Beef Cattle

As of March 2000, the Canada Agriculture Museum is once again able to display Canada's most popular beef breeds. That's when our new Horse and Cattle Barn was officially opened. Since then, we have acquired a Hereford bull and several cows. The new quarters, which replace the Beef Barn that burned in a fire in August 1996, are spacious and modern and were designed to meet the needs of both animals and humans.

Phoenix drinking from Rosanne

Production Cycle

Breeding is done naturally on 80-90% of beef farms, but we use artificial insemination(A.I.). Cows have their first calves at the age of two and their gestation period is 9 months. Usually calving season is from January to April. The mothers nurse their calves on pasture through to the fall. The calves are weaned from September to November, at about 7 months of age, when they weigh approximately 250-350 kgs (500-700 lbs.). After weaning, calves usually go to a feedlot where diet is silage, protein supplement, grain and maybe some hay.

Calves grow at a rate of over 1 kg (2.2 lbs.) per day until they reach a weight of 500-600 kgs (1000-1200 lbs.) at an approximate age of 14-18 months when they are ready for slaughter. Quantity of grain is increased at the end of the finishing period to lay down a thin layer of fat which ensures a tender carcass and good taste. A 500 kgs (1000 lbs.) live animal will yield a carcass of approximately 285 kgs (570 lbs.) and about 215 kgs (430 lbs.) of saleable beef.

Breeds

A breed is a group of animals that have similar external characteristics passed on from generation to generation. The seven most common beef breeds in Canada are Hereford, Aberdeen Angus, Shorthorn, Limousin, Charolais, Simmental and Blonde d'Aquitaine. All of these breeds can currently be found at the Canada Agriculture Museum.

Hereford
This British breed, from the County of Herefordshire, first came to Canada in 1860. It is the most popular breed in Canada with an estimated 70 percent of the Canadian beef herd having some Hereford ancestry. The cattle are primarily red with white faces and can be horned or polled (hornless).

Aberdeen Angus
This breed originated in Scotland and is one of the few bovines that is born without horns. The more common strain is all black, but there is also an all red Angus.

Shorthorn
The oldest recorded beef breed in Canada, Shorthorns first arrived in Canada in 1825. This breed has roan (red and white) colouring and short horns. It is an adaptable breed with a quiet temperament. There are also milking Shorthorns.

Limousin
This breed originated in France's Aquitaine region. The cattle are red-tan in colour but can also be black if they have been cross-bred with another breed. Like many other beef breeds, Limousin can be polled or horned. The first of the breed came to Canada in 1968. It is considered the fastest growing purebred breed in Canada.

Charolais
Originating in the province of Charolles in France, it is all white and was introduced in North America via Mexico. It is a very large cow producing large calves and is known for its draft power.

Simmental
Simmentals were first imported to Canada in 1967. They originate from the Simme Valley in Switzerland (tal means valley in German). Ranging in colour from red to white to almost black, this muscular breed is known for its good temperament and large size. It has also been used as a dairy and draft animal.

Blonde d'Aquitaine
Derived from three different breeds of cattle dating back to the middle ages in the south-west part of France, the Blonde D'Aquitaine was first imported into Canada in 1971. Recognized by its solid wheat colour, this long-bodied breed is exceptionally strong.

Trivia Time: The Canadian Beef Industry

• there are approximately 3.7 million beef cattle in Canada
• 43% of the Canadian beef cow herd and 66% of the Canadian feed cattle production is in Alberta
• there are 61, 220 beef cattle farms and ranches in Canada
• an average Canadian beef herd has about 38 cows; there are many part-time beef farmers, or farmers that have a few head of cattle to supplement grain or dairy farming
• a farmer needs 75-100 cows, at least, to make a living just from beef cattle
• beef today is very lean; there is still some fat in it, however, so that the meat will be tender
• because so much range land is available in the west, it is not necessary to cut down huge tracts of land to make room for cattle which is too fragile or dry for crops to grow. Beef cattle typically graze on millions of hectares of grassland around the world
• Canada produces about 2.7 billion pounds (1.2 billion kilograms) of beef yearly
• in a year, Canadians consume 51.37 pounds (23.3 kilograms) per person
• Canada is the fourth largest beef and cattle exporter in the world.