Beef Cattle Course Online

• The role of beef cattle in agriculture
• Scientific classification
• Examples of breeds worldwide
• British Beef breeds – Angus, Hereford, South Devon, Sussex, Red Poll
• U.S. Developed Beef breeds – Santa Gertrudis, American Brahman, Amerifax, Beefmaster
• European Beef breeds – Salers, Charolais, Simmental, Gelbvieh
• Australian Beef breeds – Braford, Beefmaster, Droughtmaster, Murray Grey, Australian Lowline
• South African Beef Breeds – Salorn, Tswana, Tuli, Africkander,
• Breed selection considerations – horned vs poll, colour, gestation length, birth weight, mothering ability, post weaning growth, meat quality etc

• Various systems of production – extensive, intensive, semi-intensive
• Choosing a suitable system – considerations include size, climate, soils, transport, markets etc
• Cattle handling facilities
• Materials used in cattle handling
• Cattle identification – branding, ear marking, tattooing, ear tags
• De-horning – chemical and mechanical methods
• Castration, dips and dipping, and injecting cattle

• Heritability, performance testing, progeny testing, selection
• Pure versus cross breeding – advantages and disadvantages
• Calving percentage
• Management factors to improve calving percentage
• Weaning calves
• Factors affecting calf weaning
• The anatomy of the male reproductive system
• The physiology of the male reproductive system
• Fertility problems in the male
• The anatomy and physiology of the female reproductive system
• Fertility problems
• Pregnancy and partition
• The structure of the mammary glands
• Secretion of milk
• Growth and development
• Post natal growth
• Compensatory growth

• Determining health status of the animal
• Signs of a healthy animal
• Causes of ill-health
• Injury, poor nutrition, poisoning, parasites, hereditary conditions etc
• Preventing ill-health
• Correct feed and nutrition, insect control, parasite control, vaccinations, control stress etc

• Some parasitic diseases
• Other ailments of cattle – actinobacillosis, anaplasmosis, arthritis, beef measles
• poisoning, pink eye, milk fever, bloat etc

• Feed type – roughages and concentrates
• Carbohydrates, protein, fats
• Grass or grain feeding
• Rations for beef cattle – maintenance or production rations
• Maintenance rations
• Procedure for calculating a ration
• Supplementary feeding of protein
• Lot Feeding
• Minerals
• Common macromineral deficiencies
• Common trace mineral deficiencies
• Diagnosis of trace mineral deficiencies
• Vitamins
• Water for farm animals
• Protein

• The breeding herd
• Production systems
• Cow-calf herd
• Beef production systems using dairy stock

• Lot feeding – types of feedlot
• Managing cattle in a feedlot
• Feedlot Records
• Article on pen feeding in South Africa

• Time of calving
• Feeding
• Fertility
• Indicators of fertility in bulls
• Indicators of fertility in cows

• Profitability
• Factors affecting gross output
• Factors affecting variable costs

• Semen Collection and Storage in Cattle
• Heat Detection
• Timing of Insemination for Maximum Conception
• Equipment and Supplies needed for AI in Cattle
• Inseminating a Group of Synchronized Cattle
• and more.

When you have completed the lessons of your Certificate course, you will be given the option of taking the optional exam. It’s okay if you don’t want the exam, we still issue your Careerline Certificate.