• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.878-883
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• 2002

Due to rising trend of beef demand in Asia in the next two decades it is necessary to find additional sources of beef supply. In most Southeast Asian countries, male dairy and swamp buffalo have not yet been raised for a primary purpose of quality beef production. This study was aimed to compare growth and feeding performances as well as economic returns from feeding male dairy, beef cattle and swamp buffalo for quality beef. Thirty-six animals, 12 of each breed group, were used in feeding trial to compare the cost of beef production. Two levels of concentrate feeding, 1.75% of body weight (BW) and 1.00% of BW, were used for each breed group in order to compare feeding methods i.e. high and low levels. Within each breed group two animals of similar initial BW were randomly assigned to the two levels of feeding. The animals were fed from about 150 kg BW until reaching the final weight of about 400 kg. The results from this study showed that under the prevailing economic conditions in Thailand the cost of beef production from buffalo was lowest due to very low cost of feeder stocks, followed by dairy and beef. However, the cost of feeding per kg of BW gain was lowest in beef and highest in buffalo i.e. when disregarding the differences in cost of feeder stocks. Beef calves grew faster than dairy and buffalo, with better feed efficiencies. The results indicated that beef cattle could be more suitable for beef production for high-quality beef market, while buffalo could be more suitable for small farms where high roughage feeding is common. Male dairy calves appeared to require higher level of concentrate feeding than 1% BW in order to maintain good body conditions.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.1461-1466
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• 2000

The use of the dairy male calf for beef production has been found to be economically unprofitable during the past due to high cost of feeds and relatively low beef price. However, due to current shortage of domestic beef supply and rising beef price, this research aimed to assess feeding methods and costs and returns in raising dairy male calves for beef production under changing economic conditions. Two diets were compared: calves on an optimal feeding level were given milk replacer for 44 d and a concentrate (with ad lib. hay) to 150 kg bodyweight that contained 16% crude protein; those given a sub-optimal diet, more appropriate for smallholder farms, received milk replacer for 30 d and 14% CP concentrate. Twelve pairs of dairy male calves (average age 32 days) of Holstein-Friesian high grades were used, each pair having similar influencing factors such as weight, age, and genotype. Each animal was kept in a separate feeding stall until reaching the final weight of 150 kg. The results from this experiment showed that the differences of traits concerning growth performance and feed efficiency of the animals raised under the two feeding regimes were statistically nonsignificant. The optimal group was just slightly better, but the cost of production of the sub-optimal group was 24 percent lower (4,667 vs. 6,144 baht per animal) and the cost difference was highly significant. The results from this investigation showed that beef production from dairy male calves can be economically viable when sub-optimal feeding method is used and market beef price is at current level.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.68-111
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• 1998

The structure of the Hanwoo (Korean Native Cattle) Industry remains very weak and vulnerable to the WTO/IMF system. Considering that the majority of cattle farmers are small sized, and that marketing systems are outdated and inefficient, rapid expansion of lower priced beef imports by WTO system and rapid increasing of production costs by IMF system would lead to the deprivation of a regular source of farm income and threaten the stability of rural life. Accordingly, the Hanwoo industry should be expanded in accordance with progress in the implementation of (1) programs for the structural adjustment and (2) measures to compensate for the loss. Efforts for lowering major production factor costs needs to continue, In order to increase the supply of calves at low cost, the programs of collective cow-calf farms should be expanded, thereby reducing the cost of calf purchase, which constitutes the largest share of Hanwoo production cost. Also, feedlot operations should be encouraged for small herd farms in order to achieve a substantial saving in beef production costs by integrated operations from calf production to cattle fattening. A substantial saving would also be made by collective purchase and distribution of various inputs through the cooperatives' channels. Extension services should be strengthened for cattle farm management, cattle care and feeding, prevention of cattle disease, etc. In order to minimize cash outlays for commercial mixed feeds, utilization of far by-products as feeds should be enhanced and production of forage crops productive of resources, such as land and rural labor, during the farm o(f-season, needs to be encouraged. Also, technological development for enhancing the nutritional value of farm by-products should be encouraged. Measures for successful segregation of the Hanwoo beef market should be implemented, thereby enhancing incentive for quality beef producers and protecting consumers willing to pay higher price for quality beef. For development of the Hanwoo industry, a considerable time frame would be required in order for (1) small livestock farmers to make a successful adjustment by staying in the enterprise and achieving increased price efficiency (2) livestock farmers to acquire know-how for producing quality Hanwoo beef, (3) the ongoing Government policy of enhancing price-quality competitiveness, and for improving the quality Hanwoo beef marketing to take root. (4) consumers to increase their ability to distinguish meat quality, and others.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.1007-1016
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• 2018

USA beef production is characterized by a diversity of climates, environmental conditions, animal phenotypes, management systems, and a multiplicity of nutritional inputs. The USA beef herd consists of more than 80 breeds of cattle and crosses thereof, and the industry is divided into distinct, but ofttimes overlapping sectors, including seedstock production, cow-calf production, stocker/backgrounding, and feedlot. Exception for male dairy calves, production is predominantly pastoral-based, with young stock spending relatively brief portions of their life in feedlots. The beef industry is very technology driven, utilizing reproductive management strategies, genetic improvement technologies, exogenous growth promoting compounds, vaccines, antibiotics, and feed processing strategies, focusing on improvements in efficiency and cost of production. Young steers and heifers are grain-based diets fed for an average of 5 months, mostly in feedlots of 1,000 head capacity or more, and typically are slaughtered at 15 to 28 months of age to produce tender, well-marbled beef. Per capita beef consumption is nearly 26 kg annually, over half of which is consumed in the form of ground products. Beef exports, which are increasingly important, consist primarily of high value cuts and variety meats, depending on destination. In recent years, adverse climatic conditions (i.e., draught), a shrinking agricultural workforce, emergence of food-borne pathogens, concerns over development of antimicrobial resistance, animal welfare/well-being, environmental impact, consumer perceptions of healthfulness of beef, consumer perceptions of food animal production practices, and alternative uses of traditional feed grains have become increasingly important with respect to their impact on both beef production and demand for beef products. Similarly, changing consumer demographics and globalization of beef markets have dictated changes in the types of products demanded by consumers of USA beef, both domestically and abroad. The industry is highly adaptive, however, and responds quickly to evolving economic signals.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1777-1782
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• 2007

Beef producers are trying to produce not only better quality but also greater quantity of beef in order to meet the preferences of some consumers at a lower cost. This can be accomplished if we understand the factors regulating lipid deposition in intramuscular adipose tissue and the tenderness of meat. Propylene glycol (PG) might be used as a precursor of intramuscular fat synthesis especially in the late period of fattening because adipose tissue in ruminants is thought to mature sequentially in abdominal, intermuscular, subcutaneous and intramuscular depots. The action of cholecalciferol supplementation has been verified in producing more tender meat through the enhancement of calpain activity over the postmortem ageing period. A synergistic effect can be expected if the dietary cation and anion difference (DCAD) technique is used in combination with dietary supplementation of cholecalciferol. In another approach, the optimization of hormonal implant use also may provide similarly marbled beef at a much lower cost.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.171-188
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• 2020

The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), first identified in China in December 2019, has widely spread worldwide and is an ongoing pandemic. It is expected that the ripple effect of COVID-19 on the global economy including the agricultural sector will increase substantially if not properly controlled shortly. This study examines the potential impact of COVID-19 on the Korean beef cattle sector and farm labor demand for Korean beef cattle using a dynamic partial equilibrium model. The agricultural production value and farm labor demand for Korean beef cattle in the scenario assuming pessimistic GDP growth rate (-1.2% in 2020) with no direct supply shocks fell by up to 4.00% and 0.67%, respectively, compared to the baseline which represents the future without COVID-19 outbreak. On the other hand, the agricultural production value and farm labor demand for Korean beef cattle in the scenario assuming both pessimistic GDP growth rate and supply shocks (-12.7% beef imports and + 2.4% feed cost in 2020) increased by up to 12.08% and 1.99%, respectively, compared to the baseline.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.961-967
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• 2018

Lao-native beef cattle are primarily Bos indicus, and most ruminant production in Laos is still dominated by small-scale or backyard producers that use traditional practices, resulting in low productivity. The cattle herd size in Laos has grown by an average of 5 percent per year from 1.52 million in 2010/11 to 1.81 million in 2014/15. In 2016, the Laos cattle population was 1.88 million head, with smallholder farmers representing 98% of production despite efforts by the Laos government to develop commercial-scale farms. There were 170 commercial cattle farms in 2016, with 56 percent in the Central region of Laos. Although, overall, ruminant meat production has tended to increase but with consumption at 7.29 kg/capita/yr in 2013, it remains insufficient to meet demand. Crop residues and agro-industrial by-products used in ruminant diets include rice straw, cassava pulp and wet brewers' grains as roughage, energy and protein sources, respectively. The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China in 2013 will connect China closely with all countries in Southeast Asia. This initiative will change landlocked Laos to land linked for investors who will benefit from convenient transport at a lower cost, promoting agricultural production in Laos.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.96-114
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• 2000

Genetically selected beef cattle are fed high-energy diets in intensive production systems developed in industrial countries. This type of feeding can induce rumen dysfunctions that have to be corrected by farmers to optimise cost-effectiveness. The risk of rumen acidosis can be reduced by using slowly degradable starch, which partly escapes rumen fermentation and goes on to be digested in the small intestine. Additives are proposed to stabilise the rumen pH and restrict lactate accumulation, thus favouring the growth of cellulolytic bacteria and stimulating the digestion of the dietary plant cell wall fraction. This enhances the energy value of feeds when animals are fed maize silage for example. Supplementation of lipids to increase energy intake is known to influence the population of rumen protozoa and some associated rumen functions such as cellulolysis and proteolysis. The end products of rumen fermentation are also changed. Lipolysis and hydrogenation by rumen microbes alter the form of fatty acids supplied to animals. This effect is discussed in relation with the quality of lipids in beef and the implications for human health. Conditions for optimising the amount of amino acids from microbial proteins and dietary by-pass proteins flowing to the duodenum of ruminants, and their impact on beef production, are also examined.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.91-99
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• 2010

A Model of small scale total mixed rations(TMR) plant which can be utilized round bales was developed, tested and analyzed in this study. This study consist of two parts. One is development of a small scale TMR plant model which was already reported at the previous paper. This is the second part of the study. For the study, a series of tests of the model plant were performed and its costs was analyzed. Also, the break-even point of the model plant by comparing with market price of commercial TMR feed was determined. Results of the research are summarized as follows ; As the results of mixing test, the average coefficient of variation(CV) value for mixing of the feed was 13.0 % at the gate of the mixer. The production cost was estimated as 8,298 won/head for dairy cattle farm and 2,495 won/head for beef cattle farm, when producing 8 batch a day. Also, it is recommended to utilize the model plant when farm size is over 79 heads for dairy cattle farm and 113 heads for beef cattle farm. As an overall conclusion, the model plant designed for farm size TMR feed mill will be very useful model for both beef cattle and dairy farms in Korea. Also it is expected that the capital investment for the model plant can be recovered with 8 months compare with purchasing commercial TMR feed if the model plant feeds 1,000 beef cattle approximately.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.761-782
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• 2006

Public concern about potential environmental risks of agricultural business for the livestock production and processing is increasing. However, due to differences in general industry structural characteristics, such as farm production and waste management practices, the effect of environmental policies may differ from species to species as well as across size categories. I hypothesize that additionally the Hog subsector may be more responsive to (or a greater driver of) a changing environmental policy environment than the beef cattle subsector. As a result, I expect to see more evidence of sensitivity in the environmental policy milieu from hog-operation stocking and location decisions than with the beef cattle industry. The written stringency may not effective, instead state's willingness to enforce has directed and regulated. However, in presence of rapid structural change, just like hog, industry location is affected by state regulation. The environmental compliance cost may be a small portion of industry total cost and fixed cost of beef industry makes for them to take into account environmental compliance for their decision location making. The special movements of flog industry have chance to minimize the cost of the operation and they willing to locate less stringent place.