. This feed
is plant based and gives the calves extra energy and protein to help them grow.
STOCKING AND BACKGROUNDERS:
After weaning, the calves may be sold to ranchers called stockers or backgrounders. These ranchers continue to care for
the calves. The calves grow and thrive by eating grass in pastures. The calves also eat additional feed, which includes
vitamins and minerals. This additional feed makes sure the animals are getting all of their nutritional needs.
4 - Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom