Comparing Management Systems for Beef Cattle Backgrounding: A Multidisciplinary Approach

Abstract

Beef cattle production gradually has become more specialized with increasing separation of activities among geographic regions and farmers. The research literature commonly identifies two tiers of production — (1) cow-calf enterprises and (2) feedlot finishing [14, 19]. An intermediate tier — special feeding activities whose main functions are to assemble and grow out calves from a weaning weight to a weight and condition ready for feedlot finishing — has been operating for years. In recent years, as these activities have become more visible and distinct from the cow-calf or finishing enterprises, the name “backgrounding” has come into common usage among producers and market analysts [8].