Beef Production Quesu

I think about goofy stuff sometimes...
So you have beef producers all over the continent.
Cold climates, warm climates, etc
In say, Saskatchewan, the temps get pretty cold in winter and cattle would use more of their food just to stay warm.
Wouldn't be the same in Florida.
I'm guessing there is a formula for lbs of feed in vs lbs of beef produced.
How much would that formula vary from SK to FL?
Would a cow in SK eat 5% more? 10%? More than that?
Would it be enough to notice and affect your bottom line?

Cattle suffer more, and might gain less, in high heat and humidity, so its not just cold weather to consider in your equation. Heat can put thrm off their gain more.

Thrn our lovely location, we get the best of both worlds, 20 below F winter, 95 temps and humidity in summer...... Oh yea.

Paul

Like Paul says, heat stress can have a big effect on cattle. The 'ideal' temperature for cattle is around 55 degrees, and heat stress can start around 75 degrees, depending on humidity. They DO eat more and gain more slowly when it's cold, though.
As far as a formula for a feed to beef ratio, I think there would be too many variables to figure it with any accuracy. Grain to forage ratio, type of grain (corn, barley, soybeans, etc.), quality of forage, breed of cattle, etc.
I think beef producers think more in terms of daily rate of gain. I know that is posted on the signs above the project animals at the county fair. I don't think the most profitable are ever the lowest or highest ROG, though higher is generally better.

Parasites are a bigger problem in warmer climates too.

Cattle genetics play perhaps the biggest role in this situation. Some breeds are better suited for warm climates than others. There are composite breeds that have African genetics mixed in that are used with success in the southern climates. South Poll and Red Devon are two that come to mind both of which are red hided. Black hided cattle don't do as well in the heat as they are more prone to heat stress and spend more time in the shade rather than eating, both of which effect gain of course. On the flip side, cold weather is harder on larger framed cattle (simmental, charolais, maine-anjou, etc.) because the larger the animal, more feed it takes just to meet the cow's daily energy requirements, therefore taking even more feed to put on gain. As far as your bottom line goes, if feed was cheap, no it wouldn't matter; but since that's not the case, I'd have to think it is very significant. "Seventy percent of the feed a cow consumes is strictly for maintenance. Only 30% goes toward production. Bigger cows have higher maintenance requirements than smaller cows. Maintenance requirements MUST be met BEFORE any weight gain or reproduction can take place." - Kit Pharo

There are formulas out there for lbs of feed per rate of gain, I don't know them but I'm sure some of the guys who feed out cattle know them. The only thing I go by is dry matter requirements for momma cows because it's simple and it don't lie. A cow requires approximately 3% of her own body weight in dry matter on a daily basis JUST for maintenance.

In NAR and SMO we can have some fairly big extremes for our winters. Some winters we can have several days below zero at night and sometimes we can have over a foot of snow. This winter was very mild but there were some big swings in temps. I have more problems with pneumonia in a mild winter.
Most summers are hot and dry with temps 95-100 common July through the middle of September. Last summer was not as hot as normal but the dewpoint stayed above 75. That is perfect for insects and disease. Cattle don't do well at all when the dewpoint and humidity are high. The dewpoint is the key.
In our area, IMO, it's easier to put weight on in the winter. It may take more feed but they gain so much better. I personally don't like the cold but it seems like it's easier to take care of the cattle.
If there is a magic formula, I haven't found it.

I've often wondered how the farmers in the northern climates compete with the ones down south. It would seem you could be more efficient in a more temperate climate, vs. a state where it's winter for 6 months of the year.
It must even out somehow..

A mature cow"s maintenance energy requirements vary as a function of genetics (tropical breed versus British breed versus Continental breed versus Composite breed, long hair coat, short hair coat, surface area/body mass ratio), wet cold weather, wind, etc. Usually the local extension agent or the local state ag schools can provide the incremental feed requirements for the "normal" bad weather situations. In cold weather, ranchers learn to read the cows Body Condition Score (BCS) and if they see it dropping too much, they increase the energy intake by adding grain or increase the hay fed.

While cattle are very adaptable (there is more genetic variation within a breed than there is between breeds) , most of the beef cattle production occurs in the more temperate climatic locations. The hotter humid regions generally have cattle with lighter hair coats and Brahman influence.(The hide temperature of a Red Angus is approximately 20? F cooler than a black hided Angus.) In the Great Basin, mature cow weights are lower due to the low feed productivity in the dry, arid location. So cattle are matched to their environment to maximize their performance.

Take two cows of the same breed, same weight and each 6 months bred, one in Minnesota and one in Louisiana, dead of winter, the Minnesota cow will require more total digestible nutrients to maintain herself but there is a high probability that it will be cheaper feed in total. Where in the mid west and northern states corn stalks and cereal straw/hay are readily available that is not the case most places in the deep south, when we harvest corn in late july or early august the fodder is basically not worth the fuel it would take to bale it, leached out from summer rains and burnt up by 100 degree days. It is true we can grow rye grass, wheat, oats and several more fall and winter grazing crops but they are high input crops, due to the relatively warm temperatures year round and lack of freezing weather microbial activity in the soil never ceases, or goes dormant as it does up north, that fact along with the soil leaching winter rains make the fertilizer requirements high if you want a good stand of grass. I grow rye grass and oats for convenience and to back ground calves but for brood cow maintenance it is actually cheaper for me to put up and feed hay.

is NAR and SMO in north america or Australia ? Just trying to compare regions. Thanks.

It seems to me that it is easy to over-feed dry cows by using big round bales, if it is quality hay. And cows tend to waste a lot when they have full time access. If a person had to buy hay to feed the momma cows, it would be very important to feed only what they need for maintenance and gestation.

As mentioned below, cattle suffer more in heat than cold. There is a reason prices for milk are usually highest in the Southeast... it is not a friendly environment for dairy cows compared to others around the US.

North AR and south MO

Thanks guys.
I knew it wouldn't be as simple as location but didn't realize there are so many and such diverse factors involved.
Very interesting replies though.
I don't farm or raise cattle so for me it's probably useless knowledge but as I said, sometimes I think about stuff and just wonder about it.
Thanks to all who took the time to reply.