Search Results (5)

On a global scale, rangelands occupy approximately half of the world’s land base surface; have a critical role in carbon sequestration and biodiversity; and support a diverse and critical economy, but at the same time, are under threat by many factors, including climate change. California rangelands, which are no exception to these aforementioned characteristics, are also unique socio-ecological systems that provide a broad range of ecosystem services and support a >$3 billion annual cattle ranching industry. However, climate change both directly and indirectly poses significant challenges to the future sustainability of California rangelands and, ultimately, the management of livestock, which has important economic implications for the state’s agricultural economy. In this study, we examined the changes in overall climate exposure and climatic water deficit (CWD), which was used as a physiological plant water stress gauge, to evaluate potential impacts of climate change on various rangeland vegetation types across California. We used two downscaled global climate models, MIROC and CNRM, under the ‘business-as-usual’ emissions scenario of RCP8.5 at a mid-century time horizon of 2040–2069 and known vegetation–climate relationships. Using the models, we predicted climate change effects using metrics and spatial scales that have management relevance and that can support climate-informed decision making for livestock managers. We found that more than 80% of the area of the rangeland vegetation types considered in this study will have higher CWD by 2040–2069. We evaluated these results with beef cattle inventory data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture by county and found that, on average, 71.6% of rangelands in the top 30 counties were projected to be highly climate-stressed. We found that current proactive and reactive ranching practices such as resting pastures, reducing herd size, and rotational grazing may need to be expanded to include additional strategies for coping with declining plant productivity. Full article

This study evaluated the influence of cow age and temperature adjusted for windchill (T_windchill) on supplement intake behavior of cattle winter grazing rangelands. A mixed-age herd of Angus-based cows (291 and 316 in year 1 and 2, respectively) were classified by age (1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 5–7-, and ≥8-year-old) and grazed rangeland pasture (329-ha) for two consecutive winters. Cows were provided free-choice access to supplement protein blocks in a SmartFeedPro self-feeder system. An Onset HOBO Weather Station collected data throughout the grazing period. Supplement intake (expressed as kg∙d⁻¹ and g∙kg body weight⁻¹), the coefficient of variation in supplement intake and intake rate (g∙min⁻¹) displayed T_windchill × cow age × year interactions (p ≤ 0.02). In general, cow age displayed a quadratic effect on all supplement intake variables (p ≤ 0.04), where 3- to 4-year-old cattle had the greatest supplement intake with the least variation, while yearling cattle had the least amount of supplement intake and the greatest variation. In conclusion, winter environmental conditions interacted with cow age to affect cattle supplement intake behavior and, consequently, the efficacy of nutrient delivery systems for beef cattle winter grazing on rangelands. Full article

Understanding the fluctuations in monthly and annual cattle prices plays a key role in supporting the sustainability of New Mexico’s (NM’s), United States (US), beef cattle industry under variable environmental conditions. The goal of this study was to provide an improved understanding of NM’s beef cattle production systems in terms of prices and production patterns and related drought impacts. The main objectives were to evaluate monthly and annual prices patterns for heifers and steers (cattle) and calves, the relationships between annual cattle prices and inventory and drought, and the effects of drought on ranch net return. Drought events were assessed using the Self-Calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index (SC-PDSI). The generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity models and their exponential version were used to investigate the effects of drought and cattle supply on cattle prices, and the effects of drought on ranch net return. Spectral analysis and timeseries decomposition were used to identify the cycles of the annual price and numbers of cattle and calf. Coherence analysis was used to examine the relationships between inventory of cattle classes and drought. The results indicated that prices of cattle and calf usually drop in October through January and peak in April. The inventory of replacement heifers and steers were negatively related to cattle prices, while the inventory of calves was positively related to calf prices. Cattle and calf prices showed negative linear relationships with droughts. Annual cattle and calf prices showed 6- and 10-year cycles, while their inventory showed 6- and 8- year cycles, respectively. Our finding suggested that a rancher can still earn some net return when drought falls within the “Abnormally Dry” category of the US Drought Monitor. However, a rancher with a large herd or ranch size can endure drought more than a rancher with a medium herd or ranch size and reach the breakeven point. Specifically, the net return ($/head) is expected to increase (or decrease) by $62.29, $60.51, and $64.07 per head if the SC-PDSI increase (or decrease) by one unit in all large and medium ranch sizes, respectively. The effects of drought on ranch net return that we identified need further improvements using additional data. Due to NM’s location and the diversity of its rangeland, understanding the response of cattle prices to drought and beef cattle supply based on these findings can be used to help NM’s ranchers and those in other similar regions make informed ranch management decisions. These findings can also support the development of improved understanding of beef cattle production systems regionally. Full article

A proposed animal welfare assessment protocol for semi-arid rangeland-based cow–calf systems in Namibia combined 40 measures from a protocol developed for beef cattle in New Zealand with additional Namibia-specific measures. Preliminary validation of the protocol had been undertaken with five herds in one semi-commercial village. The aim of the current study was to apply this protocol and compare animal welfare across three cow–calf production systems in Namibia. A total of 2529 beef cows were evaluated during pregnancy testing in the yards of 17 commercial, 20 semi-commercial, and 18 communal (total: 55) herds followed by an assessment of farm resources and a questionnaire-guided interview. Non-parametric tests were used to evaluate the difference in the welfare scores between the production systems. The results indicated a discrepancy of animal welfare between the three farm types, with a marked separation of commercial farms from semi-commercial, and communal village farms in the least. The differences in these production systems were mainly driven by economic gains through access to better beef export market for commercial farms and semi-commercial villages, as well as by the differences in the available grazing land, facility designs/quality, and traditional customs in the village systems. The results indicate an advantage of commercialization over communalization. Full article

Approximately 60% of Australia’s beef cattle are located in the vast rangelands of northern Australia. Despite the often low stocking densities and extensive management practices of the observed herd, animal prevalence of BVDV infection and typical rates of transmission are similar to those observed in intensively managed herds in southern Australia and elsewhere in the world. A recent large three- to four-year study of factors affecting the reproductive performance of breeding herds in this region found that where there was evidence of widespread and/or recent BVDV infection, the percentage of lactating cows that became pregnant within four months of calving was reduced by 23%, and calf wastage was increased by 9%. BVDV is now considered the second most important endemic disease affecting beef cattle in northern Australia, costing the industry an estimated AUD 50.9 million annually. Although an effective killed vaccine was released in Australia in 2003, the adoption of routine whole herd vaccination by commercial beef farmers has been slow. However, routine testing to identify persistently infected replacement breeding bulls and heifers has been more widely adopted. Full article