Physical data from North Island beef cow herds (1998-1999)
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North Island
Hard Hill |
North Island
Hill |
North Island
Intensive |
| Cow numbers |
105 |
74 |
23 |
| Total cattle number |
385 |
351 |
246 |
| Cow mating date |
24 Nov |
14 Nov |
1 Nov |
| Calving percentage |
79.2 |
82.2 |
81.8 |
| Purchases as % of open cattle |
14.1 |
24.8 |
56.0 |
| Calf losses % |
2.0 |
2.0 |
4.0 |
| Other losses % |
2.9 |
2.2 |
1.6 |
| Sales as % open cattle |
43.9 |
48.3 |
66.0 |
Types of beef cattle farms
Beef breeding cow herds
- Usually located on hill country farms
- The objectives of a beef breeding cow herd are to:
- Rear a large number of calves, 95 per 100 mated each year
- Wean calves with a heavy live weight (230 kg or better)
- Use the breeding cow to maintain and improve pasture quality
- Income from a beef breeding cow herd arises from her own value
and sale of progeny not required for breeding.
- Indirect income due to complementary grazing with other livestock
species and ability to graze poor quality pasture.
Beef cattle finishing herds
- Usually located on lowland farms
- Objective is to maximise the $ margin between buy and sell price
in any one year
- Profitability of finishing farms is determined by:
- The ability to buy and sell cattle based on market prices
- Maintaining a high rate of liveweight gain, and meeting
meat quality targets
- Type of finishing system and slaughter date is determined by
available feed resources and the schedule price for beef.
Target carcass weights
- Most steers slaughtered at 27-34 months of age at 570 kg live
weight (290 kg carcass weight)
- Steers - 300 kg carcass weight at 20 months of age (avoid finishing
cattle for a second winter)
- Heavy weight steer production - aim for 400 kg carcass weight
at 30 months of age
- Bulls - target of 250 kg carcass weight by 16 months
- Heifers - target of 235 kg carcass weight at 18 months
- Cows - not slaughtered at any target carcass weights
Source: Statistics New Zealand. The
Economic Service
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