Beef Cattle

OSU Extension Service provides up-to-date information on beef cattle in Oregon and throughout the country, and facilitates the communication among producers, industry personnel, and OSU – Extension faculty.

Resources include:

Reproduction
Calves
Nutrition
Breeding and Genetics

Management Guide for Beef Cattle

We encourage cow-calf producers producers to evaluate their individual operation(s) and use these suggested management guidelines to determine a system that works best for their ranch, environment, and facilities. This article covers general cattle management issues related to the production year including suggested herd health programs.

Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center | Burns Station

Reproduction

Ready for Calving

Cattle managers can decrease the amount of calving difficulty through bull selection, nutrition and exercise. Don’t wait until calving begins, follow this checklist and set up the supplies and support you will need.

By Shelby Filley, | Article

Basics of Reproductive Function in Bulls

The first step for proper bull management is to understand anatomy and physiology concepts of the bull’s reproductive system. With this basic knowledge, producers and field personnel will be able to better comprehend and employ the tools available for enhanced bull reproduction.

By Reinaldo F. Cook | Publication

More reproductive resources

Calves

Advantages to the Cow-Calf Pair: Creep-Feeding vs. Early Weaning

Article

Creep-feeding and early weaning are two options a cow-calf manager has in dealing with young calves. Each practice has a specific purpose in a management scheme. However, they are sometimes used improperly and the expected goal is not achieved.

By Shelby Filley,

To Grass or Not to Grass... That is the Calf Question

Article

When the costs of gain in the finishing phase are high, heavier weight cattle are more attractive to feeders compared to lighter weight cattle. This publication discusses the pros and cons of keeping cattle on grass to gain more weight prior to entering the final growth phase before harvesting.

By Shelby Filley, Chad Mueller,

Extra pounds on weaned calves may pay dividends

Article

Although calves are typically sold for high dollars per pound and at a lighter weight, having the calves sold with higher weight may be worth more than the resources put into making the calf larger.

By Shelby Filley,

More calving resources

Nutrition

Testing Hay: This article explains the different ways of testing hay for livestock consumption. It includes information about analyses, labs and lab methods too.
Energy Nutrition for Cattle: Energy is the potential to perform work. In cattle, this “work” means the body functions required to keep the animal alive and also functions associated with production, such as growth, lactation, and...
Feeding beef cattle cull onions: Oregon is a domestic leader in storage onion production and Malheur and Morrow counties lead production within the state. Historically, onion producers have experienced difficulties disposing of cull...

More nutrition resources

Breeding and Genetics

OSU Across Breed EPD Calculator: The OSU Across-Breed EPD calculator is a Microsoft Office Excel® Macro-Enabled Worksheet. It has been formatted to run most efficiently in Excel 2016. However, an alternative version that will...
OSU Across Breed EPD Calculator - Instructions for Use: The OSU Across-Breed EPD Calculator is a tool to help commercial cattlemen evaluate and compare sires of different breeds using adjustment factors generated from the MARC data. The program allows...
How to Interpret Sire Summaries: Selecting a bull is one of the most important management decisions a beef producer makes. Since it is possible for a bull to sire 25 or more calves in each calf crop, the bull has much more influence...

More breeding and genetics resources

OSU Soap Creek Ranch

Photo by: Shelby Filley

Learn directly from Extension faculty

Find out about upcoming OSU Beef Cattle Sciences Extension activities happening across Oregon. We have OSU Calving Schools, Artificial Insemination School, Cattlemen’s Workshops, OSU – Range Field Day, OSU – Beef Industry Tour, and more.

Extension activities

Latest Resources

Beef Quality Assurance (BQA)

Beef Quality Assurance is a national program that raises consumer confidence through offering proper management techniques and a commitment to quality within every segment of the beef industry. Oregon has a BQA team certified in Cow-calf, Feedyard, and Transportation divisions and have been qualified through the National BQA team and authorized to offer BQA training and certification to producers. The website has online and upcoming certification programs (see Events).

Online Resource

OSU Beef Nutrition Workbook

A comprehensive workbook covering many aspects of beef cattle nutrition. Includes worksheets for users to apply the concepts to their own operations. Chapter titles are:
1. Animal Nutrient Requirements
2. Forage Value
3. Evaluating Feeds
4. Minerals and Vitamins
5. Ration Balancing
6. Supplements and Supplementation Strategies
7. Body Condition
8. Heifer Nutrition and Development

By David Bohnert, Shelby Filley, Gene Pirelli, Peter Schreder | Online Resource

National Drought Mitigation Center (U. of Neb.)

The Drought Center helps people, organizations and institutions build resilience to drought though monitoring and planning, and we are the academic partner and web host of the U.S. Drought Monitor map. Our capabilities include climatology, social science and public engagement, and we work at all scales, from individual ranches to local, state and tribal government, and countries around the world.

Online Resource

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News

Penned beef heifers stressed, sedentary and experience delayed puberty

News Story

Sep 5, 2017

Findings offer guidance for ranchers

By Chris Branam

Cows witnessing wolf attacks suffer PTSD-like symptoms, new research shows

News Story

May 4, 2017

Stress response could lead to lower pregnancy rates, lighter calves, and sickness

By Chris Branam

Rangeland researchers advise smaller cows for better herd results

News Story

Mar 23, 2017

Larger cows not as efficient at weaning when there's not much to chew on

By Chris Branam

All News

Similar information and scholarly work can be found from the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences - Animal and Rangeland Sciences.

Visit the Beef Sciences website

Photo by Reinaldo Cooke.

Explore more resources

Pasture and Forages

Upcoming Events

inFARMation (& Beer!)

Salem, OR

Mon, Oct 21, 2019 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Monday, October 21st at Barrel & Keg ( 1190 Broadway St NE, Salem) Doors open at 6:00pm; Event from 6:30-8:30pm Topic: Why and How to Buy Local Meat Buying local meat can be a daunting task. Who do...

Farm Enterprise Analysis-Plan for Profit

Central Point, OR

Mon, Oct 28, 2019 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Plan for Profit

InFARMation - Buying meat direct from the farm

Philomath, OR

Thu, Nov 14, 2019 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Buying local meat can be a daunting task. Who do you buy from? Does it matter if the meat was ”pasture raised”? What does buying “half a cow” mean? We’re tackling these questions and more as we dive...

Meet Our Experts

Sergio Arispe

Livestock

David Bohnert

Director

Scott Duggan

Livestock

Shelby Filley

Regional Livestock & Forage

Have a Question? Ask an Expert!

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Is beef with liver flukes safe to eat?

I'm in the process of buying some grassfed beef through an Oregon coast farmer on Craigslist. The beef was recently processed and is ready to pick up, however we won't be getting any liver as the cows had liver flukes. I'm wondering if liver flukes affect the rest of the animal/meat quality and...

By Charles Estill | Featured Question

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